Is Christmas really too busy?

[Michelle R]

I read somewhere today (can't remember where) that Christmas 12/25 in the parks are crazy busy.
Any busier than any other vacation week?
Busy but worth it for the experience?

It'll be our 1st time there and we want to enjoy it!

 

[barbeml]

In 2000 we went the week before Christmas and it was great until the last two days when many European countries started their winter vacation break.

 

[zurgswife]

Actual Christmas day in the parks is very very crowded. I stayed away when we were there 2 years ago. The park closes and you can barely walk were the report that I got back. It definately is not a must do for me.

A must due is spending christmas or new years in WDW. The decorations are unbelieveable.

 

[buckylarue]

Christmas Eve through New Year's Day is the busiest time of the entire year at WDW. That said, the parks are also open the longest hours of the year, everything is incredibly festive for the holidays, there are all the special shows and fireworks, etc. etc. You have to decide if all the extras are worth dealing with all the other people that are there with you!

 

[Hugpug]

The week of Christmas tru New Years is the MOST CROWED time of year. You can better enjoy the parks if going a week or 2 before. You can see all the shows at MK by purchasing a special ticket to MVMCP and this is well worth it as long as you going during the week and not on a Friday he crowds are very easy to manage.

 

[MomPlanner22]

Another suggestion for going before Christmas is that you pay the lowest hotel rates up to 12/19. If you check in 12/19 or earlier, that rate will apply during your entire stay (unless you change resorts). It was enough to encourage us to have most of our trip before Christmas versus after.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

DH and I were at WDW on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2005, and the crowds weren't bad at all! We hopped back and forth between Epcot and MGM, which a CM told us were the two most popular parks at Christmas. Yes, there were plenty of people there, but WDW was very well prepared with extra food & drink kiosks open. We even got a great deal at the Dolphin! I guess since they are mostly a convention hotel, they lower their prices at Christmas, when they are not getting business travellers.

If you want table service, just make sure you make ADRs. (But on Christmas Eve, we were too hungry to wait for our 6 PM ADRs at Yachtsman Steakhouse, and were able to walk in to the Rose and Crown at 4:30...amazing!).

I wouldn't hesitate to go again. I've heard that the crowds are truly horrendous for New Years Eve, though.

 

[NMAmy]

Oh, my gosh, yes, it's busy. If this is your first trip to WDW, I'd definitely advise you to pick another time. We were there for two weeks at Christmas 2004. We were there the week before Christmas break and that was busy but quite doable. The day before Christmas, the parks started getting crazy. We skipped parks on Christmas day itself but went to the MK on the 26th. It was literally so crowded that you could barely walk. DD was 14 at the time and I made both her and DH hold my hands until we could get out of that place. After that, we only went to Early Entry parks and left by 10:00 a.m. We hung out at the hotel the rest of the time. I was expecting busy but until you actually see it, it's difficult to picture the staggering amount of people.

Go the week before. It's beautiful and you get the Christmas experience without the craziness.

 

[MICKEEP]

We were there Christmas 2005 and I have to agree that MK was incredibly crowded that day, especially when the power went out and there was nothing for anyone to do but walk around.
---BUT---
When we went to MGM later in the day we found that that park was not crowded at all - we walked on almost all rides and the Fantasmic show was only about 1/3 filled.

Can't say anything about the week after Christmas, because we left on the 26th but the week before Christmas in the parks was great....Now, if it could only have been a little warmer everything would have been perfect.

 

[cjtorres]

thank you for the info

 

[tomandrobin]

We were there last year from Dec 27 thru Jan 2. Was it busy? Oh yeah, crazy crowded busy. But my family had such a great time we are going back this year and taking my brother, his wife and thier 3 kids. MY kids are 12,14 and 20 and they talk about New Years in Disney as thier top two vacations ever (the other being a trip to Mexico for 9 days).

Its not the time a year to visit the parks to get on the rides. But its definately is a special time of year, even with the crowds.

 

[phisigprincess]

Truthfully, it really did impact the fun level for me. We went for 3 days because we were in town for the Citrus Bowl parade. It was the 27-29 and it was a mad house. I found myself getting frustrated with the crowd level, people pushing, wait times for EVERYTHING (including the bathrooms..). Personally, I would seriously recommend going the 2nd week of December. The decorations are up, the atomsphere is the same and the crowd levels are very low. It's the whole experience minus the crowds. Of course, there are people who don't mind it. As always, JMHO!!!

 

[daystar]

My family went to disney in 2004 for Christmas..The only thing i read was to stay away from Magic Kingdom on Christmas day due to crowds..So that day my family spent Christmas in MGM there was not alot of people, no crowds, no big waits for anything...My family spent Christmas Eve in Magic Kingdom the crowds were not bad at all...We really had a good time..The holiday decorations are just beautiful in all the parks...I would go atleast once to experience Christmas in disney..This is a trip i'm trying to plan again in our future...

 

[buckylarue]

On Christmas Day, if you are a WDW resort guest (and have an INCREDIBLE amount of stamina!), you can be in the MK from 7AM until 3AM!!! 20 hours!!

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

We went in 2004 and stayed for new years eve (2005). We arrived on the 25th of December and left the 1st of January.

It was SOOOOO crowded. We waited over an hour for every attraction in the MK! They CLOSED the MK on New Years Eve.



Don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but it was miserably crowded. The fireworks were wonderful and the decorations were beautiful. oh, and the characters holiday outfits were VERY cute!

I hope you have a great time, no matter when you go!


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[MinnieFan]

You can have a wonderful time between Christmas and New Year's if 1) you are willing to get up and get moving early in the morning to get to the parks before they close; 2) you can relax and not get totally stressed because you may not be able to ride or see every attraction due to crowds; and 3) you can enjoy all the atmosphere and special entertainment that WDW offers at that time of year. Since this is your first trip, you and your family will probably be very anxious to experience as much of the World as possible, and this is hard enough to do on your first trip even when it is not the most crowded week of the year. The holiday decorations are wonderful, though, so you may be better off booking earlier in the month as another poster suggested.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip!

 

[HappyLawyer]

i only go during the month of december it's the best

 

[dvc guy]

The world famous is it tooo crowded at WDW over Christamas-NYE question.
Take it from a 8 year going to be 9 year christmas holiday veteran, it is very busy, but tooooo much fun to stay home.
Thinkwalltowall plus some
Crowded will be an understatment. As posted start early make ADR or you be eating hot dogs all trip.

If in doubt stay home, more room for my family
See you 12/27-1/1

 

[daystar]

I purchase the WDW Guide, this book gives you alot of tips about how to get around even when the park is crowded..I use these tips and i didn't have a problem but then again crowds don't really bother me..Using the tips i was able to get on every ride and show that my famiy wanted to see..The only thing i didn't get a chance to do was go all around the world in Epcot but that was due to my family getting tired and wanting to go back to the resort..We even used the WDW buses and they weren't even crowded..

 

[airline2]

i find christmas week a very good time to go. the only thing is make sure that you do emh in the mornings whcih magic kingdom is open every day at 7 am at least that is what it was this past year.