The week btw Xmas/New Yrs?

[hayesmama]

My cousin wants to go the week between Christmas and New Years(we have 7 kids between her fam and mine) !!! I think it's a crazy idea, but that's when her dh can get vacation from work! Any experiences or advice? Thanks so much in advance!!!

 

[GONETODISNEY]

Expect high volume crowds during that time period. It is however a very magical time as Disney outdoes itself during these holidays. We loved this time period so much that we will be going again this year. Don't miss the Candlelight Processional at Epcot--it made our vacation! Don't forget to make dining arrangements before you go as all dining seems to be booked and getting a table is difficult. It is still a great vacation time as long as you can handle the crowds.

 

[gottaluvdis]

We went Dec. 29 once and will never do it again. It was the most crowded I've ever seen it, and we go 1 to 2x per year. You run the risk of the parks closing due to overcapacity if you don't get there first thing in the morning, and if you leave during the day, you may not get back in. The decorations are lovely, but the crowds weren't worth it in my opinion. We've been just after the Thanksgiving rush and all the decorations were up and there were no crowds, so maybe we're spoiled. It was also very unseasonably cold the time we went in Dec. a couple of years ago.

 

[MPLsDad]

We went the Dec 26, the year before last, and loved every minute of it. Our biggest complaint was the frosty mornings! Lines were most manageable if you use EE and FP. It was odd to see the characters dressed in scarves / cold winter garb in the middle of Orlando though!

 

[MPLsDad]

We went the Dec 26, the year before last, and loved every minute of it. Our biggest complaint was the frosty mornings! Lines were most manageable if you use EE and FP. It was odd to see the characters dressed in scarves / cold winter garb in the middle of Orlando though!

 

[MPLsDad]

We went the Dec 26-31, the year before last, and loved every minute of it. Our biggest complaint was the frosty mornings! Lines were most manageable if you use EE and FP. It was odd to see the characters dressed in scarves / cold winter garb in the middle of Orlando though!

 

[zurgswife]

Last year we were there from Dec 20th to Jan 4th....the crowds began on the 25th and never let up.....It was the most crowded the parks have been in t 15yrs they said..MK was closed each day by 12pm....and some days they had 2 parks closed...

 

[WDSearcher]

The week between Christmas and New Year's is historically the most crowded week of the year at WDW. MK will close a couple of times at capacity, and there will be wall-to-wall people. Expect long wait times for everything from rides and attractions (unless you were lucky enough to snag FP's before they ran out!) to restaurants (if you need to eat at a specific time or you have favorite restaurants, you'll have to have PS's ... this is not the time to walk up to the podium and hope for an opening) to bathrooms to transportation.

As an example ... last year on Dec 27 I was working crowd control at Mexico. The line for the boat ride was up the ramp, out the door, and totally filled up one side of the front of the pavilion, with a queue line (ropes and posts) set up there. At one point, it started going down the steps -- the wait time was over 75 minutes. For the boat ride in Mexico ...

 

[KCMiller]

We were there last year between Christmas and New Years with our childrens high school marching band. It was our first time, so I don't know any difference, but we had no problems riding all the rides we wanted. We did lots of research on this board (thanks, again!), and were at the parks as soon as the gates opened every morning. We did FP quite a lot, made PS for dinner, and vowed to be happy happy happy no matter what - after all, we were at WDW! And apart from a mixup with the Fantasmic dinner package and what amounted to a RIOT for hats and noisemakers on New Years Eve at Epcot, we had a blast!

Just remember - plan plan plan, then relax. And do get there before the gates open - early makes ALL the difference. And Mickey bars make everything better!

Nothing will ever come close to sitting on the patio at the Rose and Crown on New Years Eve, watching those fireworks . . . .

KC

 

[The Sweetness]

First off, I have been at WDW durring NEw Years. Also Labor day wknd for that matter. The good news is, both times, for me anyway, the parks were a ghost town.

The downside... Is your fam prepared to skip wet rides such as Splash Mountain, or ride them in the 50's? Thats just a little too cool to be wet for my pampered behind