When is it busier at Disney, Before or after Christmas?

[Tigger1]

DH agreed to going to Disney next Christmas break. I am debating whether to go before or after Christmas. When is it busier days before Christmas or after during New years Day?

If we go before Christmas we would stay a day or two after Christmas. That would mean we would miss Christmas day with the children and Grandchildren but would have them come over after Christmas. Also DH would have to use more vacation time rather than use it earlier in the year for extra days off.
Good thing is Less DVC points and trip would be before my Annual pass runs expires.

If we go after Christmas We would spend Christmas at home. We would also see New Years at Disney. I did that last year with My Daughters. We loved it but not sure how DH would hold out in the New Years crowds. This time of the year would cost more for DVC points and I would have to renew my Annual pass as it will expire Dec 27th.

I have no idea if the air fair is usually less for either time period.

What should I do?

 

[Chuck S]

It depends upon whether you're talking DVC resort busy time or Park busy time. Anytime during the school vacation period is busy, as far as parks. If it is an adults only trip, why not go earlier in December? It is a busy time for DVC reservations because of lower points, but the parks are more manageable and all the holiday decorations and programs are operating.

 

[drusba]

I am not sure exactly which days you would have on either end but from Dec 23 or 24 to about Jan 3, you have the largest park crowds of the year in the parks and the largest is New Years Eve in both MK and Epcot From about Dec 20 to 23, the crowds are very heavy and building daily but usually still not Christmas week size. After Jan 3, crowds usually decrease fairly quickly. If crowd size is the issue and the latest you would be there is about Jan 2 if you did the later trip, then sometime pre-Dec 23 to day after Christmas is somewhat better.

 

[delilah]

I've gone with my son several times the week before Christmas, from the time school gets out until about Christmas eve. Usually, I choose a year, like next year, when Christmas is late in the week, because school normally gets out the Friday The crowds aren't too bad, generally. But, we have gone all different times, and the crowd levels are not always predictably worse at any given time. We went two years ago the week before Palm Sunday, and it wasn't bad. The worst time was the middle of July, in my experience, mainly because of heat and crowds. That time, my brother and sister in law had taken our son to a water park with their kids, because I was attending a conference in the morning. When my conference was over, the water park was at capacity, and so, my husband and I weren't going to be able to go in. They made an exception, because my son was only about 8 at the time.

 

[MrKnight]

The week between Christmas and New Years Day is the BUSIEST time of the year for WDW parks!!!

 

[Tigger1]

We would be going the week before christmas. I can not go any earlier in December as I have to wait for school to get out.

 

[adamswick]

We like going as far ahead of Christmas as possible. My wife is a teacher and her birthday is on the 26th. What this usually means is that we get on the road Friday afternoon before Christmas and get back on the road to return home the day after her birthday.

We have gone to the parks after Christmas before, but won't do it again...its a mess. Also, Christmas Day in a Disney park is off our list, as the parks normally fill to capacity.

We are on the road back home today from our 2014 Christmas trip. We arrived a week ago on Saturday, and went to HS on Sunday, then my teenage daughter and I rode the mountains in MK until 3am. The next day, we did Epcot after lunch, then the Candlelight Processional and MK mountains again until 1am. After a day of rest, we did AK the day before Christmas with multiple rides on Everest and then spent Christmas around BCV with a homecooked meal and a sleigh ride at FWCG.

Note that right now DTD has massive construction and parking is a mess. We attempted to go to DTD Christmas night, but traffic was crawling at a snails pace past Bonnet Creek. The following night, we took a bus that got us to DTD by taking the back roads by SSR.

Also, be careful of MK traffic. We were late to a breakfast at Kona on the 26th because of the traffic on World Drive. We turned around at Epcot and took the back roads by FWCG. Later that day, MK parking filled to capacity and parking was routed to Epcot.

Overall, another good Christmas at WDW...just be aware of the traffic and crowds.

 

[hakepb]

This year, Dec 22-24 are 8's. 25-31 are all 10's
http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/12-december-2014-crowd-calendar/

 

[Tigger1]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think we will go the week before Christmas.