I know I put already had my say on this topic, but I just read this in an e-mail from AllEarsNet.com:
"Here are my top 8 tips for maintaining your sanity while visiting during the holidays:
TIP 1: Stay at a Disney Resort. Why is this important? Because you will be able to gain entrance to the parks when off-site guests will be turned away due to park capacity. This will be explained more thoroughly below in TIP 2. It also makes it easier to take a midday break from the parks, if necessary.
TIP 2: Do not use your own transportation to get to the parks. Long-time readers know that I usually advocate using your own transportation to get to and fro, but during this one week it's better to use Disney's transportation to get to the parks, and here's why: On the busiest days of the year, the parks will close due to capacity in four phases. The first phase is closing the parking lots when they get full. This can happen very early in the day, but as a Disney Resort guest, you can still get to the turnstiles by using Disney buses, boats or monorails, or by walking from certain resorts. If you are staying off-site, be sure to get to the parking lot at least one hour before the parks open, or you may not get in. The Rule of Thumb is, "If you can get to the turnstiles, you can get into the parks." If you have dining reservations at a hotel, I still advise you to use your own transportation to get there and back, however.
TIP 3: Get to the parks early and use Fastpass. During this time of year, the parks will be full by 10 a.m. Get there before the park opens, and try to get Fastpasses for popular attractions before they are distributed for the day. They'll go very quickly due to the huge numbers of people.
TIP 4: If you are a Disney Resort guest, use Extra Magic Hours to your advantage. For those of you with small kids, the morning hours may work better, but if your kids can stay up a little later, the evening hours also work very well. After taking a midday rest at your resort, you can come back and stay later when the bulk of the crowds have gone for the day. This is where using Disney transportation really becomes important, especially on New Year's Eve. If you are staying off-site, it's not a good idea to leave a park once you get in, as you may not get back in later. Off-site guests can't take advantage of EMH, so you'll have to make the most of the regular park operating hours. The Magic Kingdom is scheduled to have early EMH every day of Christmas Week, so off-site guests will arrive to find the park is already packed. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get there very early.
TIP 4: Form a plan for the day of what you want to do, keeping in mind you won't be able to do very much. Choose what's most important to you, and try to concentrate on doing those things. Be sure to familiarize yourself with park operating schedules, show times, park layouts and EMH days before you go, but keep in mind that those things can change as Disney assesses the crowd levels. Check daily for possible changes.
TIP 5: Even though you have a plan, stay flexible. This is possibly the most important tip of all for maintaining your sanity during busy times. I know some of you may be tempted to lay out a spreadsheet outlining every minute of your time, but that's not going to work, so throw it out. There are too many variables in play: Rides and attractions break, hours can change, kids and adults may get tired and need a break. On the flip side, sometimes fun and unexpected things happen, and you should take advantage of those things too, even if they don't fit the schedule you've made.
TIP 6: Make sure you have dining reservations if you plan to eat in table service places. If you choose counter service restaurants, eat at odd hours like 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Keep in mind that many visitors from outside the U.S. eat lunch at 2 p.m. and dinner at 8 p.m. so you may encounter crowds when you don't expect them.
TIP 7: Stay relaxed and be polite. You will encounter some... um... less than polite and very un-relaxed people during your trip. Don't let them ruin your fun like they ruin their own. Feel smug that you read AllEars® and did your homework and know how to handle the holidays at the World. Take your time, rest often and don't drag your family on a Holiday Commando Raid of the World. You'll thank me later for that last piece of advice, trust me. Give the kids some downtime. Let them play in a fountain (if it's warm enough) or run on a playground for a bit. It's easy to fall into the "we must be in the parks at all times because the tickets cost so much" mode, but try to resist that urge. The parks can be overstimulating with all of the unfamiliar sights, sounds, colors, smells, etc. Find a quiet spot and relax for a few minutes or go somewhere else for a little while. Enjoy everything the World has to offer, as not everything worthwhile is found in the parks. You'd be surprised how much better you'll all feel after a short break.
TIP 8: Please remember to be nice to the cast members. They're working long, crazy hours, missing out on their own holiday celebrations and dealing with a lot of stressed-out people to boot. It's not their fault that Pirates broke down or the parade was rained out. If you run into a great cast member, be sure to tell them how great they are. It doesn't cost anything to put a smile on someone's face, but it can be worth a million Disney Dollars to the recipient of the compliment.
So, there you have my best tips for surviving holiday weeks. I hope they'll help you and yours to have a more magical holiday at the World!
Anita "
After reading this I would never consider going for Xmas/New Year's. I hope this info helps!
