What is Disney World like on Christmas day?

We're here to tell you: you can have a great trip at Christmas. It will be different from a trip in the off-season, and the crowds will be huge, but there are some nice compensations, like lots of shows and holiday parades, special fireworks displays, longer park hours and beautiful decorations.



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The holiday season surrounding Christmas and extending to New Year's is typically a very busy time at theme parks that are open during the winter season. With kids out of school, and many adults off of work, people flock to the parks, create above average wait times.

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The best way to make sure you're prepared for weather in Orlando in December is to show up with both summer clothes and winter trip clothes such as: Cold weather gear– consider packing hats, long sleeve shirts, pants, tennis shoes, and coat in case of cold weather during your trip.

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As a general rule of thumb, Disney World is busy and crowded during Christmastime. This makes no difference even if you do decide to pick on of the weeks in early December.

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The Christmas Party is an after-hours event, meaning that the Magic Kingdom closes at 6 pm to all except those who have party tickets.

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There is more to see and do during the Christmas season at Walt Disney World, and most people are not taking 3-day vacations. Even though Disneyland edges it in several regards, Walt Disney World handily beats it in terms of hours of Christmas entertainment (probably by a 2:1 margin).

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Can you swim in December? Even though it may be too cold to swim in December where you live, at Disney World the pools are heated which means even if the air is a bit chilly, the pools are still a comfortable temperature. In addition to the pools at the resorts, at least 1 of Disney's 2 water parks will remain open.

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Off-peak times fall around January, February, September, and early November. Discounts on vacation packages booked directly through Disney (which combine park tickets and hotel stays) can be found year-round, though they're most common at these less-crowded times.

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In a nutshell, weekends are now the slowest days of the week at Walt Disney World! Year to date, the average wait time across all of Walt Disney World is 44 minutes on Monday, which has been the busiest day of the week. By contrast, Saturday has seen an average wait time of 39 minutes and Sunday is 38 minutes.

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Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is an event with a limited amount of tickets. That means that the Magic Kingdom will never be as busy during a party as it will on the crowded day. That said, the nature of the party means that crowds will be concentrated around the events, especially the parade and fireworks.

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When is Disney World the MOST crowded?
  • Easter (both the week before and the week after typically have increased crowds)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Indigenous Peoples' Day (2nd Monday in October)
  • Veterans' Day (November 11)
  • Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November)
  • Christmas week through January 1.


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Typically, the least crowded times at Disney World tend to be:
  • Mid to Late January through early February: The holiday season has ended, and many families are not traveling because school is in session.
  • Mid-May: There aren't any holidays during this time, and not as many families travel in the final weeks of school.


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If you're looking to plan a Disney World vacation, there's a wide range of prices available to you. For a family of three or four, you'll probably want to assume you're spending at least $3500, with $5000-6000 being a comfortable amount, and $10000 being enough to make anyone's dreams come true.

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December is one of the busiest times of year for Disney World, and, as such, sees the highest average ticket prices. The most expensive day to visit Disney World at the end of the year is, again, not a surprise, the period of time right before Christmas until New Year's Eve.

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The cheapest time to go to Disney World is January, with prices increasing from the end of January into Presidents Day weekend. Once that weekend passes, the cheapest times are July through mid-September and a few scattered dates—particularly at Value Hotels—in October through December.

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