What's up first week of Dec?

[Aaryana]

I keep reading that the first 2 weeks of December aren't overly crowded, but I haven't been able to get hardly any of the dining reservations my mom and I want for our trip. Is there something missing that's going to make that week crowded? I started trying to get them at 180 days. The next week, a lot more seems to be available but isn't as feasible for us to go. Am I going to have the same problem with fast passes?

 

[Em's GiGi]

I wish I could tell you! We're going the same week and I was shocked at how few of my ressies I could get!!

I've persisted and been able to get most of them - but not all!!- but not on the days I wanted. I'm still juggling things and fussing around with it. For a week when crowds are predicted to be under 4 all week, it's just inexplicable.

 

[sharonabe]

If you're talking about the 4-10th, that is Pop Warner week, but they don't usually take up ADRs. That's a little late for the free dining that ends on the 28th to be messing things up.

Now if you're arriving on the 1st and staying, then free dining is indeed messing with your plans.

 

[anniemae]

I was just going to say Pop Warner, like the PP. We went the last week of Nov one year (it was after Thanksgiving because for some reason Thanksgiving was early that year) and we left on Dec 1st. As we were leaving, all the pop warner kids were arriving at our resort.

 

[Em's GiGi]

Yes, we're booked Nov 28 to Dec 5 (free dining, whoo hoo!), And purposefully trying to avoid any pop Warner craziness But jeez....I guess the only serious lines will be in the restaurants!

 

[TAK]

OP, that's too bad! I hope you have better luck as time goes by.

I'm there Dec. 3 - 10 and to be honest I didn't have any trouble with my ADRs, even for harder to get ones like CRT and BOG. I put the tougher ones at the end of my stay to maximize my chances, but it wasn't hard. So I have hope yours will come around.

It is Pop Warner week, but frankly I can't imagine them impacting ADRs all that much.

 

[TAK]

What size group are you trying to book for, btw?

 

[dreiwhit]

Are you trying to get ADRs for restaurants at the resorts, or in the parks?

I've been told the resorts are packed that week because of Pop Warner, but the parks aren't bad.

 

[Hessie628]

I was there Dec 1-5 last year. We booked our trip very late (October) and got very few ADRs. My brother , his wife, son, and my parents were supposed to go. They tried to book around this time last year and got Chef Mickey's for lunch and Ohana breakfast. They were unable to get anything else at the time. We took their reservations so we were happy with that. We did notice the parks were more crowded than in the past when we have gone the same time, but manageable. Keep checking for ADRs. Good luck.

 

[CynBeth]

We will be there on 12/2 and were able to get all ADRs we wanted including hard to get ones but had trouble with a Tony's dinner. I kept checking and it opened up last week around the time that CP dining packages were released. Good luck!

 

[JZCubed]

I keep reading that the first 2 weeks of December aren't overly crowded, but I haven't been able to get hardly any of the dining reservations my mom and I want for our trip. Is there something missing that's going to make that week crowded? I started trying to get them at 180 days. The next week, a lot more seems to be available but isn't as feasible for us to go. Am I going to have the same problem with fast passes?

Free dining fills the 1-credit Table Service restaurants.

 

[sharonabe]

Free dining fills the 1-credit Table Service restaurants.

Except free dining ends on Nov 28, and the first full week of Dec starts on Dec 4. People checking in on the 28th probably aren't staying through that first full week, so that doesn't explain the difficulty unless OP is arriving earlier than the 4th.

 

[areno79]

I was thinking it was just me, because we only booked our trip a week ago. We'll be there from Dec 2-10. I wondered if I was having such a hard time because there are only 2 of us. I've been shutout of Sci-Fi (one of our must-do's!), Ohana, and BOG so I keep checking for those. Hoping as time goes by there will be more availability as people change their plans. I did randomly get a decent Chef Mickey's time tonight, so happy about that!

 

[Tonberry]

We went around the same time last year and got most of what we wanted at our 180+ day. The weeks after that, very little was left.

So I have a theory.
On our way back to the Poly on the bus, we passed by the MK parking lot, and it was nearly empty! Yet there were still plenty of people in the park. I think that, in general, people driving to the MK for a day will not do sit downs and ADRs and will most likely do quick service instead.

It's the people staying at the resorts (both on and off Disney property) that do the ADRs. And during the early December time, pretty much all the resorts are near full. And all of these people need to eat and are most likely the people who take the time to make ADR's. It's also a great time for DVC members to stay because it's not peak or holiday season, meaning less points to use.

So I would say that the majority of people you see at Disney during this time are actually staying there. And these are the people who make ADR's. So in the end, ADR's are just as hard to get at this time, than at peak times.

 

[JZCubed]

Except free dining ends on Nov 28, and the first full week of Dec starts on Dec 4. People checking in on the 28th probably aren't staying through that first full week, so that doesn't explain the difficulty unless OP is arriving earlier than the 4th.

Free dining fills the 1-credit Table Service restaurants.

The first week of December is surrounded by Free Dining. On the other hand, many people are clueless to Free Dining and likely wondered why they had difficulty completing their choices. If restaurant favorites were fully-committed during Free Dining, then these same places became booked when Free Dining is in temporary remission.

Also, the first two weeks in December are the least expensive time of year for using Disney Vacation Club points. DVC'er demand for restaurants space comes even when Disney hotels have plenty of availability.

Similarly, and likely the most important punctuation is - you never know what else is impacting Disney crowds. For instance, Dolphin Hotel is already completely booked for the weekend before Christmas in 2017 and will cause the Swan to be filled sooner than might be typical. A corresponding result might be increased demand for other Disney hotels for Christmas, 2017....and sooner in the cycle.

At a place the size of Disney, no one thing causes restaurants to be fully-committed, but we can point to some.

 

[DekrRini]

I'm going Nov 29th through Dec 9th. I was online at exactly 6am at my 180 day mark and did not get ONE ADR that I wanted at the time I wanted. I go at the same time every year and this is the first time this has happened. It was very frustrating. By constantly checking, I've managed to get most of the ADRs I wanted close to the time I wanted. When I went this May, I forgot about the 180 day mark and made the ADRs several weeks later and got everything I wanted at the times I wanted--even one for BOG. Be persistent and you should get the ADRs you want eventually.

 

[revdon64]

I'd add that we were there that week last year and it seems that the old crowd calendars are just that...old. Word is out on "slow times," and there just aren't really many of those anymore.

 

[kiford]

I'm there Dec. 3 - 10 and to be honest I didn't have any trouble with my ADRs,

Me either. I was even able to book Rick Bayless' new restaurant although I had to wait about a month for it to open before I was able to book. I was even able to book the QVR at V&A as well as all of our other favourites.

 

[mernin]

We went last year at this time and we booked our trip after the 180 day mark. I was able to get what we wanted (BOG dinner, CRT breakfast, Minnie's Holiday Dine dinner) but it took checking back often.

 

[Aaryana]

Just 2 of us. We're planning to stay Dec 4-10. What is Pop Warner? Is it like Presidents week as far as crowds? I went presidents week this year and found it to be very manageable.