***Official December 2022 Thread***

[buckeev]

OK…December trip confirmed now…
Dec 14 - 22…2022 Fragmented Trip
Universal RPR 3 days/Disney Shades with D1 & Grandkids/Disney’s Copper Creek on our DVC pts. I’m tired just typing all that!

 

[Disturbia]

How crowded is it during Christmas week? Does anyone have experience with park closures Christmas or New Years?

 

[Disturbia]

Just read this:

https://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/wdw-december-crowds-closures-special-events

 

[Smugpugmug]

How crowded is it during Christmas week? Does anyone have experience with park closures Christmas or New Years?

I went that week a few years ago and it was unbelievably crowded. I had never seen the parks that crowded. I'm going that week this year and I 100% expect it to be insane. If you have a reservation for a specific park, you'll be able to get in even if for some reason park hopping is suspended due to capacity (which hasn't happened since the first day of the 50th anniversary at MK).

 

[Disturbia]

I went that week a few years ago and it was unbelievably crowded. I had never seen the parks that crowded. I'm going that week this year and I 100% expect it to be insane. If you have a reservation for a specific park, you'll be able to get in even if for some reason park hopping is suspended due to capacity (which hasn't happened since the first day of the 50th anniversary at MK).

Last year (Nov Jersey week) we had booked Ohana and with a stroller it took us almost an hour on the monorail (we exited before fireworks ended) to get from MK to the Polynesian. Is it worse than that?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Last year (Nov Jersey week) we had booked Ohana and with a stroller it took us almost an hour on the monorail (we exited before fireworks ended) to get from MK to the Polynesian. Is it worse than that?

Yes. It's like Small World and Pooh are 1-2 hour waits level crowded. I even saw portable toilets rolled out in the area by the Imagination pavilion-entrance to World Showcase at Epcot around New Year's (this was a few years ago. No idea if they still do that).

 

[Disturbia]

I just booked Dec 28-Jan 3rd at the Polynesian deluxe suite so count us in again!

Deluxe resorts are booked solid. Our GF and AKL trips were just ok in the past, so not expecting much (Ohana was once a favorite and must do; lackluster last year). Hopefully we do get the room we booked.

We want to keep a few days at either end of the trip and drive down (approx 20 hrs). It would be far less stress vs flights.

Jan 4 is the first day of After Hours at HS, but we chose to skip.

I was watching Molly (formerly on allears; now Mammoth Club now) and apparently deluxe guests get an extra 6 pm VQ for GOTG on Epcot extended hours day (Mon). We haven’t been on it yet but it looks a lot like RnRC (Our 6 year old (not 48 inches yet) will be able to ride but not sure if it’s scary; he’s ok with FOP).

https://blogmickey.com/2022/05/guar...-and-6pm-select-dates-virtual-queue-openings/

Does anyone know when the extended evening hours will be posted for the last week of Dec? Disney really needs to up their game on communication.

Not sure if MB+ is worth it.

Hoping we can get BOG/CRT/Ohana or the Dessert Party New Years Eve!

 

[LoveDaisy]

Tuesday is my ADR day. I need to finalize my plans. I don’t think I’m trying for anything super popular but still a little nervous and will be happy to have it done. We haven’t been since December of 2019. Only 2 more months! Excitement is starting to build!

 

[Disturbia]

Tuesday is my ADR day. I need to finalize my plans. I don’t think I’m trying for anything super popular but still a little nervous and will be happy to have it done. We haven’t been since December of 2019. Only 2 more months! Excitement is starting to build!

Holiday week and people are booking trips longer than the typical 5 day trip. Look for BOG by time.

The popular resort options (Topolinos, Story Book Dining) would be booked solid the first 5 days so don’t even bother searching.

Space220 lounge (tables of 2,4,6?) might have availability 60+6 onwards. Oga’s as well. Dessert parties will be tough as fireworks will be insanely packed (still not sure why there isn’t a $50 LLIA for fireworks).

Dec 12 you can book a VQ at 6 pm as well for GOTG; extended evening hours for deluxe guests:

 

[Meglen]

Holiday week and people are booking trips longer than the typical 5 day trip. Look for BOG by time.

The popular resort options (Topolinos, Story Book Dining) would be booked solid the first 5 days so don’t even bother searching.

