DL/DCA on Christmas Day - historical times that 'lockout' was in operation?

[Metalliman98]

thanks for the info on the closure, we have a 4 year old so getting in first thing in the morning and staying all the way through midnight is probably not feasible. we may be able to do late morning to midnight though.

So 12/31 is definitely insane, as I was expecting. what about the days leading up to it? we are considering a 12/27 to 1/1 trip, Sunday to Friday. are there typically any gate closures on the days leading up to 12/31, or is it confined to that day? crowds will still be heavy, but will they be as bad as NYE, or close?

 

[emmybee]

Why not stay off site?

It's not an option that works for my family. Hubby and I don't like motels, so that leaves us w/ staying at hotels that are not walking distance. So w/out fail, it seems as though we got ready in the morning just in time to miss the shuttle. I would rather just get ready and walk out the door and into the park. At night when I'm tired, it's a total drag to wait once again for the shuttle to go home. I was surprised at how jerky people can be. Although they are in the minority, dealing w/ twerps is not something I want to do on vacation... I do that plenty at work. When I'm at DL, I have no interest being in the real world... I want my Disney 24/7.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So 12/31 is definitely insane, as I was expecting. what about the days leading up to it? we are considering a 12/27 to 1/1 trip, Sunday to Friday. are there typically any gate closures on the days leading up to 12/31, or is it confined to that day? crowds will still be heavy, but will they be as bad as NYE, or close?

Gate closures are not unheard of on any of the days from Christmas to New Year's. It is probably the busiest week of the whole year at DLR. Most often the gates re-open sometime after they have been closed, but there's no saying when exactly that will be or what kind of line you will be waiting in to get back in. My philosophy is to not leave if I absolutely feel I must be there. Our strategy though as mentioned above is pretty much to do the DL stuff we want to do in the mornings, and spend the rest of the time at DCA. Gate closures at DCA while not impossible are almost unheard of, as in I think they have only happened a handful of times in the park's history. If I'm committed to nighttime entertainment at DL, then, yes, I stay there, but you don't have to start your day at 8 AM to be sure to get in. If I'm remembering right, gate closures don't usually hit until early afternoon at the earliest.

 

[Sherry E]

Someone actually answered that here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/dl...l-times-that-lockout-was-in-operation.3440248
Maybe these could be merged and we could get a big "Christmas to New Years" super thread?

I might merge them, but not everything has to be a Superthread! A regular thread is fine. Superthreads should actually be very selective, for very popular, big topics that generate a lot of constant, ongoing questions all year long, and should be tackled by people with experience in the subject, who can maintain the thread and keep it going.. Also, the Superthreads should be the go-to one-stop shops for various layers of information on the whole topic, as well as they should represent this forum in dispensing credible info. I've seen people pop out of the woodwork (who I have never heard of before) and randomly decide to start Superthreads in the past, from which they soon disappeared or for which they didn't really have any information. A regular, old-fashioned thread would have sufficed!

Also... we have a Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread (that includes Thanksgiving, New Year's, etc.).

 

[Sherry E]

I merged the two threads on the same general "crowds between Christmas and New Year's" subject!

 

[disneychrista]

If you want to be at a certain park a certain day get their early, certainly before noon and do not exit that park. The park could "close" at any time and they could stop re-entries at anytime also.