Unofficial Guide/TGM Christmas week - has anyone used either then?

[nhdisnut]

We have decided to go against any rational knowledge we have of crowds and take the family to WDW during Christmas week (the only time we can go during the holidays). Has anyone used the information in the Unofficial Guide ( my WDW Bible!! Thanks Len!) or TGM during Christmas week? I know it is probably impossible to avoid crowds completely, but I would love to make the trip as painless as possible.

Also, what is the conventional wisdom of evening EMH during Christmas week, particularly at the Magic Kingdom? I know some people swear by the morning hours, but we are much more likely to stay up late. Is it true that when the EMH is schedule to run midnight to 3:00 am that from 1am to 3am the park really empties out?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[kaelarad]

I used the unofficial guide this past Christmas. It worked really well for us. We always did the morning EMH mainly because we are morning people and two, the EMH in the evening were far too crowded especially at the magic kingdom. We have been going to Disney at Christmas for 7 years and realized that evening EMH offers no real benefit. It can be just as crowded as regular hours because fewer attractions are open

 

[CarolA]

I used TGM for Christmas a few weeks ago. His advice seemed more specfic to me then Unofficial Guide with detail write ups on a plan for that week. I was very pleased.

I normally go offseason and by myself so it's not imporatant to have a plan, but for this trip with family it was invaluable and TGM was a great help.

 

[Luvmyfam3]

We went the week between Christmas and New Years in 2004/2005. We used TGM that week. Actually, I also bought the UG and looked at it as well. They differed on strategies, but I decided to go with TGM out of curiousity (I had always relied on UG). Anyway, TGM was GREAT!!! We never got out there right when the parks opened, but we were able to ride every ride we wanted with VERY little wait!! We were so impressed!! I was pretty nervous about going that week, but we navigated everything just fine!! I would HIGHLY recommend his services! That's not to say I don't care for UG! I love getting their book before every trip just to see what they have to say! But, for the nitty-gritty stuff, I'm using TGM again for our trip this May!! He's already helped me quite a bit in deciding which parks to go to which days and to make our ADRs. Have a great time!!

 

[Kenswing]

TGM always publishes a Christmas Survival Guide. He also has great touring advise for MVMCP...Very detailed.

Ken

 

[disneydiz]

We also used TGM for this past New Years. His advice was great! I can't imagine going during that time of year and not using TGM. We went to AK on January 1 and walked on almost every single ride all day! No waits!

 

[disneydiz]

Also, on Dec 30 the MK had EMH. We entered about 1:30 am and stayed until 3 am. It was still very, very crowded, but nothing like during the day!

 

[musicmama]

I used Unofficial Guide during Christmas week as a guideline, but not as a real "bible". DH and DD were not good at getting up in the morning, so I used his advice more or less as to where not to be and when. It was pretty sound.

DD and I did EMH on 12/30 at Magic Kingdom. It was the nicest experience we had the whole 10 days. We rode more between 12 am and 2:30 am than we had ridden the rest of our times in MK. We avoided Space Mountain because of the long line and even longer FP line - but we rode EVERYTHING else!

 

[Disney Mama 2 Two]

TGM always publishes a Christmas Survival Guide. He also has great touring advise for MVMCP...Very detailed.

Ken

When does this info usually come out? I have already subscribed to TGM for our December trip but this sounds great....probably closer to the time I imagine...just don't want to miss out!

Dawn

 

[Peepster]

We used TGM for the Christmas week and we're very pleased with his suggestions. I tried him on a whim (we've been there at Christmas before) and I have to say I thought it was well worth the money. We're trying Mike again for our March trip. Hope that goes as well.

 

[nhdisnut]

DD and I did EMH on 12/30 at Magic Kingdom. It was the nicest experience we had the whole 10 days. We rode more between 12 am and 2:30 am than we had ridden the rest of our times in MK. We avoided Space Mountain because of the long line and even longer FP line - but we rode EVERYTHING else!

That's what I hoped to hear! Thanks!

 

[Amy&Dan]

We used TGM for the week between Christams and NY's and it was great. A lifesaver even though it was our fourth trip to WDW, we had never been at a busy time. We cannot get up in the a.m. especially with the two hour time difference (we live in Colorado) so we followed Mike's rules about which park to do which day. We did EMH at MK on 12/30 until 4:00 a.m. It was great. We arrived in time to have dinner, see Spectro and then they did the NYE fireworks one night early so we saw those. The park was very, very crowded but then when EMH started at 1:00 it began to slowly thin out and by 2:30 it was ghost town. We didn't have walk ons, we had run ons because nobody was in that park! I Riding Space Mountain at 3:58 a.m. was an experience we won't forget! We boarded the bus back to POFQ at 4:00 a.m. and agreed it was surreal to be leaving MK just three hours before it would reopen! I would go again in a minute, cannot recommend TGM enough and wish we could do it again this year! And we also did Epcot on NYE, arrived at 8:30 to people watch which was actually kinda fun. We didn't ride a thing, as I recall the standy for Soarin at 8:30 that night was 170 minutes. You hae to be realistic, have adr's and just go with the flow. But with a plan it can be about a million times more successful than the people who don't have a plan. MK had early EMH every morning that week, opening at 7:00 and a guy I talked to at the pool said it was not worth it.

 

[Kenswing]

When does this info usually come out? I have already subscribed to TGM for our December trip but this sounds great....probably closer to the time I imagine...just don't want to miss out!

Dawn

Hey Dawn,
It probably won't be published until the hours come out. But you can look at December '05 Express planner and scroll down to the blue shaded box that says "Custom Seasonal Itinerary Advice" and see last year's Survival Guide. Also keep a look out in the December Vacation Club for updates as they are released.

Ken