1st week December 08 Trip Yes or No?

[RuthieT]

Who are the crowds? I understand the party will close early and we are ok with it. But how are the crowds?

 

[bumbershoot]

We were there from the 5th to the 9th this month, and the crowds were very easy to deal with, especially during the week. The 1st and 2nd were the choir thing (something processional?), and then there were cast member parties that closed DL really early, but getting there on the 5th meant we missed those.

I say that the first and second week are winners!

However, the ONE thing I missed was the start of the Electrical Light Parade. That started, I believe, on the 15th, and I do wish we could have caught that...but alas DH had to go back to work, and I couldn't convince my brother (DS and I were visiting him in San Diego) to get back up to DL to see it.

 

[BraMax]

We were there this year from Nov 29th to Dec 4th. The crowds were a lot busier than we experienced 2 years ago. They weren't summer bad but we still had some waits of over 20-30 minutes (avoided those lines lol). The best thing is the Christmas decorations all over the park. The shorter hours were not bad for us as it allowed our boys 4 & 7 to see the fireworks without having to keep them up late. Plus we had two days of early entry so we still spent like 11 hours in the park.

 

[Leofoenget]

We were there from the 5th to the 9th this month, and the crowds were very easy to deal with, especially during the week. The 1st and 2nd were the choir thing (something processional?), and then there were cast member parties that closed DL really early, but getting there on the 5th meant we missed those.

I say that the first and second week are winners!

However, the ONE thing I missed was the start of the Electrical Light Parade. That started, I believe, on the 15th, and I do wish we could have caught that...but alas DH had to go back to work, and I couldn't convince my brother (DS and I were visiting him in San Diego) to get back up to DL to see it.

I was there also dec 5-8 and it was more crowded than I expected, but not horrible at all.

 

[RuthieT]

we went december 11 to 17 and starting on Friday it was CRAZY BUSY as many school where getting out for the Holidays the days before where GREAT.. and so I am wondering if a few days before would be better

 

[DangerMouse]

December has become a pretty busy time at DLR over the last several years. Since it is such a "local's park", weekends will always be very, very busy. If you can avoid Fri-Mon, you will have the best chance of low crowds.

Candlelight Processional is normally the first weekend of Dec. They have two shows nightly on Sat and Sun and causes DL to get quite congested.
Castmember parties are the Mon and Tues after the CP and the parks close at 6 pm after an early fireworks show.
DEP began this year on Dec. 21.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

December has become a pretty busy time at DLR over the last several years. Since it is such a "local's park", weekends will always be very, very busy. If you can avoid Fri-Mon, you will have the best chance of low crowds.

Candlelight Processional is normally the first weekend of Dec. They have two shows nightly on Sat and Sun and causes DL to get quite congested.
Castmember parties are the Mon and Tues after the CP and the parks close at 6 pm after an early fireworks show.
DEP began this year on Dec. 21.

Since the first weekend in December starts later in 2008, the first Saturday and Sunday will be th 6th and the 7th. The first Monday and Tuesday are on the 1st and 2nd. In looking at December calendars for past years with the month starting on the same day as 2008, the CM parties were held before the CP, since the first Monday and Tuesday were before the weekend that month. Do you think it will be the same for 2008? We are planning a trip for next December and I'm hoping that by arriving on the weekend of CP and staying into that week, that we can avoid the park closing early for CM parties. What do you think?