Christmas Disney or Die Guide
I do not like crowds. I find them tolerable, obviously, since Walt Disney World is my favorite place on Earth and it's pretty much always crowded. But I've learned to employ some strategies that help me beat those crowds.
One of those strategies has been to visit Disney in the off season. Christmas is decidedly NOT that.
The first week or two of December tend to be pretty tame and one of my favorite times to be in the park. The Christmas decorations are up, the Christmas entertainment schedule is in swing, and it's nice. But I beat a fast retreat before the week before Christmas hits because the uptick in crowds is noticable. Even when I worked there and could get in for free, I chose not to during the last half of December. It was too crowded for my tastes.
Put succinctly, Christmas Day at Walt Disney World is its own special extra-peak peak season. And if you go into that a little wet behind the ears, you are not going to have a good time. So, I wanted to put together my advice for how to go about it if you are considering a Disney vacation during Christmas Day.
My first piece of advice is consider changing your Disney strategy by doing a cruise.
See what I did there? I took you right out of the parks, didn't I? This is because I'm inclined to avoid them when they are really crowded anyway.
You can still get a very healthy dose of Disney on a Disney Cruise. Some day I'll write about my experience cruising, but for now know that it's pretty amazing. You are treated like royalty. The ship is beautiful, the entertainment excellent, the food is delicious and plentiful. The characters are on board and Disney owns a private island that feels like you fell into a Jimmy Buffet song. The ships absolutely decorate for Christmas, and here's the special thing - once the cabins on a ship sell out, that's it. That's as crowded as it gets (and it's not very crowded). Get your dose of Disney without the crowds.
Cruise not for you? Fine, I tried. My next strategy would be to stay out of the theme parks on Christmas Day.
If you've got to get some Christmas on in the Magic Kingdom, get yourself and family a hard ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on some other day. But on Christmas Day itself, imagine this.
You sleep in a little until the kids wake up. You open presents in the room, then mosey out to the pool for a nice swim with hardly anyone else around. Maybe you catch a little brunch in your home resort. Maybe you hop on the monorail or a bus or boat and explore some other resorts, admiring their themed decorations and Christmas trees. You relax, with your family, in the lovely Florida sunshine.
Nice, right? Getting into the parks on Christmas Day is going to be a race that requires high strategy. Why put yourself through that? You vacationed to make memories with your family. Focus on family on Chirstmas Day.
Can't convince you to stay out of the parks at all? Fine, I tried. If you must go into the parks on Chirstmas Day, I would recommend choosing the least popular park at the time and getting there early.
Right now, that would be Disney Hollywood Studios, but that will likely change when Galaxy's Edge opens. The strategy here is that the least popular park will remain gloriously uncrowded until about noon when people are being turned away from both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT because of capacity. The crowds will move to the third most popular park by force. If you want a relatively uncrowded day, you want to choose the least most popular park, where the crowds will really only start to move once the third most popular park becomes too crowded.
Here are some things I would do at Disney Hollywood Studios if I were there on Christmas Day:
1. Eat at 50s Prime Time Cafe - If you want to get that Christmas dinner feel, this is the place to go. Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle and all your cousins are there to bring the (good-natured) family drama. It's like eating at the kid table again! You'll need to make reservations in advance (for Christmas Day, I recommend doing any ADRs at 7am Eastern Time 180 days ahead).
2. The Frozen Sing Along - You know you want to belt out "Let It Go" at the top of your lungs. Plus, there's a very Christmassy surprise at the end that you won't often see in Florida.
But are you someone who doesn't feel right if they aren't in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day?
Well, good luck to you then. That's not me. But I get it. It's magic upon magic upon magic. If you have to be in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day, here's what you must do:
1. Wake early and be there well before opening. The park will reach capacity within an hour of opening or so and Disney will begin its complicated protocol of turning people away. It will help you not get turned away if you are... a) first there, b) a Disney Resort Guest, c) with an ADR in the park. But none of those things are a guarantee you won't get turned away either. So plan to be there early accordingly and have a backup plan in case you do get turned away.
2. Get an ADR ahead of time (and by that, I mean at 7am Eastern Time 180 days in advance of the first day of your vacation). The Magic Kingdom's restaurants will ALL book up completely on Christmas Day so some flexibility is key. Liberty Tree Tavern is the place I would suggest on Christmas Day if you can get in because of the atmosphere in Liberty Square, and the meal itself which is like a traditional holiday meal served family style. It really feels like Christmas Dinner.
If you can't get in to Liberty Tree Tavern, try to get an ADR anywhere. Really. A lot of people will go for Cinderella's Royal Table, so if you are already not getting into Liberty Tree Tavern, it's very unlikely there will still be openings at Cinderella's Royal Table, so try another place. You will appreciate the change to sit down in a space that you can call "your own" during the course of this very busy day.
3. Get in the mindset that this will be an "experience day" and not likely an "attraction day". Of course you can still get your three FastPass+ and you should. But other than that, lines will be crazy long and it's unlikely more FastPasses will open up once your first three are used. If you are in the Magic Kingdom for Christmas Day, then it is to be assumed you are there because you want the atmosphere, so soak it up. Walk around Main Street. Watch the parade and the fireworks. Rest often. Interact with Cast Members.
4. Commit. If you leave, you will probably not get back in. That capacity thing again.
Other things that are good to do on Christmas Day:
1. Many people recommend trying to get an ADR at Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge. The Pacific Northwest feel of this resort is very Christmassy and might hit the spot for you.
2. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - the monorail loop is great. The monorail is bound to be busy on Christmas Day, but the monorail loop resorts with their various Christmas decorations are really something to see.
3. Make sure you catch the special holiday version of any fireworks shows or parades. A park guide will highlight these for you. My favorite is the "Peace on Earth" tag to "Illuminations".
4. Wherever you choose to be on Christmas Day, bring your patience hat and wear it proudly. Smile at strangers and spread Christmas joy. I find it especially rewarding too to interact with Cast Members in a positive way. Not only is any Cast Member you see on Christmas Day spending their day working and away from family, but many of them are interns that have been away from their family for at least 4 months. International interns may have been away for a year or more, and international interns have really neat stories to tell of how they celebrate in their home countries.
These Cast Members are there because something about what they can do at Disney to make magic is important enough to them to make that sacrifice to be away from their family on Christmas. Don't monopolize someone who is busy (now is not the time to strike up conversation with Mickey Mouse or the person working a busy Quick Service counter), but do strike up friendly conversation.
5. Going hand in hand with #4, make your own magic. You can make magic with your attitude, by being friendly, and by doing nice things for others. There are going to be a lot of people in the park and it can either be a neighborly experience or a grumpy experience. Your own attitude will have a lot to do with how that shakes out for you.
Have you been at Walt Disney World on Christmas Day? What strategies did you employ to get the most out of it and stay sane and how did it go? Tell us in the comments!