Space220 lounge (tables of 2,4,6?) might have availability 60+6 onwards. Oga’s as well. Dessert parties will be tough as fireworks will be insanely packed (still not sure why there isn’t a $50 LLIA for fireworks).

Dec 12 you can book a VQ at 6 pm as well for GOTG; extended evening hours for deluxe guests:

View attachment 709454

aw man my party night is the 15th

 

[Disturbia]

aw man my party night is the 15th

Maybe you can call and ask to switch party dates because Disney didn’t release these hours until recently (most likely after you purchased your tickets; I believe it was around Sept 8). Worth a shot.

 

[Disturbia]

Also you (deluxe guests with Epcot park passes or park hoppers) get a special 6 pm VQ for GOTG on Epcot extended evening hours day (12/12 for your trip) so you can potentially ride it twice! But it’s gone in seconds

https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...-work-during-extra-evening-hoursthank-512608/

https://www.disboards.com/threads/extended-evening-hours-epcot.3892562/

 

[Meglen]

Maybe you can call and ask to switch party dates because Disney didn’t release these hours until recently (most likely after you purchased your tickets; I believe it was around Sept 8). Worth a shot.

Naw its not a huge deal. My mom wanted to give MVMCP as a birthday gift for me so it will be fun anyway!

 

[Disturbia]

Naw its not a huge deal. My mom wanted to give MVMCP as a birthday gift for me so it will be fun anyway!

We haven’t done the Christmas party yet but we’ve been to WDW during Christmas (10 years ago) and it was just so festive. Crowds back then were part of the experience but waits were 30-40 mins max (Space, Peter Pan) and everyone was in a cheerful mood.

Hopefully the experience this time is decent (AOA rooms are $760 a night! So I went ahead and booked Poly instead). We don’t necessarily need to ride all the rides but do want to see parades and fireworks without being trampled.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

My daughter and I will be there from Dec 9 - 16. We're staying at AKL Jambo and doing MVMCP on the 11th.

 

[LoveDaisy]

Holiday week and people are booking trips longer than the typical 5 day trip. Look for BOG by time.

The popular resort options (Topolinos, Story Book Dining) would be booked solid the first 5 days so don’t even bother searching.

Space220 lounge (tables of 2,4,6?) might have availability 60+6 onwards. Oga’s as well. Dessert parties will be tough as fireworks will be insanely packed (still not sure why there isn’t a $50 LLIA for fireworks).

Dec 12 you can book a VQ at 6 pm as well for GOTG; extended evening hours for deluxe guests:

View attachment 709454

Luckily for me none of these are on my wish list! It is just two of us which I hope will help. I am hoping for: homecomin’ (lunch), chef de France, la hacienda, flying fish, trattoria al forno, and maybe Il mulino I need to figure out the last one or two soon.

 

[Disturbia]

Luckily for me none of these are on my wish list! It is just two of us which I hope will help. I am hoping for: homecomin’ (lunch), chef de France, la hacienda, flying fish, trattoria al forno, and maybe Il mulino I need to figure out the last one or two soon.

Flying fish is a very high demand restaurant. I also don’t think they book tables of 5. They do 4 or 6?

Read recent TripAdvisor reports on chefs de France. I looked at it briefly for our previous trips. Hopefully they’ve improved.

 

[Disturbia]

My daughter and I will be there from Dec 9 - 16. We're staying at AKL Jambo and doing MVMCP on the 11th.

We love Jambo house. Boma is a must do on our trips. Maybe we will DVC one day.

 

[LoveDaisy]

Flying fish is a very high demand restaurant. I also don’t think they book tables of 5. They do 4 or 6?

Read recent TripAdvisor reports on chefs de France. I looked at it briefly for our previous trips. Hopefully they’ve improved.

I’m confused. We are a party of 2 and I mentioned it my post. Why would I need a table for 5? they’ve never required me to book a larger table than we need in the past. Has this changed? We plan to dine here on our last night as us our tradition (10+6) so hopefully that will help.

Chef de France is all about the French martini theirs is fantastic.

 

[Meglen]

I’m confused. We are a party of 2 and I mentioned it my post. Why would I need a table for 5? they’ve never required me to book a larger table than we need in the past. Has this changed? We plan to dine here on our last night as us our tradition (10+6) so hopefully that will help.

Chef de France is all about the French martini theirs is fantastic.

I think the point was to try a few different numbers and get a bigger pool to go from. Sometimes a party of 2 table is taken but a part of 4 is available.