AaahhH!!! When to go?? (Nov-Dec 08)

[stillthefairest]

Ok..I am having such a hard time with planning our trip! We want to go some time this winter... DH is not a fan of heat.

I'd love to combine this trip with the kids' Christmas presents and I figured the closer to Christmas it was the more they would understand that. Also, my DS's B-day is December 16th. So, I was thinking we could go the 12th-19th and catch his B-day right in the middle so that we could have a special dinner for him. That way we'd also be getting back only 5 days before Christmas.

So, alot of things pan out well for this, the proximity to Christmas, it still being value season, Pop Warner kids having gone home within the first day or two,....

But my worry is..being that close to Christmas will the parks be crowded? I'd love to go when it's the least crowded...

And honestly I think THAT is my biggest concern...the parks being less crowded!! My kids are going to be 7, 3 and 2 (almost three) and the 2 year old is a very high strung child and I honestly worry about him and ligns.

That doesn't cancel out my wanting it to be cooler...(DH will be even more high strung if he's sweating all day!!)

So, I know you guys have alot of experience..when would be a good time for us to go??

Which is the bigger risk..closer to Christmas or Pop Warner?

Oh and we are thinking Pop Century ..as long as we can get a room there that is! (We won't be able to book for another month ..)

 

[mom2aredhead]

We were there 12/12 to 12/18 last year and there were no crowd problems at all. I went purposly that week to avoid Pop Warner - the same way I try to avoid any event that will bring in lots of extra people if I can help it. The Christmas decorations were beautiful, the Christmas party was a lot of fun, and we even changed a few ADR's around when we were there, which tells me the restaurants were not crazy crowded either.

As far as the weather - it was ALL OVER THE PLACE! It was hot and we were swimming in the beginning of the week (it was in the 80's - freak warm front) but later in the week, we were wearing coats, gloves and hats because the temps were in the 30's in the morning.

I think as long as you're out of there by the 19th, before that weekend when the Christmas crowds start coming in, you'll be fine. Or maybe you could go mid-week (flights are usually cheaper if you're flying) and do the 10th to the 17th to be a little safer?

 

[stmize]

We were there from 12-15 to 12-26-07 The crowds were not bad (10-15min's wait) until the around the 20th or 21st (wait was a long time some was 200-300 min's) then it got very crowded due to being the weekend prior to Christmas. Christmas Day wasn't bad from 7:00 to 10:00 am (stayed at asmo and was able to enter for extra magic hours) after that it was insane. We at adr's at Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch and we left at 2:30 pm and went back to resort to start repacking to leave.

 

[trivial]

You'd be going the week before Christmas, so the crowds won't be bad at all. It's a great time of the year to go.

 

[stillthefairest]

YAY! Thanks so much everyone!!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

We are going 12/9-12/16 and from what I've read (and what everyone else has said) the crouds are pretty much at their lowest. My only concern with your dates, is with the value season. I believe it ends on the 18th - so that means that you will have to pay holiday (or whatever its called) season prices for either 1 or 2 days. But other than that, its a great time to go, I can't wait!!!!

Have a great vacation whenever you go!

 

[stillthefairest]

We are going 12/9-12/16 and from what I've read (and what everyone else has said) the crouds are pretty much at their lowest. My only concern with your dates, is with the value season. I believe it ends on the 18th - so that means that you will have to pay holiday (or whatever its called) season prices for either 1 or 2 days. But other than that, its a great time to go, I can't wait!!!!

Have a great vacation whenever you go!

Thanks! At it's slowest sounds awesome The last time that we went was right at Halloween and while the crowds weren't HORRIBLE they weren't that slow either.. I would love for this trip to be as mellow as a trip to WDW with three kids can possibly be!

I think (not positive) that we'll still be ok as far as value season goes...we'd be checking out on the 19th and heading home, and I think the 18th is the last day of the value season, so since that would be the last night..I think that would make the entire trip value season?

But, I was also thinking of making it the 10th or 11th to the 17th-18th driving home, because our jobs have weird hours and right now our "weekends" are Thursday and Friday so that would give us a few "freebie" days off of work lol.

 

[james'mommy]

I vote for the first week in Dec. I've been several times during pop warner and it really has never been a problem.