For those that were there between Christmas and New Years....

[flynnmnstr]

We are planning a trip for next Christmas to New Years....staying at the Dolphin! We will be with a large eclectic group- Four Kids from 6 to 16 (one with severe ADHD; one with Aspergers), 2 sets of grandparents (one in a wheelchair with stamina issues due to a stroke) and even a great grandmother!!

We dont plan on spending every minute of the day together. Some days we may just end up meeting for dinner.

But I would love to hear tips/suggestions on how to get thru the holiday week. We have been to disney many many times. SO there is nothing we have to do. My family will want to do the nighttime shows since a little different than other times of year and see Avatar-land which I think will be open by then. We plan on booking dining asap and fastpasses but other than that we will go for the experience and ambiance. Kindof hoping weather is pool weather because we are big on going back to hotel right after an early lunch and swimming and hanging until dinner.

But would love to hear how you survived the week.....

 

[TheOnlyOne]

My friend just went and he said it was crazy crowded. Big tip: Be there at Rope Drop, schedule your fastpasses as early as you can, back to back, in the morning, so you can get fastpasses as the day goes on. Good luck!

 

[Accident]

The crowd was dispersing better than other years but it's the most crowded time of year, every year. so there was times it didn't feel as crowded as it was but ride waits were threw the roof, even on rides that never have a wait (40 minutes for people mover for example 120-200+ for popular rides. fastpass taking more than a few minutes.

 

[cassie58]

You will already be in a good position as experienced park goers, who know their way around, and don't have to do everything as you pointed out. Pack your patience as a good start! As PP mentioned, rope drop, FP late morning/early afternoon so you can get more for later in the day, do MK fireworks for NYE on the 30th as they are the same as NYE but a little less crowded. Take time to see the great resort decor like the gingerbread house at GF and chocolate carousel at BC as breaks from the park. Plan some time to wander WS and see the various holiday storytellers. Enjoy the magic of seeing the castle lighting - so magical for me! I think if you look at it as a Christmas trip to see the decor and special events, with a side of favorite rides and attractions, you'll have a great time.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

I was there that week. I only said it was "crowded" twice. That was on a random day at the Magic Kingdom and on New Years Eve. You expect the crowds on New Years Eve. All of the major rides at EPCOT were having lines 2-3 hours long in the middle of the afternoon on NYE. I'm not sure how MK was. I wouldn't go to the MK on NYE. MK does their New Years Countdown on the 30th as well, so that gives you the opportunity to see the countdowns at MK and EPCOT. I personally liked the countdown at EPCOT a lot more. That finale does not get old especially since I always feel like "I'm going to die" while watching that finale. I wouldn't go to the MK on Christmas or NYE. I didn't experience that park this year on those days, but I saw the traffic going into the parking while on the monorail to EPCOT. Everyone on the monorail with me said, "I'm glad we're not going to the MK today." The traffic went for as far as the eye can see even past where the monorail turned for EPCOT.

If you are able to, I would either get a resort on the monorail loop. It was great not having to deal with the bus crowds after the parks closed. My Dad and I never had to wait for an extra monorail even on NYE. Having to deal with busses could be an issue for you since you would have someone in a wheelchair. The major holidays could have an extensive wait for the busses, but I don't know since I didn't experience the bus stops that often.

I would plan on being there at rope drop each morning. I got so much done in the morning before the crowds arrived at each park. I had all of the major attractions done at the Magic Kingdom before 11 a.m. everyday I was there. My next tip is take advantage of sit down shows more than attractions. There will be waits for rides. Most of the rides will have 60+ minute wait times. I would plan fastpasses for what you want to ride, but be willing to see shows the rest of the day if you don't like waiting in lines. Plan a little longer to get spots for the entertainment like parades and nighttime shows. People starting sitting for these 2 hours before. New Years Eve, get a spot early in the afternoon. I waited 8 hours to get the spot I wanted, but I like to film, so a good spot was important for me. The shows do have limited wheelchair viewing including on NYE. If you want to see the Candlelight Processional, I recommend getting the dinner package. The Voices of Liberty are amazing at EPCOT. They sing traditional Christmas carols. Starting New Years Eve, they go back to singing their Americana sets.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

My friend just went and he said it was crazy crowded. Big tip: Be there at Rope Drop, schedule your fastpasses as early as you can, back to back, in the morning, so you can get fastpasses as the day goes on. Good luck!

