CHRISTMAS week at disney

[dlhvac]

any tips or advice arrive 12/24/ leave 1/1/2011

 

[Jedi]

might wanna try posting this on the theme park board.....But my advice is good luck

 

[Michael623]

Reschedule?

 

[ngneer98]

arrive early, utiliza fastpass everwhere you can, and regardless of those 2 things, be prepared to wait an hour for just about everything. that's just the way it is that week. thinking you'll walk right onto Dumbo will just set you up for disapointment. enjoy the decorations and people watching, do what you can, and enjoy the holidays at the World!

 

[wdwgolfman]

when ive been at christmas i always make sure to see the osbourne lights at disneys hollywood studios. But also try to check out the little things, for instance, the ginger bread house at the grand floridian.

 

[jen_eck]

Just be mentally prepared to wait. Utilize fast passes and pick 2-3 things you MUST do and then a few things you would like to do, then you will not get stressed out. Eat at odd times as well (11 am for lunch, 3 pm for dinner, etc).

 

[dblr]

Like everyone said before use fastpass as much as you can, if you see a cast member handing out fastpasses try to get them from them as they might not put your tickets into the machine which will allow you to get another pass without the wait.
If crowds get to bad take a break and tour some of the resorts to see the decorations. The biggest thing is plan on crowds everywhere then you will not be disappointed and happy if there is no line.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There are five stages to Park Closings, based on number of people in a Park. The turnstile master computer at each park keeps track of both entries and exits. When a park capacity closes (which is done in stages) there has to be a certain number of people exiting, with the total "in park" below a certain number, before they start allowing people in again.

I am low enough on the totem pole that I have no idea what these numbers are.

Stage Zero - Due to limited available parking, Guests may be directed to alternate parking areas where they will use Resort transportation to travel to the park of their choice.

Stage 1 - At this stage each Guest in a vehicle must have a valid multi-day ticket. Also Guests with a Park Hopper or re-entering the Park, by showing a currently dated Parking Receipt, will be allowed in. Also, any Guests using Disney transportation are allowed.

Stage 2 - At this stage, Theme Park admission is limited to Disney Resort Guests*, Annual and Premium Annual Passholders, Guests with Park Hopper tickets crossing over from another Park, Guests re-entering this Park today. Guests with written confirmation of reservations for Dining or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League within one hour are also admitted. Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Theme Park has reached capacity.

Stage 3 - At this stage, Theme Park admission is limited to Disney Resort Guests*, Annual and Premium Annual Passholders. Guests with written confirmation of reservations for Dining or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League within one hour are also admitted.

Stage 4 - Nobody is allowed in.

Also, if you are staying at a Disney owned and operated Resort and have a ticket, you are guaranteed entry into A park. Not necessarily the one you want (unless you want to go into AK). And if you have entered and left a park and do not have a hopper you may not get into anything.

*Guests of WDW Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green at the Walt Disney World Resort are considered part of this group for Stages 2 and 3. In addition, Guests from Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus are included.

 

[dlhvac]

Thank you very much very informative . we are staying at SSR and have Disney Dining plan Sometimes out of park reservations Kids have char meals but we did not purchase hopper passes. Should we change to HOPPER PASSES AT THE GATE?????????????????????????????????

 

[PixieTinkerbell]

Thank you very much very informative . we are staying at SSR and have Disney Dining plan Sometimes out of park reservations Kids have char meals but we did not purchase hopper passes. Should we change to HOPPER PASSES AT THE GATE?????????????????????????????????

YES!!!!!!!!! No one should ever go into a park without a park hopper

 

[DC7800]

No one should ever go into a park without a park hopper

Why? If you know for certain you are only going to visit one park a day, then the park hopper option is a useless waste of money.

If you change your mind and later want (or need) or visit a second park the same day, only then would you need a park hopper.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

The best thing you can do is get up early! Really really early!!! Be at the gate to enter the park about 45 minutes before the park opens. Which means leave for the park as much as an hour and a half early.

Have a list of the things you most want to do. Start the day with the big draw rides and get a fast pass as soon as you can. It is helpful to have a runner to take all the tickets and go to the fast pass machine while the rest of the group stays in line.

Go to the park that is NOT the early entry park or get to the early entry park REALLY EARLY!!!!

Relax and try to keep a good attitude.

Don't plan to see it all.

 

[dlhvac]

got to get the kids motivated to get up early

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Yes, you do need to motivate them. It will be the difference in seeing 5 attractions in a day and seeing 10. Really that much. Everyone wants to sleep in on vacation and so the reward for those willing to get up at the crack of dawn is way less people in front of you in line!

Is this your first trip? You can find maps and even some touring plans on the Parks board. Having a plan of what you will do in the morning time is as important as getting up early. Once you get everyone out of bed you do not want to waste the time looking at a map saying "What should we do next"

For example: MK at opening
if you have little ones:
dumbo
Peter pan
Pooh
drive the cars
buzz light year

if you have thrill seekers:
Space Mountain
astro Orbitor
buzz
big thunder
splash

Get fast pass for 2nd ride as often as your time (on the fast pass) allows.

 

[mike the canuck]

Go to the Animal Kingdom on Christmas day. My family did and crowds were big but bearable. We took advantage of the single riders line on xmas day on Expedition Everest and rode it like 5 times in one hour!

 

[seashoreCM]

YES!!!!!!!!! No one should ever go into a park without a park hopper

Pssst!
You can procrastinate about getting park hopping until you arrive at the second theme park on a given day. Some obscure limitations apply.

Do not go to the park that has Extra Magic Hour in the morning unless you are able and willing to enter the park when the EMH starts.

The park that had EMH on a given night is often less crowded the next morning.

 

[dlhvac]

HAD A GREAT TRIP
thanx to all who posted we did not get hoppers. recieved a bunch of super fast passes from dvc rep able to do everything we wanted to do.
some people rude but who cares.

 

[jar]

Here's a related question. Never gone during xmas, but going during Pres. week next month. I know crowds then are bad, but how bad? Are they similar to everything I hear about xmas or is that in a category of its own? And do parks ever close during Pres. week?

Thanks.

 

[dlhvac]

Christmas is alone on the crowding as far as ive heard never been on the week you are going

 

[Metsoskil]

Here's a related question. Never gone during xmas, but going during Pres. week next month. I know crowds then are bad, but how bad? Are they similar to everything I hear about xmas or is that in a category of its own? And do parks ever close during Pres. week?

Thanks.

Presidents' Week = 9/10

Week between Xmas and NYE = 14/10