I always do ship-to-store when that's an option, since it means no S&H fees and it often doesn't take as long. But I agree that there may be a heavier workload the closer we get to the Christmas holiday, with people trying to get their shopping started or done.
When they restocked the exclusives online, I put my order in on 10/20 and got the email that they were shipped on 10/27. I'm just waiting for the email telling me they're at the store.