December 16-22nd

[raider93]

We are going Dec. 16-22nd. Any idea what the crowds might be like then? Anybody there last year during these dates? I read that a lot of schools will still be in session until the 23rd of December so I booked these dates thinking we could be going at a good time just before the big crowds hit. Do we need to be prepared with tour plans? We are set with ADR's. Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[ndelaware]

It is supposed to be a great time to be there. We are going the week before you. Usually we go in late January and the parks are pretty empty during the week. I have heard the crowds are even lighter the first three weeks of December. Looking forward to seeing all the Christmas decorations!

 

[raider93]

Thanks

 

[WANNABE@WDW]

We will be there from the 15th to the 23rd. I am hoping most of the crowds will come after we leave!

 

[Cinderella]

Me to - will be there until 21st - hoping to avoid the crowds - they will hopefully start arriving on 23rd!

 

[domestic goddess]

We were there last year from the 18th -30th and the crowds before the 25th were very nice. The waits weren't too long and it wasn't too crowded. As you get closer to the 25th the crowds start to increase. If you are leaving on the 22nd or 23rd you should miss most of the crowds.

Have a great trip! Wish we were going to be there this year. As a previous poster stated our school will not be getting out until the 22nd. They got out on the 21st last year so we took our children out of school and left on the 17th. (They only missed 1 full day and 2 half days.)

Don't forget to check out some of the resorts and MVMCP if you have time. Our favorite at Christmas time is the WL! Have a warm drink and enjoy the fireplace, decorations and the lobby music! Just thinking about it makes me homesick!!(We own DVC at VWL!) Have fun!!!!

 

[skondo10]

We went last year from Dec. 16th - Dec. 22nd. The crowds were minimial and the decorations were amazing! It really puts you in the Christmas spirit. Due to school holiday's this year starting so late, I think you've picked a great time to go. Wish we were going back then this year! We are going after Christmas and know it's going to be packed!

 

[sunny04]

We were there through the 18th last year I believe, and through the 26th a couple years before. The closer you get to Christmas the more the crowds will pick up. So by the end of your trip, you will notice an obvious difference in crowd levels from the beginning. Every day will get a little more crowded. Having said that...we were still able to fully enjoy our trips and do everything we wanted to do. It's all in the timing...

 

[valandemmy]

We are there from the 11th - 16th... CANT WAIT. I also thought this would be great time to go and not get the crowds...but I have seen on here, that hotels are booking up and that crowd levels may be high

 

[raider93]

Here's hoping for the best. Thanks for the info. We are staying the VWL. We stayed there last year in Oct. and loved it. Here's my plan

Arrive at 11am on the 16th, head to Epcot for evening, eat at San Angel Inn, play, eat dinner at Le Cellier before CP and Illuminations.
Sat. 17th: 8am 1900 Park Fare, then off to MGM, come back for nap from 2 to 4 then head to GF for dinner at Narcoosse's and on to MK for Spectro and Wishes
Sun. 18th: 8am CRT, then play in MK till nap time, then back to MK for MVMCP for LTT and party til we can't take it anymore.
Mon. 19th: Sleep late. then off to MK for Disney's Family Magic Tour, then off to MGM, eat at 50's Prime Time, stay for evening, Flying Fish at 8:30 and then fall down til we have to get up.
Tues. 20th: Head to MK for 8:10am at CP, then play in MK til nap time. Get up in time to get to Mickey's Backyard BBQ at 6:30
Wed. 21st: Head to AK for Donald's at 8am, play in park until after parade, then head to Chef Mickey's at 5:20 then to MK for Spectro and Wishes.
Thurs. 22nd: Head to GF for Pirate Adventure for DS8 and Perfectly Princess Tea Party for DD4, go to MK for last rides and see Christmas Parade at 3pm then back to VWL to catch ride to MCO.
I hope we don't kill ourselves with this schedule. Do you guys think it looks like too much? Wish we could spend more time at epcot but this trip is about the kids. Thanks for all of the info from you guys on this board. It has been a great resource. Now all we have to do is wait and pay for the trip of course.

 

[kellyg403]

Hoping the crowds are lighter too. This is our first trip and we want to do so much. I am crossing my fingers we made the right choice. When we originally made the plans to go the kids were out the 16 Dec until Jan 3. Because of hurricanes they added two days to the schedule so now the kids will be missing 2 full days. Hopefully, things are looking like they will only have one day unexcused and the other excused!

Kelly

 

[mmickey5]

We'll be there 12/18-24 also. Hoping for lighter crowds at the beginning of the week too! We usually "go commando" so your schedule makes sense to me! Just remember nothing is carved in stone and sometimes a hotdog at Caseys is better than a mad dash to another park and dinner
I love all the choices and the extra fun comes from all the pre-planning.
Have a great trip- we'll look for you there!

 

[shannon1219]

We went last year the 16th thru the 20th. The first two days there were not alot of crowds but by the 20th you could see a considerable diffrence. The closer to Christmas the more crowded. The weather last year was colder than it had been in a very long time, Florida had a cold front hit. It made it hard to get to the parks really early or stay really late because the wind had such a bitter chill to it. Of course we are from Georgia and are not used to Really cold weather so it may not seem nearly as cold to others as it did to us.

 

[slimplaw]

We'll be there during the same time. You might want to plan for more time in Epcot. In the World Showcase, they have Santas/storytellers in the countries telling about their holiday traditions. There is also the tree lighting and Candlelight Processional. Of course, once you get to WDW you can change your plans if you miss something you want to see more of. We've been during this time period before and the crowds were not bad at all. As stated by others, the closer we'll get to Christmas the more crowded it will be.

 

[raider93]

Thanks for the input. I guess we better plan for cold weather as well. Hard to imagine cold in south florida. I'll check out the weather channel before we go.