DISNEY during the Holidays!

[greenban]

A new greenban poll:

Have you ever done WDW or WDL during a major Holiday?

If so how was it?

We have two Holiday experiences:

This July 4th:

No hotels in Orlando for Saturday night.

Very crowded at Magic Kingdom on the 3rd and 4th. Elbow to elbow with others on Main Street. Very Hot, very humid, fireworks were spectacular. Fast Pass made lines tolerable, we would do it again, but it is not our favorite time of year, because of the weather.

Also Passover this year (end of April). We didn't go because of the Holiday, but because it was our kids spring break. Great weather! Very managable crowds, we will go again in April/May.

-Tony

 

[westjones]

Very crowded at Magic Kingdom on the 3rd and 4th. Elbow to elbow with others on Main Street. Very Hot, very humid, fireworks were spectacular. Fast Pass made lines tolerable, we would do it again, but it is not our favorite time of year, because of the weather.
-Tony

We have been there for the week before Christmas the last two years (left on Christmas day two years ago).

MK was elbow to elbow all over! I was hit by so many strollers that I had to laugh at how crazy it was. We still had a good time, used fast passes a LOT. The main difference from what you describe for July 4th is that it is cool (need a light jacket in the evenings), so standing in line or waiting for show was very comfortable. It is BEAUTIFUL also! Seeing it 'snow' on Main Street is just wonderful!

Now it wasn't quite so bad at the other parks. I'm not saying they were empty, but it wasn't elbow to elbow (well it was walking through the Osbourne Light display, but everyone moved well together and I wasn't hit by any strollers).

We are not going to Disney this year for Christmas because I want to be home for the holidays. I think we may try it again in 2007, but I want a couple of years at home before we go back to Disney for the holidays.

You just have to go with the idea that it will be crowded, but you will see some beautiful decorations. We spent a day resort hopping to see the decorations. At the GF they were giving out roasted chestnut. We stayed at BWV and I highly recommend it because in the evening they would have high school groups out on the lawn singing holiday songs, and Santa came to visit in the lobby.

DJ

 

[lllovell]

I have ended up there on President's day the last two years and can honestly say I would rather NOT ever be there again. It was, without a doubt, the busiest I have EVER seen it at MK (which is my son's fav park still, so just skipping it isn't really an option).

We were there in April this past year during spring break and had a fantastic time. It was busy, but very doable and the weather was nice, not too hot, didn't rain, etc.

Thanksgiving weekend last year (got there Thanksgiving night) was busy busy as well, but it was so much fun to go out and see the Christmas decorations and to go to the CP and MVMCP that we didn't let it stop us.

I have been during the Christmas season, but not during Christmas itself, so I should not have checked that one! Sorry. (ack - invalid poll....suspend my poll taking status...I am shamed )

All in all, I would go any holiday and I suspect that we got in WAY more than the average traveler using Fast Pass, day planning, avoidance of EMH, getting up and getting to the parks at opening, etc. President's day, I will pass on if there is some better time we can go, but with kids and school, etc, it gets tough!

 

[gppnj]

I was at WDW right before Easter in 1983. That was my worst WDW trip ever. The Magic Kingdom was a lot of fun as it always is. However, EPCOT Center, which had recently opened, was a disaster. Everything in World Showcase was basically operating well, though I remember how the mobs of people were practically trampling each other to get dining reservations. (Sadly, World Showcase hasn't changed all that much since then, and those movies, which were cheap alternatives to real attractions even back then, are still playing. But I digress.) The big problem was Future World. Some of the attractions still had not been completed. Of the ones that had been completed, Journey Into Imagination and Universe of Energy were broken. Spaceship Earth was so broken that it was "closed for refurbishment" even though it had been open only a few months. Here I was a teenage boy surrounded by all these really cool looking buildings, and I couldn't do anything. The only things I got to do were Listen To the Land and World of Motion (which I enjoyed). This experience taught me that in the case of new parks, it's best to wait a year or so until all the kinks are worked out.

Anyway, two years ago I visited WDW in mid December. I thought this was a great time to visit. It was far enough away from Christmas that the Christmas crowds hadn't arrived yet. However, everything was all decorated nicely for the holidays. I also enjoyed Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party a lot.

