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View Full Version : Christmas at the World Disney World resort [Dealing With Crowds]



3disneyangels
12-01-2007, 08:24 AM
I will love to visit wdw during the holiday season but due to my job i can only go from dec 22nd- jan 3rd, i have read that it can be horrendous, is this always the case:confused: i can only travel during this time and i need tips on how to get the most out of the parks without going crazy. I am traveling with a 6y and a 14y old, i have traveled during the summer and it was really crowded, but manageable and a few years back i did the 4th of july also crowded. i also heard that the parks close almost daily due to overcrowding, how can i avoid being stuck outside the parks:mad: (without having to get up at 4 in the morning):eek:

Kwahati
12-01-2007, 08:59 AM
If you stay on property (at a WDW resort hotel), I believe they still do guaranteed entrance, meaning you'll get in even if they're no longer allowing entrance for other kinds of ticket holders (maybe somebody can confirm that for me...I know they used to do that...)

Further, I'd say if you found 4th of July at all manageable, then you have a pretty good chance of being okay with what you'll encounter over christmas and new year's. Make your dining reservations as early as possible (I hope you're talking about next christmas and not this coming one...there probably isn't much at all left for dining reservations for the christmas time that's rapidly approaching. You can make dining reservations 180 days before your arrival date and lots of people do!) And make good use of fast passes. Assuming they're still doing guaranteed entry for resort guests, I'd say you should use the old standby plan of getting to the parks early, making use of early EMH when available to see as much as possible and then taking a break to go back to the hotel for a swim and a nap so you can return to a park that's maybe not so crowded later in the day. I also think this is one of the few circumstances where I might say it's a good idea to join up with one of the websites that'll tell you which days are relatively less packed at which park so there's a chance of getting to ride a couple things in the afternoon without a two hour wait for a five minute ride... (I think tourguidemike and touringplans both have info like that, I'm not sure though as I've never felt the urge to pay for that "insider" information. I bet somebody else on these boards can make a recommendation for you on that front.)

I think the main thing is to have a good idea of what you'll encounter. It'll almost definitely be a mad-house just about everywhere just about all the time, but that's really no different from fourth of july, so you've at least seen it before! Good luck and have fun! (And give it a little time, people with more specific knowledge of the season than I have will follow along shortly to help out, I'm sure!):D;):p

Edited to add: there are instructions in the FAQ section for adding a "countdown timer" to your signature to let yourself and everyone else know just how long until you're 'home'!

Sue Holland
12-01-2007, 09:04 AM
The only guarantee for park admission is if you're a resort guest and not every park is closed - you'll be admitted to whichever one is still admitting guests (usually Epcot). I'm not aware of them ALL closing during Christmas week, but I recall last year MK was closed by 11am more than once, and MGM parking lot was closed early...guests going to MGM had to park at Epcot and be transported over (what a nightmare). Let's face it - if the park is so full it's near closure, who in their right mind *really* wants to be there??

My advice - do as much as you can on 12/22, 23 & 24....then again 1/1 & 1/2. The other days sadly will be a nightmare. Focus on all the non-parks stuff you want to do on those days if possible.

disnut8
12-02-2007, 05:11 AM
Get park hoppers. That's absolutely necessary. If you want to do Magic Kingdom, do it in small doses, leaving when the park becomes way too crowded than you can handle (and who knows - maybe you won't mind it). And getting there as early in the day as you can. Magic Kindom will be the most crowded park so doing it in small doses throughout your trip will save some of your sanity. Your kids are old enough to be flexible and understand if an attraction needs to be skipped for the time being.

Epcot's parking lot will be the next to close but there is enough room there to walk around at least in the countries. Doing the attractions in Future World should also be done in smaller doses.

MGM will be third in terms of crowds but will seem more crowded since it's smaller than Epcot. Also, the two thrill attractions will be the most mobbed so plan on doing one of those per visit.

My biggest hint is to do Animal Kingdom on New Year's Eve Day. It'll be crowded but manageable as most people will head to one of the three parks that will remain open until midnight or after. Animal Kingdom closes early so it's a great park to do during the day.

The keys we found are to park hop whenever possible and use the Disney transportation. Also, be flexible with everything. Including eating. Trying to eat a complete meal at a counter service place is going to be stressful as people aren't in the holiday spirit and will do anything necessary to get a table for their family. Take snacks, make dining reservations, eat out of the parks instead.

