wharvey

Gang,

We are thinking about a mini-honeymoon (got married this past weekend) to Disney over Christmas.... park visits Dec 25, 26 and 27. We get mixed suggestions on whether to go or not.

Anyone have any experience on how crowded the parks will be these days? We do not want to make the trip and not be able to get into the parks. We do not plan to stay at Disney properties.... too frugal for that!

Appreciate any advice. Any suggestions on good deals on park passes? Do not have to be park hoppers.

hhoope01

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/orlan...years-eve.html

All I can say is I hope you really, really like large crowds of people and long lines for everything.

Oh, and make sure you get there early as this is the one time of the year that the parks will actually be closed to more people due to the size of the crowds.

MoreMilesPlease

Christmas day is the busiest day. They will close the park because it reaches capacity.

Here is a website devoted to Disney and very reliable.

https://www.undercovertourist.com/bl...-disney-world/

Orlando Vic

Congratulations on your recent wedding! ^

The week between Christmas and New Years Day is the absolute busiest of the entire year. The parks sometimes close their gates to new guests as early as 12 noon.

hhoope01

And sometimes even earlier. The one (and only) time I went to Disney during this time (attending the UT-Michigan Citrus bowl), we decided to hit one of the Disney parks the day before the game. We arrived about 30 minutes after most of the parks had opened and 3 of the 4 had already closed their doors leaving only Epcot as our choice. Oh, how I wish Epcot had already closed their doors as well. It was a total waste of our time and money as it was so crowded we could hardly even walk anywhere much less ride or see anything. (And I do believe it shut its doors soon after we got in.)

LPDAL

Christmas, Spring Break, Summer, etc., are hopeless for what you want to do. Your best bet is to think along the lines of when school children have week(s)/month(s) long holiday breaks and AVOID those periods at all costs. What you want to look at are primarily periods where kids are in school, your best shot is back to school season in late August and September.

You and / or wife may want to go for the Christmastime Disney (Very Merry Christmas), but trust me, the days you listed that you want to go, you'll be lucky to ride three attractions in one day.

I noticed you mentioned being frugal, two points with that: 1) You're going to go to bat with the other folks visiting during that period who also want to be frugal, which is much, much larger than the opposite crowd, and 2) You should realize that there is no way to go to Disney for "cheap". There's no way around it, Disney is expensive any way you slice it.

-LPDAL

GEXPO

For a detailed explanation of closures of the parks, see here:

touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/capacity-closures

I personally wouldn't be too worried. Crowds have been up this year and it's completely unpredictable as to whether they may reach a Phase 4, but that link gives you the dates they've closed and it's not too bad in reality.

Still, uncomfortably large crowds when you get in.

LPDAL

It's not that crowds are unpredictable. It's just that people love to go to Disney for the special events that everyone and their grandmother wants to go to, of which Christmas time is their pinnacle (Mickey and Minnie's Very Merry Christmas Celebration event), and then complain about "uncomfortably large crowds".

As I said before, if you want to go to Disney and face little to no opposition, you need to go during the slow season. Trying to go during Christmas Break, when everyone and their three children wants to go, is a surefire recipe for disaster.

-LPDAL

writerguyfl

You don't need to get to Phase 4 (full closure) to be miserable. Any Phase is enough to get people to question why they are paying money to be shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers for hours and hours.

As someone who used to work at WDW, I'd say it really is every bit as bad as everyone says.

GEXPO

I was speaking mostly to his concern that the parks will close. Christmas week is, of course, the worst time to go to the parks, but I wouldn't be worried about getting through the gates.

toomanybooks

From experienced Disney-goers you will get pretty much one response. No.

Go to Youtube and search terms like "Disneyworld crowd." Or imagine spending an entire day wading through a sea of people like that exiting a huge football stadium after a game.

I always tell newbies never to go Xmas week. They never listen. They all come back telling me how horrible Disney is and that they won't go again.

And congratulations on your marriage!

wharvey

Thanks for all the advice... so much for me thinking people would want to be home with their family and kids for Christmas!

We will be staying away!

flyingill

I have gone many Xmas times at Disney. I used to work there. When there is more than 50k people in the park, it gets bad. 80k is about Spring Break and that is awful and close to 100k around Xmas time at the Magic Kingdom is worse. However, it does not keep me away as I am a seasoned Disney person and can do it, but problems occur with new travelers. Floridians avoid the parks during Xmas, Spring Break and Summer and they are experts.

It is really crowded and crowds are lighter on Star Wars weekend and even the summer is less. It is really bad and uncomfortable with no where to sit when you want to eat, etc. Be prepared. Bring good shoes. Bring snacks. Go to EPCOT as it is the best with the crowds. MGM has closed so many things, but now Chewbacca is there along with Darth Vader. Check out micechat.com for visits or disneyfoodblog if you want to eat and drink esp at EPCOT.
I would consider just going to the resorts and saving your money, but be aware that they might taken down Xmas decorations at The Grand Floridian and upscale hotels right after Xmas day.

LPDAL

I have lived in Fort Lauderdale for 15 years (moved at the edge of 1999) and have attended all of the Disney Christmas events (Very Merry Christmas, Christmas Processional, etc.). If one is willing to sink boatloads of money, as my family always did (we are...well off to say the least), you can skip the crowds and all the hoopla. For example, Christmas Processional seats can be reserved well in advance for an arm and a leg. It was very enjoyable for my family and I, but I didn't foray into that previously because the OP claimed they wanted to be frugal.

-LPDAL

Mary2e

Smart move

I've never gone for Christmas, but have for NYE. I didn't even bother to go into a park because I could see the fireworks from where I was.

This year I went for July 4 and as a very experienced visitor, knew to show up a couple of hours before they started and not expect to get on anything (I didn't). When it was show time, I planted myself in a designated smoking area and had no crowds and a nearly perfect view

After they were over, I sat on the floor (no benches available) for at least 30-45 minutes to miss the masses trying to get out.

Do yourself a favor - show up on Jan 4 and you will have the place to yourself, discounts galore, and a much more pleasant experience.