Disney at Christmas

[chip&dale1]

Hi, can someone tell me what its like staying at WDW at Christmas? I appreciate it'll be busy. We are thinking of staying at SSR . Questions like what is the temperature ? Are the pools in use ? And is it worth paying the flight cost for the Christmas experience ? Any help would be appreciated .

 

[wayneg]

Are you meaning before Xmas day or Xmas thru New Year?

I can only comment on Xmas thru New Year, being in retail I can't fly until Xmas day which we have done 5 times.

Downside, crazy busy, once had no cars left on arrival, a 10 min journey takes 30-40 mins, lines for rides are unbelievable (once saw 6 hours for Soarin)

Upside, its the most magical time to go, every Disney fan needs to experience it at least once, you can spend hours looking around the resorts at all the decs.

Weather, it can be anything from freezing point and having to wear gloves, hats and scarves upto about 80f and wearing shorts and Tshirts and thats all in 1 day. We have had days where we de-iced the car then other days wearing shorts right upto midnight, you have no idea til you get there so take clothes for all temps.

 

[babydiver]

Hi, can someone tell me what its like staying at WDW at Christmas? I appreciate it'll be busy. We are thinking of staying at SSR . Questions like what is the temperature ? Are the pools in use ? And is it worth paying the flight cost for the Christmas experience ? Any help would be appreciated .

We have stayed at WDW at Christmas and New Year many times and so think it's worth the visit.

The decor and special parades are not to be missed. The atmosphere is great and the crowds aren't too bad up until the few days before and after Christmas. We have stayed 'on site' at a few of the DVC places and have found on the whole that the pools don't close.

As for Temperatures - take an assortment of layers. We have been in Tshirts but we have also been in our winter coats from the UK. We have SCRAPPED ICE OF THE CAR WINDSCREEN SOMETIMES! You can never depend on the weather but all I can say is you are mostly going to have dry weather!

Just be aware that if you want to visit the Magic Kingdom or other theme parks on Christmas Day you will have to get there well before opening time. Every Christmas Day the Magic Kingdom in particular can be full to capacity by early and once it reaches capacity they no longer allow entry.

On previous visits our favourite Christmas Day past time is not to go anywhere near a theme park but to walk around the Seven Seas Lagoon (the one in front of the Magic Kingdom) and visit all the hotels. See their decorations and gingerbread houses and sometimes they have story tellers or characters visiting. We snack our way around and the atmosphere is great. You can of course, make a reservation for lunch or dinner in one of the hotels but from previous experience we have found the menu doesn't change for Christmas Day.

If you have any other queries please message me as I check the DIS every couple of days.

Have fun planning
Sue

 

[wayneg]

Just be aware that if you want to visit the Magic Kingdom or other theme parks on Christmas Day you will have to get there well before opening time. Every Christmas Day the Magic Kingdom in particular can be full to capacity by early and once it reaches capacity they no longer allow entry.

They do but as people leave later in the day they re-open entry, when flying in on the Xmas day early VA flight we have checked into our hotel then gone to MK, no problem getting in early evening.
Same for New Years eve, if you want to see the later fireworks around half the people (including us) leave after the first showing.

 

[jen_uk]

We went last Xmas and had a great time. It was busy but manageable, we stayed onsite and used EMH to get the big rides done before the parks opened fully. As long as we were there early we didn't have a problem with huge queues, I think the longest we waited was about 25 mins. The only exception to this was IOA, most things were fine but we couldn't even get close to Harry Potter world, there was over an hours wait just to enter the area! We tended to leave the parks at about lunchtime and go back to the hotel, as we were leaving there would be hordes of people flocking in and I imagine they had huge queues. The weather was mixed, we had some hot days and some cooler days. We were able to swim most afternoons and we went to BB which was practically deserted, there were about 15 people in the whole place including us (funnily enough all British as the Americans must have found it too chilly!) and it was great as we basically had the run of the place! We are going again this year and got a great price with Kenwood travel

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

Out of curiosity when do they start decorating for Christmas anyway? I just thought it may be possible to see most of the Christmas festivities before Christmas which would cut down on crowds, be slightly better weather wise etc.

 

[wayneg]

Out of curiosity when do they start decorating for Christmas anyway? I just thought it may be possible to see most of the Christmas festivities before Christmas which would cut down on crowds, be slightly better weather wise etc.

They start putting them up when they take down halloween we were there early Nov last year saw both Halloween & Xmas Decs

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

This will be my 3rd xmas at Disney. We stay off site, theres a big group of us... it is busy, but if youre prepared for it, youll be fine! X

 

[queendisney]

Out of curiosity when do they start decorating for Christmas anyway? I just thought it may be possible to see most of the Christmas festivities before Christmas which would cut down on crowds, be slightly better weather wise etc.

