Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

[fbarker]

Can someone tell me how crowded it is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My wife is a teacher and is retiring this year so this will be the first time we can go when we really want and just wondering what the best week is to go, based on crowed levels, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

[mesaboy2]

Can someone tell me how crowded it is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My wife is a teacher and is retiring this year so this will be the first time we can go when we really want and just wondering what the best week is to go, based on crowed levels, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

First or second week of December sees relatively low crowds.

 

[fbarker]

First or second week of December sees relatively low crowds.

Thanks, we want to go enjoy the Holiday decorations but avoid the large crowds around Thanksgiving and Christmas. So we will look at those two weeks and see what we can do.

 

[CynBeth]

We went 12/7-12/15 this year and it was just about as crowded as when we went Thanksgiving Week a few years ago. It seems that a lot of people took kids out of school and there were a lot of people from other countries. It was manageable though. We do not use FP or FP+. We pretty much were at each park around rope drop unless we park hopped and on average we had about a 15-20 minute wait. Sometimes 30 minutes. We don't go on a lot of thrill rides. Some rides we walked right on and the longest we had was 45 min for the Jingle Cruise. We pretty much got to go on everything we wanted and would go that time again. Pick which week is best for you and don't worry about the crowds. The tree in MK does not go up until the Christmas Day Parade taping which is the first weekend in Dec. This year it was the 6th and 7th and when we went to MK on 12/9 it was up. Good luck and have fun planning!

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

We went this year Dec 4th thru the 8th and there were very low crowds . Walked on many of the headliners all 5 days. This was our 4th trip at this time and each has been the same.

 

[chefmb]

I think the Sunday after Thanksgiving until the kids get out for Christmas break is pretty good. We've been the last three years, typically overlapping some of Pop Warner week, and we've had good luck. Nighttime shows, fireworks, Osborne Lights are crowded no matter what, but mornings are great! PP made a good point about the Christmas tree going up in MK after the parade taping. We were actually in MK last year during part of the taping, staying away from Main Street for the most part. It was kind of fun to see some of the celebrities taping, but I kind of missed the big tree! This year we were there from 12/12-12/17 and I liked only having a week left before Christmas when we returned home.
Also, look at specials. This year, we got free dining. We really enjoyed that!! We don't usually eat at many Table Service places, but got to try 5 during our stay. That was a lot of fun!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Can someone tell me how crowded it is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My wife is a teacher and is retiring this year so this will be the first time we can go when we really want and just wondering what the best week is to go, based on crowed levels, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We went the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov 30th, to Dec 5th. I would never go to WDW on the Sat after Thanksgiving again. The Magical Express area of the airport was a mess. It took us one hour from the time we walked off the plane to the time the ME bus pulled away from the airport because the lines for the buses were so long. Then checking into the WL resort was crazy busy. We didn't get our luggage until six hours after we landed. It was waiting for us in our room after dinner. The Monday after Thanksgiving was really crowded at MK. I could not believe the mob of people waiting for the MSEP and Wishes.

But it did seem to get a little better later in the week.

 

[disneydiva2004]

Happy New Year

 

[disneydiva2004]

Happy New Year

 

[rileyroo120]

For those that usually travel to wdw the first week of December, can you tell me how airport crowds are? I am considering Nov 30-Dec 6, but I'm nervous about the airports being a chaotic mess

 

[GWhitten98]

We were there the week before xmas break... From the 15th through the 21st(didn't go into the park on the 21st) this past year. It seemed great to us; the most crowed times to us was at MVMCP. We are planning a return trip for the same week this year.

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

I would love to know what other people think also about this time. We are going to be there 11/29 thru 12/7

 

[totallytigger]

We were there 11/30-12/7 and loved it!!! We occasionally ran into a crowded area, but for the most part we did everything we wanted. As stated earlier, Osborne light show is crazy crowded--but hearing everyone ooohing and aaahing and singing carols added to the excitement!! . Downtown Disney was probably the most crowded area we had to deal with--but it was manageable. We also used our night of the xmas party at MK to ride headliner rides multiple times without lines!! That was great!!

