Crowds in mid-November? help

[ashley17]

Hi everyone,
I've been making the trip from BC, Canada to Disneyland every year for many years now, but I've always gone in May.
This year I'm going to go in November instead because as many times as I've been, I've never been during Christmas season.

We were hoping for the week between Veterans Day weekend and thanksgiving, probably November 14th - 24th.

The thing is, my boyfriend can't get time off work in December to go say the first week instead, so I feel like our November dates are limited. I'm used to very little crowds when I go, and I'd prefer to keep it that way if I can.

I keep hearing very different things about the crowds. Some people are saying that week in between is totally dead and some say it's completely busy. Can some of you weigh in on this?

 

[ACDSNY]

I'm not sure how it will be either. We've gone many times the first week of Nov with low crowds, but very little X-mas decorations. Now we're trying this week.

 

[Sherry E]

Hi everyone,
I've been making the trip from BC, Canada to Disneyland every year for many years now, but I've always gone in May.
This year I'm going to go in November instead because as many times as I've been, I've never been during Christmas season.

We were hoping for the week between Veterans Day weekend and thanksgiving, probably November 14th - 24th.

The thing is, my boyfriend can't get time off work in December to go say the first week instead, so I feel like our November dates are limited. I'm used to very little crowds when I go, and I'd prefer to keep it that way if I can.

I keep hearing very different things about the crowds. Some people are saying that week in between is totally dead and some say it's completely busy. Can some of you weigh in on this?

If you have the full time to be at DLR between 11/14 and 11/24th, I wouldn't worry about the crowds too much. If you only have a couple of days, then crowds might be a problem. But you'll have lots of time to kind of spread everything out, and many of those days will probably be quite pleasant and not too horribly crowded. The holiday decorations and festivities should all be up and running and in full swing, we think, by either 11/12 or 11/19 - no schedule has been announced yet. Either way, you will see them for at least a few days, if not the whole trip.

The only thing that might really shake things up this year and increase crowds substantially at DLR is World of Color, but until that show begins and we start hearing reports, we won't know what kinds of crowds it draws in.

 

[ashley17]

Thank you so much, that's a huge help! You're right, we are spending quite a while there so we do have the option if there's a busy day to head back to the hotel and hang by the pool instead.
Thanks Sherry!

If you have the full time to be at DLR between 11/14 and 11/24th, I wouldn't worry about the crowds too much. If you only have a couple of days, then crowds might be a problem. But you'll have lots of time to kind of spread everything out, and many of those days will probably be quite pleasant and not too horribly crowded. The holiday decorations and festivities should all be up and running and in full swing, we think, by either 11/12 or 11/19 - no schedule has been announced yet. Either way, you will see them for at least a few days, if not the whole trip.

The only thing that might really shake things up this year and increase crowds substantially at DLR is World of Color, but until that show begins and we start hearing reports, we won't know what kinds of crowds it draws in.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

We were there the 13th-18th last year and the crowds weren't bad at all. The weekends were obviously busier, but nothing unbearable!

 

[ashley17]

We were there the 13th-18th last year and the crowds weren't bad at all. The weekends were obviously busier, but nothing unbearable!

Perfect! that's exactly what I was hoping. Thank you

 

[goldies 5]

We went this week the year before last. It was the best time ever. Low crowds, great weather until FRIDAY! The offficial opening day of Christmas Time at DL was CROWDED. We new it would be so we were prepared. We had the whole week before this day that was fantastic and still had Christmas decorations everywhere. But that being said, I would never do opening day again.
I would be interested in hearing from someone who was there last year this time. With the whole week being in full Christmas mode. I wonder how it would of compared crowd wise.
We typically go the first week of December. Usually pretty good. It is more crowded than you have experienced. Unless it rains. It clears out pretty good then.

