The Infamous Christmas - New Year's Week: Share Your Crowd Stories (and Pics)

MagicFantasmic

MagicFantasmic

Member
One of my friends is going and taking someone with her for the first time during New Years and got annoyed with me when I told her how crowded it was going to be. I told her she should have held off and went like mid-January. She didn't believe me about the crowds...
 
BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
I haven't been to the World during Hell Week in over 30 years - nor do I plan to ever change that.

Even back in the 80s, every year would break attendance records of the year before. Parking on the grass was the norm. Long wait times before FP+ and other parks made for a miserable experience, though it's not much better today. I can understand people need to go because this is when they have time off, the kids are out of school, etc. But if this is your only time slot, go somewhere else. It's a big world out there.
 
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lincolnryan

Member
I went during that week in 2008 with my in-laws. I really had no idea how busy it was going to be and was shocked. I really don't understand why people pick that week to go. I would still think that most adults are using vacation days, so they could easily use them in early December. And I understand that kids are off school, but I would think you can just pull them from school for 1-2 days and save yourself a lot of headache.

You can probably get more done in 2 days in early December than you could in 5 days in late December. Cheaper flights, cheaper rooms, lower crowds. Why are people going between Christmas and NY again?
 
Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
lincolnryan said:
I went during that week in 2008 with my in-laws. I really had no idea how busy it was going to be and was shocked. I really don't understand why people pick that week to go. I would still think that most adults are using vacation days, so they could easily use them in early December. And I understand that kids are off school, but I would think you can just pull them from school for 1-2 days and save yourself a lot of headache.

You can probably get more done in 2 days in early December than you could in 5 days in late December. Cheaper flights, cheaper rooms, lower crowds. Why are people going between Christmas and NY again?
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While I agree with you, I think there are still many people who have no other options if they want to go with a larger group of family and friends. The people there now were probably only able to coordinate the days off with everyone in their party if they went during a holiday week like Christmas and/or New Years.

Honestly, I would just skip it if that's my only option. It's not fun when it's that crowded not only because it's hard to move, eat, ride, and enjoy...but it's also a feisty, unhappy crowd. Everyone is on edge when the crowds are that crazy.
 
Hakunamatata

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
Chef Mickey said:
While I agree with you, I think there are still many people who have no other options if they want to go with a larger group of family and friends. The people there now were probably only able to coordinate the days off with everyone in their party if they went during a holiday week like Christmas and/or New Years.

Honestly, I would just skip it if that's my only option. It's not fun when it's that crowded not only because it's hard to move, eat, ride, and enjoy...but it's also a feisty, unhappy crowd. Everyone is on edge when the crowds are that crazy.
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If I was going this time of year it would be solely to people watch and catch a ride or two that were fast passed.

And eat churros.
 
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lincolnryan

Member
Chef Mickey said:
While I agree with you, I think there are still many people who have no other options if they want to go with a larger group of family and friends. The people there now were probably only able to coordinate the days off with everyone in their party if they went during a holiday week like Christmas and/or New Years.

Honestly, I would just skip it if that's my only option. It's not fun when it's that crowded not only because it's hard to move, eat, ride, and enjoy...but it's also a feisty, unhappy crowd. Everyone is on edge when the crowds are that crazy.
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That's why I don't coordinate with other people for trips. I book, you book, and if we happen to be there at the same time then great..maybe we'll try to see each other.

My parents were really trying to get us all to go together, but that would've been an 11 person group and would've had to be during a peak time. Which is why I had to withstand some heat and just say no :p
 
WhatJaneSays

WhatJaneSays

Well-Known Member
WhatJaneSays said:
I'm heading to DHS this evening for dinner with the extened family. I'll let you all know how it goes.
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It's busy but not nearly as much as I expected. Like end of spring break-ish level.
 

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brifraz

brifraz

Marching along...
Premium Member
I've been to the World over 25 times, and only 3 have NOT been during either Christmas Week, Easter Week, Thanksgiving weekend, or mid-Summer Break. Our last Christmas-New Years was 2009-2010 and we are currently hoping to go back for the same week next year possibly. Yup, crowds are crazy big, but as a family of two teachers and a school aged child who are over 900 miles away, there is NO WAY for us to go at other times. The way to beat those crowds? PLAN!! And I don't just mean make a plan for the day - track crowds, make reservations for meals that fit a good touring plan (eating at off times means less rush), stay onsite where you can get back to your room quick to escape when needed, use every EMH minute you can, and have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C ready.

lincolnryan said:
And I understand that kids are off school, but I would think you can just pull them from school for 1-2 days and save yourself a lot of headache.
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The majority of DW family visitors are staying for 5-7 days, so you are pulling kids from 3-5 days of school and in many places in the country (including the district I used to work in), if a kid missed 5 days for vacation in any given quarter, they failed quarter classes and might fail semester classes (some places are even stricter and you had better hope your kid doesn't miss any more days during that quarter for illness). That is a much larger headache than big crowds at DW.

Chef Mickey said:
Honestly, I would just skip it if that's my only option. It's not fun when it's that crowded not only because it's hard to move, eat, ride, and enjoy...but it's also a feisty, unhappy crowd. Everyone is on edge when the crowds are that crazy.
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We have actually found that as many people are on edge, an equal number are just absolutely delighted to be there and in awe of what they are seeing around them (the parks, not the crowds). We have a lot of fun just being positive and making sure to enjoy ourselves. Are there grumpy, unhappy people, of course, but we've never been there when there aren't those people, so we just make sure we aren't those people!
 
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CaptainShortty

Well-Known Member
I was working at Epcot last night and it trithfully wasn't bad at all. I was surprised but it wasn't all that different than your average day. The worst part overall is the traffic, specifically around DTD and going through the MK toll plaza. Thankfully I know the back road and how to avoid those to get where I need to go.
 
ImagineerDude

ImagineerDude

Well-Known Member
It kind of amazes me how many people on this site don't want to go AT ALL during Christmas. Last year, I was kind of dreading the crowds because of people's horrific stories on here, but they really were not as bad as I expected. As long as you do NOT go to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon the crowds are manageable and comparable to summer. Even Christmas Day night after a stage show traffic in the hub was at a standstill but no one was yelling, pushing, or anything because there was nothing you could do about it. We certainly weren't happy-go-lucky at that point, but we knew we had all night and the park would clear out later. And...if you do go during this time remember, Disney is not FORCING you to wait in the 300 minute line for RnRC or the 75 minute line for Small World, but YOU know better than to ride during that time. You just have to be patient and smart when traveling during said "Hell Week"
 
J

JoyE

New Member
I'm a teacher yet I refuse to go at peak times. Went a couple of years ago during President's Weekend and it was miserable. I'm taking a couple of personal days and the kids out of school to go mid-January. Luckily I love within driving distance so this is feasible. My sister is there today with 3 small children. I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen...can't wait to hear how it went.
 
WhatJaneSays

WhatJaneSays

Well-Known Member
Tuvalu said:
Not when the Osborne Lights are on! It is always that crowded by LMA every evening before the lights are turned on, and after when they dance :)
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That's been my experience too with the lights. That area by LMH is normally jammed with people taking pictures; last night it was busy but the whole light street was easy to navigate. Even the dance party area was not overly crowded.

I was a bit confused because the parking lot was PACKED but there seemed to not be a corresponding number of people in the park.
 

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