December 2015 Help Thread - What To See & Do (Crowd Calendar Added)

[Maleficent Dragon]

Here is a serious question about the holiday

With a child who is autistic and not a huge fan of meeting characters or waiting in crowds for parades...would the party still be a must do?

No sarcasm at all but DH and I are seriously debating the party. DS is good with navigating DL, we've gone 7 times in the past 4 years so we know a bit of what we are looking at with crowds and lines but we know his limits and do what we can to minimize his stress.

If this is our only WDW trip, given our son and his challenges, would to still do the party?

Thanks!

Given those circumstances, I think you would find it more frustrating than anything else. You would basically be paying $75 a person for EMH.

 

[chinarider]

Party, Party!!! I love the Party!!!

You won't regret it.

Thanks .was hesitant since we were going to be there the full following week as well. This is the last night of the party so, I'm sure it will sell out but, I figure that it still we be less than the regular crowds the week before Christmas. Plus, who knows if this is the last vacation my DD20 will want to do with me. Now I will have to have to for sure buy the memory maker too!!!

 

[sheila <3 WDW]

13 days away from making ADRs! Josh's recommended park days aren't listed yet for late December. I'm nervous I'll pick the wrong days to go to the parks!

 

[Aladora]

Given those circumstances, I think you would find it more frustrating than anything else. You would basically be paying $75 a person for EMH.

Thanks, that was pretty much where we landed!

Our ADR date is Friday and since hearing that CS at WDW is not as good as at DL our "we're just going to make one, maybe two ADRs this trip" has become a bit more complicated.

 

[Bill Schultz]

What do the green, red, and yellow days mean on the first post? Are red the days to avoid?

 

[Donald Duck888]

Hi all,

Many thanks to the originator of this thread and to all who have posted such good information. My daughter and I are going on what has become our annual "daddy/daughter" trip which we have done for the last 3 years except this time we are going in December for the first time. Actually this is the first December trip ever for her or I. We are going from Dec 12-18th and are hopeful we will be there before the crowds get too crazy. I actually have already bought us tickets to MVMCP and am awaiting next Mon when i can make our ADR's

 

[disneyapeelizzle]

Would anyone know which is more accurate (as far as crowd prediction)...the easywdw page or undercovertourist?
Here's our plan:
DECEMBER 8-12
December 8- HS
December 9- MK (we have 8:15 CRT ressies & we don't plan on doing a MVMCP on this trip)
December 10- Epcot or AK
December 11- AK or Epcot

Thanks!!

Edit: no Park hoppers as we have 2 littles and grandparents & I think it will be too much hopping around -.-

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

What do the green, red, and yellow days mean on the first post? Are red the days to avoid?

Green Days are the Best and Suggested Days
Yellow Days are Okay, but Be Cautious of Crowds
Red Days are the Worst Days to Visit the Park

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

Would anyone know which is more accurate (as far as crowd prediction)...the easywdw page or undercovertourist?
Here's our plan:
DECEMBER 8-12
December 8- HS
December 9- MK (we have 8:15 CRT ressies & we don't plan on doing a MVMCP on this trip)
December 10- Epcot or AK
December 11- AK or Epcot

Thanks!!

Edit: no Park hoppers as we have 2 littles and grandparents & I think it will be too much hopping around -.-

The information I have on the first post is an accurate crowd calendar.

 

[chinarider]

Do we think they are going to change opening to 7am at MK like last year? If so, how far before Christmas would this start?

 

[PirateD]

Would anyone know which is more accurate (as far as crowd prediction)...the easywdw page or undercovertourist?
Here's our plan:
DECEMBER 8-12
December 8- HS
December 9- MK (we have 8:15 CRT ressies & we don't plan on doing a MVMCP on this trip)
December 10- Epcot or AK
December 11- AK or Epcot

Thanks!!

Edit: no Park hoppers as we have 2 littles and grandparents & I think it will be too much hopping around -.-

In the past, I have found both to be good references but I couldn't really tell you which is more accurate. I kind of like to look at several crowd calendars and compare them to the Park hours and then make a decision based on all of the information combined. I looked at TP and EasyWDW and the crowd calendar at the beginning of the thread for your dates and it looks like you have a good, solid plan.

 

[PirateD]

Do we think they are going to change opening to 7am at MK like last year? If so, how far before Christmas would this start?

The 2014 calendars had 7:00 AM EMH starting the weekend before Christmas. I don't recall which day specifically, but I know it was by Sunday because December 20 is going to be our first day in the parks so I looked at that Sunday last year. We are expecting an early 7:00 EMH morning assuming that it will be the same pattern this year. Hopefully we will know soon!

 

[disneyapeelizzle]

In the past, I have found both to be good references but I couldn't really tell you which is more accurate. I kind of like to look at several crowd calendars and compare them to the Park hours and then make a decision based on all of the information combined. I looked at TP and EasyWDW and the crowd calendar at the beginning of the thread for your dates and it looks like you have a good, solid plan.

