WDW or DL during Christmas season?

[caryrae]

My wife's job for a long time didn't allow vacations during the last 3 months of the year because it is their busiest time of year. Now starting this year they will let employees take vacations during that time. This means we have never been to Disney during Christmas season and have always wanted to, so we are going to try to go in December 2017. My other thing is I haven't been to DL for like 30 years and with all the DIS DL videos on YouTube this month I definitely need to go back soon. So my question is being we've never been during Christmas season, would going to WDW during Christmas season or DL for Christmas be a better trip? We've been to WDW several times. Our trip will be just my wife and I and will probably be a week long and we're thinking 2nd week in December.

 

[usetr99]

Go to Disneyland if you haven't been for a while.

 

[Accident]

I would pick DL but it's because i've done WDW a lot during the holidays lately.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

We go to Disney World every year during Christmas and love it. We live on the east coast, though, so flying to Orlando is very different than flying to California.

We always thought going away during Christmas would be a one-time thing. We did it and fell in love. After our second trip, we were hooked - so much so that we even found a way to go in 2013, after our house was pretty much totaled from Sandy. There's something about Magic Kingdom on Christmas and EPCOT on NYE that is unmatched. Sure, our family misses us, but we can't get enough of it. It's become a running joke - we go "home" for the holidays. Sure, it's crowded, but the benefits outweigh the crowds. We eat like crazy and our holiday just seems to last longer. Whereas most people return to their everyday lives on 12/26, we go to the parks and keep the celebration going. On 12/31, we know exactly what our plans are - 365 days ahead of time. Last, being adults we don't see a ton of each other. It's nice to not just spend the holidays together, but to spend an entire week - even if we are sick of each other after.

Check out my blog in my sig. I have a free ebook about Christmas at Disney World.

Check out Guy Fieri's Disneyland Christmas video. It looks really cool.

I can't speak much to DL - but it does look cool.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

We were at DL after Christmas and for New Years Eve and day. It was great! They decorate Small World and Haunted Mansion for Christmas. Everyone says "Merry Christmas" instead of Happy Holidays. It was decorated so nicely all over. We stayed at the Grand Californian and it was gorgeous. The weather was amazing( we are from Colorado). I highly recommend it!
ps- Cars Land is awesome.

 

[zaccaglin]

DL because of Haunted Mansions Retheme.

 

[AussieNSW]

We came from Australia just after Christmas we flew out of Sydney on the 26th dev so that we could see Disney at Christmas I had to chose between Disneyland and WDW. I chose to go to WDW from the 27th - 2nd Jan. We Then went to Disneyland on the way home so that I could see ITASW decorated for Christmas. The reasons I chose wdw over Disneyland were it was the 60th so the castle was not lit at Disneyland, the Christmas parade during the day at wdw between Christmas and new years, the large number of resorts that were decorated at wdw for Christmas, the number of Christmas based activities at all of the resorts, WDW release their activities and hours a lot earlier than Disneyland, with early openings and fast passes I was able to plan around the crowds at WDW, less chance of fireworks being cancelled due to wind at WDW. We made the right choice for last years Christmas season but without the Osborne lights and if Disneyland goes back to its previous Christmas decorating that occurred before the 60th celebrations the decision may have been a bit harder to make.

 

[lizabu]

I'm going to vote Disneyland too. They have the NBC overlay at the haunted mansion and homemade candy canes.

 

[berryinDC]

For a week, I'd probably choose WDW. I love DL but it's really a much smaller area than WDW. Plus, the narrower design of the walkways makes crowded times/areas feel especially packed.

At WDW you could visit different resorts for a meal or a drink and see all the different decorations.

 

[scanmom]

DISNEYLAND! I've been to both, and enjoyed DL much more. I've been the week you're going, and the lower crowds were wonderful. Of course, it was about 6 years ago, so the crowds may have increased, but it will still be lower crowds than right at Christmas. I'd do 3-4 days of DL/ CA, then explore some of S. Californias other amazing sites.

 

[tcufrog]

Will you go during the Christmas season or during Christmas break when it will be crowded? If it's the latter then I would choose the location that has better crowd control during that time. If it's during a less busy time I would choose the park that has the special Christmas stuff you prefer. I love going to WDW during early December. It's not very crowded, the decorations at the parks and deluxe resorts are wonderful, and my family loves the storytellers at EPCOT. Our goal is to eventually visit all of them.

 

[NancyIL]

I went to both last December! I love WDW at holiday time, but Disneyland went above and beyond with It's A Small World holiday and The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hainted Mansion.

 

[Alice777]

Question. Being from So. Cal, I love The Nightmare Before Christmas and It's a Small World at Disneyland during Christmas.
Doesn't WDW have the same decorations for these two at the Christmas time?

 

[lizabu]

Question. Being from So. Cal, I love The Nightmare Before Christmas and It's a Small World at Disneyland during Christmas.
Doesn't WDW have the same decorations for these two at the Christmas time?

Nope. Only Disneyland has the special overlays. WDW doesn't do the Halloween overlay at space mountain either.

 

[mkarizona]

Will you go during the Christmas season or during Christmas break when it will be crowded? If it's the latter then I would choose the location that has better crowd control during that time.

If you are looking at crowd control then DL wins hands down!! At DL CM's maintain walkways across Main Street and the Hub as well as keeping sidewalks around the Hub completely clear during parades and fireworks. I have been at WDW when there was complete gridlock in the Hub and no place to cross the street. In fact a CM was yelling in vain to keep a walkway clear for emergency personnel but there was literally no way to move in any direction. At DL that would have been prevented by a CM when the first person tried to stop to watch.