We're going to WDW for Christmas!!!....never thought I would say those words....halp!

[disneyfun55]

My wonderful wife surprised me by suggesting that we drive down (from Maryland) to WDW for Christmas! Obvious, you don't have to twist my arm too much to talk me in to going to WDW, especially at Christmas, but this is something that we have never done - atleast not as tourists - we used to go to the resorts all the time when we lived down there.

So my question for those that have done the insanity of WDW at Christmas - What are your trick and tips?

We will check in very late on 12/23 and check out probably early 12/26. This gives us 2 days and we have park hoppers.

I have made dining reservations for Rose and Crown on 12/24 at 8:10 PM (Illuminations at 9:30) and California Grill on 12/25 at 7:20 PM.

I have Fastpasses already made for some of our favorite rides on both days - if we can get into the parks before they reach capacity.

We do intend to do as much resort hopping as possible to look at all the wonderful decorations - especially on the monorail loop. We know that aside from the fastpasses, we probably won't ride a lot of rides due to the wait, but that is fine with us as we really just want to take in the spirit of the season.

Any advice, tips, tricks, etc. that anyone can offer, we would love to hear them!

 

[1stvisit0909]

Rope drop rope drop rope drop

Or, late night.

 

[Eilynn]

PlutoTheDog89 put together a nice survival guide that's available here: disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3344067

 

[sharonabe]

Make sure you hop over to HS on one of those nights for Osborne Lights. They come on at dark, so they can be done before Illuminations or Wishes. Enjoy and Merry Disney Christmas!

 

[Grumpy92]

it sounds like you have a good start. Lots of great holiday happenings at WDW.
* MK - 5pm go to the Flag ceromony in Town Sq. followed by the lighting of the xmas tree and show. Very cute and lovely.
* HS - do not miss the Osbourne lights. We grab a coffee or cocoa and sit down on the curb/bench and just enjoy the atmosphere.
* EC - Take in the various countries xmas traditions. Each has a presentation with their version of Santa. Dont miss the Candlelight Processional. Dinner Pkg with reserved seating is a must.
* Resorts - dont miss FW, the campers go all out with decorations. You can take a carriage ride, hayride or rent a golf cart. GF starts at 5pm with carols, cookies, the piano and band playing xmas music. Grab a hot toddie and a gingerbread cookie and just sit in the lobby.
* Rope drop is a must. All the parks will close for capacity that week.
* Think about not doing a park on xmas day. We have toured the resorts, done Disneyquest or gone to a movie. It really makes a difference.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

PlutoTheDog89 put together a nice survival guide that's available here: disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3344067

You're the best Eilynn!

Driving from Maryland.. I'm jealous! My family used to drive down and loved it. Granted, now we fly -- and I'll taking flying (and getting down there in 2 hours) any day. But, my dad and I were reminiscing about the good ol' days of driving down the other day.

I'd assume you're leaving on the 22nd? Well, I'll start from there. If you're up in Baltimore, avoid rush hour! Either leave at night or between 11am and 1pm. We drove down a few years ago and avoided NYC traffic but hit DC traffic. They're both comparable.

Anyway, if you get down there late on 12/23, rest up for 12/24. We've never been to the parks during the day on 12/24. We usually arrive and do dinner outside the parks or go to the parks at night for dinner. From what I've heard/read/seen, the parks aren't THAT bad on 12/24, so this is your chance to hit up the rides.

First off - are you staying on-site or off-site. I'm gonna assume you're on-site. If you're off-site, be careful hopping from park to park. You're at a disadvantage if the parks hit a Phase 3 closure.

Usually I recommend taking a break in the afternoon - but on an abbreviated trip, I'd recommend getting in as much as possible!

Let's start on 12/24.

I would recommend doing MK in the morning. Get there for RD and get in as much as possible. After you've had enough, head back to the resort and relax for a little.

Around 4:30-5:00, head over to DHS. Ride RnR, Tower of Terror and see the Osbourne Lights. The lights will kick on around 6pm. After the lights, you can walk, take the boat, hop on the bus, or take the bus to the monorail to EPCOT. On a nice night, take the 15-minute walk or boat ride! Both will take you to the back of the park- right near Rose and Crown. Go to your dinner reservation and enjoy Illuminations.

Now, you'll be in the EPCOT area. So, maybe once you finish in EPCOT, you could head to the resorts - Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, etc. The displays are open 24/7. They won't be selling anything after ~10pm, but if you only want to see the displays, I'd save it for after the parks.

12/25

I will always recommend Magic Kingdom on 12/25. It's the most crowded park, but boy is it an incredible experience! If you get there for RD, you could easily get a lot in. Because it's a shortened trip, though, I'd recommend
Animal Kingdom in the daytime (if you choose to go.) Some people don't like Animal Kingdom or would choose to skip - so I'd say either AK or MK on this day. AK will be the least crowded.

You have dinner at Cali Grill at 7:20.. so I'd recommend around 4pm going to the Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness. Then, take the boat and monorail to Grand Floridian to see the Gingerbread display. The Poly has a ton of construction, so it's not worth stopping at. After seeing the Grand Floridian, hop on the monorail to Contemporary and to dinner at Cali Grill. Try and take your time eating dinner so you could see the 9pm fireworks at MK. If you finish, you could still watch the fireworks from the deck outside.

After dinner, Magic Kingdom is open until 1am. I'd definitely recommend going back there after to get one-last glimpse of the castle and ride anything you missed.