Has anyone ever stayed weekend prior to Christmas?

[JayneML]

We had to cancel our Disney Cruise Vacation due to Hurricane Jeanne. Now, DH has vacation days he must use before the end of the year. I just booked 3 nights (Dec 18, 19, and 20) at the Poly. Does anyone know what the crowds are like the week prior to Christmas? I would greatly appreciate any advice!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

It will be crowed (but doable) the attendance will build each day until Christmas...Be sure to make your PS as the restaurants will be very busy, if you don't...you maybe able to get a table but it will either be after a long wait, or a very late dining time...

 

[Bete]

It does build as the previous post stated. Also, MVMCP will draw because that's not available Christmas week. I would try to get those tickets, now. Try not to pick the last night for MVMCP. I normally park hop near Christmas with MK or AK in the early day and Epcot for the evening. MGM Studios is better enjoyed later in the day, too.

It still is better then Christmas week. You need to realize you will not accomplish as much and be satisfied with it.

 

[johnsonet]

The last night for MVMCP is Fri., the 17th. I have tix and just bought two more last week for my brother and his wife who are going to join us!! That's our arrival day and although it's not ideal - we won't get to FLA until 2:30pm...it's worth it to us. We've never been during the holidays and CAN'T WAIT!!
Good Luck!!

 

[rkmassa]

We went last year and it was a great trip. The crowds didn't really get bad until Christmas Day. You will still need to use Fast Passes on the more popular rides. We had dinner at Chef Mickey's on Christmas Day and heard from several ladies about the parks closing early due to capacity. We stayed away from the parks that day. We did go to Disney Studios on the 26th, but not too bad as far as crowds. We had really done everything we wanted to prior to Christmas. I am hoping for the same this year. We will be there the 18th to the 23rd at POR. After watching the crowds build and seeing the stand still traffic on the highway, my DH won't go back after the 25th ever again.

 

[VickiVM]

I have to say it was not nearly as bad as I expected. We arrived on Dec 20th and departed on the 26th. It was truly one of our best vacations ever!! I felt like we did quite a bit - not like everyone reports. But I followed a couple of very good tips:

1. Make your PS's for your meals (like CP package, Christmas day/Eve dinner, etc) and stick with them. Plan your day around these PS's because you won't get another one if you decide to change your mind or the time at the last minute. Every single sit down place we went, there were many people that walked right up expecting to get a table. They were flat out telling them that none were available.

2. Get out of the way all the important attractions/rides you want to accomplish early in the week. We did MK on the Tuesday before Christmas (which was on a Thursday last year). We got there at about opening and did upwards of about 8 or so attractions before lunch. Had lunch at Liberty Tree and then did a couple more attractions before going back to the room. We returned later that evening for a few more rides, Spectro and Wishes. Wow - what a magical day that was for our family!! There's nothing like leaving MK "fulfilled", and we certainly did.

We scheduled CP for Christmas Eve and Epcot that evening was packed. After CP, we were in 'go-with-the-flow' mode and knowing this ahead of time didn't lead us on to high expectations.

We just hung out at Epcot on Christmas day before our dinner at Cape May. The kids finished their masks. I can't say we really accomplished much that day other than my husband and son riding Mission. We could definitely see the crowd level elevating so we deliberately stayed away from MK or DS for this reason.

The kids still recall how much fun we had and how special it was to spend Christmas at WDW. I don't feel the need to do that again, but I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for the world!!

 

[RNMOM]

We have been there 3 times. Yes, it will get busier as the days progress. It is so wonderful to just relax and enjoy all the holiday extras and people watch. We really enjoyed being at MGM on Xmas day but it was really crowded. Being at Disney anytime is better than being anywhere else. Have fun.

 

[JayneML]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice! I think I will certainly keep the reservations now and use all the great tips. We have never been to Disney prior to Christmas, so I think it will be a nice change and maybe even make us forget about the Disney Cruise we missed! These boards are so helpful!

 

[Tina]

DH and I have seriously tossing around the idea of going Dec 18- 22nd or 23rd. We thought it would be insane. Now you guys are making me think it might be a good idea!

 

[stm61]

we were there last yr, I think our last day was the 19th, it was a Fri definately. We started Mon at MK which was busy by lunch, then followed the EE schedule the rest of the wk. Epcot was empty, MGM was pretty quiet, and I think AK was also. Remember tho, it was absolutely freezing in Fl that wk, that might have helped the crowd situation some. Fri we went back to MK and it was definately busier that day then it had been all wk. People were coming in to spend the wkend and the holiday's the following wk, you could see the Christmas gifts on the luggage carts. We didn't do DTD or DQ so I can't say how they were.