December crowds

[carolinagirl]

When do the crowds pick up during the month of December? I have read here that the first two weeks of Dec is a good time to go because crowds are generally low and the decorations are nice.

I was thinking of surprising my DH with a 4 day trip for just the two of us for his birthday which is Dec 16th. I was thinking of leaving on Thurs, Dec 16th, flying down, and returning on Sunday, Dec 19th. Is this too close to Christmas? What is the likelihood that we'll catch the Christmas rush?

I don't want to spend the money for the airfare if it is going to be super crowded.

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[CamColt]

We went last year from the 20th-29th. While the beginning of the trip was busy, it wasnt nearly as crowded as Christmas and after. We actually got a lot more accomplished than we had planned for those first few days. With proper planning I think that time frame shouldnt be too bad.

 

[Momof2boys]

We went this past Dec. during the same time frame. We arrived on a Sunday and came back the Sat. before Christmas. It was great!! The first part of the trip there were no crowds. In fact, it was strange walking around with no one else in sight. The crowds did pick up the Friday before we left, but they were still very manageable. Just make sure you prepare for cold weather. We had a cold front come in the 2nd day we were there and it was down in the 30's at night and 50's during the day