Critique our Christmas plans?

[funkyspunky871]

Hi everyone! Apologies if this isn't in the right forum (although I swear I've seen similar threads here before, haha).

My name is Emmy, and I'm graduating this December with a BA in geography! So excited! To celebrate, my mom, dad, little brother, and I are headed to Disney World from Dec. 15 to 19. I'm very anxious about the Christmas crowds and planning appropriately, so any tips are appreciated!

We'll be driving down from Georgia on the 15th and staying overnight at a hotel off-site. On the 16th we'll get up early in the morning and head to AKL where we'll be staying the rest of the trip. We plan on checking in, getting our magic bands all set up at the front desk, and leaving our luggage either in the car or with bell services (whichever is fine). I know our room won't be ready until later in the afternoon. Then we'll go to Magic Kingdom. It's a party day, and I've read in other disboard threads that this is the best time to go. We have reservations for the Crystal Palace at 2:15pm for a late lunch. We plan to buy tickets soon to the Christmas party and stay until close, eating dinner at a QS restaurant.

On the 17th we have brunch reservations at Boma for 10:30am. Boma closes at 11:00am, but I've read they keep the food coming well past that time for the guests already seated. Plus, I figured we'll be pretty tired after a long day in MK, so the later the wake up call the better. We'll go to Hollywood Studios for the remainder of the day and grab a QS dinner -- unless you have any suggestions for a TS dinner at HS!

Finally on the 18th we'll be at Epcot, where we have reservations for Biergarten at 6:55pm. Lunch will be Sunshine Seasons aka home of my favorite sandwich in the world (gosh I hope it's still on the menu). Only problem is that Epcot has EMH this day from 9:30 to 11:30pm (if I recall correctly). Most sources say to avoid parks with EMH, but we wanted to end the trip with Epcot. Will it really be that bad??

Again, any suggestions would be appreciated! This is my first time planning a trip during a busy season. We usually go during September and don't really have to worry about this stuff. Should I go in more detail with our itinerary? Fast Pass+ reservations open for us in October, and to be honest, even just three rides a day will be okay for us. This trip is really about spending time with each other and seeing the Christmas decorations. That being said, I have a feeling I might be underestimating the crowds.

Oh, and one more question! Should we drive or take Disney Transportation to the parks each day? I'm unsure.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

First, congrats on your graduation!!

Second, I wouldn't worry too much about the crowds. We've gone the full week before Christmas for the last two years and it's very manageable! I think you have a good plan in place. We also did the Christmas party on a day when we also entered MK with regular tickets and the crowds were quite light. Getting to DHS later in the day is fine - we didn't go until late afternoon last year and we still did everything we wanted to do. If you want to hit a lot of the bigger rides, just be prepared for longer standby times. DHS at Christmas is gorgeous - they really did it up with some new decorations and shows!

EP will be fine. My biggest advice is to avoid WS (around the America pavilion area and the pavilions directly next to it) during Candlelight Processional times if you aren't planning on seeing the show. The lines for the show really clog up the area. FW is a great place to tour when CP is going on.

The crowds really won't pick up until the Friday before Christmas and you will have left by then!

Edited to add: I would take the bus to MK, otherwise driving to the other parks is fine.

 

[funkyspunky871]

First, congrats on your graduation!!

Second, I wouldn't worry too much about the crowds. We've gone the full week before Christmas for the last two years and it's very manageable! I think you have a good plan in place. We also did the Christmas party on a day when we also entered MK with regular tickets and the crowds were quite light. Getting to DHS later in the day is fine - we didn't go until late afternoon last year and we still did everything we wanted to do. If you want to hit a lot of the bigger rides, just be prepared for longer standby times. DHS at Christmas is gorgeous - they really did it up with some new decorations and shows!

EP will be fine. My biggest advice is to avoid WS (around the America pavilion area and the pavilions directly next to it) during Candlelight Processional times if you aren't planning on seeing the show. The lines for the show really clog up the area. FW is a great place to tour when CP is going on.

The crowds really won't pick up until the Friday before Christmas and you will have left by then!

Edited to add: I would take the bus to MK, otherwise driving to the other parks is fine.

Thanks so much! I really appreciate the advice. We'll make sure to stay away from the WS during the Candlelight Processional. This isn't the first time I've read about hectic crowds during it! So glad to hear that we'll miss the worst of the crowds overall though.

 

[v.t.]

I think your plan sounds great. We enjoy 50's PrimeTime at DHS.

Congrats on your graduation!