Starting to panic... could use some advice...

[Lucky4me]

Short of them paying me to stay in WDW Christmas week, I would not do it.

If they did pay me to stay for that week, I'd realize I would not see everything I usually see and wouldn't be disappointed when I didn't. I'd do more pool and hanging at the resort and less parks. Maybe discover what all the other resorts have to offer.
I'd hit the parks at rope drop for a few hours and get out. I'd come back late at night. I'd hit a water park on Christmas day or New Years day instead of a main park. I'd try to be where everyone else wasn't.

I've been stuck in that afternoon log jam on Main st. in December when it wasn't even a holiday week. I was told it's like that every day starting around the 20th right up through new years. I swore it would never happen to me again. It was skeery.
Just have a very good plan like mine and you'll be fine.

 

[Lucky4me]

Short of them paying me to stay in WDW Christmas week, I would not do it.

If they did pay me to stay for that week, I'd realize I would not see everything I usually see and wouldn't be disappointed when I didn't. I'd do more pool and hanging at the resort and less parks. Maybe discover what all the other resorts have to offer.
I'd hit the parks at rope drop for a few hours and get out. I'd come back late at night. I'd hit a water park on Christmas day or New Years day instead of a main park. I'd try to be where everyone else wasn't.

I've been stuck in that afternoon log jam on Main st. in December when it wasn't even a holiday week. I was told it's like that every day starting around the 20th right up through new years. I swore it would never happen to me again. It was skeery.
Just have a very good plan like mine and you'll be fine.

 

[WDSearcher]

ok, so I have our reservations made at the Swan & Dolphin for Christmas week (2 adults, 12/26-12/31) ... and I have our ADR's made ... however, now after reading some past threads and posts re: Christmas week crowds, I'm starting to second guess myself wondering if we're making a mistake going to WDW during Christmas ... therefore, I could really use some expert advice from those who have been to WDW during this time in the past ... I also have the following questions ...

1. Do all the theme parks usually close by late morning daily due to capacity? ...

No. MK will close at capacity on Christmas Day, possibly the day or two after this year, since Christmas is on a Friday, and people will come for the weekend. Epcot generally does not ever close, nor does DAK. DHS may close, but usually only on Christmas day. The best park to be in when there are crowds is Epcot, as it has the most guest space and the most room for moving around.

2. If they do close, how can you find out before you get there? ...

If you're staying on property, you can ask at the concierge or front desk. Otherwise, you'll see signage.

3. Do they open back up relatively quickly, or after a few hours, etc.? ...

Depends on crowd flow. Generally, if MK closes in the AM, it'll open up again after the parade, since a lot of people will leave once the parade has run. You can generally count on a "closed" park to open back up again by mid-afternoon, but it just depends.

4. What's the latest time you should be at the parks in the AM to avoid being turned away? ...

At MK or Studios ... rope drop. Epcot or DAK generally won't be a problem, but you'll still want to get there early to avoid crowds early in the day.

5. If you have an ADR at a park but the park is closed due to capacity, can you still get in for your ADR? ...

No. It is up to you to get into the park where you have reservations. Disney won't remove people from the park to make sure that you can make your ADR.

I will be traveling with my DSis who has never been to WDW (except for a day trip to Epcot once) ... I'm starting to worry that the "Christmas week shoulder-to-shoulder crowd level" that I've been reading about will give her a bad first impression of a WDW vacation, and therefore, we should maybe re-book for a slower time of year ... any opinons? ...

I really appreciate any help, advice and first-hand experience that you can give me ...

Disney during Christmas week is a magical place, but you do have to plan differently. Plan on early mornings to get the most attractions under your belt early in the day, and then wander a bit in the afternoons / evenings. You need to know, going in, that you likely won't get on everything you want to get on, and that you'll be standing in a lot of lines. That includes food, merchandise, bathrooms ... everything. But it's the best week of the year to be just amazed by Christmas and see the spectacle of it all.

If your desire is a nice laid-back trip to WDW to explore and discover, you may want to re-think your timing. But there's no reason why you can't have a wonderful, magical trip over Christmas too. Just go in with the spirit of adventure, a good sense of humor, a lot of patience, and the ability to have fun. And then you'll be fine!

 

[Brit17]

You guys are the best ... thank you all for all your great feedback ... I spoke with my DSis and shared all your thoughts with her and she is pretty laid back about everything and says as long as the resort has a pool, she's good to go ... ironically, I'm the one that's having the total anxiety attack now ...

But as WDSearcher and many of you have said:

If your desire is a nice laid-back trip to WDW to explore and discover, you may want to re-think your timing. But there's no reason why you can't have a wonderful, magical trip over Christmas too. Just go in with the spirit of adventure, a good sense of humor, a lot of patience, and the ability to have fun. And then you'll be fine!

So as Dory likes to say "Just Keep Swimming", I'm going to keep reminding myself to "Just Don't Panic, Just Don't Panic" ...

Your advice and tips are still very much welcomed and appreciated ... please keep 'em coming ...

 

[Brit17]

Well, we're back from our WDW vacation during Christmas week and all I can say is .... we had a GREAT time!!! ... as I had previously posted, I was starting to second guess myself as to whether I was making a big mistake going to WDW during Christmas because of everything I had read concerning the anticipated crowd levels ... and being that this was my DSis' first Disney vacation, I was worried that it wouldn't be a great first impression for her, as it would be during a slower time of year ... but I am happy to report, that due to the great advice I got through the Dis , my DSis and I had a WONDERFUL time and she can't wait to go back ...

I don't know if the economy had anything to do with it this year, but I really didn't find it overwhelmingly crowded at all ... we did take everybodys advice and made sure that we were in the parks within 60-90 minutes after opening everyday, so we were able to do and see everything we wanted to without even having to use Fast Passes ... I do believe that Magic Kingdom closed to capacity at about 3PM on the 30th and Hollywood Studios closed to capacity on the 29th, but fortunately, neither of these closings affected us ... also, we didn't experience any long lines for counter service meals or in the gift shops ... we did have ADR's for our table service meals and even our wait times to be seated were very minimal ...

One little pet peeve that I did have during this trip, however, was with people who carry backpacks ... now don't get me wrong, I totally understand why people carry them ... but I just wish that if they are carrying them either on their shoulders or on their backs, and it is a bit crowded, that they just remember, or are more cognizant, that they have them on before they abruptly stop or turn around ... I can't tell you how many times I was knocked into, or more accurately, almost knocked out , by a backpack ...

So I just thought I'd share our first WDW Christmas week vacation experience with you all ... thanx again for all the great tips and advice prior to our trip ...

Happy New Year!!