DL vs. WDW at Christmas Time

[KCmike]

If you had a chance to go to either at Christmas time which would you do? My wife and I's anniversary is coming up in November and we have never treated ourselves away from our kids before. We both adore Disney and have always dreamed of going there during that special time. I'm interested in hearing to people who have gone to both and they suggest. Thanks.

 

[marcemc]

If you had a chance to go to either at Christmas time which would you do? My wife and I's anniversary is coming up in November and we have never treated ourselves away from our kids before. We both adore Disney and have always dreamed of going there during that special time. I'm interested in hearing to people who have gone to both and they suggest. Thanks.

I guess it really depends on how many days you are planning on staying.

I would personally choose to go to WDW because it offers more hotels and it usually has better prices.

They are both magical places. You have a tough choice to make.

Good luck shopping and congrats on going!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I have been to both (2 times for each one) and would have to say hands down WDW. Here is why:

Candlelight Processional at Epcot: One of the most beautiful things I have seen. Do the dinner package! It doesn't reserve you a seat but rather a place in line before the non dinner pkg guests many of whom will not get in.

Illuminations: At the holidays, Illuminatios has an extended version with its own finale and its wonderful. A bigger and better twist on an already spectacular show.

Epcot countries have their own Santa's and traditions respresented which is very fun to see and experience. And you can do some nice holiday shopping too.

Osborne Lights: This is at DHS and its wonderful. I could walk around for hours and look at that.

Resorts: All the resorts decorate, the monorail ones in particular. Its fun to just ride around and enjoy the ones on the monorail but they are all really pretty. The Epcot resorts and AK also have lovely decorations. There are threads on the WDW Resorts Board with photos of the various resorts. I think my three favorites are AKL, GF and WL. GCH has lovely decorations too on par with WL, but the DLH while very lovely wasn't as decorated as I had hoped and PP was even less so. If you stay at a moderate, CSR has the best decoratons in my opinion in the lobby area. CBR and POFQ were both lovely when we stayed at those, but nothing like the pictures I have seen of CSR. The values also have really pretty trees in the lobby, so regardless of what category you stay in, you'll have something festive and pretty to enjoy.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party: This is a very fun party, hard ticket event and its wonderful. Its not cheap like all things Disney but its packed with holiday magic, parade, special fireworks (that are incredible) and you get cookies and hot chocolate too. Note, that the parade and fireworks will be shown to all MK guests once Christmas week itself arrives. Before that if you go earlier, the party is the only way to see those two things.

Mickey's Jammin Jingle Jungle Parade: I enjoy this parade all the time, but its very cute and fun during the holidays. I don't know why, but I got such a kick out of this thing a few years ago. I had to sit there and watch it like three times the ten days we were there!

All four parks have lovely decorations and their own theme. DL and DCA are also wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Disneyland itself was lovely. But once I did WDW at the holidays, I came to realize that is in a league of its own. I do think if you can, go for at least five days to have time for each park, the party at MK and some time to explore the resorts.

WDW really pulls out all the stops, I haven't been to DL during the holidays in four years though so they may have addes some things since my last stay. Again, it was wonderful, but WDW was just incredible. They have so much more room to just decorate and do special things. I think Epcot in particular is just incredible. This archway of lights as you walk back towards the World Showcase. We did our family Chirstmas photo under those lights a few years ago.

 

[Judy from Boise]

on the flip side DL offers the holiday parade and fireworks show to regular guests, while at WDW you need the extra ticket to see them unless you are there Christmas week. HM has an Nightmare before Christmas overlay,and IASW has a Christmas overlay. Both are spectacular and not be found at WDW.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Judy, those are good points and I was just coming on to post about Small World and HM because I had forgotten about that! But even with those two, I'd have to give the edge to WDW. Simply because there is so much to do and see. This is about the only time of year when I would pick WDW over DL without hesitation. Normally, I am a bit biased to the original! I think its because all four parks plus the resorts decorate, at DL in my opionon, its DL alone that has the magic of the holidays.

 

[jacky b]

I would recommend WDW if you have a lot of days to spend going to each of the parks to view all the holidays decorations and especially the resort hotels, they are all decorated differently.

But I would go to DL is you don't have a lot of days to visit, make sure you visit the resort hotels as well, they also decorate for the holidays.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Judy, those are good points and I was just coming on to post about Small World and HM because I had forgotten about that! But even with those two, I'd have to give the edge to WDW. Simply because there is so much to do and see. This is about the only time of year when I would pick WDW over DL without hesitation. Normally, I am a bit biased to the original! I think its because all four parks plus the resorts decorate, at DL in my opionon, its DL alone that has the magic of the holidays.

I certainly don't disagree, one holiday trip to WDW (of many) we did MVMCP party twice in 5 days! The holiday tag to Illuminations is a lifechanging event, CP absolutely portrays the real reason for the season, and every resort is worth a look.
BUT:
The party admission is steep, and if you aren't going to the party, you get shorted on MK hours, you really need the dinner package for CP, and the purist in me says you should first see all of the countries without the holiday decorations.


DLR is so charming at Christmas, and if $ is an issue you can get so much for no extra $ than admission.

I actually have also done 2 holiday trips to Universal Orlando.....so there isn't any park I don't like at the holidays!

 

[disneydawn6]

I've done and love both. DL also has the candlelight procession. It started at Disneyland... It is only two days though. You can see all the great decorations in a few days at DL. If you have a long vacation I would go with WDW. Just because there is much more to see... All the hotels etc. The parks themselves though I love the magic kingdom at DL,,,,,

 

[Sherry E]

KC Mike, here is a link to a recent thread about (specifically) DLR at Christmastime, with some photos and descriptions. This won't give you the WDW side of things, but at least you know more of what to expect at DLR:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2262171

 

[scanmom]

when in november will you be going? we were at WDW one year the week of Thanksgiving, and they started putting up decorations on the day before thanksgiving. We switched over to USF (HRH) on thursday (the holiday), so we saw very few christmas decorations. and none of the holiday shows were playing yet..not the Epcot santas, or really anything different. Me and DS went to DLR last year the week of thanksgiving, we were there the sun, mon, and tues. of that week, and ALL the park(s) were fully decorated, all the holiday shows were playing, and they were selling homemade candy canes one day on MS!! It was sooooo much more festive than the same timeframe had been at WDW. But, our WDW trip was about 5 years ago, so maybe that has changed. And, HMH and SWH are spectacular, and don't miss the light show they play on the front of SW. We saw it a couple of times while waiting in our favorite parade spot for the amazing holiday parade! DLR at christmastime is the best!!!

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I have also done both several times. Wdw is the place to be during the holidays!! It has so much more to see than dl. All the hotels decorate, each park and the whole resort is just beautiful. We live fairly close to dl but are still going to see wdw in dec because we love it all dressed up for christmas. Go to wdw, you won't regret it

 

[quantumottle]

As someone already said, it depends a lot on how many days you plan to be at the parks. There is a LOT more to do and see at WDW. However...

FYI - one thing I noticed that may play a part in your decision making process, having been to both DL and WDW during the Holidays in the same year, DL goes way above and beyond what MK does when it comes to decorating and preparing the park for the Holidays.

Of course WDW is much more than just the MK, but when comparing MK to DL there is no comparison. Other than MK having a much larger castle, DL wins on all other accounts. From the sheer number of decorations and decorated areas, to the Holiday overlays of Small World and Haunted Mansion. There really is no comparison on Holiday decorations.