Will I Regret Christmas Week?

[MamaBear58]

I'll be honest...DH and I are doing Disney solely because kids (DS11, DD8) want to go back. Unfortunately, the only time we can go are the busy times--summer (HOT) and school breaks.

We have always wanted to see WL--were actually booked there in Nov 2014 and moved the reservation to GF after learning that the WL's pool was going to be under construction. And WL seems especially nice for Christmas decorations. So I think we're going to have to "suck it up" and deal with crowds from Christmas Day to New Year's Day. I literally just put a hold on a room because I see how quickly the rooms are going.

So those that have done this--any recommendations to make this more bearable for DH and me? Clearly a least 1 or 2 resort days? Or are we better doing parks early every morning and do pools every afternoon? Club Level looks VERY expensive, but might it be worth it that week for an "escape" and to avoid lines at quick serve dining or pool bars for just a snack or drink? Ideas for NYE?

BTW, we would NOT do the Very Merry event at MK-we did that in 2014 and thought it was a disaster THEN. Can't imagine how many more people Disney will shove in there the last week of the year. We also aren't water park people.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Feeling overwhelmed.

 

[AngiTN]

They don't have any Christmas Parties (the Very Merry event you mention) during that week.

I wouldn't plan on pools that week. May be warm enough, may well not be warm enough. You are looking at a 50/50 shot.

Personally, we too only go during school breaks and we go during any other school break. I just can't bring myself to pay the highest prices to get the least amount of things done.

DH and I did go for NYE this year and that was a blast. We will do that again but that is a different type of trip than a trip with kids for the purpose of rides and such. NYE is just a different animal and a trip all by itself.

 

[Melissa Perez]

Clearly a least 1 or 2 resort days?

We were there for Christmas week back in 2014 and truthfully, am thankful for the flexibility to travel during less busy times. With that said - we made a point to do a full day of traveling to other resorts to see the Christmas decorations. WL, GF, Contemporary - Disney does Christmas like no other!

Other than that I would suggest to have reasonable expectations - by having a few MUST DO priorities, everything on top of that becomes a type of special bonus. It has helped us avoid feeling overwhelmed when crowds levels get high

 

[Klayfish]

Well, I can't comment on the Club Level stuff at the WL or GF, as it's waaaaaay beyond my budget (we spend $100/night max, offsite). But we did Xmas to New Years in 2015 and again just this past year. How you do it is entirely up to you. For me, doing 1 or 2 days where you just stay in your resort is absolutely a waste. We didn't travel to WDW to see a hotel pool or lobby, we're there for the parks. But that's just our feeling, if you want to do it, by all means go for it. We don't spend 12 hours in the parks, for sure. But we'll do between 4 and 8 every day, depending on how we feel. Then we'll find other things to do...explore a hotel, go out for dessert, relax at our rental house, etc...

Like AngiTN said, don't bank on pool time. It could be 83 degrees, it could be 53 degrees. Never know.

Yes, it's incredibly busy. But we had a blast. In fact, the 2017 trip we just did was one of our favorites of all time, and we've made 10-15 trips overall in the past 10 years. Rides all have long lines. Restaurant lines looked crazy, especially QS places (we pack our own food, so we didn't have to deal with it). The line for Starbucks was insane...I don't personally get it, that stuff is toxic sludge..LOL. Many (not all) womens bathrooms had lines...man, that was one time I was glad to be a guy. But you can work around that. For rides, use FP+ and you'll never have to wait in long lines...we never waited more than 20-30 minutes for ANYTHING. Use the mobile ordering app for food at QS places when applicable. Have reservations otherwise or eat at off peak hours. Have a bit of patience, have holiday spirit, use FP+ to your advantage, and you'll have a fabulous time!!!

 

[Iowamomof4]

Wouldn't spring break be less busy than Christmas to New Year's? I think I'd aim for that before I'd hit the Christmas craziness.

EDIT: I guess I didn't answer your specific question. My apologies. I haven't been during that time - the regular crowds are already overwhelming to me. I was attempting to answer the question in your thread title (Will I regret Christmas week?).