I would agree with this! This was our second year going between Christmas and New Years (we were not there for Christmas, just a little before NYE) and it was super crowded. We went to parks early, did our FastPasses and got out of there to swim back at the hotel, then out to dinner later.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We did Christmas week in 2015 and stayed at BWV which turned out to be a great decision for us as we didn't have to wrangle with transportation to get to EP and DHS. I would really suggest walking to both of those parks as much as you can. The bus to AK was ok, but the bus to MK took forever (because of the traffic going into the MK area) and MK, in general, is just super, super crowded. My biggest advice, go to the parks early and get out around lunchtime (especially MK. We literally could barely walk in MK, QS lines were out the door, line for Peoplemover was 40 minutes long!). Try to find off-the-beaten path things to do - play mini-golf, go to the pool, if you can afford it, take a special tour (we did Wild Africa Trek that trip which was fun and kept us out of th AK crowds). Use uber! Honestly, if we were to do it again (which we probably won't, we did Dec. 16-21 this year and it was much more manageable), I would probably avoid MK altogether that week and just do the other parks.

 

[Anniefrances]

What worked well for us was rope drop, TS or early QS lunch, pool/arcade/lounging time in the afternoon, and then evening fast passes. At this time of year, we visit with the intent of being together and taking in the festive surroundings for our fun rather than trying to "get a lot done".

 

[erosenst]

We got there the 24th and left the 29th. It was our first time at Christmas but have been there at Spring Break in the past.

We were very surprised that it wasn't more crowded. We did hit MK at rope drop on an EMH day but even getting to parks later it wasn't terrible. No waits for monorails and almost always had a seat. Longest wait at bag check was maybe 5 people. Helped that even though it was very warm for December it wasn't miserable like spring and summer usually is.

We did have ADRs for some meals but quick service was totally doable at Sunshine Seasons and Pinocchio Haus. Maybe 15 minute wait at Sleepy Hollow. Less than 5 minutes at Aloha Isle.

The one place we had an issue? Disney Springs. Two hour wait, literally unmoving, to leave the parking garage at 9:15. We went another night but left at 7 with no issue.

One surprise to us was that Kali didn't open til 9 (sign up about it)even though AK opened at 8. Splash opened about 45 minutes late too although it was unclear if that was intentional.

Having said all of that - the 29th was clearly most crowded and I hear it got worse. So I'd maximize time in parks earlier in the week.

Have fun! Happy to answer any other questions.

 

[soniam]

We were there 12/27-1/2. Pick your xmas and NYE parks and stay very close or within walking distance, even if you have to do a split stay. On NYE, if it's Epcot, I would get there in the morning for rope drop and take a big midday break and be back in the park in the evening. Don't do this at MK though, in case it hits capacity. Definitely have at least one ADR a day. Try doing things like Sorcerers of MK, basically things that don't require much of a line. If the line for the bathroom is really bad, try another one. Prepare for weather in the 80s or the 40s. We did two tours: Behind the Seeds and Undiscovered Future World. It was a really nice break from the crowds. Look for the least crowded attractions, even if it's not ones you normally do. Avoid Stitch though If you want a locker, get it early. Eat at QS early or late. If it's cold and you think you want hot tea, you might want to bring your own tea bags. Most places at MK ran out on the 30th, when the lows were in the 40s. Definitely go look at the decorations at the resorts if you can. It actually makes for a nice break from the park crowds. Watch park and attraction open/close times closely. You would be surprised at what closes early and what stays open late.