 

[Shawn]

We were at Disnelyand for 6 days last Christmas, Dec 21 - Dec 26 (2004). Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Disneyland, left the day after Christmas.

We stayed at the DLH, and the kids loved the Neverland pool.

The parks were very crowded, especially AFTER the parades and water and light shows.

Even with the crowds, it was a lot of fun.

My youngest daughter's birthday is Dec 23rd, so she was there for her 8th birthday also.

It was the first visit for DD2 (9 yo) and DD3 (8 yo), and was perfect.

That said, one Christmas visit a decade is probably good!

We are going back this December for the 4th - 10th, which will have us there for DD2 10th birthday on Dec 6th.

-Shawn

 

[NMW]

Spring Break, only because it was our honeymoon and we didn't know any better.
MK was so crowded that we left after two rides in 4 hours. It was wall to wall high school students, college students and everyone else! This was pre-fastpass. 1995. We had the nicest times at Epcot and MGM. We started going the beginning of Dec because of advice in the unofficial guide I believe, and have never been dissapointed. We do plan to go Oct 2006 to use our PAP's twice. I hope I like it as much as early December!

 

[bobbiwoz]

The only actual day I've ever been there and to a park has been Memorail Day a few years ago. We were there primarily for the Flower and Garden Show, a party of 5 adults, and mostly what I remember is that it was hot hot hot!

We left on July 4th in 2001. We were at River Country, the last time we had the opportunity to go, of course we didn't know that at the time. We saw Goofy at the swimming pool, I walked the quiet Nature trail, we took boats on the lakes, it was a very satisfactory day, we had 2 nieces with us. I didn't know about the wonderful fireworks we would be missing. Now if we were going then, we would brave the crowds and stay the day.

Bobbi

 

[Granny]

Was at WDW during 4th of July this year. MK and MGM were at full capacity most of the day. We will try to avoid in future years...it's one thing to put up with Orlando summer heat when the parks are crowded at normal summer levels. It's another to add huge throngs to the heat.

 

[robinb]

I have been to WDW on the 4th of July (twice) and Christmas/New Years many times. It is very, very crowded. We get to the parks early and leave by noon-2pm. Sometimes we'll return later in the day and sometimes we'll just hang out at the resort. Staying in a DVC resort really makes the "hanging around" more pleasurable.

 

[CharlesTD]

Our honeymoon in 98 was over Presidents week and we will never go during a major holiday again we are sticking to the first 2 weeks of Dec.

 

[Tooneric]

At last a new Greenban poll! My week is complete.

I'm glad Mardi Gras isn't a national holiday. That's our favorite time to go.

We've done Jul 4th in 03 and 04 (actually right before one year and right after the other). Yeah, it was hot and crowded, but I had a blast anyway. One year Mardi Gras was close to Presidents' Weekend and it was pretty crowded that weekend. Went right before Christmas last year and it was unusually COLD! Really enjoyed the shows, parades, decorations, and "snow" on Main Street.

 

[idratherbeinwdw]

I have been to WDW during Columbus day week, and really was sorry I went. Even though the holiday was just one day many folks stayed the entire week. It wasn't awful, but when you're used to going really slow times, as we had always done prior to that, it is disappointing to have to deal with crowds.

I have read many guides and websites that discuss the crowds around Easter/Pres week/Christmas/summer and wouldn't even consider going then. I really have no patience at all with wall to wall people and huge lines. I won't go from Mid February-Mid April to avoid Spring Break crowds, and I won't go mid-May to late september to avoid 1) Heat and 2) Crowds

Now I go 3 times a year on average, all slow times. Usually I go once in at the end of January, once at end of April/beginning of May and once early October. This year I took my younger daughter and her friend at the end of April, it was spring break for us. I thought only LI schools were on break then, but found out belatedly that a few other areas of the country were off too. The crowds weren't too bad, as we used FP and avoided the parks that had early or extended hours. Still, all in all there were still too many people for me. I was really glad I made my PS's way in advance, because there was very little available for those who didn't.

