I need advice for my crazy friends

[jenga1030]

MY best friend and her DH and DD 7 have been wanting to go to Disney World. She asked my help and I gave her all my best advice.

Well, she obviously didn't listen because they have decided to go 12/26 through 12/30. And they are making sure to visit each park on it's EMH day.

I have been writing down notes and tips for her (at her request) about touring plans, what not to miss, etc... But I honestly don't know if my tips will matter with crowds that big.

My family goes every year and we always go in September/October and encounter no crowds.

SO what advice would you give them (besides don't do it I tried that one already) Especially if you've gone during the Christmas week?

Also, if you've been during Christmas week, what exactly are the crowds like? What are the wait times? They are only visiting 3 parks for 3 days, no hopping.

I picture there to be huge lines for everything, including food, bathrooms, buses, monorails. Is this accurate? Do fast passes for big things really run out early? Give me any experience you've got!

Thank you for your help!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Convince her to sign up for TGM and follow his touring advice to the letter.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Be at each park when it opens. MK usually closes to all guests around 10AM. Then again around 3PM.

Huge lines, lots of waiting. Do not plan on breezing through the park. Dining is difficult. It's wall to wall people. Which park do they plan on skipping?

Sometimes during Christmas, they have EMH every day at every park.

 

[jenga1030]

Be at each park when it opens. MK usually closes to all guests around 10AM. Then again around 3PM.

Huge lines, lots of waiting. Do not plan on breezing through the park. Dining is difficult. It's wall to wall people. Which park do they plan on skipping?

Sometimes during Christmas, they have EMH every day at every park.

Wow! It sounds as crowded as I'm picturing it. They are skipping Animal Kingdom.

It does look like there are EMH every day when they go. I just feel so bad, this is their first trip to Disney World and they are so excited. But as I was writing down my advice and opinions on rides and shows, I kept thinking "how much of this are they really going to get to see?"

They are in complete denial about the crowds, like the lines will only be long on some rides, and they'll be able to do everything in one day and see characters wandering the parks that they'll walk up to...

Anytime but Christmas, I kept telling them...

 

[BlindTyldak]

. . . that they should startbooking their next trip now so they can see everything they're likely to miss this time around?

 

[ajleone]

It may be too late, but they should get on the phone NOW and try to book ADR's.

 

[ajleone]

Oh and I'd let them know when they get back and are complaining about how they hate WDW and it was sooo crowded, and they couldn't get anything done. Tell them that they need to go again only this time go when half the worlds population IS NOT in attendance.

 

[jenga1030]

It may be too late, but they should get on the phone NOW and try to book ADR's.

I booked those for them awhile ago. I got them some good ones. So at least they'll be able to eat if nothing else!

 

[ajleone]

Well thats good anyways!!

 

[snowwhite84]

I think your advice to your friend should just be have a good time! Really, with that time frame, nothing else can be said. And hey, you tried your best! I'm sure she'll still have a great time!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I don't know why you are bothering gathering advice for her, since she doesn't seem to want to listen to you anyway. Some people are like that.

But anyway, Christmas week is very do-able. Look up the best days on the Unofficial Guide site (touringplans dot com). Get to park at opening. Leave early and enjoy non-park activities. Utilize Fastpass extensively. Avoid EMH park like the PLAGUE! I advise hopping, so you can hit another park in the afternoon/evening (parks are open late during this week...MK on its evening EMH is open to 3 or 4 a.m.) Take naps, boat rides, resort hop, book every TS ADR that you want ASAP. See Osborne lights at MGM during Fantasmic showings. There's more, but she's not listening, anyway.

 

[unbroken chain]

Buy The Unofficial Guide for her. Maybe if you buy it she will at least read it. If she hasn't taken your advice so far, she might not sign up for TGM (which I've never tried, but I'm sure he's good) or buy the Unofficial Guide herself, even if you suggest it.

I went one year on Dec. 30 or 31. The one hour drive there took 4 hours. Bumper to bumper on I-4 for the last 3 hours at about 5 miles per hour. When we got there the park was closed, but we had tickets so we were admitted. We couldn't move. My sister compared it to the Star Trek episode with the overcrowded planet where everyone lives shoulder-to-shoulder.

We couldn't even see the rides, let alone go on them. The crowds were like a river, you were just pushed downstream.

Now if they go at opening, they should be able to do some rides before it is that packed. Then maybe something like the Riverboat, and just soaking up the atmosphere until dinner?

 

[cindy_k]

The only EMH I would recommend is Morning at MK. (if they are staying on site)
That is totally worth getting up early for. You can complete all of Fantasy land in an hour.. then you leave the park and go to EPCOT. Nice and Roomy there.

The Monorail ride is nice.

The Candlelight Processional will be going on at EPCOT. They should try and catch that. And the Santas around the world should still be happening.

Osborne Christmas lights are worth being at MGM for at night. (Don't eat the snow.. its really bubbles. )

And most of all remember you can't do it all in one trip at WDW unless you are staying for a Month. No matter what time a year. The place is HUGE.
Most people who have never been there fail to realize just how mind-boogling big it really is.

Hope they have a good time!
Cindy

 

[pennylynn]

I've been there the week between Christmas and New Years and it is crowded, crowded, crowded. Shoulder to shoulder people. And it's hard to find a place to sit down and eat unless they have reservations for a sit down meal. Having said that, my sister and I had a great time because we had been there earlier in the year so just went with the flow and enjoyed the decorations. My niece, her husband and three children enjoyed it because it was their first time. One thing that helped us was that my sister and I would take the two little ones back to the resort by 8 or 9 and that left the other three free to stay at a park as late as it was open. There were things that we never got to do but we hit all of the highlights.

 

[CindyAnn]

Wow! It's kind of challenging to help people like that! We're also going over New Year's this year, but we've gone at that time twice before and know what to expect. We're also staying for 10 days (until Jan 7th) and have 2 days to spend in each of the major parks, so that helps a lot.

MK in particular can be crowded beyond belief. One day both Splash and Big Thunder broke down at the same time, and the crowds were UNBELIEVABLE in that area - worse than leaving after fireworks, etc. etc.

The rules at that time of year are the same as always, except they really, really matter. I think trying Tour Guide Mike would be worth it, too (we'll be trying him for the first time this trip). I would say you have to:

1) know exactly what you want to see
2) get there early
3) be ready to leave when it gets unbearable.

We've also found that avoiding the EMH park works better than going to the EMH park. Since hours that week are quite long in any case, they'll still have lots of time to tour.

Most of all, I guess you just wish them "good luck"!

Cheers,