Christmas week trip offsite - any tips?

[elaine amj]

I need help I am experienced at Disney but we just decided to go for a trip over Christmas and really need help.

We’re staying offsite so will need all the strategies available. I have used Genie+ a couple of times but still struggling with maximizing it.

I sm still struggling with WDW post-covid as it has changed so much. I am so used to knowing how long a line will be at any given ride at various times and now all my estimates are wrong as times have indeed changed.

We plan on rope drops (although we will be half hour behind onsite folks), afternoon breaks, and utilizing the last hour of each day for shorter lines.

Struggling with dining too - I’ve made a couple of reservations so far. I’ve done Christmas before (in 2014 and 2019) but feeling pretty overwhelmed.

 

[ceeceegee]

Love a Disney Christmas trip!! We went over Christmas in 2020 and stayed at Orange Lake offsite. We decided in advance what our collective top 3 rides were and did those first. Then everything else above and beyond was gravy. We'd let my nieces (8 and 9 at the time) decide what we did next and it was so fun and they loved getting to direct the show lol. We focused much more on being together in a magical place rather than racking up rides.

I would keep trying for a few afternoon or early evening dining reservations as it was nice to get out of the crowds and sit down to plan what to do next.

Granted this was before G+ but this is how I'd approach if going this year.

 

[liquid17]

We decided in advance what our collective top 3 rides were and did those first. Then everything else above and beyond was gravy.

Sound advice. I am going to add these quotes to my own planning pages!!

We focused much more on being together in a magical place rather than racking up rides.