Holiday Season

[TinkerbellWDW]

We will be leaving on 12/31 to Disney World and returning home on 1/6. We will be suprising the kids (14 & 7) on Christmas morning with this trip. We haven't been in four years and they have been asking when we were going back. I have been reading that it's a nightmare to go during the time we have planned to go. We have gone in the past during spring break and Easter holiday. Hoping it will not be an unpleasant trip!!! Needing some reassurance that the kids will have a blast!!!!

 

[Raven66]

The kids will have a blast regardless. It's you that might be miserable. I've never been during that time but I've heard it's one of the busiest. Just remember you are at Disney and just have fun.

 

[Ariel484]

We'll be there! First time going during the week between Christmas and New Year's. I never thought we'd go this week because all the guidebooks say it's the busiest time of the year, but with the husband being a teacher our options are pretty limited.

I think a big thing for us is that we're going in knowing that it's going to be jam-packed...so because of that we're planning on getting to the parks before they open, we have ADRs all set, and we know that we won't get to do every single thing on our list. We're also planning some non-park days to hang out at the resorts and check out the holiday decorations. I LOVE Disney's holiday decorations so I'm really looking forward to that. And we are definitely avoiding Epcot for New Year's Eve!

I think after New Year's it'll die down. Just go in with realistic expectations and a plan...and I'm sure you'll have a blast. Have you ever seen the holiday stuff at Disney (Osborne lights, castle dreamlights, etc.)? You'll love it!

 

[KTaylor]

We are going 12/27-1/1 and we know that it will be very busy, but the majority of your trip will be nice. Four years ago we went from 1/1-1/7 and it was one of the best times that we went. Starting on 1/2 the parks were pretty low in crowds and everything was still decorated. That was by far my favorite trip we did everything we wanted to do multiple times and when we left we felt like we really got the most we could out of our trip!

 

[harryk]

And you think it may be crowded more than you have experienced elsewhere. You have no idea!!!

 

[ToTBellHop]

quote="KTaylor, post: 5744399, member: 87012"]We are going 12/27-1/1 and we know that it will be very busy, but the majority of your trip will be nice. Four years ago we went from 1/1-1/7 and it was one of the best times that we went. Starting on 1/2 the parks were pretty low in crowds and everything was still decorated. That was by far my favorite trip we did everything we wanted to do multiple times and when we left we felt like we really got the most we could out of our trip![/quote]
When you went four years ago, 1/2 was the Saturday after New Years, when crowds typically fall. It is usually crowded up thru the weekend after New Years (for example, in 2011, when we went 1/1-1/9, it was extremely crowded until the Saturday after New Years--1/8). This year, it is expected to be quite crowded through 1/5 and then crowds drop off significantly by 1/7 or so.

 

[lostpro9het]

Best advice I can give that worked for us the last 3 Christmas weeks:

Make rope drop every day you can and ride as much as you and the Fastpass system will allow
Leave by 11:30 am
Chill out at the resort/pool until around 5:30 and return to the parks for more fun!


The above has gotten us on every ride, many multiple times, for each park we visited that day during the week of Christmas with minimal hassle and wait.

 

[JillC LI]

The kids will be deliriously happy! We did that holiday surprise for the kids last year. The key is preparing everyone in the family with reasonable expectations given the crowd levels. And rope drops.

 

[KB LUVS MGM]

There will be a lot of people. As long as your mindset is take it slow and just enjoy being at the world you'll have a great time.