 

[BigB0882]

We went last Christmas and had the best time! Was it crowded...yes, it gets much more crowded the closer you get to New Years. However, it was manageable. We took advantage and booked our FPs out 60 days in advance and kept them all to as early in the morning as possible. We used those three and then began getting more, getting whatever we could. I'd rather ride something that isn't my favorite than wait in line for 2 hours. We did all of our favorite things and did everything multiple times with the exception of FOP. That was a one time thing because we had our one FP and never got lucky enough for another to pop up while we were at AK. Just plan ahead and go in knowing it will be crowded and I think you will have a blast.

 

[clutter]

I've been twice at Christmas, as in right before (leaving on the 22nd) or right after (arriving on the 28th). I LOVE Christmas at Disney, but prefer a bit earlier in the season. But I just found the afternoons to be trouble for us. For me, it was a little be claustrophobic because of the size of the crowds. That said, there are things you can do the mitigate the crowds.

We got to the parks by 7:30am or so (early openings were at 7:00). Had an early lunch - around 11 or so. Had ADRs for dinner. It worked out. The things that we normally do when it's super busy, like the People Mover or Downtown Disney, for instance, had LONG waits and/or packed busses. Crowds would diminish a bit around dinnertime. We went to the NYE fireworks at MK the night before. Then did Studios for NYE. Amazingly, we watched the fireworks and were back in our room at All Stars by 1:10am. Note: the busses for All Stars were absolutely the best that trip! Each one had a separate bus, so there was never the LONG lines like at some or the other resorts. (But this was 10 years ago...) I would highly recommend a hopper during that time of year. Sometimes just getting out of the park to get a break in the crowd helped.

There's nothing like Disney at Christmas. However, despite the fact that I HATE heat, I prefer August.

 

[AngiTN]

Well, I can't comment on the Club Level stuff at the WL or GF, as it's waaaaaay beyond my budget (we spend $100/night max, offsite). But we did Xmas to New Years in 2015 and again just this past year. How you do it is entirely up to you. For me, doing 1 or 2 days where you just stay in your resort is absolutely a waste. We didn't travel to WDW to see a hotel pool or lobby, we're there for the parks. But that's just our feeling, if you want to do it, by all means go for it. We don't spend 12 hours in the parks, for sure. But we'll do between 4 and 8 every day, depending on how we feel. Then we'll find other things to do...explore a hotel, go out for dessert, relax at our rental house, etc...

Like AngiTN said, don't bank on pool time. It could be 83 degrees, it could be 53 degrees. Never know.

Yes, it's incredibly busy. But we had a blast. In fact, the 2017 trip we just did was one of our favorites of all time, and we've made 10-15 trips overall in the past 10 years. Rides all have long lines. Restaurant lines looked crazy, especially QS places (we pack our own food, so we didn't have to deal with it). The line for Starbucks was insane...I don't personally get it, that stuff is toxic sludge..LOL. Many (not all) womens bathrooms had lines...man, that was one time I was glad to be a guy. But you can work around that. For rides, use FP+ and you'll never have to wait in long lines...we never waited more than 20-30 minutes for ANYTHING. Use the mobile ordering app for food at QS places when applicable. Have reservations otherwise or eat at off peak hours. Have a bit of patience, have holiday spirit, use FP+ to your advantage, and you'll have a fabulous time!!!

I do think someone who makes frequent trips can manage an uber busy week better than someone who goes rarely. I know we can now manage uber busy times where 5 years ago, no way would I have attempted it. Experience is a HUGE factor. And expectations. Frequent visitors can go with very different expectations on what they want to get done. And we did a great trip for NYE but that was short with specific purpose and I'm not sure I would have had as much fun had we done the entire week and that been our only trip for the year, or for a few years.

 

[Gehrig1B]

We stay at WL during this time period and have done so the last couple years. There was ice on the docks this year so I too warn about using the pools. We also do not believe in Pool/resort days but we are all adults. With proximity to MK I would suggest park hoppers as we often finished our evenings there and at this time of the year the park can stay open very late...there was a 3:00 am closing one of the nights.

