Disneyland on Christmas

happydfan

Earning My Ears
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
19
We always go to DW but this year we are changing things up and heading to DL got Christmas. What can we expect as far as crowds go?
 
Christmas week will be very crowded. On Christmas Day, DL will be absolutely packed. Crowds won't be bad in the morning, but will increase throughout the day. It is not unusual for gate closures to be implemented later in the day for crowd control purposes. (Don't worry -- after enough people leave the park, like after the parade, the gates will reopen.)
 
What are your dates? The week between Christmas and New Year's is the busiest time of the year so if you are going during that time, be prepared. We are arriving on the 24th and leaving on the 1st so we will not be avoiding any crowds. :rotfl:

You said you normally go to WDW. Is this your first trip to DL?
 
Busy. The morning will start off okay but it will get more busy throughout the day. Were you going to go for just one day or for longer? If for the whole week of Christmas, you should know that the week between Christmas and New Year's is the busiest week of the year and they can and do close the parks for reaching capacity.
 

We are arriving on Christmas eve and staying until New Years eve and yes this will be our first visit. Still very excited :-)
 
We are arriving on Christmas eve and staying until New Years eve and yes this will be our first visit. Still very excited :-)

Knowing that, and knowing that it's your first visit, just go into it with realistic expectations. Show up EARLY... as early as you can. Take advantage of your Magic Morning. Use FastPass whenever possible. Keep an eye on signage near the entrance/exit. As we said earlier, the parks can reach capacity and they won't let more people in until some leave. This means that if you try to park-hop on a busy day, you might get "stuck" outside. And of course, if you plan on doing any table service restaurants, make reservations! :)
 
We are arriving on Christmas eve and staying until New Years eve and yes this will be our first visit. Still very excited :-)

I bet!! I haven't been to the park during Christmas since I was a kid and while we know it's going to be PACKED, we are still very, very excited!! As long as you go with a plan and know it's going to be busy then you will have a fantastic time!!

Honestly, I don't remember the crowds during my visit as a kid. I just remember it being amazing! Have fun and welcome to DIS!! :goodvibes
 
Can anybody tell me if Disney does anything special for the kids on Christmas or is it a normal day just like any other?
 
This will be our first Christmas Day at Disneyland in 10 years. I don't remember them doing anything 10 years ago so would be interested in the answer to this question as well.
 
Christmas is just another day in Disneyland, nothing special for the kids. However, Christmas eve there is a character "goodnight". Last year they did it at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm.....you can catch a ton of characters (some in their pj's, wishing everyone a goodnight). Last year Christmas day was quiet until 11am/noon, then it got progressively more and more crowded, until by 5pm it was shoulder to shoulder everywhere. We ended up leaving at 6pm because it had become too packed to even move in the park, let alone ride anything.
 
Christmas is just another day in Disneyland, nothing special for the kids. However, Christmas eve there is a character "goodnight". Last year they did it at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm.....you can catch a ton of characters (some in their pj's, wishing everyone a goodnight). Last year Christmas day was quiet until 11am/noon, then it got progressively more and more crowded, until by 5pm it was shoulder to shoulder everywhere. We ended up leaving at 6pm because it had become too packed to even move in the park, let alone ride anything.

I thought I remembered reading about the Character Good Night. I can't wait to see this in person. I figure on Christmas Day we will start in Disneyland and see what happens.
 
7767237292


Here's a pic from last years "Christmas Eve Goodnight". As you can see from the clock on Main St. station it was 9:30pm when I took this pic....but, they had already been out there for a while at this point.

Your pic isn't working :(
 
...Last year Christmas day was quiet until 11am/noon, then it got progressively more and more crowded, until by 5pm it was shoulder to shoulder everywhere. We ended up leaving at 6pm because it had become too packed to even move in the park, let alone ride anything.

And this is EXACTLY what it is each year. Quiet until noonish and then, whoosh! everyone and their cousin is there. Plus their cousin's brother and his friends and....

- Dreams
 





Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE









DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top Bottom