Do you have a visit to Walt Disney World planned for this Christmas season? Are you visiting during the week between Christmas and New Years? If so, then this article is for you. Having enjoyed several Walt Disney World holidays in late December, my family has found that the Christmas/New Year's holidays at Disney can be magical, crazy, crowded, and if you do some careful planning, very, very fun.
At no other time of the year, is careful planning as important as it is during the Holiday Season. So my motto for the best way to plan a Disney vacation is always to plan, plan, and plan some more. While there are a lot of things to consider during a Christmas visit to Disney World, in our years of having visited during the week between Christmas and New Years, there are two very important things that we have found you definitely need to keep in mind...and plan for.
To start, really plan for the weather. If you have never visited Florida in the winter, you may be surprised to find out that Florida is not always sunny and hot! In fact, traveling any time during the winter can be a very cold and uncomfortable surprise if you don't check ahead.
We have visited during the winter and been blessed with sunny days, temps in the 70s, little humidity...weather that is just delightful. BUT, we have also had days where the temperatures never made it out of the 50s during the day, and were in the low 30s at night and in the mornings. And if you combine this with some humidity/dampness and a bit of wind...well it's actually winter-coat wearing weather!
So if an affordable Disney family vacation is your goal, then be sure to look at the weather forecast before you leave home, and pack for the weather. If you need warm clothes, and did not pack them, you do NOT want to pay Disney park prices for sweaters, scarves and gloves.
Secondly, anyone traveling to Disney World during the week between Christmas and New Year's should be aware that this is the busiest week of the year for the Disney parks. You can expect that one or more of the parks will actually close at times during this week. Disney typically does a staggered type of closing schedule where the parks are first closed to non-Disney resort guests, then to Disney guests who have not already been to that park earlier in the day, and finally, to everyone.
So, especially if you are not staying on Disney property, keep this in mind: go early to be certain to get into the park of your choice. Plan to visit those attractions that are a priority (especially those that are very popular) and utilize the Fast Pass system. Expect the big attractions to have all Fast-Passes gone for the day by lunch, and to have stand-by lines of several hours. Be flexible, go with the flow, and above all, have a sense of humor.
If you decide to leave any of the parks, make certain that you can live without necessarily getting back in. While crowds often lessen somewhat in the evenings, on nights like New Years Eve, that is not likely to happen. If you plan to ring in the New Year in one of the parks, then expect to make a very long day of it.
Despite all of this, the holiday season at Walt Disney World is my family's favorite time of year. It is a wonderful and somewhat magical way to create family memories...as long as you know that the best way to plan a Disney vacation during the holidays is to be prepared! - 31515
At no other time of the year, is careful planning as important as it is during the Holiday Season. So my motto for the best way to plan a Disney vacation is always to plan, plan, and plan some more. While there are a lot of things to consider during a Christmas visit to Disney World, in our years of having visited during the week between Christmas and New Years, there are two very important things that we have found you definitely need to keep in mind...and plan for.
To start, really plan for the weather. If you have never visited Florida in the winter, you may be surprised to find out that Florida is not always sunny and hot! In fact, traveling any time during the winter can be a very cold and uncomfortable surprise if you don't check ahead.
We have visited during the winter and been blessed with sunny days, temps in the 70s, little humidity...weather that is just delightful. BUT, we have also had days where the temperatures never made it out of the 50s during the day, and were in the low 30s at night and in the mornings. And if you combine this with some humidity/dampness and a bit of wind...well it's actually winter-coat wearing weather!
So if an affordable Disney family vacation is your goal, then be sure to look at the weather forecast before you leave home, and pack for the weather. If you need warm clothes, and did not pack them, you do NOT want to pay Disney park prices for sweaters, scarves and gloves.
Secondly, anyone traveling to Disney World during the week between Christmas and New Year's should be aware that this is the busiest week of the year for the Disney parks. You can expect that one or more of the parks will actually close at times during this week. Disney typically does a staggered type of closing schedule where the parks are first closed to non-Disney resort guests, then to Disney guests who have not already been to that park earlier in the day, and finally, to everyone.
So, especially if you are not staying on Disney property, keep this in mind: go early to be certain to get into the park of your choice. Plan to visit those attractions that are a priority (especially those that are very popular) and utilize the Fast Pass system. Expect the big attractions to have all Fast-Passes gone for the day by lunch, and to have stand-by lines of several hours. Be flexible, go with the flow, and above all, have a sense of humor.
If you decide to leave any of the parks, make certain that you can live without necessarily getting back in. While crowds often lessen somewhat in the evenings, on nights like New Years Eve, that is not likely to happen. If you plan to ring in the New Year in one of the parks, then expect to make a very long day of it.
Despite all of this, the holiday season at Walt Disney World is my family's favorite time of year. It is a wonderful and somewhat magical way to create family memories...as long as you know that the best way to plan a Disney vacation during the holidays is to be prepared! - 31515
About the Author:
Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World (and doing it affordably) for over ten years, and has had 11 (and counting) family trips to Walt Disney World. To learn how to plan an affordable Disney family vacation, and to get a free Disney vacation planning bonus, visit The Affordable Mouse.
