pros and cons @ wdw @ x-mas

[cmatt]

we have done wdw every year since 1997 but never at x-mas

always worried about crowds with short park hours cold pools/and water parks or closed even, and short hours ?

advice please thanks cmatt

 

[jiminy14]

Definitely crowded. Last year at Christmas WDW reported record crowds at the parks. On the plus side, the parks are open later, especially MK and MGM. EPCOT is open later on New Year's Eve. On most days we would go back to MK in the late evening and be able to do more attractions from 9-11 than we were able to do doing the day. Water parks are open but weather is iffy. You can have 70-80 degrees one day and 40-50 the next. Last year we wore shorts the whole time (12/25-1/5). All of the main pools at the Disney resorts are heated so you can swim even if it is cold outside. I am not sure about the quiet pools.
We love WDW at Christmas. The decorations are worth the trip alone.

 

[dgaston]

Christmas is such a magical time. Even though it's crowded, and if you're not at the parks at opening in the mornings, it can take forever to get some attractions done. We waited only 15 minutes for Mission Space one time, but over two HOURS (sign said 65 minutes) when we arrived later in the am.

That said, my brothers family and I had an extremely wonderful Christmas stay in a house at Windsor Palms. And it only took us 15 minutes from MK turnstiles to driveway using Sherberth Rd.

I do recommend signing up for TourguideMike to help plan park strategies. Even as a saesoned WDW visitor, his comments were on target and helpful.

We were able to get PS for CRT, Candlelight Processional with dinner at Le Cellier, and even an IllumiNations Cruise--planning makes perfect!

hth

 

[momtofour]

I have been at WDW three times over the Christmas holidays. The one thing I really need to emphasize is the unpredictability concerning the weather. If wonderful weather is really important to you, I would pick another time. One year it was so cold that we had our winter coats on the whole time. I would have bet the weather in Chicago was better than down there. The wind was whipping and we were miserable. Add unbearable crowds to the scene and it made for a poor vacation. With that said, if you can go into it really knowing about the crowds and weather, and still want to go, than I say start making plans! Keep in mind too that you are paying top rates for airfare and hotels due to the season!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I don't know what you mean about short park hours.. the longest hours the parks have been open in my experience was our first trip at Christmas! Mk open until midnight (and I don't mean an E night)- do they close really early during the holidays now?

Anyway, we did our first trip ever to Disney World on Christmas. My first day at Disney World was on Christmas day at MK. It was crowded around the parade areas during the few hours of the parades (before/during/shortly after) but other than that I didn't notice it being extremely crowded. However, take that with a grain of salt because we're used to Six Flags over Texas which is always crowded plus I didn't realize that Christmas day at MK was the busiest day/park of the year! LOL

Since then we have been at Thanksgiving thru early Dec trip, and I've been on two solo trips- one in Jan and one during Halloween time... NOW I realize how packed it really was that week of Christmas especially on Christmas day at MK- but it wasn't bad enough to be annoying or anything. I just realize now that we can go other times and have parks practically dead in comparison! LOL
But I'm still glad we went then... it was a special day that we'll never forget- especially since it was Christmas and thank goodness we got to see the Osborne lights before they were gone/etc. I don't know that we'd plan more trips during that time- maybe.... but right now with a family of 5 with young children it's just easier to go during less busy times. We can get more done without spending every waking hour at the parks. LOL But later when they are older we'll probably want to brave the holidays again- because they were special.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Oh and btw- the weather IS unpredictable. Ofcourse we're Texans and so we're used to warm/not used to cold.. but our first trip Christmas of 2002 we were in shorts the entire time. We did wear jackets if we went early in the morning- but they were taken off shortly after the sun came up. However, during my Jan 2003 trip I was in shorts during the day, pants/jacket at night. Then Halloween trip was shorts the entire time. Then our Thanksgiving trip we were freezing to death! (they did have a colf front come through). We were in pants, jackets and kids with blankets in the stroller and FREEZING. But others might not have been that cold. Thank goodness it wasn't that cold every day we were there.

so you really can never tell what the weather will be like there I guess...