Disney World in December

[tinawv]

Need help. We are planning a trip to Walt Disney World during the period December 13th through December 20th of this year. Could anyone please tell me what the crowds are like this time of year? We are really looking forward to being in Disney World during Christmas time, but hope to avoid large crowds due to shorter hours.

Second, when should I make my reservations for a hotel? I have not done this yet, as I though it would be better to wait and see if there will be any discounts. I noticed this time last year that you could get a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge for $119.00. I am afraid if I make my reservations now, it will complicate things if I try to change them later. Is it risky to wait and hope for the best?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[babslittleones]

That is so cool. We are going December 13 to the 24th. I can't wait. It will be me, DH, DD - 6, and DS- 4.

We are looking at either Poly or CR for the first 5 nights and then All Star Movies for the last 6 nights.

I would love to hear all about December also.

Thanks everyone.
Beth

 

[2belles'mom]

December is absolutely fabulous, and the dates you are going will be great! We went December 16-22 in 2000, and December 18-27 this last Christmas. The crowds are VERY LIGHT!!!! They got heavier the closer to Christmas you get, and then they are HUGE from Christmas day on...but we still had fun by using early entry on those heavy days.

Enjoy---those are wonderful dates! You will have light crowds and beautiful decorations. Don't miss Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, if it is held on your dates.

 

[2belles'mom]

Oh, I forgot to answer your question about getting a room:

I booked Wilderness Lodge TWO YEARS out--through CRO-- for our last December trip. I started with a $190 or something rate. Checked later and got $160 with AAA discount. I kept checking back over the 2 years, and finally, about 4 months out, I got Disney club for $119 AND an upgrade to Woods view!

So yes, you can book early; just keeping checking back for better rates. I always asked for specific rates--"do you have any AAA rates available for the dates of this reservation? How about Disney Club?" etc.

Good luck!

 

[tinawv]

Thanks 2belles'mom. I really appreciate the feedback. It's good to hear that the crowds are lite this time of year. I am really excited even though it is over 8 months away. I think part of the fun is the anticipation before you go.

Thanks again. It is people like you who are willing to share your experiences that make it nicer for people like me.

 

[helenk]

December is a great time to go. This past year we were in WDW from the 14th to the 19th and it was great. We got some of the cold weather, but it made it feel more Christmasy. The year before I went the first week of Decmeber and the weather was in the mid to upper 70's. The crowds were pretty light, except for the Magic Kingdom, but we still got to do everything we wanted to do.
I love the decorations in all of the parks and the resorts and if you get a chance to go to Mickeys very merry Christmas you will really enjoy it. Also Epcot has the Candle Light Processional.
It really has become my favorite time of year.
.
Make your hotel reservations now, then when the codes come out, it is very easy to change over. We got a great deal on the WL last year.

 

[tinawv]

Thank you helenk. I appreciate the info. Could you please tell me if the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is held during the whole month of December or just on certain days in December? Also, if I make my room reservations now do they charge extra money if you change your reservations later using a code.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Gary M]

DW and I have gone to WDW every December since 1992. We have gone during the first half of Dec.. You will be leaving on Dec. 20, which is the Saturday before Christmas, so I bet the crowds won't pick-up until you leave WDW. Each year we have gone to WDW during Dec., the crowds have grown, but they are still somewhat light, except on weekends.

We didn't know about room discounts until after our first two trips, but have received good room prices since then. As mentioned before, if you make room reservations now, you can call back and get the price adjusted to a new code rate that applies to your dates and resort. We stayed at the WL in a courtyard view room last Dec. for $147 per night, which included tax. Keep checking on this site and www.mousesavers.com for room discount codes.

You'll love Dec. with the Christmas decorations, music and shows.
We have reservations at the WL for Dec. 6-13, 2003, with the come-back rate.

 

[QJ411]

We LOVE WDW in Dec. We were there from Dec. 12-15 (@WL) and WE loved the x'mas decor and there were NO crowds! The weather was good, not too hot, and when we came back from our cruise (12/19-12/22) it got a little more crowded. I think due to the X'mas crowd.

But the WDW Decor just blew us away...so we vote that it's THE perfect time to go!

ENJOY!!!!

 

[followme2disney]

We were there last year from the 20th through the 26th. Crowds were light at the beginning, but got heavier as Christmas approached. You will have very light crowds!

