Parks during Christmas/NYE?

[mrsap]

Hey guys! So I’d love to get some advice. We are seriously considering switching our two week June/July trip to Christmas/NYE weeks. I guess what I’d like to know is - how truly crazy are the parks? Is it just the holidays that are insane? Or are the other days just as bad as the holidays themselves? Is it enjoyable? Are fast passes/dining reservations tough to get? I have been over Fourth of July week, as well as Thanksgiving... For those that have gone either time, would you say the parks are worse or about the same compared to those two holidays? I know things may be different this year, but this is all assuming things are back in full swing by then.

Also, for those with young kids, how did you handle SANTA?? Were they skeptical at all? Did you celebrate Christmas morning there or waited till you got home?! We have a 12 yr. old who knows, but our 8 yr. old still believes. We don’t want to ruin anything for him.

We are SO SO torn right now. I’d love to hear your experiences. Thank you in advance for your time and help.

 

[Skywise]

I've been to both 4th of july and NYE - Christmas/NYE is a bit more crowded than July 4th and the holidays are generally more crowded than Christmas/NYE days.

If you can handle the 4th you can handle Christmas, which I think is better decorated and more "magical". NYE will be the tricky day requiring some real planning, especially if you're staying off-site.

 

[rwdavis2]

Assuming “normal” holiday crowds the parks get packed with fastpasses and ADRs tough to get. But who knows this year.

 

[Gehrig1B]

No young kids so can't answer those questions but...

We have been the week after Christmas including NYE for 4 of the last 5 years and love it. We have experienced NYE at every park and NYE midnight celebrations at every park except Animal Kingdom.

how truly crazy are the parks

Not as crazy as some like to say. Definitely NYE is a madhouse, but manageable for someone like yourselves who are veterans of busy park days.

are the other days just as bad as the holidays themselves?

The "other days" are very crowded as well but only NYE have we experienced any levels of capacity closures

Is it enjoyable?

With a great plan it can be a lot of fun.

Are fast passes/dining reservations tough to get?

Some ADRs can be difficult and post pandemic no one knows how difficult fast passes will be. We stay through the 8th-10th so fast passes get easier after the 31st.

My thoughts:

1) Do not drive to the parks. It can take hours to park and even longer to exit on holidays.
2) Plan to avoid the parks during the most crowded times in the afternoons. Past history the parks have never reached a phase 4 closure so if staying on property you will get in... If there are new guidelines restricting crowds post pandemic, nobody knows.
3) Do MK on the 30th and Epcot on NYE. MK is chaotic on NYE, Epcot has more room and handles crowds better.
4) Stay at a resort with easy access to the parks (other than buses). Skyliner, boats, monorail, walk
5) If you must do MK on NYE get a fireworks dessert party reservation.

It can be a really special time and great fun for all if you plan accordingly.

 

[mrsap]

Thank you all so much, I truly appreciate all the advice!! We were thinking of a split stay so we can experience both MK and Epcot fireworks. We would be staying on property. I definitely wouldn’t go into MK on NYE! We have a lot of decisions to make in a short amount of time. Thank you all again.

 

[mickeymom22]

We have been there for NYE with small children. We were staying at POR. We didn't feel like fighting the crowds at the parks on NYE so we planned that day as our resort/Disney Springs day. That night we took the kids to the main pool and they had a little NYE party set up. There were party hats and souvenirs. It started early enough that I could get them in bed before midnight. The party went onto midnight so if you want to ring in the new year, you can. The party is for adults and kids. I think all the resorts do something like this. Our plan was: enjoy the small party at the resort and then wake up early and go to rope drop at Epcot. We figured the crowds would be the lowest at the park on New Year's Day. It worked for us!

It is a beautiful time to enjoy the parks and resorts with all the holiday decorations and special food treats! Happy Planning!