You can definitely have a great time by planning well.

1 Make your ADR's at 180 days, you can always modify or cancel.
2 Use mobile ordering to avoid quick service lines, truly a magnificent addition to MDE.
3 Use the app to get extra fastpasses throughout the day. We never got in a line of over 20 minutes and were active all day, everyday (8 days), and did all the E-rides multiple times (even FOP) as well as everything else we wanted to.
4 Being at WL you can easily hop a boat back to the Lodge for a few hours of down time. We visited MK 8 or 9 times during our stay, Epcot 5 times, HS 2 times and AK 3 times.
5 Use Uber or a Minnie Van for early morning visits to breakfast ADRs or long trips like Animal Kingdom. We had breakfast at GF Cafe and Trattoria al Forno and did this an it worked very well. Used Uber for Disney Springs as well.
6 For MK fireworks on NYE get the Dessert Package, if not do MK on the 30th and Epcot on NYE.

We always have a great time this time of year. Plan your Fastpasses during the most crowded times, avid crowds by getting there early, maybe leave the park when things get really crowded. Return in the evenings for more fun. We easily averaged 8-10 fastpasses each day!

 

[TwinkleKS]

We do it ever year My kids don't know any difference than to spend Christmas at WDW. That being said we go every year (and sometimes in the summer too), so we don't get hung up on riding and doing everything. The crowds get progressively heavier from Christmas Day on to New Year's.

ADRs are pretty much a must if you want any table service meals. Truthfully we go with the deluxe dining plan and book two ADRs a day. It's more relaxing for us that way. Resort only days are totally personal preference. This year we swam through Christmas then it started getting really cold around the 27th or 28th and there was no more swimming from then on. The weather is pretty hit or miss. We were in shorts the first half of our trip and in long underwear the second half.

This year we did the dessert package at MK on the 30th. You definitely want to see the fireworks at Epcot on NYE. That being said when we have driven there on NYE it has taken 1-2 hours to get into the parking lot and even longer when leaving. So resort transportation or even better stay at an Epcot resort those nights.

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

You couldn't pay me to go then. Go in the summer.

 

[Klayfish]

I do think someone who makes frequent trips can manage an uber busy week better than someone who goes rarely. I know we can now manage uber busy times where 5 years ago, no way would I have attempted it. Experience is a HUGE factor. And expectations. Frequent visitors can go with very different expectations on what they want to get done. And we did a great trip for NYE but that was short with specific purpose and I'm not sure I would have had as much fun had we done the entire week and that been our only trip for the year, or for a few years.

Yeah, I agree experience helps, but I think the bigger key is exactly what both of us have said...expectations. Sure, we're frequent visitors now, but we didn't use to be (every 2-3 years). Back then, we always went 4th of July week, because that's what worked for us. Sure, it's not the madness Xmas to NY is, but it's probably in the top 5 busiest weeks of the year. It's really all about setting proper expectations and having the right mindset. You're going to the most popular tourist destination in America, during one of the busiest weeks of the year...or the busiest. It's going to be very busy. But our attitude, even from our first visit, is that a day in WDW is a good day no matter what. Being on vacation beats the pants off of being at work, or school for the kids. We're just happy to be there. Yes, as we get more experience, we can be more efficient and know precisely what to expect, no doubt about it. But even for a rookie, or infrequent visitor, I wouldn't say not to go during Xmas. Just understand it's busy, you won't just go from ride to ride to ride, and have the holiday spirit.

 

[Donalyn]

You couldn't pay me either. Think wall to wall people. Literally.

Can you have fun? I guess, if massive, can't move crowds don't bother you. (To be fair, they bother me greatly, causing massive anxiety.)

If you do it, go in understanding what it will be like. Set expectations accordingly.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I am of the opinion that you can do just fine Christmas week if you pack your patience. The lines are longer, but the park hours are extended. If you can swing it, pay for a few experiences that get you out of the crowds and let you relax - dessert parties, Candlelight Processional, or even just ADRs for most meals. There are some days when you won't want to leave the parks for fear of a closure, so figure out how to take breaks in the park.