Christmas/New Years' is entirely doable. We did it with our family two years ago and even with a seven year old, we didn't even go into Magic Kingdom and still had a great time. We could have gone into Magic Kingdom but decided that it wasn't worth the effort. We would have if our granddaughter wanted to but she was fine without it.

danyoung
12-02-2007, 05:30 AM
Let's face it - if the park is so full it's near closure, who in their right mind *really* wants to be there??

In WDW promotional videos they used to list as one of the benefits of staying on property "guaranteed admission to our parks on our busiest days". I used to see that and go "that's a benefit?" I can't imagine visiting during those kinds of large crowds, but if I were to go, I'd want to hit a park right at opening and see as many attractions as I could before the crowds build up, then split and rest through the afternoon. Then go back to the park that has evening EMH and stay till closing. But seriously, wild horses couldn't drag me to WDW during Christmas week - it's just too much of a headache to be any fun for me.

Good luck!

3disneyangels
12-02-2007, 06:35 AM
Thanks for all the great replies:), just to clarify the trip is for next year, i figure that will give me time to get some more information and tips to make the trip less stressful and more enjoyable, part of the reason we are going is my daughter's birthday which is christmas day and she loves the magic kingdom, so that is a must on that day plus reservation for cinderella's royal table for lunch. I don't usually get park hoppers because i find is a hassle go go from park to park but it was recommended to me, but im concerned about my reservations which i always make 180 days in advance, if i park hop i might lose my reservations:( if that particular park is full. also can someone tell me what's the best park for new years eve, time is not a problem my children are night owls and don't mind staying up late.

3disneyangels
12-02-2007, 06:50 AM
I have read your reports and they are great, when you say parks will be a nightmare do you mean the whole day or are there times that might be alright (early mornings or late nights???) besides downtown disney im not planning to do other non-park activities, and it might be too cold for waterparks, is there a site where i can find a strategy to go to the parks during the whole time im there??? My goal during this trip is to take part in the holiday celebrations and decorations, i always go in the summer so my pictures look the same, i want a chance to take pictures with different scenery, costumes and parades, i dont mind skipping some of the rides, i just came back this summer from spending a month at wdw, i got on the rides, went to the water parks, cirque, universal and all those things during that time. I need recommendations on holiday related activities at the kingdom

3disneyangels
12-02-2007, 06:56 AM
hello, thanks for the tips on park hopping, how crowded will the buses be on those days (for park hopping) and if i rent a stroller in one park will i have to rent another one at the other park?? how doable is the magic kingdom on christmas day, is my daughters 6th birthday and i want to celebrate it at cinderella's royal table, and watch the parade and fireworks

disnut8
12-03-2007, 06:08 AM
hello, thanks for the tips on park hopping, how crowded will the buses be on those days (for park hopping) and if i rent a stroller in one park will i have to rent another one at the other park?? how doable is the magic kingdom on christmas day, is my daughters 6th birthday and i want to celebrate it at cinderella's royal table, and watch the parade and fireworks

Fr park hopping and since you mentioned that you usually don't park hop, here are some suggestions. This is a trite saying but "think outside the box". Disney will give you the "official" transportation routes. Make your own.

Magic Kingdom/Epcot is the monorail so no problem there.
MGM/Epcot is either the boat or walking so no problem there. Just use the International Gateway entrance/exit at Epcot.

The easiest way to park hop from Magic Kingdom is to take the short walk over to the Contemporary and take their bus to MGM or Animal Kingdom. Or you can take the smaller boats to the Polynesian or the Wilderness Lodge and then take their buses. I left out the Grand Floridian because their bus service isn't the best in the world. Also, you get a chance to see the other resorts.

Also, from Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, you can always take the Swan/Dolphin/Yacht Club/Beach Club bus to access MGM and Epcot.

Use the resorts as much as you can if the "official" routes are crowded. However, if you think about it - once the crowds get into the parks in the morning, the buses will be at normal operating levels until the parks close. Park hopping during the day should not be a problem.

If you rent a stroller at one park, keep you receipt and you can get another one at the second (or third) park for no additional cost.

Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day will be mobbed beyond belief. You will have to get there as early as you can in the morning and plan on staying all day long. I know it's your daughter's birthday but can she possibly be persauded to celebrate it once day earlier or later? It would be a heck of a lot eaiser for everything.