 

[mrsap]

We have been there for NYE with small children. We were staying at POR. We didn't feel like fighting the crowds at the parks on NYE so we planned that day as our resort/Disney Springs day. That night we took the kids to the main pool and they had a little NYE party set up. There were party hats and souvenirs. It started early enough that I could get them in bed before midnight. The party went onto midnight so if you want to ring in the new year, you can. The party is for adults and kids. I think all the resorts do something like this. Our plan was: enjoy the small party at the resort and then wake up early and go to rope drop at Epcot. We figured the crowds would be the lowest at the park on New Year's Day. It worked for us!

It is a beautiful time to enjoy the parks and resorts with all the holiday decorations and special food treats! Happy Planning!

Thank you so much, I truly appreciate you taking the time to share that with me! The resort party sounds like so much fun!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If the virus picks up during the winter, WDW could be closed for the holidays with so many people in such close contact.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

We've been there twice between Christmas and New Years (though not on the actual holidays themselves) and loved it. ADRs are important to get in advance, and FPs are important. But it was not the kind of unpleasantly crowded experience that I had read about online.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Crowds start ramping up on 12/26 and get worse every day. Christmas Day at MK is indescribably packed. ADRs are necessary, it gives you a dedicated table away from the madness for a little bit. QS is rough as lines are long and tables are in high demand. We leaned heavily on ride share services as buses are packed. If we go back this year for Christmas we’ll be making Christmas a resort day. Also, Disney springs that time of year is straight insane! As in hard to walk around. Do not recommend unless you’re going there for a dedicated ADR.

 

[mrsap]

Thank you all for your replies, I truly appreciate it. So, I was trying to (in a round about way) see how my kids would feel about going twice in a short time (we are already booked for Thanksgiving - and we drive.) They both said they’d rather just one long trip... but then jokingly I said ‘I wish we could go for Christmas or NYE’ and DD’s face lit up and said let’s do it!! 64 total hours in a car doesn’t really excite me, but getting to make up for lost time in Disney does (even if we aren’t hitting the parks hard due to crowds.) Aside from that, my other concern is pulling off Christmas Day. Decisions.

 

[Nalshersmom]

We took our 3 for NYE when they were 3, 5, and 7. We skipped the parks on NYE and took a Pirates and Pals Cruise which was awesome. We woke up early the next day and rope dropped MK. It did not feel busy in the park until later, and it was the perfect way to start the year.

 

[gharter]

This year is anyones guess as to how crowded it will be.
Previous years, it is the most crowded time of the year.
However, the hours tend to be longer, the Christmas decorations are beautiful, the rides are fully staffed.
If you go expecting it to be very crowded, you should be fine.

 

[mrsap]

Does anyone have Christmas morning experience with little ones? Just wondering what you did with gifts. Thanks!

 

[Disneylover99]

Does anyone have experience with Christmas morning with little ones? Just wondering what you did with gifts. Thanks!

We brought stockings to Disney with us when the kids were small. So the kids woke up to their stockings Christmas morning and there was a note in the stockings from Santa saying their gifts were waiting for them at home.

 

[mrsap]

We brought stockings to Disney with us when the kids were small. So the kids woke up to their stockings Christmas morning and there was a note in the stockings from Santa saying their gifts were waiting for them at home.

Love that! Obviously it’s too early to know what they’ll ask for, but I can’t see trying to sneak gifts in our suitcases!! I think that would be a nice idea. Were they disappointed at all, though - especially having to wait till they got home to get their presents?

 

[Disneylover99]

Love that! Obviously it’s too early to know what they’ll ask for, but I can’t see trying to sneak gifts in our suitcases!! I think that would be a nice idea. Were they disappointed at all, though - especially having to wait till they got home to get their presents?

No. They weren’t disappointed at all. They weren’t even very interested in opening their stockings. They were way more excited about getting to the parks and going out to eat.llol.

 

[mrsap]

No. They weren’t disappointed at all. They weren’t even very interested in opening their stockings. They were way more excited about getting to the parks and going out to eat.llol.

That’s great to hear, thank you for sharing!!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I've spent about 10 years going to Disney during Christmas. I remember the first year we went - I was a sophomore in college. We decided to try it, as we had always gone in the summer and wanted to try something new. I remember reading on these forums how crowded it was and getting really nervous.

