How crazy are the crowds Christmas week?

[OFF TO WDW!]

Do we even dare thinking about trying to enjoying our first trip to Dl if we go Christmas week?



Thanks

 

[DizNee Luver]

Do we even dare thinking about trying to enjoying our first trip to Dl if we go Christmas week?



Thanks

Updates on ride times have been showing 50mins to 120 mins for the bigger attraction rides. Sounds like the parking garage was causing traffic back ups around the park & the Anaheim Police closed off some street due to the traffic issues. This is by far the BUSIEST week at Disneyland all year. I haven't heard of them closing the gates to guests due to maxing out.....but I did read that even AP holders were being told to get a stamp so they could re-enter later.

If you have other options....I might look at them.

 

[OFF TO WDW!]

Updates on ride times have been showing 50mins to 120 mins for the bigger attraction rides. Sounds like the parking garage was causing traffic back ups around the park & the Anaheim Police closed off some street due to the traffic issues. This is by far the BUSIEST week at Disneyland all year. I haven't heard of them closing the gates to guests due to maxing out.....but I did read that even AP holders were being told to get a stamp so they could re-enter later.

If you have other options....I might look at them.

Thanks.

I would hope it would be doable but it sounds more like something to avoid.

 

[KCSunshine60]

I was just jumping on to post about our recent quick trip. We've never gone during Christmas - we usually go in August when my son has time off from his training.

We went for a quick trip last week and I'm so glad we did. The park was beautiful. You just have to go with the expectations that the lines will be long and you won't be able to ride the "big rides" over and over without a long wait.

We both really had a great time even though we didn't get in as many rides as we normally would when it is less crowded.

See the Christmas decorations and the special overlays at Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World were so worth it!

KC

 

[DizNee Luver]

Oh I definitely agree, seeing the park all decked out is worth the extra crowds.....I was just hoping you could possible pick a different week....even a week earlier wouldn't be as bad as this week is shaping up to be.....lol

 

[OFF TO WDW!]

I was just jumping on to post about our recent quick trip. We've never gone during Christmas - we usually go in August when my son has time off from his training.

We went for a quick trip last week and I'm so glad we did. The park was beautiful. You just have to go with the expectations that the lines will be long and you won't be able to ride the "big rides" over and over without a long wait.

We both really had a great time even though we didn't get in as many rides as we normally would when it is less crowded.

See the Christmas decorations and the special overlays at Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World were so worth it!

KC

Thanks for that reply! I am not a huge rie person ( crazy ones), although I love the Haunted mansion, Peter Pan and those sort of rides and attractions. My concern is that from what I understand DL is smaller ad intimate than DW and that with the crowds I wonder how tight and how bad the bumping would get at Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I owuld love to try going at Christmas, but I don't want to fly 3000 miles to get on an araction one time.

 

[deej696]

I just returned...Disneyland was quite busy. DCA not so much. We spent most of our time in the later as a result...

 

[Malcon10t]

Today was packed. We've been here since the 22nd, and it has been the busiest day so far (MUCH busier than Christmas day). Seeing the Rose Bowl groups was fun. Looking forward to the bands over the next few days.

 

[Disney Dreams]

They stopped selling tickets today... First level of "at capacity."

- Dreams

 

[DryCreek]

They stopped selling tickets today... First level of "at capacity."

- Dreams

I am glad to hear this for two reasons!

First, selling to capacity means that they are doing well, and in this tough economy, that speaks volumes.

Second, realizing that the guest experience could be adversely affected by overcrowding shows that those folks at DL care about your visit. It is a hard call to decide to limit your possible income based on park attendance numbers. I also realize that the Fire Marshall can set limits too.

The reason I mention this is because of our recent experience last Friday (12/23) at another theme park while visiting relatives. It is their second year to attempt a holiday overlay on the park with limited opening of attractions/shows. I am referring to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. My goodness, I have never been to a park that crowded in my life - and yes, as a WDW veteran (and USN veteran [SSN's]), I have been in some cramped surroundings. They should have realized that they hit their limit for the number of attractions, instead of the total number of visitors allowed by regulation. Masses of people, slow and poorly marked queues, no seating for guests with trays loaded with food (due to shows in same venue as food court seating), and very dark zones between themed lands.

Now, in all fairness, their customer support team listened to my complaints. On Saturday I sent them a polite message stating my dissatisfaction with our group of five's experience that afternoon/evening. They offered a "do-over" for us. We had to return home on Monday (long flight, and then drive from DFW), but my two in-laws should be there today. I hope that they enjoy themselves more this time. It should be far less crowded - at least I hope it is for their sake.

 

[larina]

Our experience was that the 23rd and 24th were much lighter crowds than we were expecting. The 25th was busy, but still not as bad as I thought it would be. We watched the parade, which was crowded, but with preferred seating, that didn't affect us until it was over. We went early to ensure good seats, and we made out with what we thought were the best seats in the section; on the planter so we didn't have to sit with our knees crossed. It was great. Then we hung back until the crowd dispersed a bit, then headed out ourselves.

If you want to go on every ride, and do everything, don't go at Christmas. If you want a Disney/Holiday experience you'll never forget, go for it. I'd do it again, but our next trip will be at a slower time, maybe February or early October....

 

[thealfi]

It was extremely crowded on Christmas Day and more so on the 26th. Long wait times will be projected, but in my experience the actual wait is never as long as it says on the signs. For example, Haunted Mansion Holiday had a projected wait time of 75 minutes when it was really just 40-45 minutes.

 

[Master Mason]

Today was the busiest I have ever seen it was crazy

 

[cp11]

We just returned from being in the parks from the 21st through the 27th. While we enjoyed through the 24th, we ended up leaving early the 25th and going over the 27th but turning around and going back to our hotel. It was packed. I would recommend going before Christmas if you are going to go and not going between Christmas and New Year's. But that's just our opinion. We have always been at other times of the year such as Feb, June, July and August and September and never seen it like it was this time. We won't be back at this time of year again. They had wait times listed 120 to 180 mins. Little too much for us.

 

[larina]

We just returned from being in the parks from the 21st through the 27th. While we enjoyed through the 24th, we ended up leaving early the 25th and going over the 27th but turning around and going back to our hotel. It was packed. I would recommend going before Christmas if you are going to go and not going between Christmas and New Year's. But that's just our opinion. We have always been at other times of the year such as Feb, June, July and August and September and never seen it like it was this time. We won't be back at this time of year again. They had wait times listed 120 to 180 mins. Little too much for us.

The 27th was that Rose Bowl day thing, we saw lots of players walking around DTD on our way out in the late afternoon. I agree about not going between Christmas and New Year's; if I did it again, I'd go earlier and leave the day after Christmas, or hang out, but not go to the parks and leave the 27th. We did the park every day from the 23rd to the 27th, and it was amazing to watch it pack up after the 25th. (Still wasn't as crowed, or at least not as bad, as I prepared myself for.)

 

[cp11]

And you have to remember that those Rose Bowl teams do not play until the 2nd this year, so I think it will continue to be crazy busy.