Help choosing dates for Christmas trip 2024

[B3rlingirl]

Hello everyone!

When Disney raised prices for tickets I spontaneously decided on a Christmas trip for next year.
Now I have to slowly start planning the dates so I can secure airfare and hotels as well as soon as it is released…
But I am a bit lost and would love some input from others…

Short version:

5 park days and 2 break days for shopping and relaxing:
Week before thanksgiving (A) or during the thanksgiving week (B) or the week after thanksgiving(C)?


Long version:

I already narrowed the travel window down quite a bit:
earliest arrival (arrival/depature days = no park days): November 11/15/24 (Friday) to latest departure day 12/7/24 (Sunday).
That way I should be able to avoid the candlelight procession which I think should take place December 7 and enjoy the parks in the full swing of Christmas season…
I would like to avoid crowds as best as possible (I know that’s a good joke during Christmas season and especially close to thanksgiving)

I am thinking of doing 2 park days, one break day, one park day, one break day and 2 park days and then leave the next day…
Or 1 park day, 1 break day, 2 park days, one break day and 2 park days…

(I am trying to avoid doing a park day on Monday… I guess Mondays are still best to be avoided…)

A: arriving in the afternoon Friday 11/15/24 and first park Saturday day 11/16/24…(depature Saturday 11/23/24)

B: one week later during thanksgiving…
Arriving afternoon Friday 11/22/24, first park day Saturday 11/23/24 ans depature Saturday 11/30/24…
With thanksgiving 28th I might push the dates for one day because I actually don’t want to be in the parks for thanksgiving and instead enjoy a nice relaxed thanksgiving dinner at storytellers or goofys…so I would be arriving one day later on Saturday and accordingly be leaving on Sunday…

C: week after thanksgiving but actually I’d like to avoid that because of the preparations for the candlelight procession…


I think A would be best for my mom and me…
but I am worried many people thinking the same way in avoiding thanksgiving week because of crowds and going one week prior…

Also I am a little worried that Christmas season might just be starting that weekend (Saturday 16th) or dapper days happening then which I’d like to avoid…

I know crowds can be high either way (I did a week long trip back in 2019 starting thanksgiving but that was with maxpass and bad weather)
But are there any obvious errors?

There is a giant knot in my brain and I am probably overthinking it way too much…
In the end airfare might still be the deciding factor… but I wanna be prepared as best as possible…

Thanks for reading and taking time to chime in…

 

[Pluto468]

I'm looking at similar dates, and will probably go with the week before Thanksgiving. I've always heard that's pretty good as far as crowds.

The only reason I'd pick other dates is if I want to do Dapper Days, which is Nov 2-3 in 2024.

I'd guess Christmas will start closer to the 9th or 10th, like this year.

I wouldn't worry too much about being there on a Monday. Yes, they can be busy, but if you rope drop and use Genie+ etc you'll still have a great time

 

[B3rlingirl]

I'm looking at similar dates, and will probably go with the week before Thanksgiving. I've always heard that's pretty good as far as crowds.

The only reason I'd pick other dates is if I want to do Dapper Days, which is Nov 2-3 in 2024.

I'd guess Christmas will start closer to the 9th or 10th, like this year.

I wouldn't worry too much about being there on a Monday. Yes, they can be busy, but if you rope drop and use Genie+ etc you'll still have a great time

Thanks! I googled unsuccessfully for the dates in 2024… so that is good to know!
I also doubt that Christmas starts as late as November 15 but if I start worrying about one thing why stop there…
There is also a slight worry about DCL closing early for a day like tomorrow…

Yes, I know I worry to much…it’s just that I never actually had different dates to decide on because we were usually a bit late with planning (because we had to schedule it with my dad’s work…) and then airfare was the deciding factor…don’t need to “waste” money on a more expensive flight combination if I can invest it in a WOK desert party…

Actually dates don’t matter anyways. Be happy you can book a DL trip and roll with it… worrying about which date is perfect doesn’t help much if Disney ends up refurbishing your favorite ride a couple days prior…
Picking “good” days that work for you and trying to be aware of holidays and big events is all one can do…
I know that…

But still I it would be good to pick the perfect dates…

I actually don’t know if we’ll get Genie+. I don’t think it will be worth it for my mom because she is only doing a couple Genie+ rides, but I might get it for one “power through” day and if I think it will be helpful for her as well I’ll get in for one other day for both of us… after all we have 5 park days…
I am just worried about wall to wall crowds and navigating through them… but even that probably wont be that problematic because my mom won’t mind them as much as my dad (he isn’t coming with us this year because he isn’t that much into DL that he needs a DL-only trip…)
I had a view in wall to wall crowds coming up mainstreet on “Black Friday” 2019 but I was sitting in the double decker bus so that was actually nice to look at…

 

[Porsche4]

Thanks! I googled unsuccessfully for the dates in 2024… so that is good to know!
I also doubt that Christmas starts as late as November 15 but if I start worrying about one thing why stop there…
There is also a slight worry about DCL closing early for a day like tomorrow…

Yes, I know I worry to much…it’s just that I never actually had different dates to decide on because we were usually a bit late with planning (because we had to schedule it with my dad’s work…) and then airfare was the deciding factor…don’t need to “waste” money on a more expensive flight combination if I can invest it in a WOK desert party…

Actually dates don’t matter anyways. Be happy you can book a DL trip and roll with it… worrying about which date is perfect doesn’t help much if Disney ends up refurbishing your favorite ride a couple days prior…
Picking “good” days that work for you and trying to be aware of holidays and big events is all one can do…
I know that…

But still I it would be good to pick the perfect dates…

I actually don’t know if we’ll get Genie+. I don’t think it will be worth it for my mom because she is only doing a couple Genie+ rides, but I might get it for one “power through” day and if I think it will be helpful for her as well I’ll get in for one other day for both of us… after all we have 5 park days…
I am just worried about wall to wall crowds and navigating through them… but even that probably wont be that problematic because my mom won’t mind them as much as my dad (he isn’t coming with us this year because he isn’t that much into DL that he needs a DL-only trip…)
I had a view in wall to wall crowds coming up mainstreet on “Black Friday” 2019 but I was sitting in the double decker bus so that was actually nice to look at…

Hello everyone!

