We are planning our fist ever trip to Disney this year between Dec 22/07 and Jan 2/08. ; I have read on so many other boards that this is the worst time to go as it is very very crowded and long line ups for the rides. ; Has anyone been at this time of year and is it true?? I dont want to ruin it for my kids as this is their first time there. ; Please tell me that it is not that bad during Dec-Jan.... ; Please.... Please....
I haven't been there at that time, but I have heard it is very busy, even more so than in the summer. http://www.allearsnet.com/ has lists of the best times of year to go and tons of useful info (I suggest reading all of it), but sometimes with kids in school you can only go at certain times. You can go to http://www.touringplans.com or http://www.tourguidemike.com to get detailed itineraries designed to get you on the best rides with minimal wait times, especially during the busy times of year. (You have to pay for them, but from what I've heard it is worth the price).
In all honesty is probably is one of the busiest times to go as far as all the info I have heard and read. ; I haven't been to Disney that time of year either, but I really don't think that it will be that bad. ; People do it all the time and probably with younger kids than you have which would be much harder. ; I don't think there will be people shoving and pushing or certainly no one will be a bad mood. ; I did hear that one year they did close the gates to Magic Kingdom on Jan 31 because they had met their quota of people. ; But those are the breaks I guess. ; It doesn't matter what time of year you go, some rides will be busier than others. ; If you kids have not gone before, I bet Xmas time is the best time of year to go. ; Not only can they enjoy the magical things at Disney, but they also get to enjoy the Magic of Christmas at Disney. ; Lines may get long for rides, but just make sure you can get FastPasses with your entry tickets. ; Then you will be able to plan while you are in the park. ; By the way, if I had kids, I don't think I would hesitate to take them during Christmas at all. ; What an opportunity.
The Magic Kingdom closed its doors three time last Christmas week due to crowds. They reopened later in the afternoon, so the crowds can be large. If you do plan on going especially on Christmas day or New Years Eve ; show up early and plan on staying for the duration. I was there the second week in December in 2005 and the crowds were very low we walked on most rides or only had a 10-15 minute wait on the more popular ones. It was still a magical time all the decorations were up including the ones at the resorts and all the Christmas shows were running. If you do go on the busiest days go to EPCOT it can take the largest crowds and I don't think has ever closed. (but don't quote me on that one)
I have been there a couple times at that time. (once as a tourist and once as a CM) It is extremely busy. Make sure you have patience when waiting in line. Don't plan to do Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. I remember it closing at 10am the year I was a CM! It would be a good day to any of the other parks though. On the flip side, WDW is so pretty at Christmas Time. Special events go on for New Years, and everyone is in a pretty good mood. I would love to take my family to WDW one year at Christmas time. The kids would have the time of their lives. We went at Halloween two years ago and it was a blast.
