How often do parks reach capacity during Christmas week?

[Pete W.]

We are WDW veterans but planning our first-ever Christmas week trip this year. With the Candlelight Processional package going on sale next week, I have to start thinking about our itinerary. I know the parks can reach capacity on Christmas Eve/Day and New Years Eve, but what about the days in between (12/26-12/29)?

Also, we are big proponents of the afternoon break, but I'm wondering how risky that is during the holidays. If you leave a park in the early afternoon and try to re-enter that same park in the evening, will you automatically gain entrance or is it possible you could be denied access if the park is at capacity? Would they make exceptions for people holding CP tickets (paid in advance) or FDP ADRs (with 48-hr cancellation fee)?

It would be great to hear anyone's experience. Thanks!

 

[Danauk]

I'm not sure if parks will reach capacity every day during the week (but would like to know as we will be there then too.) However I do know that having an ADR at a restaurant in the park does not get you admission to the park if it is full. I do believe though they will give you your deposit back (but you have to claim it back somehow.) Also by leaving a park and getting your hand stamped also does not mean you will necessarily get back in. From what I have read the parks that reach capacity tend to open up again later in the afternoon/evening as people leave to get dinner etc.

 

[ScoJo15]

According to TouringPlans, Dec 25-31 will be the busiest time all year....here is a link

http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm

 

[kellyanne731]

We went to Disney this past Christmas (12/23-12/30) and didn't experience too many crowds at all. I think we lucked out because the weather was so cold and dreary most of the time that people either stayed in or slept in late. I was also very much the "itinerary nazi" and had a schedule I made sure we kept to so we could avoid as many of the crowds as possible. We based our day on whichever park was open early. We were there within 10 minutes of the park opening, and by the time we did everything we wanted to do, hung out and ate lunch (usually somewhere between 1 & 3), we could head back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. We headed back out to the parks around 6 to finish up the day and have dinner.

We also had some free days where we didn't plan anything at all. I think the tighter schedule worked for us because our group was 3 adults, so we didn't have to worry about getting kids ready in the morning.

 

[Pete W.]

According to TouringPlans, Dec 25-31 will be the busiest time all year....

There's no question it will be very busy, but that doesn't concern me because we know the parks well and just visited in June/July, so this trip will be more to soak up the atmosphere and do some of the things we don't normally do because of the heat (outdoor shows, World Showcase in depth, Animal Kingdom animal viewing, etc.)

I'm just hoping we will still have the flexibility to leave a park mid-day and revisit in the evening, and it sounds like we will as long as we go back after dinner time.

 

[tiggersthebest]

I have been down at Christmas time several times over the years and the parks were very crowded. I do remember parks closing on the really "big" days like christmas and New Year's eve, and randomly on other days, sometimes they did and sometimes not. But no matter what be prepared for lots of crowds.

 

[kilee]

It can vary year to year a lot. Some years MK can reach capacity most everyday and others it won't at all. Remember there are different levels of closing too. So, if you stay onsite the first level will not affect you.

 

[brerrabbit]

We were there this past Christmas Dec 22 through Dec 29 and I know the Magic Kingdom closed at least twice on days after Christmas. Fortunately we weren't trying to get in we were just checking at the lost and found near the TTC. But both days when we drove there they would only let us past to go to lost and found and we were staying on site and had the parking sticker in the window.