Christmas in Orlando
 

Hi everyone.

We are planning our family holiday (from Wales). We arrive in Orlando Xmas Eve at 20:30. Not a problem. What to do for Christmas Day is though. We have tinkered with the idea of going to the Magic Kingdom for Christmas day, but are unsure as to whether it will be TOO busy or if it will be so magical as not to miss it.

Failing that does anyone know of anywhere open where we could all go for Xmas lunch/Dinner?

Any ideas for New Years Eve would also be advantageous.

Also interested in any British Pubs (as it is my husbands birthday on New Years Eve Eve) where a good celebratory drink can be enjoyed.

Yours Hopefully

The Magic Kingdom will be a zoo Christmas Day and is often closed down due to maximum capacity so I would say that for another day. What type of food do you like or want to try. The resorts at WDW have some great, nice restaurants so give me an idea of what you had in mind and I'll be happy to give some suggestions.

Hi

We like all kinds of food, there will be 5 adults and two children, 7 and 3, so nothing too spicy. Ideas of traditional american and traditional british would be good if you know of any?

Many Thanks

We were there with 12 other family members on Christmas Day two years ago.

We opened our presents under a palm tree at the pool (All Star Music) while everyone was running by us to get to the parks. A woman who was Jewish sat with us and enjoyed the unwrapping! It was a great experience!

We ate at the brunch buffet at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary before we went to the Magic Kingdom. The park was crazy, but we had a blast!

One place where we've had Christmas dinner with a group is Ohana's in the Polynesian Hotel-it's a Hawaiian restaurant with different types of grilled meats and sides. They do special activities for the kids too to keep them occupied (hula contests,etc.) For something really nice, the California Grill on top of the Contemporary Resort is wonderful and it has a wonderful view of the MK at night. You'll definately have to hit the Rose and Crown in EPCOT's England to decide it it's truly authentic English food-at the very least you can enjoy a good beer under the Florida sun!

We have been to the Rose and Crown at Epcot 2 years ago. Enjoyed it soo much that my husband plans to spend his birthday sat outside drinking whilst the rest of the family take on the park.

Any other ideas or experiences would be gratefully received.

Any further help would be gratefully received if there is anybody out there !!!

Most restaurants that serve the Disney crowd will be open. We did Xmas on Magic K one year and it was a madhouse. Enough of a mess to overule the 'magic'. New years we tried once in Universal Studios and another one in Epcot. On these three ocassions the parks were closed by 10:00 am since they had reached full capacity. Go early if you want to get in! I recommend Epcot for New Year over the other parks, it has more standing room.

Come on guys, is there anyone out there who has got any more info for me on where to eat on Christmas Day? We really want to have a sit down meal with the family at around 13:00 and need to know where we could go and what the dress code would be.

Thanks in anticipation

Gosh, I wish I could help. Maybe search and post on chowhound.com for suggestions.

One idea is for a Southern style all-you-can-eat cafeteria but you would have to drive 40 minutes on I-4 west to Buddy Freddy's. It's far from fancy but would probably be memorable for a family from Wales. It's a big place so you would definitely get in. Whether or not any place is open on Christmas is up in the air, be sure to call ahead.

Thanks for the info will look into it.

Any more suggestions gratefully accepted

For dining ideas you may want to check www.allearsnet.com. In their Dining section they list the menus for all restaurants in WDW. They also have a section for special Christmas menus. The Christmas menus currently listed are from 2003 - not sure when the 2004 list will be posted (shouldn't be too different though). Most restaurants take reservations 90 days before, so you should book soon. We have a family group of 20 going to WDW the week before Christmas (leaving Xmas Day for the Coast) and we are having our Christmas meal at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue on Christmas Eve. I know it's cheesy and not fancy, but it should be fun.
I would stay away from Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day (although any days the week after Christmas are going to be busy). You might want to relax and spend the day touring some of the resorts, looking at some of the wonderful Christmas decorations. Enjoy!

I have read that, while Christmas day itself is jam-packed, the interval between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the least-crowded times of the year at Disney. I can't vouch for it personally, but that's what I've read.

If pricey is okay, I'd go with Victoria and Alberts at the Grand Floridian for a "fancy" Xmas dinner. The decor is spectacular at the GF for the holidays.
I think I'd spend New Year's Eve at Epcot.
Where are you staying?

Thank you all.

We are staying in kissimee in a villa, so following christmas lunch and dependant on weather we may spend the rest of the day lounging by the pool.

Lovely!

Along with my recommendation for the Grand Florian (Victoria and Alberts) for Christmas dinner, I wanted to mention that the Yacht and Beach Club would also have a nice holiday spread. The Boardwalk area would be fun for one evening that week, as well. And I think there is walking access to Epcot from one end.

Also, if you have a party of 10 or more, be sure to mention it to the reservationist. There is some special code they use for "Magical Gatherings" that gets you some sort of VIP treatment.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Post your restaurant question on the Restaurants section of disboards.com.

hi Phamans,not sure if you will check this or not. but as no email attached I thought it worth a try. Interested to know how you got on. We will be in Orlando this new years eve for 10 days. would love to know how the crowds were and the name of the villas and if you would recommend them. We will be arriving 28Dec. we have been to Orlando once before, it was in March and the park was perfect, no crowds. We are also wondering what to do for New years? 2 adults & 17 & 19 yr olds from Australia.