 

[deejdigsdis]

We went Nov. 16 - 20, 2009 and then again April 27-29, 2010. Our time in Nov. was definitely less busy. (Although April wasn't overly busy -- just noticeably busier.) It was my return trip after a 13 year absence, so I don't have more recent times to compare these visits to. We were very pleasantly surprised with the low crowds after what I had been reading on the DIS. Evenings got busier, of course, but daytime was a dream. The weather was great for us -- I know that's relative, but it was 73-ish the whole time. Toy Story was the longest wait by far at 35 minutes, but we only rode it in the evening. Everything else was nearly walk-on to 10 min. wait. We never felt overcrowded until evening time by IASW-Holiday. That was a little crazy! If we were able to go yearly, that would be our week of choice because it was so great.

 

[ashley17]

We went Nov. 16 - 20, 2009 and then again April 27-29, 2010. Our time in Nov. was definitely less busy. (Although April wasn't overly busy -- just noticeably busier.) It was my return trip after a 13 year absence, so I don't have more recent times to compare these visits to. We were very pleasantly surprised with the low crowds after what I had been reading on the DIS. Evenings got busier, of course, but daytime was a dream. The weather was great for us -- I know that's relative, but it was 73-ish the whole time. Toy Story was the longest wait by far at 35 minutes, but we only rode it in the evening. Everything else was nearly walk-on to 10 min. wait. We never felt overcrowded until evening time by IASW-Holiday. That was a little crazy! If we were able to go yearly, that would be our week of choice because it was so great.

thanks for the feedback! much appreciated
I just checked out your trip report, looks like you guys had a fantastic time!!

 

[Ariel224]

We were there the 13th-18th last year and the crowds weren't bad at all. The weekends were obviously busier, but nothing unbearable!

Does anyone who was there that week recall what the park hours were midweek? Were they open later? Fireworks or Fantasmic! running? Was the holiday parade a daily offering, or were most of the big entertainment options still limited to weekends only at that point?

 

[deejdigsdis]

Does anyone who was there that week recall what the park hours were midweek? Were they open later? Fireworks or Fantasmic! running? Was the holiday parade a daily offering, or were most of the big entertainment options still limited to weekends only at that point?

We were there Nov. 16-20th. The DL hours were 10-8 Mon. thru Thurs. Friday was 8-midnight. DCA hours were 10-6 Mon. thru Thurs. Fireworks were going every night at around 8 during the week and later on Fri., the holiday parade was daily. We didn't try Fantasmic!, so I'm not sure on that one. I remember one weeknight when it closed at 8pm, they rushed us right out -- no lingering to shop on Main Street 'til 9:00 that night. They were having an after-hours private event.

Any more questions?

ETA: I just pulled out my Entertainment schedule and it lists F! as showing on Fri. Nov.20th, 2 showings. There was no listing for the weekdays before that. Beginning Fri. the 20th the parade was showing twice a day.

 

[deejdigsdis]

thanks for the feedback! much appreciated
I just checked out your trip report, looks like you guys had a fantastic time!!

Thanks, we had a great time! I forgot to mention...when we were at the airport on our way home from DL a couple weeks ago, we talked to a Disneyland CM that works in an office behind Toontown. We asked her when she thought the best time to go to DL was (crowd-wise) and she said the week before Thanksgiving week. Now, I'm sure you'd hear many different answers from the different CMs, but that was what she said without knowing that's when we had gone and thought it was so great ourselves.

 

[Ariel224]

We were there Nov. 16-20th. The DL hours were 10-8 Mon. thru Thurs. Friday was 8-midnight. DCA hours were 10-6 Mon. thru Thurs. Fireworks were going every night at around 8 during the week and later on Fri., the holiday parade was daily. We didn't try Fantasmic!, so I'm not sure on that one. I remember one weeknight when it closed at 8pm, they rushed us right out -- no lingering to shop on Main Street 'til 9:00 that night. They were having an after-hours private event.

Thank you so much! We are definitely going that week. Just waiting waiting waiting until the official dates for the Holiday Season are announced so I can plan which weekend to tack on.