Here now gringotts this morning.

[Bluer101]

Yikes, that is scary!! We are planning a trip for my birthday which is in between Christmas and New Years. I know this is probably just crazy, but it is the only time we can go.

Good luck at that time.

 

[KorbensMomma]

Yikes, that is scary!! We are planning a trip for my birthday which is in between Christmas and New Years. I know this is probably just crazy, but it is the only time we can go.

My birthday is labor day weekend we are celebrating with a universal trip in November. I would try to celebrate your birthday at a different time. I think Thanksgiving week is better than Christmas/New years.

Heck I wouldn't go to Disney or US/IOA during Christmas even if it was all expense paid top of the line.

 

[dmaxdmax]

Heck I wouldn't go to Disney or US/IOA during Christmas even if it was all expense paid top of the line.

Great! That's exactly when we're going.

Not exactly by choice but it's when we can meet up with family there. When we get closer I'll post a thread asking for survival hints.

 

[RMulieri]

Christmas week is insanity at both Disney and Universal parks.Universal is alot more doable staying onsite since you get early entry and exprress passes...i would not try it staying offsite.People do it offsite and without express passes and manage , but it involves getting to the parks WELL BEFORE opening and being ready to go and having a plan and realizing that by lunch you are likely done or waiting in long long long lines for the remainder of the day

 

[akaler2010]

We were at Universal the week between Christmas and NYE 2012 and found it just fine. Sure the lines were a little long, but we just didn't do everything. As long as you go into it knowing it's going to be crowded and you'll have to wait a little longer, it's great. In fact, we are going again this year!

 

[atricks]

I haven't gone to Uni/IOA the week after Christmas normally, but I drive by it every day. Traffic that week is insane, get to the park 30 minutes (or more) before open. If you wait until 9:30-11:30 you'll be waiting just to get in the garage, through the line, and in the park.

Islands closed once or twice last year for capacity. (It just means they stop letting people in the park until enough have left). The Studios side can handle crowds a lot better, though. But with Diagon Alley they may even have to capacity close it there. Using the ticket system to just enter Diagon probably will be going on during that time as well. Diagon hasn't been using the return ticket system since about a week after the grand opening, but the Christmas crowds are beyond crazy.

Thankfuly Diagon can hold more, Gringott's will still have a huge line, even if it's working on all cylinders.

With the new potter area open and the Hogwart's Express, it's really hard to say how this Christmas season will be.

Christmas week is doable if you get there early, and don't try to do everything.

 

[HeddyRuth]

Christmas week is insanity at both Disney and Universal parks.Universal is alot more doable staying onsite since you get early entry and exprress passes...i would not try it staying offsite.People do it offsite and without express passes and manage , but it involves getting to the parks WELL BEFORE opening and being ready to go and having a plan and realizing that by lunch you are likely done or waiting in long long long lines for the remainder of the day

We are staying on site and are early risers especially coming from the west coast. Last year we were at disneyland during this time and the parks closed due to reached capacity everyday we were there. We usually get at the parks an hour before opening and will go hard and break at lunch until the evening.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

We stayed onsite for 3 nights this past Christmas (27-30 dec) and we had no problems at all. We utilised the early entry/express passes and did absolutely every ride with very little wait at all. We were in every day from early opening and would leave just after lunch - it amazed me how many people arrive at the parks from lunchtime! We were sat in bubba Gumps one day and the crowds were literally coming in in huge waves! I'm guessing the Christmas crowds that everyone talks about were there in the afternoon/evenings when we were back in the hotel (that's the bonus of jet lag from the uk - we were up VERY early and in bed VERY early!)

Of course, with the arrival of Diagon Alley, I'm sure this year will be a very different story