December??? Convince me why I should go during this month???

[It's A Happy Day]

I am looking forward to our next trip. This October trip is paid off and waiting to go but I want to start looking at costs for the next one and saving, planning on when to book, etc. (and my poor dh thought I wouldn't have anything to do now that the planning for this trip is coming to a close ) Our last trip and this one coming we have gone in October but I would love to see Disney decorated for Christmas and maybe try out the Christmas Party. I need to be to know why December is a great time to be at WDW vs. other times of the year. What are temps, how are crowd levels, what is the party all about (we're doing Halloween for the 1st this year), etc? We would plan around Dec 1-10th of 06 or 07 give or take a day or 2 either way...so plenty of time but tell me what Disney in December is like please.

 

[kizmac]

Well, we've only gone in December once and all the other times have been September. I LOVE Christmas time at Disney. If you are a holiday person, you will love the decorations. The weather in December when we went in 2003 (first and second week of Dec.) was pretty chilly. It was colder than normal for that time I believe. We wore sweats and jackets and jeans. It was cold enough for gloves and hats too after dark. (It was a very bad cold snap and not the norm for that time) I do have to say it was strange doing Disney not in shorts and tank tops and I did kinda miss the warm weather, but it was still a wonderful trip and the Christmas party was a lot of fun. I will definitely be going back in a couple years to do it again in December.

I say go for it! Be sure to go in the early weeks of December because the crowds are low. Christmas week is a nightmare. My neighbor did x-mas week and said never again!

 

[isla bonita]

I went right after thanksgiving into Dec. The hotels were beautiful. The crowds were smaller. The Much cheaper unless you are there for xmas. Weather is very comfortable.

 

[MickeyMoose]

Everything isla bonita said. . .

 

[F1Julie]

We went in December last year and loved the weather. It was so nice to be walking around WDW and not being hot. We wore shorts most days and jeans or capri's with t-shirts the other days. It was warm enough to swim, but not uncomfortably hot. The only negative thing about early December is that Pop Warner is usually the first week in December. You should be ok as long as you don't stay in a value resort or the moderate overflow resort that they go to. MVMCP is great. As for crowds, the parks weren't as empty as I expected. According to the UOG, crowd levels should have been a 1 or 2 each day we were there. That did not seem to be the case at all. It was busier than when I've been to WDW in both October and May.

 

[angel's momma]

Our first trip was last Dec. 11-21. We really enjoyed it. The decorations were great, and the Christmas music was too. We seldom waited longer than 5 minutes for any type of line - rides, buses, food, and we only used Fast Pass twice (the 18th on was steadily more crowded though). The weather was a little cooler than normal (we wore jeans & tshirts mostly), but it was very comfortable. Except for one night that ended up being a record breaking low of 35! We were at Epcot that night with our winter coats on & it was colder there than back home in IL. A bus driver told us that the whole week before we arrived was actually warmer than usual temps & everyone was wearing shorts. I would love to go back at that time again, but we drive & we went through the blizzard that hit Kentucky on our way home, so I'm not sure if we'll attempt it again.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

What is pop warner?

 

[It's A Happy Day]

Does anyone know if the pools are heated at any of the resorts - swimming is a big part of our families vacations wherever we go. I could save money on not doing the water parks if its too cold but I know I could never convince my husband that this would be a great time of year if he couldn't go swimming at the resort pools!!!

 

[Hoosier Mom]

Carrib resort has 6 heated pools.

 

[angel's momma]

Pools at POP are heated, so I assume they are at all the resorts.

I'm pretty sure I read at allears that even the water at the water parks is heated.

Hoosier Mom - I don't know all the specifics, but I think Pop Warner is a sports competition & groups of teens attend. I remember reading specifically about groups of cheerleaders.

 

[Colinsmom]

I LOVE Disney in December and have gone 3 or 4 times in early December! We're going in September this year, and it won't be quite the same, but DS will already be 3 in December so it is cheaper to go before his birthday.

The weather is mild (sometimes warm, sometimes cool but never hot, hot, hot), the crowds are thin, virtually no rain, all the wonderful Christmas decorations and holiday music everywhere.

But UGH - Pop Warner! That's the reasons for the crowds that we hit at MK. Every other park was empty, so it was a big surprise!

 

[jtopp]

early Dec is the best time to go. Temps warm enough to swim, occasionally chilly in the evenings. Parks and hotels decorated for the holidays, and lighter crowds then later in the month. Also, don't miss MVMCP, well worth the additional cost

 

[Dizneydaz]

We went in late Nov/early Dec. 2003. It was great! The resorts were beautiful, the crowds were non-existent. The only draw back was the weather. We had some evenings in the 40's brrrrr! And even the days weren't too warm-I wore my thermal shirt under my sweater every day. Also, it was very cold when using the pools-but we still did a few times. That being said, I would love to go in early Dec. again. Just for the decorations and low crowds alone. Also, we missed out on the Osbourne Christmas Lights Show as it was dark that year. Oh, and since it was so cold, we didn't go to the water parks and saved those "pluses" for another trip-this one!

13 days and counting!!!!!

 

[Zoesmama03]

Wonderful music and fun at Epcot.

Wonderful lights display at MGM.

I love being there at Christmas it adds to the magic. I've even been to MGM on Christmas Day and it was tons of fun.

 

[Destination Disney]

The decorations...

If you go at the beginning of the months, you may see them film the Christmas parade...(The parade is not live on Christmas day!)

The decorations...

oh, and the decorations...