Disneyland crowds over christmas till new yrs

[M2DD's]

We have been to disney world the last 2 yrs over christmas and new yrs so we know about how crowded it gets(but we have a great time anyways)
Our the crowds at disneyland any worse?

Will have 6 day park haoppers so I'm hoping that that will give us enough time to do both parks.
Any ythoughts?

 

[Sherry E]

I've never been to WDW to be able to compare, but, yes - DLR will be very, very, very crowded in between Christmas and New Year's, and it will be at its peak on New Year's Eve. Once Christmas passes and people are free from family obligations and such, they flock to DLR en masse with their gift money in hand, to buy APs or Hoppers. It gets super-busy. But it sounds like you're mentally prepared for it, so I think you'll be fine.

6 days should be plenty to be able to see and do everything - even with the heavy crowds.

If you have time, be sure to subscribe to our "Disney at Christmas" super thread. Even if you don't have time to read everything (because it's long), be sure to scroll through the wonderful photos that have made that thread so popular to see what you have to look forward to - it's quite a bit different from WDW, I think, but we have our own highlights that are exclusive to DLR. We also discuss plans and late-breaking info, ask and answer questions and basically talk about anything pertaining to DLR at Christmastime - including food, merchandise, hotels, holiday events, entertainment and activities, etc.

 

[oc_tony]

I agree with Sherry. With 6 days, you should have enough time to enjoy both parks. The week between Christmas and New Year's is insanely crowded, the busiest time of the year. But if you know that beforehand, you can prepare and have a plan (arrive early, use FP, eat at off-peak times, etc).

We will be headed to WDW in December for our first Christmas visit so we are expecting huge crowds, but we're curious to see how it compares to DLR. DLR is so much more compact than WDW that it makes the crowds seem even more crowded. But, DLR is also extra magical at Christmas, and aside from the attractions, it's just fun to enjoy all the decorations, parades, fireworks, shopping, and fun atmosphere. Despite the crowds, you can still have a great visit if you stay patient, have a plan, and keep a positive attitude.

 

[Janell]

I too haven't done WDW for Christmas. But it's on my todo list I have however done DL over New Years for about 25 years. It is very crowded. I would normally say do DL in the morning and DCA at night. But if WOC is going that may not be a good plan. Right now with WOC I find dca more busy and dl less busy but it can be different from day to day.

I do think with 6 days you will be fine. Do the major attractions in the morning it will be less busy. Have you been to DLR before?

The park does hit copasaty during this time of year and on new years eve day the gate may stop letting people in as early as 11:00 am. On these days if you stay in the park and the crowds are getting to you then it's time to sit and people watch . Gold Horse Shoe is a great place to hang out for a while too

I would also pack clothes you can layer. We have been one year where it was cold and the hot winds kicked up and got really warm. Off came out jackets and sweat shirts. We wished we had shorts with us