Having a fun trip with large crowds?

[winnieofpooh]

We leave for our trip on Sunday, and I was feeling so excited! It's my first trip during the holidays and we're going down with my husband's side of the family. I've been reading recent reports and everything is just so negative. People complaining about crowd levels, the new Genie+ system, lack of entertainment, etc. and now I'm feeling a bit bummed out. I expected to have large crowds and less offerings available so none of this is a shock to me, but it's disheartening to see people come back feeling so negative.

So I'm looking for either positive trip reports from the last month or so, or any tips you have for how to have an awesome vacation even with high crowds. I want to make the most of this trip since we probably won't be back for 5+ years, so I'm trying to figure out any strategies I can!

 

[KristaZ]

IMO, a lot of your experience is going to be based on the attitude and expectations you go in with. Go in expecting large crowds and with a decent plan, and you absolutely can have a great trip. This time of year, for me, is always about just soaking up the atmosphere of Disney. There's more entertainment now than there was a few months ago (still not pre-pandemic, but more). I was last there about a month ago and DH and I just kept commenting to each other how much more alive the parks felt, more so than even just a month prior to that. Genie+ is great at MK - not so great in other parks, from what I've experienced, so if you're interested in doing that, maybe only add it for MK. Have a list of your "must do" rides and attractions and make those your priority during the day. Consider anything beyond that a "bonus". Know you'll probably be waiting a while for food - but plan that into your day - order early and hit "I'm here" before you've actually made it to whatever you're getting your food from to minimize your waits.

Personally, I think the parks at Christmas are amazing, and I'll deal with the large crowds and just know I may not get everything done, but it's absolutely possible to still have a great time.

 

[AussieFan8]

We were there Thanksgiving week. We did have some frustrations with Genie+. However, we still had a lot of fun, we loved seeing the parks decorated for Christmas, and we thought the CM's were very upbeat, friendly, and helpful. We didn't have any issues with rides breaking down. There were crowds, but I didn't think they were overwhelming. In addition to the park and resort decorations, you'll get to see the holiday storytellers, which is something I wish we had been able to l see - love them! I guess I didn't expect everything to be normal because I don't feel like anything is normal right now. It was wonderful just to be back and experience what we could, which was a lot!

 

[Mceee]

On theme park days, it's simple... arrive early.

 

[NJ Goofy]

As previous posts have noted you need to temper your expectations and know since you will be dealing with larger crowds you may not be able to do everything you'd like to. As mentioned above, arrive early, you can usually get quite a bit done before 11:00 AM, use Genie+ for most of the parks, if you're staying on site take a mid-day break and try another park later in the day (need park hoppers). We find taking a break and leaving the parks for a few hours when they are the busiest is a lifesaver. The other thing is even if you can't get on all your favorites, you can enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations and the general holiday vibe at the parks & resorts. Good luck !

 

[dd316]

Friends of mine just got back from Disney World, and based on the happiness I saw in the photos she shared I'd say the crowds only affect you if you let them.

 

[mamaanna]

Hey, we will be there at the same time! It's going to be a great trip, I can feel it already.

 

[Sandiz08]

Pick one or two must dos for every park and the rest is just icing on the cake!

 

[CindysMice]

Just reading this thread made me jealous of your trip lol. Have a blast!

 

[Shellyred8]

My one main goal of our trip last week was to see some of the story tellers at Epcot. We saw most, but not all, of them and they were really good. I would recommend trying to go see them earlier in the day, as world showcase starts getting pretty busy mid-afternoon.

 

[Elephantay]

How was your trip?