December crowds

[tinkertastic]

Good morning all,

Question for those of you who visit the World in December. My hubby and I typically visit in Sept/Oct or Feb. so we are unfamiliar with the December crowds. We had our last DVC trip in May and our next one will be a big family trip in Sept 2011. There is no way I can make it that long without a Disney fix so my hubby suggested a December trip (if it were up to him he would love to just wait till next Sept but he loves to make me happy ) Soooo, December is completely unfamiliar territory for me. We were thinking the week before Christmas, I think it would be the 16-19th. It is very crowded then? Is there any week in December that might have lighter crowds? Help!!!!

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Coach81]

Yes, it will be crowded.. but it is MAGICAL!!!

 

[bdkane]

We did 12/11 - 12/17 last year and it was great - crowds very managable, weather was unseasonablly cold - but bearable ( I think it actually hit the high 30's)we also did the Christmas parade at MK one night - well worth it, there were 2 parades - the park cleared out after the first one, more or less no ride lines after the parade

 

[jamn]

We did early december one year and had a great time. The crowds were very manageable and the weather was great. And nothing beats the Christmas decorations.

 

[drusba]

All of December is a very high DVC demand time (even though much of Dec, before several days before Christmas, is a moderate WDW crowd level). If you want Dec reservations for this year, you better call immediately to determine if anything at all is available.

 

[tgropp]

That is basically the ONLY time we like to visit WDW. Over the past 20 years we have seen the numbers grow at that time of year....but the crowds are very managable until the 25'th of December. If you read the boards, it seems that any time of year is now crowded due to free dining and special promotions. But beware....if you travel to WDW in December, you will be hooked into travelling there in December for all future visits.

 

[kinghorse]

We always go on weekdays during the first 10 days of December, lower crowds.

 

[tinkertastic]

THank you for your posts. I think we may just take the plunge and go in Dec. I was reading the crown calander for the days we have in mind and it does not seem bad at all. I'm loving the idea of it being slightly cooler than when we usually go! Shoot, I'd love for it to be cool enough to stroll main street with a hot cocoa in hand!!!!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

THank you for your posts. I think we may just take the plunge and go in Dec. I was reading the crown calander for the days we have in mind and it does not seem bad at all. I'm loving the idea of it being slightly cooler than when we usually go! Shoot, I'd love for it to be cool enough to stroll main street with a hot cocoa in hand!!!!!!

Don't waste your time looking at crowd calendars. You really need to call MS ASAP to find out if anything is available.

 

[bastraker]

I called today for a last minute trip for either the end of November of the first couple of weeks of December. There are no studios left anywhere. For the 3week period I checked, only 2 random days came up available. Good luck!

 

[tinkertastic]

Looks like this will be a non DVC trip I'll miss being home but I'm certainly excited about being there during the holiday season!!!

 

[gianjoe]

Might I also suggest the hotels by Epcot. The World Showcase is awesome when its colder. They have the Dolphin and Swan there and both were recently upgraded.

We live nearby and go a lot in December, its the best time. For WDW, do the Christmas special at night, much less people there!

Good luck!!!

Joe