HauntedGabe
12-03-2007, 07:07 AM
We have done the holidays at WDW. We had really good luck with sleeping in and hitting the parks mid to late afternoon. Crowds hourly thin with people who were there from the dropping of the rope opening, they generally leave.
Christmas Day and New Years Eve words of wisdom. We did an early day on Christmas. We were on the Monorail and rode past the MK, nuts! Ate breakfast at the Polynesian walked to the Epcot monorail and spent the day there. Actually we had a great deal of luck there, swear everyone was at the MK! We had dinner that evening at the HDR show at Fort Wilderness. It was a fun way to celebrate Christmas. One year we were at the MK for NYE and we just hit the small things, CP, ETB, since you couldn't get near anything else. The line for SM wrapped around TL. I would suggest Epcot.
The park can really handle the crowds much better, we did this on the 4th of July and while crowded, it was so much better than the MK on a big holiday.

3disneyangels
12-03-2007, 06:29 PM
It seems that my best bet is to do MK early in the morning, and head out to epcot in the afternoon and on christmas day?? how bad are MGM and AK??? do EMH during christmas week help thin out the crowds at MK i wouldnt mind heading out after 8:00 pm after taking a break back at the hotel (really early arrival-afternoon break-late night visit)

danyoung
12-04-2007, 05:09 AM
Fr park hopping and since you mentioned that you usually don't park hop, here are some suggestions. This is a trite saying but "think outside the box". Disney will give you the "official" transportation routes. Make your own.

Umm, doesn't Disney run direct busses from park to park? I don't take the busses very much, but I thought for sure they had this.

Drince88
12-04-2007, 05:20 AM
Umm, doesn't Disney run direct busses from park to park? I don't take the busses very much, but I thought for sure they had this.

They do, except for MK it's the TTC.

deanglin
12-12-2007, 06:20 PM
We went Dec 19-27th, last year it was a great trip! We had each day planned, we did not go to the parks Christmas day. We did a resort tour, enjoying the great dec.
We had lunch @ the GF & dinner @ the WL. We went to the MK after dinner, walked rihgt on the HM., then watch the parade. We spent Christmas Eve in Epcot, enjoyed CLP package.
The 22nd, 23, 26 were not bad we were able to have a great time, just use the touring history and go to the parks that are the least busy.
We are planning Christmas 2008 trip!

Cheshire Figment
12-14-2007, 06:38 AM
The turnstile master computer at each park keeps track of both entries and exits. When a park capacity closes (which is done in stages) there has to be a certain number of people exiting, with the total "in park" below a certain number, before they start allowing people in again.

I am low enough on the totem pole that I have no idea what these numbers are.

There are four stages to park closing:

Stage 1 - The parking lot entrance is closed. You can only access the park if you are using Disney Transportation.

Stage 2 - The ticket windows are all closed (and the automated Ticket Vending Machines are turned off). Unless you already have a ticket you cannot get in.

Stage 3 - Only people with Annual Passes or current Resort IDs will be allowed in.

Stage 4 - Nobody is allowed in.

Note - having restaurant reservations in a park, even with written proof, will not override a stage closing for you.

Last year there were stage closing at all the parks between Christmas and New Year's Eve. At one time (either Tuesday or Wednesday) AK, MK and Studio all had stage closings at the same time

MaddieMouse
12-26-2007, 04:13 PM
Thanks for all the great replies:), just to clarify the trip is for next year, i figure that will give me time to get some more information and tips to make the trip less stressful and more enjoyable, part of the reason we are going is my daughter's birthday which is christmas day and she loves the magic kingdom, so that is a must on that day plus reservation for cinderella's royal table for lunch. I don't usually get park hoppers because i find is a hassle go go from park to park but it was recommended to me, but im concerned about my reservations which i always make 180 days in advance, if i park hop i might lose my reservations:( if that particular park is full. also can someone tell me what's the best park for new years eve, time is not a problem my children are night owls and don't mind staying up late.


I just started a thread about next Christmas, too (hadn't seen yours yet). My little princess is a Christmas baby, too. How old is your princess? We're torn between POP, CS, and Contemporary. We'll definitely be at MK on Christmas Day though.

Tell your little one Happy Birthday (a day or so late) from a Christmas baby in Michigan!