Dec???

[mom2threeboys]

Just wondering if anyone could give some insight as to crowds in mid-December. We have 3 little ones, and prefer not to fight big crowds, previously we've been in Feb. when it was slower.
We were planning for Dec. 3-9, but are now thinking of switching the dates to the 16-22. Will it be terribly crowded that close to Christmas?

TIA!!

 

[HollyJoy]

We just went at the beginning of December (4-10) and thought it was great! Crowds were low and waits weren't that long! Great time to go!

 

[jaysmom4285]

We've been at WDW the first week or so of December and have found it uncrowded and fully decorated for Christmas - a great time to go. I have heard tell that it starts to get really busy around the 17th or 18th, whenever schools get out for vacation, and that it rapidly gets worst til the 25th. Going on Dec. 16-22 would probably put you into that more crowded time. Earlier would be better, crowd-wise.

 

[Blueberry]

We have been week after Thanksgiving several years and it is wonderful, low crowds and short waits if any waits at all...However one year we went mid December till December 20th and it was more crowded, I recommend the earlier week for best touring...

I will be there Nov 28th-Dec 4th...

 

[angel's momma]

We were just there for our first visit Dec 11-21. Most rides were walk ons. We noticed it was more crowded Sat. 12/18 (schools were out) but wait times ay MGM were still 20 min. or less, mostly around 10 min. Sun. 12/19 at MK the crowds were growing & wait times were around 40 min, so we left for AK, where it wasn't as crowded. We didn't go to any parks on 12/20. 12/21 we went to Epcot briefly around 11, wait times were about an hour & fast pass returns were for around 5 pm. We were glad we were leaving that day.

 

[rkmassa]

We were there this year from the 18th to 23rd. We were there the year before from the 17th to 28th. This last year was more crowded we thought. It was still way better than summer. DH teaches, so that is when we usually go. The weather was nice, except for one really cold day. We wore shorts and long pants with winter coats all in one trip. I would never stay after the 25th ever again. Did that the first trip-nuts. This last visit we saw longer lines, but we used FP a lot so that helped. We think it is a great time to go. You will love it, but remember our only comparison is summer crowds and after Christmas crowds. The UG has this for numbers (1 being the smallest crowd level)

December 16, 2005 1
Saturday, December 17, 2005 2
Sunday, December 18, 2005 2
Monday, December 19, 2005 2
Tuesday, December 20, 2005 3
Wednesday, December 21, 2005 4
Thursday, December 22, 2005 5

With Christmas on the weekend, like last year, I think the crowds are bigger. People can get there earlier like Friday when Christmas falls on Sunday. When Christmas falls in the midweek, it might be harder to get away from work any earlier than the 25th or after. Like I said 2003 was less crowded I thought up to the 25th. We spent the 24th watching the MK evening parade with hardly anyone around.

Just my observations.

 

[llij]

We were there December 3rd through the 11th and it was great. Very little waiting for anything! It is our new favorite time of year to go!

Have a great trip!

 

[Jackie H.]

We have been there twice in early Dec and once at Christmas-New Years.

Your first choice (early Dec) would be fantastic. Low crowds, all Christmas deocrations up, lots of extra CMs (brought in for the upcoming Christmas nightmare). GO, GO, GO during this time!

Dec 16-22 will be very, very, very crowded. Only the next week will be more crowded. The park hours are longer now because that is the only way everyone can get in there!

If you have a choice at all, go in early Dec.

 

[mom2threeboys]

Thanks for all your help!!
We have a choice, but I wanted to be as close to Christmas as possible, b/c this will be part of the kids Christmas present. I knew that between Christmas and New years would be terribly crowded, so I didn't want to go then.
We'll try for earlier dates, and enjoy smaller crowds. That's the way we like to enjoy Disney!

 

[rkmassa]

"Dec 16-22 will be very, very, very crowded. Only the next week will be more crowded. The park hours are longer now because that is the only way everyone can get in there!"

Not true. It is not very, very, very crowded during this time. The crowds are much better than summer and much better than after the 25th. The crowds do not really pick up until after the 24th. We didn't wait in lines that were very long with the exception of just a few at each park-TT, MS at EPCOT, Buzz and Space Mountain at MK. We used FP for those. Everything else was fairly short, less than 25 minutes. Walked into some of the shows with only a 5 to 10 minute wait. It was very enjoyable. I would definitely not describe it as the above post.

 

[mom2threeboys]

Thanks!
I'm thinking we may go for something in the middle - perhaps Dec. 10-16, or the 14-20. That way we get close to Christmas, but with out the crowds! We're not locked into any certain dates, I just want to decide so we can make our reservations!!

 

[Jackie H.]

The OP asked for a comparision between early Dec and just before Christmas. Compared to early Dec, just before Christmas will be "very, very, very crowded". As I stated before, the next week will be even more crowded than that.

One of our trips, our last day was Dec 18th. On the 17th everything was near empty. On the 18th it was a different place entirely. We avoided MK that day because a CM had warned us, but we did go by there as my family rode in the cab of the monorail. It looked like everybody in Florida was walking into those gates! It was really shoulder to shoulder at about 10am.

The day the crowds arrive is really dependent on what day of the week Christmas falls. This year it is on a Monday. I have no idea what that means as far as when people head out on vacation. The sure fire way to know is check on the Disney hotel rates. When the crowds arrive, the rates rise.


If your choices are between Dec 3-9 and Dec 16-22 with lows crowds as your number one desire, then the choice would be easy for me: Dec 3-9. I would not expect Dec 10-16 to be any more crowded. But after that you would be risking much larger crowds.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

My concern for the beginning of Dec this year is that Value does not start until Sunday after Thanksgiving. I think that will push some of the people who go before Thanksgiving to the first week in Dec.
This is when we wanted to go but I'm wondering if crowds are going to be getting heavier now the first part of Dec.

 

[DebbieB]

Where are you planning on staying? If it's a value or moderate (except maybe CSR), the resort will probably be crowded with Pop Warner kids. The parks should be better the first week.

 

[mom2threeboys]

We were planning to stay at POR, but are now considering AKL instead. The rates I got were better than I thought, so I'd love to stay at a nicer hotel. My boys will love AKL!!
Thank you all for the input on crowds! We will definitely avoid the parks from the 20th on. It looks like value season ends the 19th, so if that's any indication... (Thanks to whomever pointed that out!) I think we're going to go for the middle week - that way we get a bit of both worlds - close to Christmas and lighter crowds!

 

[HappyLawyer]

we go between the 8th and 10th and come home around the 20th-23rd
weekdays are good up until the week of christmas, sat and sun are bad no matter what

 

[skuttle]

We went the week before Christmas (Dec 15-22) in 2001. It wasn't bad at all...I definitely wouldn't describe it as "very, very, very crowded" as someone else has said. Saturday, Dec 22 was VERY crowded...but we were expecting that being that it was the Sat before Christmas and we were in MK (bad planning on our part there!). We're going the week before Christmas (16-24) this year. Will it be more crowded than teh first week or so in December...yes. But it won't be like summer crowds.