Hey there..
My family is going on our sixth Christmas vacation in seven years, so I'd like to believe I have some experience.
I have a blog and a free e-book at survivedisxmas.com, but here's some other tips. I'm probably going to write a lot, so I'll try and highlight the main points...
Are you staying on-site of off-site? We stay on-site. Off site isn't bad, but you put yourself at a big disadvantage for Christmas. During September or October, or March, staying off-site is fine. But when you stay off-site during Christmas, you have to really plan. By the time you book your FP+, a lot of the good times and attractions are gone (on-site books 60 days out). This means you're waiting standby for most lines. You'll need to get to the parks early due to phased closures and to have the opportunity to go on a lot of the big rides at a reduced wait time.
First things first - as a previous poster said, get your ADRs now. Stop what you're going. Don't x-out.. minus out the window and come back - just secure your ADRs. Even if you can't get the restaurant you want, get an ADR and don't play it by chance. Do know that at the 45-day mark, the final deposit is due and (unfortunately) many people cancel their trips. The ADRs will usually open up then and you may be able to snag the restaurant and time you want. But don't chance not having one...
Assuming you're staying on-site though...
Where to go for Christmas Day
We do Magic Kingdom every Christmas. We arrive on Christmas Eve day and pretty much relax all day and go to bed early. We wake up very early Christmas morning, get dressed and
head to the park for the last half hour of the EMH. We usually head straight to Space Mountain, which has around a 20-minute wait. By the time we finish on there, the park is open to the public and the crowds file in.
Now - I've always been surprised that the park doesn't get overly crowded until 10am-11am. Once it hits that time, the park gets noticeably crowded.
Try and fit in as many rides as possible and schedule your FP+ for 11am on. Last year, we rode Space Mountain, the Jingle Cruise, Small World and ate breakfast before 11am. At 11am, the line for Small World was so long that it extended to the Haunted Mansion. Our FP+ included Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear. We always do Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear, as my mom doesn't do big rides and this is a great opportunity to go on rides together. So we had Thunder Mountain at 10:30am. After riding Small World, we went over there. Our next FP+, Buzz Lightyear, was from 12pm to 1pm. We watched the castle show at 12 and then went on Buzz. Our Haunted Mansion FP+ was 1pm-2pm. We went to Haunted Mansion and left the park by 1:30pm. So in a half day at Magic Kingdom, on probably the most crowded day of the year, we did Space Mountain, Jingle Cruise, Small World, breakfast, Buzz Lightyear, Thunder Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. We always leave the parks around 2pm - especially on Christmas - as it gets way too crowded.
I've heard that
Animal Kingdom is the least crowded park on Christmas Day - however - I have a theory that Animal Kingdom will surpass Hollywood Studios this year. Hollywood Studios still has three of the top rides at Disney. Yet, so many people are counting Hollywood Studios out because of all the construction and closures. I think Animal Kingdom is going to see a solid uptick in crowds this year due to people skipping Hollywood Studios.
I think it gets dark around 6:30pm, if I remember correctly. We always grab a quick nap or relax by the pool in the afternoon before showering and heading out. Our dinner reservations are normally around 7 or 8 pm, and it's almost always dark around then.
The lights run pretty much all night. It cycles through - they'll stand stationary, and then a loop of Christmas songs will play and they'll dance. The Osborne lights are going to be PACKED this year. It's their final year and people will flock to the parks to see them. I know I said Hollywood Studios may take a hit in crowds, but you're gonna see the park really fill up at night. Don't be surprised if CMs open up some backstage areas around Streets of America due to the crowds. While on the topic - get pictures. We got a ton of pictures in front of the Sorcerer's hat last year, knowing that it was the final year. I'm actually getting my good camera repaired in anticipation of this trip (among other things.) Really enjoy the lights and find the hidden Mickey's and decorations. It's easy to walk though, say "wow" and walk out... really have fun with it.
All of the resorts have great decorations, but I'd say the
Signatures have the best holiday decorations. The resorts are a nice break from the parks. Hop on the monorail and take the loop around each of the resorts. The Contemporary has a big gingerbread display on the 4th floor. The Poly doesn't have a gingerbread display, but it does have a gorgeous tree and after all the renovations, is definitely worth touring. End with the Grand Floridian, which features a multi-story tree and life-size gingerbread house. Another favorite is both the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. The Wilderness Lodge has a huge fireplace and a themed tree. It really feels like you just stepped foot inside a ski resort - only you get to go outside to warm weather (let's hope.) Fort Wilderness and the campgrounds is also awesome. Many people decorate their campsites - some more elaborate than the others. The resort offers a horse drawn carriage ride around the property to see all the lights and decorations. It's worth the money.
Aside from this, I'd recommend checking out the Yacht and Beach Club and the Boardwalk. The decorations aren't quite as intricate as the Magic Kingdom resorts, but they're pretty awesome.
Make sure to check out Disney Springs. They have a Christmas store there and it's fun to shop for some last minute gifts. The Ghiradelli Store often gives out peppermint bark samples. We always grab a few our first day!
Overall, it'll be crowded. I think it'll actually be more crowded this year due to the free dining until December 21st. In past years, the crowds usually die down after
MVMCP (Dec 18th) and pick up again around December 23rd. Many people only stay at Disney for Christmas or NYE. The crowd will die down a bit on December 27th and 28th, but then pick back up again on December 29th through the new year.
NYE will be crowded. Magic Kingdom does a "dress rehearsal show" on December 30th. This is good for two reasons. 1 - if you can't decide what park you wanna go to, you can go to MK on Dec. 30th and another park on NYE. 2 - MK is extremely crowded on NYE, so this is a great opportunity to see the show.
We used to do DHS for NYE, but did EPCOT last year. It's definitely really crowded, but because the park is so big and spread out, it alleviates the crowds. Plus, both MK and EPCOT open backstage areas to make it easier to get around the park. I'd go to MK on Dec. 30th and EPCOT NYE. I really had fun on NYE. This year we have a dinner reservation at Teppan Edo, and then we're claiming our spot in Japan. DHS is good. It's also pretty spaced out. It's better for kids, whereas EPCOT is better for older families. I'm not sure how good of a choice DHS will be with all the construction going on, though.
Overall, remember you're on vacation. You're away for Christmas! Most people have to work December 26th, but you get to wake up, go on rides and hang out with a giant mouse! So many people get frustrated b/c the crowds, but when you really think about it - it's such a first-world problem!
Oh yeah - and don't be a S*cker for the new attractions. EVERYONE is gonna run to 7DMT. If you can't ride it during EMH or get a FP+, don't bother. The line was so long last year that it would have taken up half our day. I will say this - try and secure a FP+ for later in your trip. Let's say you're staying December 24th to January 1st, like my family. Like I said above, most people stay for Christmas OR NYE. You can book your FP+ for 60 days from when you check in, and 13 days thereafter. For me, I plan on getting a FP+ for 7DMT on December 30th. THe later the date and the longer your vacation, the better the chance of getting a solid FP+.