By Thanks Giving they are as good as up. We nearly always go November time, this year we are there November into December and its a fantastic time to go. You get to see all dec's, the lights at HS, the gingerbread houses, the Christmas party in MK etc ..and its a LOT quieter (excluding Thanks Giving week off course). My most fav time of the year to go without a doubt.

 

[MonorailUK]

Have been lucky enough to stay over Christmas and New Year 4 times and each time the weather has been different. First year was hot all the way through and pools and Water Park were open. Note only one Water Park is open as other is on refurb. Other trips have been mixed, shorts by day, coats for evening and one trip mixed but some days cold all day. You need to prepare that weather could be cold.

It is extremely busy and parks will close on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve due to capacity. Saying that it is a fantastic time to go.

 

[Cumbley]

We've been a few times over Christmas and we love it! Yes the parks are busy but its worth it! Weather wise it really is as others have said - we've had shorts & t-shirts one holiday and jumpers and coats another! Layers for every eventuality is the key! We wanted to go Christmas again this year but have decided to go early January instead (purely for cost!)

 

[fizz13]

I've done 2 Decembers now, both flying back around the 23rd & it was lovely & quiet until about the 19/20, it all depends where Xmas falls but it's the weekend before it starts getting crazy, it can be incredibly cold & we had gloves, hats scarves on at the Xmas party, evenings but it is a beautiful time of year to go. my kids were also on water slides the same trip lol. I think there is no Xmas atmosphere anywhere else like it, & definitely worth doing, hot chocolate & sugar cookies at MVMCP, the beautiful lights, gingerbread houses, Epcot storytellers, the extra fireworks at the end of illuminations, it is magical

 

[Elise79]

We have done November (middle two weeks before Thanksgiving) and December for 10 days leaving on 23rd.

During our November trip we watched the decorations going up. Everyday there was something new up! However although the parties & Osbourne lights were running Candlelight Processional hadn't started and the story tellers were not in Epcot.

The December trip was great as everything was all running for Christmas - weather started nice but last two days it got cold but was still sunny. We where wearing jeans and jackets.

We like to be home for Christmas but loved going just before!

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

So if my dates were 7 Nov to 24 Nov would the Christmas parade etc be on or would I miss out? I need to catch the tail end of Nov I think for free dining.

 

[Elise79]

So if my dates were 7 Nov to 24 Nov would the Christmas parade etc be on or would I miss out? I need to catch the tail end of Nov I think for free dining.

In 2014 Thanksgiving is on 27 November. Candlelight will start the day after. We saw it for the first time last year and I can't wait to go again!

The Christmas parade in Magic Kingdom will only be on during MVMCP. The day time parade becomes the Xmas parade after the last party along with the fireworks switching to holiday wishes the same day.

The AK day parade switches at the start of November (this year it is the 9th).

Personally I would avoid the whole week including Thanksgiving as it will busy from the Saturday through to the following Sunday

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

Hmmm, so that means I would miss a lot of the Christmas festivities then if I go when I was trying to go? I would have liked to have gone early Dec but I think the free dining has to be used by Nov 30th?

 

[marcgiu]

We went last Xmas and it was great – like other posters say its busy but providing you have a decent plan its manageable.

What was great was the build up (20th – 24th) , most people are buying presents , getting ready for xmas etc so we found it pretty quiet. The decor is amazing and the atmosphere is (if at all possible) even more magical

 

[Elise79]

Hmmm, so that means I would miss a lot of the Christmas festivities then if I go when I was trying to go? I would have liked to have gone early Dec but I think the free dining has to be used by Nov 30th?

Free dining is for arrivals up to 30 November. Everything would be in place then except for the MK parade & Holiday Wishes which are only during the parties.

Also those first 2 weeks in December are one of the quietest times in the parks

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

Free dining is for arrivals up to 30 November. Everything would be in place then except for the MK parade & Holiday Wishes which are only during the parties.

Also those first 2 weeks in December are one of the quietest times in the parks

Thanks Elise. I have looked at the Christmas festivities schedule for this year and it appears that the MVMCP would be on from 8 Nov onwards, unsure about Holiday Wishes though. So would that mean I would get to see these if I booked for 7 Nov next year? I'm a bit confusedI had a look at prices for next year for the first two weeks of December and it is much more expensive to go so I think I will stick with November if I can still see the Christmas parades etc.

 

[Elise79]

You would see everything except Candlelight processional in November if you will pay for MVMCP tickets.

We didn't find any value in the Xmas party personally but others love it.