When Do Christmas Crowds Start?

[N.eve]

Hello Everyone!

Does anyone know about what day the large holiday crowds should hit? I remember it has something to do with what day Christmas falls, as last year the crowds got busier slightly earlier in the month than they did the previous year. I'm trying to work out what days to go down, but I would prefer to only have minimal overlap with the really busy days.

Thank You!
-Neve

 

[g-dad66]

There should be a dramatic difference in crowd levels between Friday, December 17, and Saturday, December 18.

 

[suz_cute]

I agree, there will be a noticeable difference on the 18th and crowds will pick up every day from there as you approach christmas day. In my experience, I would say once you hit the 22nd, the crowds are in full swing.

 

[nessz79]

I'm hoping that it's not super crowded until the 22nd or later. We are going on Free Dining Dec. 17-21st, but are planning our park days to be the 18th and 19th. Since Free Dining ends on the 21st, I'm assuming they think the crowds will pick up significantly by then.

 

[JennyDrake]

I have found the crowds really blossum and just keep building starting TWO weekends before Christmas (if it is during the week). With Christmas on a Saturday this year, I would expect them to swell starting the 17th or 18th. Personally, I start to notice increases the 13th or 14th.

 

[RMulieri]

Last year the crowds started rolling in the friday/saturday before the holiday week.So that would be Dec 17 and 18th this year.Last year it was ok till sat Dec 19th and than the crowds got really large

 

[kathy884]

I concur with the other posters. We've gone the week before Christmas three different years, and crowds are heavy starting the weekend before the holiday, get noticably even heavier around the 23rd, and then get even heavier between Christmas and New Year (the heaviest crowds I've seen at Disney are in between Christmas and New Year's Day). I use holiday Unofficial Guide touring plans starting the weekend before the holiday. If you love Disney, are willing to get to parks at rope drop, and use a touring plan, you can have a fantastic time in the parks, even during this crazy / busy season. I think what takes the most patience is just driving around, waits at resturants, etc.

 

[N.eve]

Thanks for all the responses! Yeah, I sort of assumed that crowds would start to build the weekend before Christmas weekend, but I just wanted to get the opinions of some other people.

Although when I tried to make some dinning reservations yesterday for the 12-17, it seemed like many things were completely blocked out. Wow, and I thought I was being early.

 

[mom2rtk]

There should be a dramatic difference in crowd levels between Friday, December 17, and Saturday, December 18.

I could be the lone voice of dissension here......... but to get a good answer you should add a poll to your thread asking when the last day of school will be for people. The last couple of years it was a slam dunk that most schools completed school the friday before then let out for Christmas.

This year Christmas isn't until Saturday, and many school districts will not see the need to be out that entire week. Our schools for example, will be in session Monday and Tuesday that week.

I think there will be crowds coming in the 18th, but maybe a little less than the last couple of years.

It's really driven by school break schedules.

 

[mom2rtk]

There should be a dramatic difference in crowd levels between Friday, December 17, and Saturday, December 18.

Thanks for all the responses! Yeah, I sort of assumed that crowds would start to build the weekend before Christmas weekend, but I just wanted to get the opinions of some other people.

Although when I tried to make some dinning reservations yesterday for the 12-17, it seemed like many things were completely blocked out. Wow, and I thought I was being early.

Well, people have been making ADR's for over a month now for those dates. And they released free dining over a week ago for that week. THAT is why the ADR's are harder to get. Don't assume anything about crowds from that.

 

[N.eve]

Oh, that would explain it! I didn't even know there was free dining offered in December. I just thought the parks were going to be abnormally crowded this time of year. Thanks for telling me!

 

[nessz79]

I could be the lone voice of dissension here......... but to get a good answer you should add a poll to your thread asking when the last day of school will be for people. The last couple of years it was a slam dunk that most schools completed school the friday before then let out for Christmas.

This year Christmas isn't until Saturday, and many school districts will not see the need to be out that entire week. Our schools for example, will be in session Monday and Tuesday that week.

I think there will be crowds coming in the 18th, but maybe a little less than the last couple of years.

It's really driven by school break schedules.

I hope that's the case! According to UG Crowd Calendar, 12/17 is only supposed to be a 2. 12/18 a 6 and 12/19 a 3....so it *seems* that maybe they are taking into account Christmas being on a Saturday this year?

 

[chrisw127]

I hope that's the case! According to UG Crowd Calendar, 12/17 is only supposed to be a 2. 12/18 a 6 and 12/19 a 3....so it *seems* that maybe they are taking into account Christmas being on a Saturday this year?

