Are we crazy to consider a trip over Christmas?

[connorlevismom]

We are thinking about take a trip to the Orlando area over Christmas and New Years. We are also thinking about going to the Universal Parks from 12/23-12/27. Are we insane?

We have never been to Universal and know nothing about it. We are going to stay in a deluxe hotel so we get the express pass but curious how many days we should look at for staying. Should we do 4 nights/5 days or 3 nights/4 days?

If we book a room with the current buy 2 get 3 free, can we use a few of the days later in the trip when we are staying somewhere else or do they need to be used all in a row?

Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[macraven]

No idea if crowd levels for your dates will be of the level of last years due to covid.

In past years, that time period would be crowded.

You can’t go wrong by booking the premier hotel.
Unlimited usage of the express lines.

 

[Befferk]

We are in Orlando 12/25 - 1/3. We're doing Universal on New Year's Even and New Year's Day (the rest is Disney). We have a one-night stay at RP, so we'll have Express Passes. With limited capacity, the passes, and what I have read, I'm not worried about the crowds.

 

[macraven]

Befferk, what a great way to ring in the new year!
And you get to hit the Darkside and motherland on the same trip!
It will be exciting.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Also, unless the terms are different from the buy 2 get 2 tickets I got, the buy 2 get 3 passes need to be used in a 7 day period, but do not have to be 5 consecutive days.

 

[cfoxga]

We are in Orlando 12/25 - 1/3. We're doing Universal on New Year's Even and New Year's Day (the rest is Disney). We have a one-night stay at RP, so we'll have Express Passes. With limited capacity, the passes, and what I have read, I'm not worried about the crowds.

The EPs do not guarantee short lines, just shorter than the main line. We've had a couple of cases during Thanksgiving where the EP lines were 45+ minutes in the afternoon. We would leave the parks when it was like that, but we were there for 4-5 days. I would imagine that at the New Year it will be extremely crowded, so you definitely will want to go in early with only 2 days in the parks...

 

[macraven]

Only thing I can add is the buy 2 get 3 days free tickets promo has a buy by 6-6-21 date and use by 8-31-21

 

[Laura353741]

Not the same I know but a few years ago we did Disney the week between Christmas & NY. Won't do that again. INSANE crowds. 2 of the days they had to close due to being at capacity. I hate to be a debbie downer I just can't imagine it wouldn't be much different...

 

[cschaaf]

We’ve been a few times on 23 - 25 and, with EP, it’s totally manageable.

We’ve always left on the 26th and you can feel a difference in the crowds just in the hotel lobby. It really seems to get busier each day leading up to Christmas, then the 26th gets slammed. I still think with EP, you could have a good time if you manage your expectations. You won’t have ‘short’ waits, but you can still get a lot done.

 

[connorlevismom]

Not the same I know but a few years ago we did Disney the week between Christmas & NY. Won't do that again. INSANE crowds. 2 of the days they had to close due to being at capacity. I hate to be a debbie downer I just can't imagine it wouldn't be much different...

We won't be doing Disney this trip, just Universal and Discovery Cove/Sea World. I am hoping that with reduced capacity at US and having the EP that will help things.

 

[connorlevismom]

We’ve been a few times on 23 - 25 and, with EP, it’s totally manageable.

We’ve always left on the 26th and you can feel a difference in the crowds just in the hotel lobby. It really seems to get busier each day leading up to Christmas, then the 26th gets slammed. I still think with EP, you could have a good time if you manage your expectations. You won’t have ‘short’ waits, but you can still get a lot done.

Do you think we would be better off waiting until later and go over New Years? We will be in the area until the 3rd of January so can go over the New Years weekend too. We just can't go smack dab in the middle of the trip as we are renting a house on one end of the trip.

 

[cschaaf]

Do you think we would be better off waiting until later and go over New Years? We will be in the area until the 3rd of January so can go over the New Years weekend too. We just can't go smack dab in the middle of the trip as we are renting a house on one end of the trip.

I've never been at that time, but I think any time from 12/25 through 1/3 will be packed at all of the Orlando parks. With EP, the Universal parks are much easier to manage when they are packed than the Disney parks would be, IMO.

 

[beard6]

Hello, my question is slightly different.

Considering Christmas is on a Friday, is going to Universal on the Monday or Tuesday BEFORE likely have smaller crowds? Or is it still insane to go at that time?

 

[macraven]

From what I have read the last years are parks start to get crowds by December 21.

With it being a covid year, would assume there still could be crowds 5 days out from Christmas.

 

[jdrum3]

I would worry more about Disney that time of year without FP. You'll be fine at Universal with EP, but you better get in early park hours line early to get Hagrid as EP will not help you there.

 

[mrstortora]

We are doing close to the same thing. From what I can tell the Dec 26-28 will be the most crowded. We decided to stick to Universal for those days given that at least we will have express passes (staying at HR). Since Disney won't have fast passes and will also have heavy crowds I pushed them toward the end and chose HS for the least busy time we are there (Jan 3/4) since it is the smallest and busiest park. It's already at capacity from 26-1!

 

[LaDonna]

We were researching and highly considering going 12/26 to 1/1(first trip ever to US) but then realized there are no park reservations. Man I don’t know if it’s worth chancing not getting in.

 

[Austen]

We are thinking about take a trip to the Orlando area over Christmas and New Years. We are also thinking about going to the Universal Parks from 12/23-12/27. Are we insane?

We have never been to Universal and know nothing about it. We are going to stay in a deluxe hotel so we get the express pass but curious how many days we should look at for staying. Should we do 4 nights/5 days or 3 nights/4 days?

If we book a room with the current buy 2 get 3 free, can we use a few of the days later in the trip when we are staying somewhere else or do they need to be used all in a row?

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Universal has now announced the things that are cancelled due to Covid and some of the things are pretty major: no parade, no light show in the wizarding world no Grinch show... Don't know if this info affects your decision

 

[connorlevismom]

Universal has now announced the things that are cancelled due to Covid and some of the things are pretty major: no parade, no light show in the wizarding world no Grinch show... Don't know if this info affects your decision

No, that does not matter to us. We don’t generally do those things anyway.