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Inkbyte
11-14-2005, 08:56 AM
OK, either I'm just not looking in the right spot, or something. I'm looking for Christmas Holiday tips for Disneyland.

We are planning to be in SoCal Dec 24-Dec31. What days are considered the best and worst for crowds? What are typical hours?

Thanks so much! :cool:

Alice Fan
11-14-2005, 10:14 AM
I haven't been brave enough to try it myself, but from reading these boards I understand that Christmas Day is VERY crowded, possibly one of the most crowded days of the year! Here's what I found by typing "Christmas Crowds" into the search window...

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=49444&highlight=christmas+crowds

Hope this helps, Good Luck!

Shelli

potzbie
11-14-2005, 10:18 AM
Christmas WEEK?
Are you nuts?

There will be a million visitors coming for the ROSE PARADE and the ROSE BOWL game between Christmas Day and January 1st.
And 90% of those out-of-state visitors intend to visit DISNEYLAND during that span of six days.
You do the math.
It will be a mad house.

Tips? --- Here is one --- Stay away!
It will be one of the four biggest weeks in Disneyland volume.
(Stay away July 4th, and Easter week, and Thanksgiving weekend.)

In my opinion.
Other than that, Disneyland welcomes you.
:(

rentayenta
11-14-2005, 01:57 PM
Last year we went from Dec. 19-26. December 19-24 were perfect, not too crowded but enough so to have that fun holiday cheer. Dec. 25 and 26 were both absolute zoos.

If you are set on that week, just plan on HUGE crowds and doing very little each day but no matter what, its Disneyland and you will have a ball! :D

adriennek
11-14-2005, 02:10 PM
We are planning to be in SoCal Dec 24-Dec31. What days are considered the best and worst for crowds? What are typical hours?

I would expect the parks to be open as early as possible to as late as possible every day- about 8 am to midnight, possibly later. Definitely later on New Years Eve.

Every day of that week will be very crowded. There is probably no "best" day. New Years Eve will be the worst. It will be very crowded.

Adrienne

pisces
11-14-2005, 06:06 PM
You'd be surprised how much you can get done between the hours of 8-10 am, an if you have early entry it's 7-10 am.

The crowds don't materialize until 10am, and if you've collected a few fastpasses, you can use those during the 10-11 hour.

By 11:00 am it's unmanageable, but you'll be headed towards DCA for the remainder of the day, until that evening, when you head back to the original Park, which, although still crowded, you are only there, at that point, to take in the Parades, and simply plant yourself in a good spot for that.

JeffG
11-14-2005, 08:29 PM
One thing to note is that Disneyland does traditionally close early on Christmas Eve in order to allow their castmembers to get home to their families. This year, they have announced an 8pm closing time.

-Jeff

Malcon10t
11-14-2005, 09:52 PM
OK, either I'm just not looking in the right spot, or something. I'm looking for Christmas Holiday tips for Disneyland.

We are planning to be in SoCal Dec 24-Dec31. What days are considered the best and worst for crowds? What are typical hours?

Thanks so much! :cool:
As someone who has been there during this timeframe the last 7 years, expect park capacity crowds the 25th-31st. Pray for rain. When it rains, a lot will go back to their hotel rooms. There will be mobs of people there for the Rose Bowl. They will all come to see the players and bands march down Main St. The Hilton generally hosts one of the Rose Bowl teams. Not sure where the second team stays.

Hours - 24th - 8-8pm, 25-30, 8-midnight, 31st 8-2am.

NOW, we love the atmosphere there during this time frame. So, we come back year after year. Christmas Eve is spent visiting with the characters and Santa, and Christmas morning will bring a Goofy breakfast and wandering through the park. Park doesnt usually get crowded til afternoon.

If you come, and you see a haggered mom with 4 teens and a black service pup, wave!!

THpoohbear
11-14-2005, 10:48 PM
There will be a million visitors coming for the ROSE PARADE and the ROSE BOWL game between Christmas Day and January 1st.
And 90% of those out-of-state visitors intend to visit DISNEYLAND during that span of six days.


Just fyi, for those that haven't realized it yet, the rose parade will actually be on Monday the 2nd this year. When the 1st falls on a Sunday, the parade is always moved to the second. Also, the Rose Bowl won't actually happen until January 4. This is because the RB is hosting the BCS National Championship game this year, which is always played on the fourth. This is my understanding. Correct me if I'm wrong. :D I don't know if that will help to spread out the crowds any at DL.

All I have to say, is DL is great anytime, and for the National Champ game, go Trojans!!!

h_lehmann
11-15-2005, 09:49 AM
I went last year on December 24th, it wasn't too crowded at all. This year, however, the 24th falls on a Saturday, so I don't imagine people will be as lucky if they choose that day to go.

stan4d_steph
11-15-2005, 10:33 AM
I would agree that of your dates (Dec. 24 - 31), the 24th is your best bet. Starting on Christmas and through NYE, the crowds are just about the busiest of the entire year.

ChicagoCarlessMike
11-22-2005, 03:22 PM
I stayed at DLR 12/22 through 12/29 in 2002. I remember the worst crowds were Christmas Eve. Really packed and, at times, scary. After Christmas, it eased up a lot. Christmas morning wasn't too bad, though. I figured anyone who lived close enough to the park to drive was still home opening presents. (In fact, I remember being surprised because everyone always says Christmas Day is the worst, but that year it really was the day before).

GrumpyUTboi
11-22-2005, 03:28 PM
I am hoping that everyone goes out of town for Christmas and that it is not to DL. Looking at the school district schedules I notice that the SoCal schools get out on Thursday and Friday that week, so here is to hoping that the 19th thur the 23rd are slow days.

cpeak
11-22-2005, 04:33 PM
We were there last year after X-mas and it rained, which kept the crowds away. We just put on ponchos and stuck it out. The crowds were not bad. At first I thought rain would be a bad thing, but it turned out to make the trip better. So I agree with an earlier post, hope for a light to moderate rain.

This year we had to move our trip to Jan 2nd-Jan 5th. What do you all think the crowds will be like then? What about the x-mas decorations will they still be up? We were supposed to be there from Nov. 19-22 but my 3 year old broke her arm and required surgery to fix it. Luckily we hadn't told the girls about the trip so my husband and I are the only ones who are disappointed. It has been so hard to keep a secret and now I have to keep it even longer.

JookyG
11-23-2005, 12:02 PM
I was at DL one year on Rose Parade day in the 80s, and it was the most crowded I've ever seen it. I think we went on 4 attractions that day, but that was before Fast Passes. The week between Christmas and New Year is the BUSIEST of the year.

Here's a site with a chart showing attendance levels throughout the year: http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/crowds.htm