Christmas at Walt Disney World...

Updated on August 06, 2009
M.B. asks from McKinney, TX
10 answers

Has anyone experience Christmas at WDW? We are considering it, but worried about how crowded it would be. I will have a 3 yr old and a 1 year old at time of travel and just wonder if it would be too overwhelming for them...please share any thoughts you might have. Our 2nd option is a beach destination...just trying to do some research, thanks in advance for your input!

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M.P.

answers from Dallas on

We are actually going there for Christmas this year. I have 5, 3 and 2 year old girls so it will be interesting. I used to live in Orlando and have been to Disney at Christmas in the past. It definitely is more crowded then than it is most of the rest of the year...but I think if you plan well and have certain expectations you can make it through. I would say, skip the Christmas lights at the movie studio. It is spectacular, but literally shoulder to shoulder with the people standing in front, behind and next to you.

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L.K.

answers from Dallas on

We went last year during my daughter's winter break from school. It was crazy busy. Luckily my husband did a lot of research before we went and we knew which parks to visit on which days. There are some great books out there (even available at the library) that tell you what the average park attandance is on certain days. His favorite book was the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. We ended up avoiding the parks between Christmas day and New Years. With lots of research and planning it can be a fun vacation.

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J.P.

answers from Dallas on

My entire family (27) went between Christmas and New Years one year and had a blast. The weather was pleasant and all the wonderful Christmas decorations made it very special. I think you'll find the crowds to be the same but the events during the holidays for the kids is worth it. E N J O Y

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S.K.

answers from Dallas on

I've done some reading about WDW recently because we are going over Thanksgiving. I've heard that Christmas is unbelievably crowded and often reaches capacity. However, I have a wonderful Disney travel agent (I got her name off here) and she can answer any question you have about Disney. Her name is Wendy - her number is ###-###-####. I would suggest calling her - if she doesn't know, she will find out. Her email is ____@____.com

Have fun!!!

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N.S.

answers from Dallas on

I have been to Disney probably 20 times, plus I lived in Orlando for 3 years as a teen. Frankly, my suggestion would be to go in the fall. Since your kids have not yet started elementary, you don't have to worry about pulling your kids out when school is in session. Basically September after labor day up till Xmas is the slowest time, however this is a spike for Thanksgiving and then for Xmas and New Year. Attendence drops again in January, but then steadily climb with spring breakers and then summer visitors.

Our kids are roughly the same age...and we will be taking them in mid-September. We have no expectation that we will see or do everything, but that's how it goes with young kids :-)

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S.S.

answers from Dallas on

We are avid disney goers and have been at all different times of the year including christmas. I'd say the best time to go is right after Thanksgiving into the first or even 2nd week of December...the xmas stuff is going up all around you and the crowds aren't as large as being there on christmas. You get all the same experience with less people. That was our best "xmas" trip. Good Luck!!

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S.R.

answers from Dallas on

We love WDW & have been at Christmas when my kids were almost 3 & 7. Although it was crowded, we had a great time. The biggest disappointment was that the parks closed earlier than usual. But with young kids that probably won't be a problem. If you go, make sure you do Mickey's Christmas Party one night, it's why the park closes early. It's not crowded & it's tons of fun!!! Be sure to pack some short sets! There was a heat wave & we had to buy everyone some shorts, it was that hot, even at night.

Our favorite time to go is in Nov. The weather is nice & it's not crowded. We usually go the week before Thanksgiving week or the week after. One year we went the week of Thanksgiving & it wasn't crowded either.

Have fun & be sure to have dinner in Cinderella's castle! It's worth the extra expense!! Go there first thing that morning to make a reservation, they fill up fast! One time we were there dinning when the fireworks were going off out side the windows, it was magical!

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

We've been Disney regulars since our daughter was 2. Our last visit was during Spring Break this year (she is 14 now).

We have always stayed at the Polynesian. It is on the monorail line (super convenient to run back for a nap) and close to the main transportation center. You also have boat transportation to MK from Polynesian.

We like the Conceirge building, nightly fireworks, beach. I can't say enough positive things about the Polynesian.

We always grab a cab for door to door service to the hotel from teh airport. It runs about $80/trip. You don't need a car while you are there. Yes, there is "free" transportation by Disney but who knows how long it will take you to get where you are going because of so many people on the bus.

Christmas will be more crowded, just plan ahead, take it easy and enjoy yourself!

Call the WDW line for customer service and they will manage your bookings for character dinners, etc. Book early....these things book up fast.

I manage all the reservations, travel, etc myself.....no real need for an agent unless you are not comfortable doing it yourself. If you've never been, go ahead and get one of the guides to review. Also, WDW will send a DVD guide to you as well.

Enjoy!

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D.W.

answers from Dallas on

We went to Orange Beach Alabama with my parents and sisters' families. It's a 12 hour car ride for us. We were in a condo on the beach with a pool. That was fabulous. I recommend getting a 10'x10' tent. We set it up with our portable chairs and left our beach toys there every night. Bring lots of sun screen reapply every hour. I saw some babies who were burned. Bring hats and an extra swim suit for each of you. I hate putting on a wet suit! My youngest loved it but she was 2 and a half. Not sure how she'd do at age one. My older kids loved it.