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

We were there 11/30-12/7 and loved it!!! We occasionally ran into a crowded area, but for the most part we did everything we wanted. As stated earlier, Osborne light show is crazy crowded--but hearing everyone ooohing and aaahing and singing carols added to the excitement!! . Downtown Disney was probably the most crowded area we had to deal with--but it was manageable. We also used our night of the xmas party at MK to ride headliner rides multiple times without lines!! That was great!!

Thank you for sharing. I am thinking of trying to be at the Osborne light when the first fantasmic is going on. Hoping that will help with the crowds. Not sure when to do DTD. Was thinking early Sunday morning when they open. I need to order our annual Christmas ordainment

 

[WendyWuWu]

We will be there 11/28- 12/6 this year. We often go the week after Thanksgiving. Although it's been more crowded the last couple of years we have gone, it's still much lower than during spring/summer months.

 

[williamscm3]

We were there 11/30-12/7 and loved it!!! We occasionally ran into a crowded area, but for the most part we did everything we wanted. As stated earlier, Osborne light show is crazy crowded--but hearing everyone ooohing and aaahing and singing carols added to the excitement!! . Downtown Disney was probably the most crowded area we had to deal with--but it was manageable. We also used our night of the xmas party at MK to ride headliner rides multiple times without lines!! That was great!!

We're going these exact same dates this year! I've never been so excited about something that is almost a year away from happening lol

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

We're going these exact same dates this year! I've never been so excited about something that is almost a year away from happening lol

Us too, and I keep telling myself, I did pregnancy for 9 months four times, so what is a 9 month wait for Disney?
This is my 3rd trip for the week after Thanksgiving. The first 2, back in 2005 and 2007, and we walked on almost everything, using Tourguide Mike, back in the day.
I have read it is not the same light crowds as it used to be, so I am planning on picking our days with the help of Josh and TP. I don't expect light crowds like we had b4, but hopefully manageable!

 

[williamscm3]

Us too, and I keep telling myself, I did pregnancy for 9 months four times, so what is a 9 month wait for Disney? This is my 3rd trip for the week after Thanksgiving. The first 2, back in 2005 and 2007, and we walked on almost everything, using Tourguide Mike, back in the day. I have read it is not the same light crowds as it used to be, so I am planning on picking our days with the help of Josh and TP. I don't expect light crowds like we had b4, but hopefully manageable!

We went sept 11-20 last year so I'm hoping for somewhere close to that same crowd level. I'm willing to trade off a slightly busier time for cooler weather though! I think I can make it another 9 months...maybe lol

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Have gone 4 different trips over the years at that time. Every one more enjoyable then the next ! In 2013 the only big crowd we faced was we needed to leave right after the MK fireworks and you may as well head the other direction on that !! Can't schedule that week for another 3 years so I'm very jealous.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

For those that usually travel to wdw the first week of December, can you tell me how airport crowds are? I am considering Nov 30-Dec 6, but I'm nervous about the airports being a chaotic mess

I was at the airport Thanksgiving day. Flight got in around 10:30 and I was at AK by 12:45. Could have been there easily by 12:15 but stopped in Pop cafeteria for lunch. Granted this was on actual Thanksgiving day so folks probably travelled earlier or later in the week. I'm lucky and my folks didn't care if I missed family dinner and Frontier airlines had a crazy good deal (round trip direct for $98 out of Bloomington IL....too good to pass up). I was actually pretty shocked at how uncrowded AK felt that day too. EE had a 20 min wait at 1:30. Fri, we hit MK brought and early at 8am and got 11 rides in in 3 hours. Had lunch and then resort hopped to see decorations. I really wouldn't be too worried about the crowd level 9 days as long as you can rope drop and have something planned for the afternoon. Sat was Epcot and rode stuff in the morning and did the storytellers in the afternoon. It was a great trip! Loved all the decorations.

ETA: sorry I got so carried away there!