Surviving the Biggest Crowds of the Year at Magic Kingdom
Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World decorated for Christmas
Before I met my husband you couldn’t pay me to set foot near Disney World the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I adored that sweet spot just after Thanksgiving but before schools let out when everything was decorated and all of Walt Disney World was enveloped in the Christmas spirit. But when you have kids in school and are married to a teacher, your vacations are scheduled around school breaks, with everyone else on earth. Are Christmas crowds insane? Absolutely! Would I choose to go at another time if our schedules allowed? Without a doubt. Is there something extra magical about being on property for the holidays? You bet there is! Can you do it without losing your mind? With a little planning and managed expectations, you sure can!
The Main Street Philharmonic gathers a crowd to sing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.
Manage your expectations. This is not the trip for 4 Parks-1 Day, and you will not be setting any “most rides in a day” records. Everything will be slow, from getting to the park to getting food and loading onto rides. Embrace the slow pace. Notice the details. Magic Kingdom feels as magical as it does because of the incredible attention to detail put into every facet of your experience.
Plan ahead for meals. Dining reservations are an absolute must if you want a sit-down meal and mobile ordering will be your saving grace during the busy season, but even then waits for food can be long. Disney is incredibly lenient when it comes to bringing in your own food, and the busy holiday week is the best time to take advantage of that. We travel with a stroller so it’s very easy for us to pack a backpack cooler with drinks, snacks, and sandwiches. If you don’t want to carry that around all day, you could rent a locker. When it comes time to eat, I like to head to the hub, find a spot on the grass, and take in the views of the castle while enjoying our lunch and allowing the kids some time to run around.
Take a midday break. I suggest leaving the park for a much-needed reset. This could mean returning to your hotel, but if you would rather not wander that far, head to one of the Magic Kingdom resorts. The resorts are much more relaxed than the parks. Grab a cocktail, let the kids run around on the playground, and be sure to check out all of the elaborate Christmas decorations. At this time of year, a stop at Grand Floridian is a must. You may have seen their larger-than-life gingerbread house on social media, but you have to experience it in person at least once.
Visit less popular attractions. Do you find your days at Magic Kingdom are spent running from headliner to headliner? This is the time to slow down and enjoy things like Tom Sawyer’s Island, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and County Bears Jamboree. These are Disney classics and are too often overlooked by people trying to fit in all the major attractions.
Skip rope drop. I know this is against every piece of Disney advice you have ever gotten but skip rope drop. If you are looking to “do it all” then yes, rope drop is a must. But if you are looking to slow down and enjoy the magic of the season, skip it. I am not a morning person and although my kids get up early, they don’t generally like to hit the ground running. They like screen time and playtime in the morning. Depending on the weather, they like some pool time after breakfast. To rush them out the door would start our day at a level of stress that is simply unnecessary. Remember, this is vacation, slow down and enjoy it!
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