We decided to make it an every-other-year thing after our first Christmas week trip. It is an extra magical time.

 

[North of Mouse]

You may not regret it - we would! Have seen many pictures, talked to those that have braved it 'once', and like pp's you couldn't pay me to go - we would be miserable. Not our kind of fun - constant weaving in and out of a sea of people, and paying big bucks to do it!! Won't go summertime anymore either - April is our month.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

We went for Christmas last year. I would 100% do it again. As long as you avoid MK on Christmas Day you should be fine. I never found the crowds to be an issue at all. It was definitely too cold to swim when we were there, but the weather was wonderful. We never do a resort day as we find it to be a waste of time, but taking an afternoon out to resort hop to see all of the decorations is really nice. QS can get busy, so make TS reservations.


If you don't go in wanting to enjoy the trip/having a positive mind set you won't enjoy it no matter when you go, no matter what the crowds are like.

 

[dkrauss]

I do think someone who makes frequent trips can manage an uber busy week better than someone who goes rarely. I know we can now manage uber busy times where 5 years ago, no way would I have attempted it. Experience is a HUGE factor. And expectations. Frequent visitors can go with very different expectations on what they want to get done. And we did a great trip for NYE but that was short with specific purpose and I'm not sure I would have had as much fun had we done the entire week and that been our only trip for the year, or for a few years.

What AngiTN states above is absolutely on point. Expectations will be sooooo important. Being that my wife and I go twice a year now (it's our thing ).........there's so much more to do then just going to the parks. If you're at WL you have easy access to Ft Wilderness.....plenty to do there including the BEST (IMHO) dinner show anywhere..........Hoopty Doo Review. You also have easier access to the monorail which gives access to other resorts. While we've never done Christmas week.......we've been at WDW during the Christmas season and touring resorts can be a ton of fun. You can visit the GF for the Gingerbread house..........stop at the other resorts to check out their decorations. If you have hoppers you can take the Epcot monorail over to the Boardwalk resorts too. As previously stated if you do this make sure you: (1) have those ADR's at 180 days; (2) Make sure you have FP's selected; (3) Understand the MK will be crowded EVERY DAY THAT WEEK!

Whatever, you decide have a wonderful Christmas vacation!

Doug

 

[Klayfish]

You couldn't pay me either. Think wall to wall people. Literally.

Have you gone during that week? The "wall to wall people" comment is for the most part not true. Yes, during fireworks in the hub at MK, it's wall to wall people...though there are still walking paths. And on a few other odds and ends, that can happen. But 98% of the time, it's not literally wall to wall where you can't move. We spent 11 or 12 days at Xmas/NY this past year and encountered a "we're stuck" situation exactly once. It was in MK walking from Liberty Square toward Splash. It was right after the afternoon parade. We made the mistake of trying to use the zig/zag walkway and got stuck. It lasted no more than 3 minutes, and we were moving again.

Yes, you often have to weave around crowds, but with limited exception, it's not wall to wall.

 

[Drusilla]

As others have said your expectations play a huge part but more importantly IMO, your ATTITUDE about going during Christmas week will play a much bigger part of whether you have a great trip or not. I found that when my attitude was grumpy about crowds, being cut off as I'm walking, rude guests, etc. my time at the parks was not fun (and my kids attitudes followed mine). But if I put on a smile and didn't sweat the small stuff, my kids did as well and we had the time of our lives during highest crowd vacations.

 

[kay1864]

Personally, we too only go during school breaks and we go during any other school break. I just can't bring myself to pay the highest prices to get the least amount of things done.

This. I'd much rather endure the summer heat (if spring break isn't an option) with cooling fans, neck towels etc than deal with Xmas crowds and lines.

I've been during summer several times and (using RideMax) never waited more than 15-20 minutes for any ride. Wait an hour plus for rides at Xmas? And end up going on only half the number of rides? No thanks. Not how I want to spend my vacation.