We have been that time of year including early 2005. This upcoming year you should expect huge crowds through January 2 since that Monday is a holiday. The huge crowds will dissipate significantly Tuesday and by Wednesday it will be OK although still busy. Christmas events will continue until the 2d, park Christmas decorations (except Osborn Lights which ends the 2d) will likely be up until the 4th and hotel decorations until the 7th or 8th. As for night time activities, some possibilities: Cirque Du Soleil -- best show in the Southeast US; Hoop Dee Doo dinner show -- corny but always enjoyable; Paradise Island night clubs; if January 1 or 2 has the extra 3 magic hours at night at MGM go there to see Osborn Lights after the regular crowd has left, e,g, go about midnight, it is much more pleasant to behold when there are not wall to wall people; Boardwalk, particularly Jellyrolls, a night club with dueling pianos, or, if you are football fans, try to get into ESPN early enough January 3 to have dinner and watch the final college bowl game for the national title on the big screen; late dinner at an Epcot restaurant -- many do not realize that though the park officially closes at 9 you can make dinner reservations at the Epcot restaurants up to 8:50 and stay until you are done including to about 10:30, Epcot is a strange place to behold when you walk out of a restaurant at 10:30 and there is almost no one else in the park.
