Week before Christmas ?'s

[specrn]

We are lucky enough to be going to WDW the week before Christmas - our 1st time during the holidays. We are super excited, but a little nervous that the crowds will be overwhelming with our 2 kids (5.5yo and 2.5yo).

Will we be wearing sweatshirts at night only in December? Is there anything that is a MUST DO with an almost 6yo boy that is off the beaten path? We want to really spend a lot of time enjoying the holidays there and not worry so much about the rides.

Thanks!

 

[Amanda999]

Hi!

The week BEFORE Christmas won't be horribly crowded (see easywdw or Touring Plans for crowd predictions) until Saturday Dec. 21.

Even if its not crowded, things my 2 DS love to do that are away from crowds, and is even more fun during Christmas season: visit resorts. Many of them have wonderful decorations, and just walking around is fun. For example, you can park at TTC, then walk (easily) to Poly's Grand Ceremonial House to look around, then monorail to Grand Floridian: HUGE tree and gingerbread house, and can buy gingerbread cookies.

If you have a car (which I highly recommend during anything but peak crowd days) drive to Animal Kingdom Lodge to check it out - its so peaceful and we saw many animals. And, they have CM park rangers stationed at several viewing spots who are very knowledgeable about the animals.

You can also (if you have a car or want to pay for a taxi) go to ICE at Gaylord Palms. Extra cost, but worth it. (Check out their website - its a hotel near WDW.) You don't have to stay there to buy the tickets for it.

My kids and I barely even need to go in a park to have a week vacation at Disney - especially during early/mid December.

 

[pigletto]

We're also booked for the week before Christmas. We leave on the 23rd, but have no plans to try to enter a park the 21st or 22nd. My kids are older (16 and 9) and I still want nothing to do with the parks on those days. Instead I planned resort activities for the Saturday. I'm not sure yet what we'll do during the day. We're at the Wilderness Lodge so I am thinking a tour of the resort in the morning. But in the evening we've planned to walk over to Fort Wilderness and go to the Hoop Dee Doo Review, and have booked a carriage ride afterwards. That should wrap up just in time to go to the FW beach and watch the fireworks. Sunday checking out early and taking the car over to the Gaylord Palms to see ICE! before we head to the airport.
Now as for the rest of the week... it doesn't look too bad but it will be somewhat busy. I've made sure to have a pretty detailed park plan. We've been enough that I don't usually plan our days anymore, but for this trip I've made sure to.
On the really busy days look for resort activities, use the pools if it's warm enough, go mini golfing..basically anything but one of the parks. Most of the week should be fine with a decent plan though.