I LOVE Disney! Go get The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World. It has lots of great advice and planning strategies for all kinds of families and configurations of ages. My hubby used it to make a schedule of which park for what days.

If you have a room with a fridge, we recommend that you stop before getting to your room, on the way from the airport, to a grocery store. We had a driving service pick us up at the airport and we stopped at the local grocery store (it cost the same as a taxi, but taxis do not stop extra for shopping unless you pay them extra). We went through more of the breakfast dry goods food items (like pop tarts, power bars, granola bars, baby yogurt melts, and Gerber puffs, and dry cereal) than the other snack items like chips and crackers. I got pita bread since it takes up less space and a couple of packages of cold cuts and cheese too. Milk takes a lot of space, so get boxed Horizon milk that doesn't require refrigeration. You can buy them and add them to the fridge as needed (same with juice boxes and canned soda). We were there a week. My hubby freaked when he saw how much food I got, but they were all glad I did. I recommend any kind of bars, bananas, apples which are easier to carry with you to the park. Pack or buy some zip lock baggies of small and large sizes, bring some small ice packs for a lunch box sized cooler. Bring those disposable sippy cups with lids, great for drinking fountains at the park. Also pack those plastic spoons by Gerber, I think. It was great to have them at the park and in the room. I did buy dish soap at the grocery store and a sponge with scrubber there instead of packing it. My hubby thought that was silly, but we had to wash out the plastic sippy cups and spoons for later use (even though I brought 15 spoons and 4 cups). All this sure did help. I learned all this from our previous trip.

We were not on a dining plan. Some like it, we didn't. We splurged on 2 meals with the characters (Crystal Palace and Contemporary), and had 2 other dinners reservations. The rest was counter service and the food we bought. Be sure to not pack any food that you can buy at the grocery store there. My son has nut allergies, so I had to buy and pack the only bars he could eat Special K bars (chocolate drizzle and no protein added) b/c there was no guarantee that I'd be able to find those exact ones there.

If you can stay on the monorail system that would be ideal and best. We stayed at the Polynesian. We even stayed in the building closest to the the ticket and transportation center/monorail. It was worth the extra money. I had a 7 month old the first time we went, and she was 2 yrs. old the second time we went. It was a nice quick easy get away to go back to the room for a nap. I also have a 9 and 7 yr. olds. My hubby, and I split up so my older kids didn't have to go back to the room, but I do recommend napping, they last longer for the night stuff. I'd usually go back to the room after lunch for a nap and return to the park before dinner.

Anything your kids cannot ride on, you can get a baby pass/ticket. Also, try to go early and get the fast passes for the most popular things (saves time in lines). Those help so you are not standing in lines. This is in the book!

My youngest loved the Winnie the Pooh and Honey I shrunk the kids play areas. We went there a lot, she also loved any ride that moved along like It's a Small World. She hated anything we had to sit and watch, like shows. She'd be okay for the first 5 minutes and then want to get down and walk around, so we didn't do those after I knew she would not sit through them. You can test yours and see.

Bring a leash for your kids. We lost (but found) my son when he was 5 yrs. old the last time. It only takes a few seconds to loose them in crowd. I had my 2 yr. old on a harness with strap and it was the best way to give her freedom to walk but not get lost. Also, rent a stroller too! Those help keep the kids from getting tired and prevent you from having to lug your stroller through the airport and on buses. Best of all, you know where they are!

I'd suggest that if you wanted to you and your husband can take turns on separate nights to stay with the kids after dinner while the other goes back to the park to see the fireworks and anything you missed. That sounds selfish, but we did that and it was really nice. The parent with the kids didn't leave until after baths and dinner. We had them in bed or watching a movie. We brought our DVD player and a some movies. Bring your cell phone and charger! It helps when you split up and want to meet up. As for dinning, make a reservation now! The Cyrstal Palace is great for little kids with Winnie the Pooh and friends and the food is buffet, so is the Contemporary, and they have Micky and Minnie.

But get the Unofficial Guide to Disney World! It is a great thing to read before and while you are there to help you. We have used it on all our trips. Yes, I've been there at Christmas time before getting married. Everything looks empty to me at other times. I still enjoyed Disney at Christmas time. If it gets too much you can always take some time at the hotel to nap and recharge; you don't have to stay nonstop all day. Have a great trip! Sorry I'm a bit long!

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G.T.

answers from Dallas on

There will definitely be crowds! I have a family friend who is the costume designer at WDW and her advice was not to bring the kiddos until they are old enough to walk all day themselves. She has experienced many families with tired kids that are throwing tantrums and just want to go home. The tickets are expensive and you and your family will want to enjoy the day. I took my kids in October when they were 9 and 10 and it was awesome! During October they were open extended hours (with a purchase of another ticket) for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. Most of the kids were were locals dressed up in costumes. The park gave Mickey Mouse bags when we arrived and had various places where the characters handed out candy. There were no lines on the rides. I wish I had known that before so we wouldn't have waited in line for some of the rides during the day. Based on my friends' advice and my experience, I would wait until the kids are older to take that adventure on.

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