January 2-4, give me your best tips!

[mickeyfan0805]

We are WDW vets and just did Disneyland last summer, so we are familiar with many of the basics. We are taking the kids back to SoCal for a surprise trip after Christmas, however, and I am very aware of the difference we will note in crowds (last trip was in the third week of June). We are pushing it as far beyond Christmas as possible, but will still be on the tail end of Christmas break. So, in looking to manage the much heavier crowds, what are your tips??

 

[Gaugersaurus]

You'll still be in the blockout for most of the DLR APs so they won't be adding to crowds. The biggest crowds are generally the week between Christmas and New Years. The crowds can be difficult to predict though so you could have days that are less busy than when you went in June and days that are crazy crowded.

 

[twodogs]

We were there this year, January 2-6. We have gone at Halloween time, right before Christmas, spring (April and May but not Easter). I felt this was the most crowded we had experienced, but still not unmanageable. We didn’t make RD every day, but we made some, and we did the 7am EMH/MM when they offered it. We used MP every day and it really helped a lot. I think MP is a must if you can afford it! Standby lines were longer than we were used to, as were some FP return lines, but again, manageable. We tried not to ride much standby, because even Ariel’s had a 20-25 minute wait and looped all around outside the ride, which I had never seen.

It was a fun time to go because all the Christmas decorations were still up, and we got to eat all the good food and drink all the drinks for the festival that was going on that time of year at DCA. We stayed at the GCH and got to see the gingerbread house too!

Pack in layers because the temperature varied a lot from RD to mid afternoon. Bring rain gear and hope that you don’t need it.

Overall, for getting to see the holiday theming, holiday parade and Haunted Mansion Holiday (my DD’s favorite ride with the overlay of all time), this was a much better time to go than the days right before and after Christmas. Have fun!!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

It will be very crowded, APs or no APs. Many schools are not back in session at that time, so there will still be lots of families vacationing/visiting DLR. The holiday decorations will still be up, IASWH and HMH will still be going, so many fans will want to see those before the end of Holiday Time. How SWGE will affect the mix is anyone's guess at this point. Keep following this board, especially as Holiday Time starts in November, for the latest updates and tips/stragegies for managing the crowds. Then make your plans, bring your patience and a positive attitude, and get ready to have a great time!

 

[cindyland]

Funny, we just started talking about Jan 5-7. We would probabaly only catch holiday stuff on Sunday (Haunted Mansion), but hoping for smaller crowds. Anyone have experience going right after Christmas when most kids will be back in school?

 

[ellamama]

Funny, we just started talking about Jan 5-7. We would probabaly only catch holiday stuff on Sunday (Haunted Mansion), but hoping for smaller crowds. Anyone have experience going right after Christmas when most kids will be back in school?

I think a lot of school districts now have the last week of Dec/first week of January off. My (elementary-school-aged) kids have the week of New Year's off every year -- next year they don't go back to school until January 7.

 

[ninergrl6]

We are WDW vets and just did Disneyland last summer, so we are familiar with many of the basics. We are taking the kids back to SoCal for a surprise trip after Christmas, however, and I am very aware of the difference we will note in crowds (last trip was in the third week of June). We are pushing it as far beyond Christmas as possible, but will still be on the tail end of Christmas break. So, in looking to manage the much heavier crowds, what are your tips??

As always, I recommend going early in the morning, leave the parks midday when it gets crowded, and go back after sundown. If you can afford it, the holiday tour is WONDERFUL. In addition to a guided tour in both parks, you go to the front of the line on at least 2 rides (Haunted Mansion Holiday and Small World Holiday), get a commemorative pin and snacks (peppermint marshmallow wands in DCA and Mickey gingerbread + hot chocolate in a souvenir mug in Disneyland), and at the end get a reserved seat (in a padded chair!) for the holiday parade. It was well worth the price IMO, but I was only paying for myself, not a whole family.

 

[twodogs]

Funny, we just started talking about Jan 5-7. We would probabaly only catch holiday stuff on Sunday (Haunted Mansion), but hoping for smaller crowds. Anyone have experience going right after Christmas when most kids will be back in school?

Most schools will still be out during the early part of January when you would need to go to see the decorations, the overlays, etc. So you can wait until after the first week and a half after New Years and have the kids back in school, or you can see all of the holiday stuff and a bunch of kids too.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

There really is no "low crowd" time during peak Holiday Time at DLR. Trying to second guess crowds and school calendars is a sure way to stress yourself out. Christmas Week and the week after New Year's will be crowded. Period. Which doesn't mean that you can't have a great trip to DLR -- it just means that you will need to have good planning and organization, lots of patience, and a positive attitude.

 

[cindyland]

My daughter suggested we go week of Jan 11, after all of the holiday stuff has ended, maybe we'll see more of the new Galaxy's Edge. And she was the main one who usually wants to go at Christmas to see Haunted Mansion! It doesn't really matter to me, I'll just be happy to take my grandson on his first trip to Disneyland!

 

[Ed597]

We are WDW vets and just did Disneyland last summer, so we are familiar with many of the basics. We are taking the kids back to SoCal for a surprise trip after Christmas, however, and I am very aware of the difference we will note in crowds (last trip was in the third week of June). We are pushing it as far beyond Christmas as possible, but will still be on the tail end of Christmas break. So, in looking to manage the much heavier crowds, what are your tips??

I’ve gone during this time and it’s a great time to go ! The festival of the holidays is still going ! There are snacks Galore to try! And in DCA they have all the food booths ! Depending on your preference you can research all the food options and plan out what you want to try before you enter the park, or just explore what they have that day as your walking past. They have some seasonal overlays. If your normally WDW visitors definitely spend the money on the max pass plus or what ever they call it. You can schedule them on your phone with the Disneyland app. It is a much better way than WDW does it. However just like WDW if you go early it’s easier to get on the popular rides ! And sometimes if you stay later the wait times are shorter but I noticed not always at night. I recommend watching the facade on its a small world when they light it up. And if the crowds are insane in front of the castle for the fireworks the second best spot is in front of small world, you’ll be able to see 90% of the fireworks from there. If your staying multiple nights you can try it from there first. Then maybe Color of wonder the next night in DCA ( that was still down this Jan) and your last night in front of the Castle? The decorations are done really well ! I was tired one night so I rode the train back to the front, but it was Too hard to leave ! The crowds were down and the place was all light up. So I walked around taking pictures. It is a Magical time to go to Disneyland! The only way to make a holiday trip to Disneyland better is if you go one of the days they do the Candlelight Procession. I was able to stand and watch the second show and it was MIND BLOWING ! The quality of the choirs and orchestras and the acoustics and the lighting!!! I was in town for work,I heard it’s a good show so why not try and see it, they only do it for 2 days. It was worth the standing in line for overflow viewing or what ever they call it. But if you have small kids idk how they would be able to handle the wait ? Unless they’re in a stroller lol. If you’ve already went in the summer it’s a must do at the holidays. I have not been during Halloween but maybe you can try that the next year?