December trip! Am I insane?

[MandeeLeigh]

So my father and I just booked a trip for December 19-24th, staying at AKL. I'm super excited, but also pretty nervous because I know the crowds will be crazy. We go to Disney (usually Disneyland since we're in CA, but this will be my 3rd WDW trip) every year, usually early December, but my school schedule kinda messed that up and this was the only option.

So far, my plan is to focus on the restaurants we want to go to, and maybe going to look at other hotels rather than planning on spending full days at the parks. I'm not very good with crowds, and even though I'm excited, I'm really anxious about how crowded it is going to be.

Can anyone whose been to the parks this time of year give me some advice or let me know what I can expect? Maybe calm my nerves too, lol

 

[BigAlsGal]

Insane? No. But it is going to be crowded. Just doing a quick google search of "Disney world Christmas crowds" is enough to make me shudder. I think doing the restaurant and resort focus is a good idea.

If doing parks make rope drop a must and maybe scram by 11. Like everyone will say "it's doable". It is. Just being realistic. It's not going to be even normal crowded. It's going to be crazy crowded. You'll be fine. Enjoy!

 

[A State Of Autumn]

It's never insane to go to Disney.

 

[iona]

We were there from December 12-26th in 2015. Was it crowded? Yes. Was it as bad as I'd feared? No. The 25th and 26th were definitely much more crowded than the days leading up to Christmas. The first day when I thought "actually this is a bit too busy for my liking" was the 23rd.

Get your dining reservations sorted as you suggested and if you're going to eat quick service for lunch try to do it at an off time (preferably early!). We found the best plan of attack was to get to the parks for opening and take advantage of the lower queues and then to either have our fastpasses starting mid-morning or to have them in another park for the afternoon/evening.

 

[MaleficentUK]

We were there 17th December to 31st December 2015. It was very crowded as we got closer to Christmas (not very at the start of the holiday). It was manageable, however. Use FastPasses, plan well, book the meals you want, and just relax about crowds. When possible, we picked the parks that were predicted to be least busy each day, based on touringplans - so we spent Christmas Day at Animal Kingdom. It takes longer to get across a park because of crowds, so plan for it. If you want to do stuff at rope drop, it is still less crowded than normal park days. People are on vacation, its Christmas, so fewer people want to get up early to be at the parks before 7 a.m. The parks are also less crowded late in the day and the parks have longer hours. Take advantage of these.
I very much recommend scheduling in the holiday specific offerings at Epcot's World Showcase.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would schedule a meal at the Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge to see the gorgeous decorations. Also,those hotels and others have community singers or bell choirs coming in to entertain. You can get a schedule at the desks of the resorts. For sure, I would at least visit those 2 hotels.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We were there from Dec. 25 - Dec. 30 last year and stayed at BWI. Yes, it was very crowded, but I was so glad we could walk to two parks because the bus to MK was just terrible (AK was fine). You may not hit the crowds we did, but the bus to MK (on Dec. 29), took a different, much longer route than usual because of all the traffic going into MK. We go to WDW a lot and I've never seen anything like it. The crowds pouring into MK were astonishing. I would definitely go during Christmas again, but I don't think I would go to MK, at all. I would skip Disney Spring as well.

Here's what worked for us: Like you, we focused on some non-park things we wanted to do (restaurants we hadn't tried, swimming, etc.). We also did Wild Africa Trek because we were able to go backstage at AK with a limited amount of people and really enjoy that aspect of AK without battling crowds. That strategy would most likely work with any of the tours, if they are of interest to you. In EP, if you aren't planning on doing the Candlelight Processional, do WS during the day and FW at night. WS during CP showtimes is REALLY crowded, but FW was virtually empty.

 

[hippiechicken]

It's crowded, but it's amazing at Christmastime!!
It's my favorite time to go!!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We usually avoid Disney during Christmas time due to the sheer number of people there for the magic. If I went I wouldn't complain later. If I choose to jump into a pit of vipers I only have myself to blame.

That said we have reservations at POFQ for December 27-29 while driving the old folks to their condo in FL. And yes I only have myself to blame...I will still be happy while there.

 

[MandeeLeigh]

Thank you so much everyone! It makes me feel better knowing that it is at least doable.

It's going to be different from our past trips, but we're gonna make it work. We went with the deluxe dining plan, so there's tons of restaurants that we're gonna try this year, and many resorts to see.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

So my father and I just booked a trip for December 19-24th, staying at AKL. I'm super excited, but also pretty nervous because I know the crowds will be crazy. We go to Disney (usually Disneyland since we're in CA, but this will be my 3rd WDW trip) every year, usually early December, but my school schedule kinda messed that up and this was the only option.

So far, my plan is to focus on the restaurants we want to go to, and maybe going to look at other hotels rather than planning on spending full days at the parks. I'm not very good with crowds, and even though I'm excited, I'm really anxious about how crowded it is going to be.

Can anyone whose been to the parks this time of year give me some advice or let me know what I can expect? Maybe calm my nerves too, lol

Breathe. Breathe. Feel better? Good.

It's going to be crowded, but you're leaving before it gets crazy. I think you will see a good amount of crowds, seeing as there will (should) be free dining until 12/21.
Attendance usually slightly dips right after MVMCP. You're getting there on Monday, 12/19. Most schools, jobs, etc. don't start Christmas break until 12/24. You'll probably see an uptick in crowds starting around 12/22-12/23. Probably on 12/22, as it's cheaper to travel on a Thursday than Friday, but keep in mind that with Christmas being on a Sunday, it's going to throw a wrench into a lot of people's travel plans. This means your week shouldn't be AS BAD. Total speculation, but just going based on my experience.

Plan your FP+'s, plan your ADRs and set up a list of priorities for them. For dining, you'll wanna book 12/24 first. Then go in order of restaurant popularity. For FP+, you'll obviously wanna book rides like TSMM and 7DMT first.

We always do the parks in the morning, take a break in the afternoon and then head back at night. Let's hope for your sake (and mine) that they do late-night EMH's. That plays well for night owls and those from the west, as 1am at night is really 10pm for you.

I promise - the trip is what you make of it. Last year was crazy hot. I'll admit that at time I felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed with the crowds. Had it been around 70 degrees, I would have been fine. Take breaks and tailor your expectations. You're not gonna see and do everything you want. Being that you're from Cali though and don't get to WDW too often, set aside time for the park, then take a break in the afternoon and explore the resorts, etc. There's so much more to do in Disney during Christmas than the parks alone. But - I understand if you wanna stay in the parks.

 

[MandeeLeigh]

I would schedule a meal at the Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge to see the gorgeous decorations. Also,those hotels and others have community singers or bell choirs coming in to entertain. You can get a schedule at the desks of the resorts. For sure, I would at least visit those 2 hotels.

Thanks for the suggestions! We checked out the Wilderness Lodge on our last trip - it is so beautiful, going back there again for sure! Is it the Grand Floridian that has the big gingerbread house? We're going to try to have breakfast there one morning to see that.

 

[redsbe]

If you ask am I insane, then by definition you are not! Seriously by understanding crowds will be busy you are acting very sane in realizing the issues and limitations and planning accordingly. Now for some to go at that time and feel crowds will not be busy or make no efforts to plan for it - those folks are crazy!!