I really trust the UG and have only found them to be significantly off only once or twice, but last year they predicted medium sized crowds for the weekend before Christmas but found, based on wait times that people were submitting using Lines, that the crowds were actually a 10. So they spent the next few days revising the calendar and putting out memos on the website and on Facebook. It was interesting, from a Disney nerd standpoint, to see how times submitted by Lines users could affect the calendar in real time.

I was there that weekend. Friday was great. The Magic Kingdom was practically empty, which is impressive given that it was a MVMCP night, but the next day you could barely make it through Frontierland by 10:00 a.m. We still had a great day, but the crowds were a surprise.

I suspect that the UG will likely revise those crowd projections in the near future taking into account that many people will take their kids out of school for the entire week before break given that they will likely have, at most, a 2-day school week.

 

[mom2rtk]

I really trust the UG and have only found them to be significantly off only once or twice, but last year they predicted medium sized crowds for the weekend before Christmas but found, based on wait times that people were submitting using Lines, that the crowds were actually a 10. So they spent the next few days revising the calendar and putting out memos on the website and on Facebook. It was interesting, from a Disney nerd standpoint, to see how times submitted by Lines users could affect the calendar in real time.

I was there that weekend. Friday was great. The Magic Kingdom was practically empty, which is impressive given that it was a MVMCP night, but the next day you could barely make it through Frontierland by 10:00 a.m. We still had a great day, but the crowds were a surprise.

I suspect that the UG will likely revise those crowd projections in the near future taking into account that many people will take their kids out of school for the entire week before break given that they will likely have, at most, a 2-day school week.

Do keep in mind that, in general, days where the is a party in the MK are typically slower. People not attending prefer to go on a day where they can stay and see Wishes and Spectro.

That said however, I know from personal experience that in 08 the crowds really poured in on Saturday before Christmas as well. I just think that's going to be slightly less the case with some schools in session still the next week.

 

[chrisw127]

Do keep in mind that, in general, days where the is a party in the MK are typically slower. People not attending prefer to go on a day where they can stay and see Wishes and Spectro.

That said however, I know from personal experience that in 08 the crowds really poured in on Saturday before Christmas as well. I just think that's going to be slightly less the case with some schools in session still the next week.

You make a good point. I think it will be interesting to see what the crowds look like. I guess there's a chance that a lot of people will go early because of free dining, but then you have to imagine that Disney only offered FD because they weren't getting the numbers they wanted in the first place. So it's probably hard to predict. If I had to put money on it, I would bet that 12/18 will be packed, but possibly not quite as much as last year.

I wonder what most parents would do, take their kids out early and hope for lower crowds or wait? Personally, I don't have a problem with my children missing a couple of days right before Christmas (although we have year-round school and mine is off the whole month, so it's kind of a moot point), but I imagine parents with older children might feel differently.

 

[mom2rtk]

You make a good point. I think it will be interesting to see what the crowds look like. I guess there's a chance that a lot of people will go early because of free dining, but then you have to imagine that Disney only offered FD because they weren't getting the numbers they wanted in the first place. So it's probably hard to predict. If I had to put money on it, I would bet that 12/18 will be packed, but possibly not quite as much as last year.

I wonder what most parents would do, take their kids out early and hope for lower crowds or wait? Personally, I don't have a problem with my children missing a couple of days right before Christmas (although we have year-round school and mine is off the whole month, so it's kind of a moot point), but I imagine parents with older children might feel differently.

I do think it's interesting that free dining went all the way up through the 21st. So as long as you check in by that date, you could get it all the way through your entire stay, including Christmas. So MAYBE the bookings over that weekend weren't up to par yet????

 

[CanadianPaco]

So there is a significant difference betwee the week days leading up to that weekend and the weekend itself?

 

[RMulieri]

I do think it's interesting that free dining went all the way up through the 21st. So as long as you check in by that date, you could get it all the way through your entire stay, including Christmas. So MAYBE the bookings over that weekend weren't up to par yet????

They did this last year and crowds were still just as busy as they usually are.People are still going to disney in droves ,I think they are just waiting for discounts before they book

 

[mom2rtk]

So there is a significant difference betwee the week days leading up to that weekend and the weekend itself?

Up through the 17th will be fine. We're only discussing whether that weekend itself will jump to insanely busy overnight like in prior years, or build a little slower because of the variance in dates schools are releasing for Christmas break this year.

Anyone else want to chime in with when school gets out for their district?

 

[Lou Holtz]

It's not supposed to start getting significantly busy until the 22nd.