end of december

[bellesBFF]

me and my parents boked a trip for the end of december 201 to the beginning of january 2011, my mom wants every bit of information that yous can give us

thanks!

 

[happymommy]

It is the busiest time of the year. It can be done and enjoyed, if

- I wouldn't recommend it for a first visit, due to the crowds
- you plan well in advance, getting to the parks way before rope drop
- you definitely stay on site
- you know you won't see or do everything, due to the crowds
- you like crowds

Plan plan plan. Book any meals as far in advance as you can.

We did this time once (Dec 26th for a week) and stayed club level at AKL. I think for this time frame, club level was a must. We ate breakfast every morning in the lounge (we're not huge breakfast eaters) and snacks every evening. We were at the resort a lot of the time. The concierge team booked all our dining reservations, as well as an Illuminations cruise on Breathless (I just wanted an Illuminations cruise, didn't know about Breathless at all). It was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't do that time frame again probably, unless it's in a club room or a villa. We'd definitely spend more time at the resort than usual.

 

[testtubes]

Buy a guide book and follow it to the letter!! I really like The Unofficial Guide to WDW, but there are many to choose one. You will be glad you did!

 

[bellesBFF]

alright, thanks!
anybody else?

 

[dls881]

Expect big crowds. Remember Fast Pass is your friend.

 

[MHSweb79]

If you don't want to spend your days waiting in lines, then plan to use morning EMH or arrive at the parks well before opening time (at least 30 minutes). The huge crowds don't arrive until about 11 a.m. so you can get a LOT of attractions done if you are willing to get up & out very early in the morning.
If you have park hoppers, you could hit the morning EMH park, then hop to a less crowded park for the afternoon.
If you are staying onsite, you will only be locked out at a Stage 4 closing, so staying onsite is really helpful. Having a dining reservation will NOT get you into a park closed for capacity, so don't fall into that trap!
I second the recommendation to read and learn from the Unofficial Guide. The more preparation you put into your trip, the more you will get out of it.

That said, if you are the type of folks who enjoy wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere, you won't need any tips. Just don't expect to eat at sit-down restaurants or ride a lot of attractions. I'm not being sarcastic- loads of folks enjoy the parks this way.

 

[cmul04]

Expect big crowds. Remember Fast Pass is your friend.

Ditto. Stay on property, traffic is terrible outside Disney, adds so much stress.

 

[IZHAYMAMA]

Our family of 16 just spent 5 days at WDW and my advice is this:

1. Rope drop every day. Be there bright and early. The early bird definitely gets the Disney worm. We did at least 6 attractions before 10:00 both days we had at MK!
2. Stay on-site and use Disney transportation. Buses or monorail, etc.
3. Use Fastpass religiously! Every time you have the chance to get a new fastpass, go get one. You can spend the rest of your time leisurely enjoying the parks. Why people don't use fastpass is beyond my comprehension!
4. Watch the castle lighting ceremony at MK. Breathtakingly beautiful!
5. Be sure to watch the Christmastime parade at MK. So magical! The toy soldiers and gingerbread men were worth it alone! After the 18th of Dec. they showed it twice a day up until January 3rd, I believe.

Most important advice: Despite the large crowds, have fun!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Have fun.

 

[BCMM]

We were there Dec 27-Jan 2....while it was definitely busy, we planned well and had a blast. My suggestions....

--READ, READ, READ the DIS as much as possible...you have plenty of time!

--Get there early! We utilized the morning EMH and walked into each park at 7am that week. We were able to do so much those first couple of hours with no waits! We enjoyed the park, met characters, used our fastpasses, ate lunch and left for a nap.

--Collect fastpasses. Remember that you can use them even after the time frame listed on the ticket. On the busiest days, collect them early because they can run out of fastpasses for the day. (If you are leaving and trying to come back in the evening, collect as many as you can before you leave)

--Make ADR's as far in advance as possible. Keep trying if you can't get what you want. We had to change one while we were there...and I was able to get something I wanted for Jan. 1st and I was calling the day before.

--If you have a young child, utilize the child swap system. My 6 year old was able to ride everything twice...he was thrilled! Just ask the cast member at the entrance to the ride to get the pass.

--We went to AK on NYE....by far the least crowded park that day. It was very pleasant.

--We have young children, so we did not stay out late on NYE....we went to MK at 7am New Year's Day and felt like we had the place to ourselves! We were the only ones on the teacups...we walked right onto every ride in Fantasyland (and even did several twice in a row). We walked right onto Buzz Lightyear, met the princesses right at 9am with NO wait. We even came back that night and it wasn't too bad of a crowd.

All of this because of what I learned on the DIS! I was a long time lurker and am glad to share what worked for us!