[LEAKYSEALS951]

Try to get there early. Of course a christmas trip might involve being there at night to see the lights- so this might not apply.

If your decide to eat in the carriage house for lunch (basically, the big garage to the right of the main house), get there before lunchtime. It gets pretty crowded around peak lunch hours. Perhaps try a brunch/earlier in the a.m. This may or may not apply during off season.

If you are into wine, there is a completely separate winery on another part of the lawns. It is surrounded by some other shops and exhibits. Consider allotting some time in the afternoon to go visit that site. It is not accessible by foot from the main house. You drive there.

Finally, check online to see what other events are happening on the grounds (if any) when you go. We went this summer, and by chance they were having a Ferrari convention that day. I lost count of the ferrari's driving in at about 15, and was bummed I hadn't allotted time to go visit that.