Thanksgiving or Christmas Break?

[BraveMom3]

This past Thanksgiving was our first trip during a holiday break. We always go for a couple weeks as soon as school is out (May/June). We stayed 5 nights, Wed-Mon, and was able to enjoy lots of the Christmas holiday activities, but it sure was hard getting back to work/school that Tuesday a.m.!! I was thinking of trying a trip between Christmas and New Years this year so we would have a break before and after the trip. Any advice? How are the crowds during this time? Keep in mind that I am used to eary June crowds.

Thanks!!

148 days and counting!

 

[drusba]

As far as crowds go, if you have gone Thanksgiving and early June, then you ain't seen nothing yet. Christmas week is the time of year you actually face the issue of parks, particularly MK, reaching capacity. One way to describe it is to picture yourself at 11 a.m. at the base of Main Street looking down it towards the castle. You will not see the street, you will not see the sidewalks. All you will see is bobbing heads stacked next to each other. Another way to look at it is to consider that even Swiss Family Treehouse (the most lame attraction at MK) has an hour or longer line most of the day and night. Of course, you do get lots of Christmas activities and decorations (even Santa Claus shows up at some resorts) and park hours are generally long (even Epcot increases to 9:30 or 10; and on New Years Eve you go to 1). As someone who has been there before and therefore will not be concerned if you are unable to get on something, you may want to try it once to experience the full Disney Christmas effect. If you do, you should consider PS's mandatory for dinner if you want to go to a sit down restaurant.

 

[BraveMom3]

drusba,

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll stick to the Thanksgiving trip, and try to be better prepared. This year is the first time I've worked a "real job" for someone else in about 10 years, so I've had alot of adjusting to do!! Your description is not very appealing to me, especially when I'm trying to keep up with three kids.





147 days 'til 14 glorious nights !!!

 

[Gottalovedisney]

We've never been at Thanksgiving, but just returned on the 29th from a 7 day trip. I've got three children, ages 7 & 12 year old twins. The first couple days weren't bad, we got to the MK at 8:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve day and there were only 10 minute waits for the Mountains, Buzz, and the other biggies. By noon it was a mob scene and it stayed that way.The big influx of people seemed to arrive late Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day. We found BIG crowds at Epcot on Christmas Day, 2 hour waits for just about everything by 10:00 a.m. (they actually closed the MK from 10 - 1 on Christmas Day). The next couple days we did MGM & Animal Kingdom, again LONG waits by 11:00 a.m. We tried going back to MK on the 28th and couldn't get on anything without at 2 1/2 hour wait, even an hour for Swiss Family Robinson. The lines to meet the Characters were just as long!!! Even with fastpass there was plenty we couldn't get to. When I say a mob scene, imagine a 12 year old almost in tears because we couldn't walk ANYWHERE! The crowd level is indescribable, very scary at times. I even got a little freaked out a few times. Needless to say, we're planning the next trip for the end of October. We did have a wonderful, magical time but would prefer to do it with about 50,000 less people! Good luck!