Crowds the week BEFORE christmas

[markb]

We're arriving 12-15 and departing 12-23. Our expectations are crowds'll be light and build steady and we'll escape the huge crowds just in time.
Am I smokin' rope?
We were ther in June for 3 weeks and crowds build steadily to the unbearable level,we were back in late August tand the crowds were not that bad, but we've never been the week before Christmas.
What can we expect.
Thanks all.

 

[snowiit]

We're arriving 12-15 and departing 12-23. Our expectations are crowds'll be light and build steady and we'll escape the huge crowds just in time.
Am I smokin' rope?
We were ther in June for 3 weeks and crowds build steadily to the unbearable level,we were back in late August tand the crowds were not that bad, but we've never been the week before Christmas.
What can we expect.
Thanks all.

I hope you aren't smokin' rope Mark! We arrive on the 17th and leave the 22nd. I'm hoping for the same scenario as you.. Hopefully slower until Thursday or so. What does everyone else think???

Nancy

 

[Padre Disney]

we arrive the 15th and leave the 19th.. only have four days and will do one park per day....
have visited twice before around holidays. once was the week before thanksgiving and it was our first trip and thought the parks seemed slow... great visit.
Second visit was 12-16 - 12 20 and NO crowds at all... it was PERFECT. We stayed on Splash Mountain three times in a row... NO LINES..

so we are crossing our fingers that the crowds will be light so we can get as much done as possible... Have a group of 13 getting out of IOWA..

 

[jwfla422]

We're arriving 12-15 and departing 12-23. Our expectations are crowds'll be light and build steady and we'll escape the huge crowds just in time.
Am I smokin' rope?
We were ther in June for 3 weeks and crowds build steadily to the unbearable level,we were back in late August tand the crowds were not that bad, but we've never been the week before Christmas.
What can we expect.
Thanks all.

There was another thread like this one yesterday.

All's I can say..from experience...Don't have any expectations on the crowds levels being light, as we expected the same last year and we were in for a rude awakening.

We arrived on the 17th which was a Thursday, by Friday afternoon the parks were jammed. Everything was packed, not only were there long waits for the rides but for the counter service restaurants as well, I mean, REALLY LONG waits...I wouldn't return back this time of year again. As a matter a fact it was so crazy last year we made our holiday trip this year after the holidays!

I know that's not promising news, but I'd advise you to just be prepared for this and don't expect it to be empty or even close, because it probably won't be. (and if it is that would be great!)

Crowdwsie, it will probably be pretty similar to early June, just not as hot. Make sure you have some type of lunch ADR's if you don't want to wait in line for an hour at a counter service place. This was our experience at MGM one day when we had no ADR's. We ended up having pretzels for lunch as most of the counter service place lines were 20-25 people deep and every line was open and after 10 min. we gave up because the line didn't even move! It was not a fun trip because we had those same expectations you did.

 

[CheshireVal]

We always go that time of the year, and the crowds are never very bad.

I'm hoping for the same thing this year, because we'll be there on the 15th as well!

 

[horseshowmom]

Looks like it's filling up fast! We'll be there the 16th-23rd.

 

[pixiesnake]

We are there the 16-22. Touring plans dot com is predicting crowd levels between 4 and 6 (on a scale of 1-10), depending on the day. I am making my plans as if it will be crowded (at least one ADR each day, hitting the parks early, etc.) and then will be delighted if it is quiet. Definitely won't be as busy as the following week - crowd levels at 10!

 

[markb]

Thanks everyone. We always plan for a crowd and then roll accordingly. We'll see you there... I'll be the one with the smoking rope hanging out of my mouth!!!

 

[rlovew]

I'll be up there then too. One thing that may add to the crowds are that many Florida school districts will be out that week. We get out on the 15th here in South Florida so I am going up for a few days before my season pass is on blockout.

 

[bdb7607]

Yep, we'll be there too, 13th thru the 23rd, plan for the worst and hope for the best!

 

[ALostBoy]

Hi,
We are going at that time also. I have a BIL living in Orlando
and his son gets out of school on the 15th. I hope all of florida
does not get out then, because it could make it crowded.
I'm hoping for the best.

 

[4lilpoohs]

Do Florida schools normally have a week off before Christmas? Or are they getting out early this year?

 

[picantel]

We live about 30 minutes from Disney. Just remember this. This year you cannot go by what past years were like as the parks are much more crowded and the hotels alot closer to capacity. You now have more crowded parks, more expensive hotels with less to chose from, more expensive food, and a lesser quality. The CMs are also more rude and the dining service is going downhill. Before someone says oh they are isolated not so. We go to disney every single week with the exception of one week missed due to a wedding. That is about 20 weeks in a row during the weekend and sometimes the weekday. Not a happy camper here since we moved here a few months ago because of our disney fanaticism.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

18th -22nd here can't wait.

5 days for resort and park hopping.

 

[Livin'4Disney]

Schools in North Carolina don't get out until December 22!
I think we may just luck out with the schools as most of the country is keeping kids in school until the end of this week! Maybe Florida is just trying to give their residents a head start on Disney

Regardless, we'll be going early to the parks and eating early lunches and dinners everyday....We're staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins Dec. 16-22

It's our first trip to WDW so....crowds or not it will be magical!!

 

[bcsmom]

I am with you guys too. We will be there Dec 18 - 23rd. We usually go in September & January so we are so spoiled to light crowds. I have been during Christmas week & it was bad, so I just hope it is better then that was. I am just happy to be in Disney for the holidays again. I can not wait to get in the Christmas spirit in Disney

 

[Charleyann]

How crowded is Christmas Eve? After January 1st, do the crowds drop?

Thank you

Charleyann

 

[MomofCKJ]

We are going Dec 15-22 too! Up here in MA many of the schools do not let out till 12/21 or 12/22.

We are hoping for a decent start to the week (well I imagine the weekend could be crowded) and then a build as the week goes on. I like to think that leaving the 22nd we are heading out as the masses are heading in.

We are using TGM for this trip so I am not worrying myself much about lines and crowds. I have never used him before but have read so many success stories I feel confident we can do it and not screw it up!

Allyson

 

[Kellydelly]

We'll be in Kissimmee from the 16th through the 23rd and I'm shaking in my boots at how bad the crowds will be. I had no idea that the week before Christmas might be crowded. Then I tried booking a rental villa from our usual management company and they had one measly house left! Then I tried making PS or whatever they call character dining reservations these days and the whole week was totally booked for everything I wanted except Crystal Palace. I am pulling my oldest out of school for our trip; I figured most other kids would be in school that week, or at least half the week like she's supposed to be. We have tickets for Universal so we may just hang out there and avoid the World altogether. I don't know if some people's definition of a crowd is way different than mine, but I don't want to wait in lines for the rides for an hour each. I'm not sure what to plan for. I would never go on the weekend anyway, that's never a good idea. I was going to go to the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday of that week because it's open late (midnight). I just don't want to waste our passes if we won't even get to ride most of the rides .

 

[Amy&Dan]

For those of you worried about crowds get someting like Tourguide Mike. His plan helped us never wait longer than 20 minutes last December duirng the week between Christmas and New Years. Its all about planning. MK can be tough to coordinate during the times when MVMCP is happening. Expect that if you go to MK on a non party night when Wishes and Spectro is going it will be crowded because everybody else is doing the same thing. During our time frame (15th-22nd) MVMCP is happening a few times. So I am expecting MK to be mobbed when its not happening and expecting to go for the fireworks, parade and ambiance and not much in the way of rides.