Parks ON Christmas Day - crowd predictions?

[gzmtlock]

We will be moving from WDW to the Dark Side on Christmas Day. We have breakfast at Boma at 9 am. Then will head over to Portofino Bay (first time there! yay!). We won't be in a rush per se, but I know a couple of us will be itching to head to Diagon Alley for the first time. We check out on Dec. 28. Party is me, DH, 2 college-age kids.

I know it will be a crazy-busy time. But how about actually on Christmas Day? Slower that day than those following? Or is that wishful thinking? We currently have dinner reservations at Tchoup Chop at 6 pm, but I'm wondering if we'd be better off being in the parks that night. We could move Tchoup Chop to mid-afternoon (if they're open), then head into the parks until they close at 10 pm. (We won't want to stay up too late, as we'll be doing rope drop the following days.)

Thoughts?

 

[gzmtlock]

Bump. Hoping someone who has been ON Christmas Day may come along. . .

 

[macraven]

Historically from what I have read over the years, Christmas Day is the start of crowds at UO

Keep your reservation for dinner unless you can replace it now or soon

Hotels have a special dinner that day and it books up
Prices for it I feel are high

Heavy crowds continue to my ny day

I arrive on Jan 2 to avoid the packed parks when I go in that time period


Check the park hours when it comes out

If you see both parks are open early, that means large park crowds

 

[gzmtlock]

Thanks, macraven. We know it will be super-crowded and have realistic expectations. We're staying at PBH club level, so will simply bug out of the parks when we hit our limits. I'm probably just over-analyzing Christmas Day. My family says I have a tendency to do that. And yet they also say I plan the best vacations. Go figure.

 

[macraven]

If you do have heavy crowds, remind the family you plan the best vacations


Spend more time in the lounge if the parks are ones in the afternoon


Hopefully you will have swimming weather when there

 

[sillyyankee]

Following...I will also be there Christmas day. Here's to hoping for good weather and low crowds.

 

[gzmtlock]

Following...I will also be there Christmas day. Here's to hoping for good weather and low crowds.

Amen to that! Although I think the former is much more likely than the latter. . .

 

[Bluer101]

We did 5 days this past Xmas and it was not too bad. Xmas day was pretty good crowd wise too.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

My experience from several years ago was that it was not crowded at all in the morning but got packed in the afternoon.

 

[gzmtlock]

We did 5 days this past Xmas and it was not too bad. Xmas day was pretty good crowd wise too.

My experience from several years ago was that it was not crowded at all in the morning but got packed in the afternoon.

Thanks for the info about your experiences! Usually, we prioritize an early park arrival, rope drop during busy season. But due to circumstances that are too detailed and boring to get into, that won't be happening on Christmas Day. I think we'll play it by ear whether some or all of us go into a park once we arrive at PBH, have an early Christmas Dinner at Tchoup Chop, then all head towards Diagon Alley in the evening.

We'll save our early entrances for the following three days!