It was certainly crowded, but we loved it so much that we returned the next year... and the year after that. Before we knew it, it'd become a yearly tradition.

Is it crowded? Heck yeah. It's the most crowded I've ever experienced. Wait times for popular rides can and will hit about 3 hours. There are points where Main Street and Fantasyland are literally shoulder to shoulder with people. Without an ADR, some restaurants can have long lines or wait times. I remember going to Disney Springs on 12/30 hoping to grab a quick service meal and it was CRAZY crowded. Couldn't get in anywhere. Wound up eating at Polite Pig around 8pm.

BUT...

I mean.. man, it's memorable. We never minded the crowds because having been so often, we didn't mind not riding Small World for the umpteenth time; or seeing the parade AGAIN. We also knew how to tackle the parks. We'd go in for rope drop, stay till noon, go back to the hotel for the afternoon—swim if it was nice enough outside—grab dinner, then finish the night at the parks. That allowed us to avoid the chaotic crowds in the afternoon. Also - there's so much to see and do at the resorts that you can make a day or two outta that. Skip the parks and go see the decorations at the Deluxe Resorts. Do a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness one night rather than jockeying for position at Magic Kingdom.

We're an older family, so for us it was never a big deal.... but with younger kids it may be a little tougher. I will say that. It's also not for everyone. I work in NYC everyday, so the crowds never bothered me. For others, the idea of standing elbow to elbow (pre COVID) may give people panic attacks. I don't think I could have enjoyed the trip as much with my cousin's little ones. We did Halloween and it was difficult keeping them busy during long wait times. Whereas being adults—during Christmas or Halloween we can just roll up to a parade 10 minutes before it starting and see it, with kids it's different. If you're not toward the front, then they'll miss a lot of it.

Also - quick note - Santa and characters are often at the resorts and around Disney up to 12/24.

 

[mrsap]

I've spent about 10 years going to Disney during Christmas. I remember the first year we went - I was a sophomore in college. We decided to try it, as we had always gone in the summer and wanted to try something new. I remember reading on these forums how crowded it was and getting really nervous.

It was certainly crowded, but we loved it so much that we returned the next year... and the year after that. Before we knew it, it'd become a yearly tradition.

Is it crowded? Heck yeah. It's the most crowded I've ever experienced. Wait times for popular rides can and will hit about 3 hours. There are points where Main Street and Fantasyland are literally shoulder to shoulder with people. Without an ADR, some restaurants can have long lines or wait times. I remember going to Disney Springs on 12/30 hoping to grab a quick service meal and it was CRAZY crowded. Couldn't get in anywhere. Wound up eating at Polite Pig around 8pm.

BUT...

I mean.. man, it's memorable. We never minded the crowds because having been so often, we didn't mind not riding Small World for the umpteenth time; or seeing the parade AGAIN. We also knew how to tackle the parks. We'd go in for rope drop, stay till noon, go back to the hotel for the afternoon—swim if it was nice enough outside—grab dinner, then finish the night at the parks. That allowed us to avoid the chaotic crowds in the afternoon. Also - there's so much to see and do at the resorts that you can make a day or two outta that. Skip the parks and go see the decorations at the Deluxe Resorts. Do a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness one night rather than jockeying for position at Magic Kingdom.

We're an older family, so for us it was never a big deal.... but with younger kids it may be a little tougher. I will say that. It's also not for everyone. I work in NYC everyday, so the crowds never bothered me. For others, the idea of standing elbow to elbow (pre COVID) may give people panic attacks. I don't think I could have enjoyed the trip as much with my cousin's little ones. We did Halloween and it was difficult keeping them busy during long wait times. Whereas being adults—during Christmas or Halloween we can just roll up to a parade 10 minutes before it starting and see it, with kids it's different. If you're not toward the front, then they'll miss a lot of it.

Also - quick note - Santa and characters are often at the resorts and around Disney up to 12/24.

Sounds like you’ve had some great holiday trips!! Thank you so much for all the helpful tips and for sharing your experiences with me!