Thanks for the feedback! I figure even the most crowded day won't be THAT crowded but there are so many christmas parties that week we may end up going to one but we probably won't make that decision until we get closer to the date & it would be the day we visit DAK.

 

[PirateD]

Thanks for the feedback! I figure even the most crowded day won't be THAT crowded but there are so many christmas parties that week we may end up going to one but we probably won't make that decision until we get closer to the date & it would be the day we visit DAK.

Yes, I wish crowds looked that good for our week! It still looks like you picked good days for each park. I was surprised to see so many parties then! The party would probably work well for your DAK day. We are planning to park hop to DHS on our DAK day (we are thinking Christmas Eve for DAK) to see the Osborne lights or maybe schedule an ADR for 'Ohana. We love AK, but we are usually ready to leave by late afternoon-early evening.

 

[disneyapeelizzle]

Yes, I wish crowds looked that good for our week! It still looks like you picked good days for each park. I was surprised to see so many parties then! The party would probably work well for your DAK day. We are planning to park hop to DHS on our DAK day (we are thinking Christmas Eve for DAK) to see the Osborne lights or maybe schedule an ADR for 'Ohana. We love AK, but we are usually ready
to leave by late afternoon-early evening.

That's exactly what I did before. Left DAK by about 2pm or after the parade. With my two girls (almost 6 & almost 4 by the trip) , that may be a different story. It's their first visit (my oldests' first visit doesn't count, she was itty bitty ) guess I won't know until we're there. They'll love the safari, nemo, & lion king, but besides that, the other rides may be too intense & jerky for them. I'd really just like to do MK again but My husband refuses to skip the park bc he LOVES Expedition Everest. Haha.

 

[chinarider]

we havent been during the holidays since 2001. My DD was a Disney College Intern last Christmas season and said that it's very crowded ( she was at EP). She said that MK had usually reached some level of closure most days. We arrive on Wed evening the 16th so, I'm hoping we get a jump start on some of the crowds. We are usually RP people and then would PH in the afternoon ( and use our FP then ). Hopefully this will work well for this trip too. We plan not PH to MK in the afternoon , just in case. I saw that last year, MK opened at 7am (EMH) everyday ( only checked t hru Christma) starting the Sunday prior to Christmas. Do we think or know for sure if that will be the case this year? Maybe a can score a PrePark RD ADR of CP on the 17th ( if they still are keeping the 9 am opening).Out of 8 days, I have 5 days at MK- one including the parade. Most of my ADRS are for dinner ( and outside the parks so, the likelihood that we head back after dinner is slim to none - also if we're at RD, we will be pretty tired. We do have a few late nights though)

So far this is what I have (any insights, comments is helpful )

THurs Dec 17-
AM-MK
PM -HS ( or stay at MK to take advantage of low crowds)

Fri- 18th
AM-AK
PM- MK- Christmas Party

Sat-19th
AM-HS
PM-EP

Sun 20th
AM-MK
PM-HS

Mon 21st
AM- MK
PM- EP

Tues 22nd
AM-EP
PM-AK

Wed-23rd
MK ALL DAY

Thurs-24th
AM-AK
PM-HS

Friday 25th
Santa's Sleighride Home

 

[PirateD]

@chinarider, your plans look very similar to our tentative plans! Hopefully that means we are on to something good!
We arrive Sat Dec 19th in the evening. Half of us are coming from the Pacific NW so we will just probably check in, have dinner, and get settled. Sun 20th, we are going to MK. The 21st-23rd are kind of undetermined but probably mostly MK days with maybe EP or park hopping. Thurs 24th we are planning AK in the AM and DHS in the PM. Fri 25th we are hoping for a late 1900 PF breakfast and then PM at EP. Sat 26th we are planning DHS in the AM and EP in the PM. We aren't sure about 27th-28th. Maybe MK in the AM on the 27th or resting at the resort, but the rest is not planned.

I was hoping for the rest of the calendar on Easy WDW before making ADRs but we may just need to finalize our plans without it. Only 6 more days! At least we are only making a couple because we are on the QSDP and will paying for just a few OOP. That will hopefully leave us some flexibility to change our days if needed.

 

[chinarider]

Finalized ( Huh, is it ever) my plans with my DD20 last night. Ready for ADR's at 3 am on Friday- hoping they will be smiling down on me.

 

[PirateD]

Finalized ( Huh, is it ever) my plans with my DD20 last night. Ready for ADR's at 3 am on Friday- hoping they will be smiling down on me.

Wishing you luck and pixie dust! I did a practice run this morning (at 5 AM, not 3 AM) just to check it out, see if my credit card was good to go, and practice navigating. I actually saw two times for BOG lunch for December 13 (today's 180). I'm hoping that's a sign of good things to come!

 

[mlnbabies]

My ADR window is open and I got dinner at 1900 park fare for arrival day, Via Napoli for Epcot day, BOG lunch on one day, and CRT breakfast on the last day. We have 5 day park hoppers with a day off to explore. We are going to skip MVMCP in order to stay another night. That could change but probably not since we did the party in 12-2011. The extra $315.24 will buy 2 more nights.