Week before Christmas

[Momtofourboys]

From those more experienced, I'd like to know what the crowds at Disney World are like the week before Christmas. Thanks for the info!

 

[justgeorgi]

VERY, VERY crowded! We have traveled to Disney every other Christmas for most of my daughters school age years and its the busiest time of the year. The week before, into and the week after are so busy that sometimes the parks close their doors. We have had to park on grass at Epcot.

However, it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL time to go, incredible decorations, holiday music, holiday events, and very magical

 

[PrincessTiffany]

VERY, VERY crowded! We have traveled to Disney every other Christmas for most of my daughters school age years and its the busiest time of the year. The week before, into and the week after are so busy that sometimes the parks close their doors. We have had to park on grass at Epcot.

However, it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL time to go, incredible decorations, holiday music, holiday events, and very magical

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. The week BEFORE Christmas is one of the slowest weeks of the year at Disney world. Actually from about the 14th to the 20th the crowds are probably the lowest of the entire month of December - definitely lower than the week after Thanksgiving. The CRAZY Christmas crowds won't start rolling in until about December 22nd.

The timeframe of December 23rd - January 3 is the single busiest and most expensive time of the entire year, but if you can do the week BEFORE, you can get value season rates and lowe crowds.

 

[nicki.momof3]

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. The week BEFORE Christmas is one of the slowest weeks of the year at Disney world. Actually from about the 14th to the 20th the crowds are probably the lowest of the entire month of December - definitely lower than the week after Thanksgiving. The CRAZY Christmas crowds won't start rolling in until about December 22nd.

The timeframe of December 23rd - January 3 is the single busiest and most expensive time of the entire year, but if you can do the week BEFORE, you can get value season rates and lowe crowds.

Have to agree. We always go Easter week (super busy but super fun) and the week before Christmas (thisyear 12/16-12/25). It gets busier as the week goes on. By x-mas day it is very busy. Don't get me wrong the beginnin of the week is busy - still long lines but nothing like x-mas through new years.

I would plan your trip - WDW is so pretty and festive at Christmas.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. The week BEFORE Christmas is one of the slowest weeks of the year at Disney world. Actually from about the 14th to the 20th the crowds are probably the lowest of the entire month of December - definitely lower than the week after Thanksgiving. The CRAZY Christmas crowds won't start rolling in until about December 22nd.

The timeframe of December 23rd - January 3 is the single busiest and most expensive time of the entire year, but if you can do the week BEFORE, you can get value season rates and lowe crowds.

Also, they have had a free dining discount the last 3 years in December - has saved us a fortune! Hopefully in July they will announce another free dining discount for this coming December

 

[momofrrr]

we were there for the week between Christmas and NY last visit and it was a ZOO! But, we had a blast and would do it again. Parks did close at capacity but we go early and stay late anyway. This year we will be there the week before Christmas because of the way the dates fall. We would not have time between the holidays this time because I will have to be back to work at school on the 2nd. I can't wait, crowded or not is is better than being at home! (and I would much rather stand in line when it is cool that when it is hot)

 

[iluveeyore]

We were there last year from the 14th to the 26th. From the 14th to the 18th it was busy but not crazy - needed fastpasses and very crowded but we still enjoyed the Christmas things each park had to offer. My sister and her family joined us on the 19th - they were not able to do half the things we had done - wall to wall people at the parks, fastpasses were hard to come by and lines were over 90 minutes for everything. And it was too cold for them to spend time enjoying the pool at OKW. We still had fun, but we all swore never to go that week again. Either the first week of December, or just accept that we've seen all the Christmas stuff and we'll go another time of year (like this year at Halloween!).

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We were there last year from the 14th to the 26th. From the 14th to the 18th it was busy but not crazy - needed fastpasses and very crowded but we still enjoyed the Christmas things each park had to offer. My sister and her family joined us on the 19th - they were not able to do half the things we had done - wall to wall people at the parks, fastpasses were hard to come by and lines were over 90 minutes for everything. And it was too cold for them to spend time enjoying the pool at OKW. We still had fun, but we all swore never to go that week again. Either the first week of December, or just accept that we've seen all the Christmas stuff and we'll go another time of year (like this year at Halloween!).

We were there is past December from the 11th to the 19th and the crowds were not that bad - we use UG's Best Days/Crowd Calendar to plan our park days. In fact on December 18, AK was almost dead and we rode Expedition Everest 3 times in a row and walked on everything else. There was a terrible cold snap that week, but I think that just lowered the crowds a bit. The week after Thanksgiving/First week of December used to be one of the slowest weeks of the entire year, but after that info made it into every Disney Planning Guide and onto every Disney Planning site on the World Wide Web, it's not quite as slow as it used to be - I guess you could say the secret is out! lol! Plus that's the week that the Pop Warner Cheerleading annual competition is and they pre-tape the ABC Christmas Day Parade that week, so the crowds are more moderate that week than slow. That week isn't even priced as value season anymore. The third week of December is actually the cheapest and lowest crowd week of December. The crazy Christmas crowds usually start rolling in around the 21st or 22nd.

 

[f.chadw]

We were there in 2010 from the 11th to the 20th. Crowds were not bad until the 20th. We were in Magic Kingdom for our last day before we left. The park was packed all day long. Plus, it was a MVMCP day so right before we left at 6:30 it was the worst it had been all day. I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there.

 

[iluveeyore]

We were there is past December from the 11th to the 19th and the crowds were not that bad - we use UG's Best Days/Crowd Calendar to plan our park days. In fact on December 18, AK was almost dead and we rode Expedition Everest 3 times in a row and walked on everything else. There was a terrible cold snap that week, but I think that just lowered the crowds a bit. The week after Thanksgiving/First week of December used to be one of the slowest weeks of the entire year, but after that info made it into every Disney Planning Guide and onto every Disney Planning site on the World Wide Web, it's not quite as slow as it used to be - I guess you could say the secret is out! lol! Plus that's the week that the Pop Warner Cheerleading annual competition is and they pre-tape the ABC Christmas Day Parade that week, so the crowds are more moderate that week than slow. That week isn't even priced as value season anymore. The third week of December is actually the cheapest and lowest crowd week of December. The crazy Christmas crowds usually start rolling in around the 21st or 22nd.

I agree it was quite manageable until the 19th - the day my sister arrived, so did the rest of the world it seemed! We went to Hollywood Studios that night to enjoy the lights, and we did the shuffle everywhere we went. Felt good to get off the bus and actually take a full step! If you can go the week before the 19th this year you will enjoy it much more and still get all the Christmas joy out of the parks and resorts!