I agree with the prior post about reserving a room now, and changing it should codes become available. That is what we did and it worked out great.

MVMCP runs specific nights in December not every day. You can keep watching these boards - I am sure someone will post when the information becomes available. These boards are terrific for planning and getting info!

 

[off2disney]

Timawv,

I'm going to Disney December 15-20th, and I just booked my reservations for Port Orleans French Quarter through "Your Magical Journeys". Debbie with YMJ said that by booking now I would be in their system to automatically get the new discount codes when they came out. I had contemplated getting a AAA membership, since you can get a 10%-20% discount through them, but she said to hold off and see what the new codes are when they come out. Right now, the codes through www.mousesavers.com are only good through July. I've heard so much about the Christmas decorations, too and can't wait to see them!

 

[DebbieB]

We've gone the first or second week of December the past 5 years. It's a great time to go!

The first 2 years we stayed at moderates and made the reservations in the fall. The last 3 years were at BWV and I booked DVC at 11 months.

Here's some info from last year:

http://www.wdwig.com/holiday.htm

 

[billybob]

My DD and I are going to be there December 14th thru the 19th this year and really look forward to it. We were there the week before Christmas in 2001 and had a great time, although the weather did get extremely cold the last couple of days we were there.

The crowds were not bad at all and MVMCP was also a lot of fun. I am sure that you will have a great time seeing all the decorations and don't miss the Osborne Lights at MGM.

 

[Sandi]

The MVMCP is only on certain nights in December (maybe November, too). They don't do it every night but it will almost surely be on at least one night while you're there. It's lots of fun.

I am not aware of any charge for changing your rate code. I believe they may charge you a change fee for altering the days you'll be there (but they've waived it for me in the past). Just keep checking and changing as you get rates down.

We're also looking at going in December again. It truly is a wonderful time to be there!

 

[mickeysaver]

Looks like several of us will be there during the same week! I can't wait. I'm driving my co-workers nuts. My honey thinks I'm nuts. But, it's all good! lol Mickey

 

[Kurry]

During that time period, were any of you able to visit one of the water parks or swim?

Thanks!

 

[TINKTWINS]

We also were at the Poly the week before Christmas. I loved it. It was cool, but we had some fairly warm days to. We did visit the pool a few times. It definatly cooled off at night and you needed sweatshirts. But being from Boston our blood is much thicker so we got away with shorts and bringing along a sweatshirt for later. I would love to go again at Christmas. We were there until the 22nd. The crowds were fine until the weekend right before Christmas week. Even the hotel was bombarded with people. Id do it again, but I would leave before that weekend. The weather being a bit cooler is a bounus, it rained just one morning, and we werent as hot and tired as you would be in the hotter months. You will love the Disney Christmas experience

 

[angey77]

I'll be there December 13-20 also! Its great to see so many people going at the same time, gets me all excited!
Last time I was in WDW for December was 2001 (the week before Christmas) and I just loved it. We stayed at ASMo and the weather and crowds were great. We did MVMCP, what a great deal! I'm patiently awaiting the announcement of the dates for MVMCP this year.
Oh, and we're staying at ASMo again this year, making it a cheap trip for the girls only. I'm HOPING Pop Century will be open by then because I don't want to stay in the same resort twice until I knock them all out.
I'm making my ressies after I come back from New York in May, where I'll see the Lion King on Broadway (have to have a little Disney in every vacation!).

 

[angey77]

Originally posted by Kurry
During that time period, were any of you able to visit one of the water parks or swim?

Thanks!

We were able to swim at the resorts. On some nights, it was so cold and people were still in the pool, that's northerners for ya.
The waterparks, if I'm not mistaken, are closed in December, at least when I've been.

 

[Sandi]

I believe that there is always a Water Park open. I think that in November and December, Typhoon Lagoon is typically closed for rehab. January and February has Blizzard Beach closed for rehab.

While I've only been to Typhoon Lagoon (so cannot comment on BB), the water has always been comfortably heated. We were last there last month and while we had a coolish day, we still went to TL because that was on our schedule. It turned out to be a great visit to TL -- low crowds until later in the day and nicely heated water. Being in the fresh air was a little chilly in the morning, but we certainly enjoyed our visit.

If we get to go in December, I certainly will not hesitate to go to BB.