When Disney raised prices for tickets I spontaneously decided on a Christmas trip for next year.
Now I have to slowly start planning the dates so I can secure airfare and hotels as well as soon as it is released…
But I am a bit lost and would love some input from others…

Short version:

5 park days and 2 break days for shopping and relaxing:
Week before thanksgiving (A) or during the thanksgiving week (B) or the week after thanksgiving(C)?


Long version:

I already narrowed the travel window down quite a bit:
earliest arrival (arrival/depature days = no park days): November 11/15/24 (Friday) to latest departure day 12/7/24 (Sunday).
That way I should be able to avoid the candlelight procession which I think should take place December 7 and enjoy the parks in the full swing of Christmas season…
I would like to avoid crowds as best as possible (I know that’s a good joke during Christmas season and especially close to thanksgiving)

I am thinking of doing 2 park days, one break day, one park day, one break day and 2 park days and then leave the next day…
Or 1 park day, 1 break day, 2 park days, one break day and 2 park days…

(I am trying to avoid doing a park day on Monday… I guess Mondays are still best to be avoided…)

A: arriving in the afternoon Friday 11/15/24 and first park Saturday day 11/16/24…(depature Saturday 11/23/24)

B: one week later during thanksgiving…
Arriving afternoon Friday 11/22/24, first park day Saturday 11/23/24 ans depature Saturday 11/30/24…
With thanksgiving 28th I might push the dates for one day because I actually don’t want to be in the parks for thanksgiving and instead enjoy a nice relaxed thanksgiving dinner at storytellers or goofys…so I would be arriving one day later on Saturday and accordingly be leaving on Sunday…

C: week after thanksgiving but actually I’d like to avoid that because of the preparations for the candlelight procession…


I think A would be best for my mom and me…
but I am worried many people thinking the same way in avoiding thanksgiving week because of crowds and going one week prior…

Also I am a little worried that Christmas season might just be starting that weekend (Saturday 16th) or dapper days happening then which I’d like to avoid…

I know crowds can be high either way (I did a week long trip back in 2019 starting thanksgiving but that was with maxpass and bad weather)
But are there any obvious errors?

There is a giant knot in my brain and I am probably overthinking it way too much…
In the end airfare might still be the deciding factor… but I wanna be prepared as best as possible…

Thanks for reading and taking time to chime in…

I live in Australia and am having to do the advanced planning thing for the best airfares too. I am having the exact same dilemma as you, can't decide which week to go. I have already purchased my tickets before the price increased so we have 2 single park usage tickets and 5 park hopper day tickets. I also splurged and added G+ to the purchase as I was in DLR two years ago after Easter and the crowds were heavier than expected and we ended up buying G+ for every day just to make park touring easier. I figured I might as well buy it up front this time. Judging from what I am reading and based on this year all the Christmas festivities should be in full swing the weekend of Veterans Day (Frid 8th to Mon 11th). I am considering the 16th to the 23rd which will be post Veterans Day and before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is late next year (Thursday 28th) so to go the week after that pushed it well into December and I am worried that it will be more crowded because of that. When Thanksgiving is earlier there are more days before you hit December which does make it a sweeter crowd time. Like you I am stressing over this, probably needlessly as we always rope drop and know how to use G+ to its best advantage but it would be nice to experience the parks and Christmas entertainment with as little crowd crush as possible. I have posted a similar question to you so hopefully between the two of us we may get some input as to what weeks will have slightly lesser crowds to help us decide. Fingers crossed.

 

[Jperiod]

I would go home on friday, 11/22 (or 11/21). Your lightest crowd days will be tues-thurs. thanksgiving week is nuts and the week after is frequently nuts. I feel like word got out that the week after thanksgiving used to be light and then it was all downhill from there.

 

[Jperiod]

We used to always go 5 park days and stay 7 nights (staring on a Saturday because that's when our timeshare would start). Our usual was 2 days in the parks, a break day, and then a mix of full/half days due to our own stamina (and excitement about the light crowds). Sunday and Monday were fairly crowded, tues, wed, and thurs were always amazing, and Friday was always bonkers. In hindsight, I wished we timed our breaks better, but we were just too excited to be there. I think my perfect schedule would be sunday, skip monday, tues, wed, thurs, skip friday. Maybe Wednesday could be a partial day.

 

[Porsche4]

Yes I am planning on arriving on a Saturday just as a check in day so no parks. Then Sunday and Monday will be just play it by ear days, arriving early and doing as much using G+ as we can then calling it quits. Going hard Tues-Thurs and then Fri & Sat again hitting rope drop and just doing what we can get done, visiting favourites using G+ etc. I'm hoping this way we can avoid most of the crowds.