The NY schools are off for 2 days in observance of Rosh Hashonah, which falls on different days in either September or October each year--depends on the Jewish calendar exactly when. That's when I try to take my Fall trip, so the kids only miss a couple of days of school rather than the whole week. When they were little I'd take them out for longer periods, it was never an issue. But now that they are 15 & 20 it's harder for them to catch up on what they missed. The other two trips I have planned for 2006, one end of Jan, one beginning of May, they are staying home.

 

[carol1231]

We went during spring break this year, which also happened to be the week before Easter. It was crowded beyond crowded. But that was the only opportunity to go, so no compaints from me.

 

[mom23boys]

We went Christmas 2002, I had never seen so many people in my life on Main Street.

This was before I knew about DIS and we did not have a plan and bought our tickets at MK and paid a fortune for them.

Then we went Oct 2003, and did not know that Columbus Day was a big break time for Florida, but it was not so bad. By Wednesday of that week we were walking on rides.

 

[MinnieFan]

We have been there 3 times during President's Week and this year are going from 12/26 to 1/1. It has always been crowded, especially Feb. 2005. We love the weather at that time of year, and it is difficult for us to go during the school year because DS misses too much if we take him out of school. We are very excited about going during the Christmas 2005 holiday, to experience the ultimate WDW crowds!

In 2006 we are going in early November to attend a wedding at the Grand Floridian and will spend a few days at WDW. I am curious to see what it will be like, since this will be our first trip ever at a non-peak time.

 

[goofy4dvc]

I voted "what, are you crazy?" because I avoid being at WDW on actual holidays and school breaks. While I would never go during the Christmas break, I love going during the Christmas "season", like earlier in December between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

We have been at WDW at Christmas, New Years and Easter (yes, we are suckers for punishment , but we only did them once so there is still hope for us). Christmas Day in MK was crazy and I doubt we will ever do it again. As others have said, we prefer to go earlier in December, and those trips are my favorite ones. The New Year and Easter trips were because we were meeting up with family who could not go at any other time. The place was very crowded then also, but Fastpass certainly eases the pain. New Year's day was great! Guess everyone was still hung over from the night before...

Mike

 

[angietuck2]

We were at disney just this past 4th of July, HOT !!!!! and CROWDED !!!! but we stayed at the Contemporary and spent the whole 4th at the hotel, where they had everything from the 3-legged race, that our 5 year old entered to a pie - eating contest, went to the boardwalk for dinner - NOT crowded and watched the fireworks from the hotel. AWESOME would do it again, the few times we did go to the park - very crowded.


Also, did the week before Christmas, 2 1/2 years a go --- LOVED IT-- snow on main street, decorations,
there is nothing more magical (besides family) than Disney at Christmas. Well for disney freaks like me Anyway, like others have said would just expect crowds and make use of the wonderful resorts.

 

[MJTinNH]

I have been at WDW once over Memorial Day and will not do it again. Friends were celebrating their anniversary at WDW and invited us to go along with other family members. Crowds were heavier then at the beginning of May when I usually go and it was more humid then the beginning of the month.

Last year I went in November to FWF and was there on Veterans day. That wasn't too bad. But Epcot definitely was more crowded then I would have expected. Mostly due to FWF I am sure.

This past spring I went the last week of April with friends. It was spring break for schools in NH and some other states. One of the friends is a school teacher so that is why we went then instead of early May. It definitely was more crowded that what I am used to experiencing. However, we were able to negotiate the parks without too much trouble. I did plan an itinerary of sorts though. I wanted to make sure to hit the highlights in all the parks for the WDW newbies. Glad I had done that with the crowds that were there.

 

[keishashadow]

Presidents' Day - No Way! Although I think anytime of the year is better @ WDW I'll avoid it in the future. We ran into the expected Holiday crowd plus:

1. The Daytona 500 crowd

2. Cheerleading competition

3. Twirling competition

4. What appeared to be the entire local population of Orlando on Presidents Day @ the MK.

Additionally, the rental car companies raised their rates/ran out of reserved cars and MCO was a zoo (thanks alot for my lost luggage - at least we got comp'd tix out of it).

Even if I absolutely had to visit then, I'd avoid the MK @ all costs.