Vote of the week: Will you be visiting a theme park for the holidays?

November 6, 2009, 12:05 PM · Now that Halloween's over for another year, the nation's top theme parks are turning their attention toward Christmas.

Osborne Family Christmas Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Sure, the year-round parks will enjoy a crush of visitors around Thanksgiving weekend, and parks near college bowl games will stay filled through New Year's, but Christmas provides the focus for the next two months at the nation's top theme parks.

But will you be going?

That's the question that parks are wondering now, and the we are asking in this week's vote. The industry's financial performance this year has been dismal, matching much of the rest of the economy, and park managers fear that even if visitors do show up, they won't spend like in years past.

So what are your holiday travel plans? Tell us the details in the comments, please. Will you be visiting a theme park between now and New Year's? If you won't, why not? If you will, where will you be going and how will your trip compare with previous years'?

Thanks, again, for reading Theme Park Insider, and have a great weekend!

Replies (22)

November 6, 2009 at 12:17 PM · THC will be reporting on TPI LIVE from EPCOT!
November 6, 2009 at 12:17 PM · I can't go too far for the holidays this year, but luckily Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is going to be doing their first ever ChristmasTown celebration. We're going to do the dining with Santa thing for the niece and hopefully catch some of the cool shows and get some good wintry snacks. Something about fried bananas foster. mmmmm. Griffon may also be open depending on the weather, but that's not a deal breaker for me.
November 6, 2009 at 12:24 PM · We will be checking out BGW Christmas Town one weekend.
November 6, 2009 at 12:45 PM · Sadly no x-mas trips this year. We went to wdw/universal/BGT last year and had a GREAT time, only wish we had money to do it every year!!!

Look forward to picture's/video's to see the fun I'm missing.

November 6, 2009 at 1:32 PM · I'll be visiting the Ferrari Experience Theme Park in Abu Dhabi this Christmas. It's always nice to visit a brand new park when it's just opened.
November 6, 2009 at 1:32 PM · We're going to Florida from the UK on the 30th November for 2 weeks. We're staying at a Disney hotel for the first time ever. In the past we have always stayed off site. We'll be hitting all of the Disney parks, Universal and Seaworld. Taking my two boys aged 3 and 18mths and couldn't be more excited. Nan and Grandad are coming too so built in babysitters for a night out. Shame there's no more pleasure island because I just loved the adventurers club. Looks like it'll be Citywalk. Also looking forward to the T rex cafe at Downtown Disney as we last visited in 2007 before it arrived. Cant wait for Mickeys Merry Christmas Party and my forst view of the castle......Here we Come
November 6, 2009 at 2:26 PM · Lucky for me, the parks will be all decked out for the holidays in time for my birthday next week! Now to convince my husband to go to MVMCP using the military discount. ;)
November 6, 2009 at 5:13 PM · I will be hitting BGW for Christmastown at least twice since it is my home park. This will also be my second time going to the parks in Orlando for Christmas, only 5 more weeks til that trip.
November 6, 2009 at 7:25 PM · I'll be headed to Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas in early December. Dazzling lights, great shows, wonderful food, and delectable hot chocolate are all part of a joyous Christmas festival. If you live in the Midwest, you owe it to yourself to visit SDC during the holidays!
November 6, 2009 at 8:37 PM · unfortunately, increasing prices from parking lots to admission, does not agree with decreasing salaries and curent econemy.
November 6, 2009 at 9:46 PM · I will be having breakfast with the Grinch in December at Universal Orlando with my fiance and future step-kids. I will be using the Universal restaurant pass to eat and ride the Cat in the Hat with the kids, then leave before we have to pay and head to Sea World where we all have passes.
November 6, 2009 at 9:51 PM · I go every year to Disney World for both Halloween and Christmas. Not this year, can't afford it.
November 6, 2009 at 10:20 PM · i will be heading to BGW for christmas town But it will seem really strange not riding or seeing BBW
November 7, 2009 at 7:17 AM · Mrs. THC was at the MK last night for the cast preview of the Christmas parade. She RAVED about it this morning "It's BEEEEEYOOOOOTEEEEEFULLLLLLLL!"
November 7, 2009 at 7:56 AM · No Christmas events around here to go to....although I continue to have visions of hopping a plane to Florida this December.
November 7, 2009 at 9:04 AM · My grandmother form Hong Kong is coming, and she hasn't been in the U.S. in over 18 years. So we're going to take her to the WDW and Universal parks during the Thanksgiving holidays. But this visit I'm going to be taking it easy(as in not trying to hit every ride) because during the spring semester, I'll be doing the Disney College Program.
November 7, 2009 at 4:29 PM · Let see... I will be going to Walt Disney World's Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, Seaworld holdays, Universal's macy's, Islands of Adventure Grinchmas, and Busch gardens too
November 7, 2009 at 10:42 PM · I will be going to Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas the last two weekends of November and many times between Dec 26-Jan 2. I've been going now for 19 of the parks 20 seasons for the festival and love it!
November 9, 2009 at 3:28 AM · Ill be heading to WDW for Christmas this year..Planning on going between Thanksgiving and Christmas..Nothing like free admission to the parks (Thanks to Family) But really just want to go to MK and check out Space Mtn. Rehab, ANd see the Castle..
November 9, 2009 at 6:14 AM · A person should go right after Thanksgiving if they want to enjoy a theme park. All of the christmas decorations are usually up and the crowds are small, so you have them to yourself. If you go during the holidays, the crowds can ruin the experience. It is worth it to get the kids out of school for a few days.
November 9, 2009 at 10:28 AM · My family will be spending Christmas week in Disney for the first time. Buy since I know how the crowds are gonna get, on Christmas Day we are not going to the theme park, we will be doing something else.
November 9, 2009 at 12:30 PM · As usual, we will be holding off until Jan 3rd for our yearly Disney trip. Holiday travel is too expensive and the 1st week of Jan is pretty empty and very reasonable.

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