DL questions for planning when to visit

[trainingupmy4princes]

I haven't been on the DL side in a long time as when we moved 7 years ago WDW became more economical to visit. But, with all the glitches with the FP+ issues, we started looking at DL again. I have missed DL and want to take our little girl for her first trip there. We are looking at next June (first week) or this Dec. somewhere between 8-14. I tend to get migraines if it gets too hot and humid so I'm leaning toward Dec.

But, I have a few questions to decide. Will a lot of things be down for refurb as this is right before Christmas season? And will it be super crowded from all the AP's coming before their blocked out? Do they have long hours and evening entertainment by then? Is there any discounts for DL hotels around then or should I just book now? We have Costco and AAA do either of these offer discounts or deals? Sorry for all the questions but it's been a long time since we lived on the west coast. Thanks.

 

[figment_jii]

1. Will a lot of things be down for refurb as this is right before Christmas season?
2. And will it be super crowded from all the AP's coming before their blocked out?
3. Do they have long hours and evening entertainment by then?
4. Is there any discounts for DL hotels around then or should I just book now?
5. We have Costco and AAA do either of these offer discounts or deals?

1. It's unlikely that very many things will be down at the point you are talking about (12/8-12/14). The resort is pretty much in full Holiday-mode, so most rides should be running (baring an unexpected refurb).

2. Yes, there will be crowds and it'll ramp up the closer you get to the holiday period. The weekend of the 13/14 is the last one where the Deluxe and lower AP are not blocked out until after the holiday, so you'll definitely see an increase in crowds at over the weekend. The weekdays should be okay, but I would still go expecting to see moderate crowds (I would not expect to walk-on to very many rides).

3. No, I do not think the park will be running extra long hours yet. That is more likely to start once the block out period begins the next week. Assuming this December is something like last year, DLR will be open from 9a-9p on Mon-Wed, 9a-10p on Thu, and 9a-midnight on Fri-Sun. DCA will be open 9a-8p on Mon-Wed, 9a-10p on Thu, and 9a-11p on Fri-Sun. Fantasmic and Mad T will probably only be running on Fri-Sun, but fireworks, the Christmas parade, and WoC should be running nightly.

4. I think you could book now and then if a discount comes out, call and ask to have it applied. As long as there are still rooms available at the discounted rate, it seems like most folks have luck getting it applied to an existing reservation.

5. I think AAA has discounts, but I don't know about Costco or how much the discounts are.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

1. It's unlikely that very many things will be down at the point you are talking about (12/8-12/14). The resort is pretty much in full Holiday-mode, so most rides should be running (baring an unexpected refurb).

2. Yes, there will be crowds and it'll ramp up the closer you get to the holiday period. The weekend of the 13/14 is the last one where the Deluxe and lower AP are not blocked out until after the holiday, so you'll definitely see an increase in crowds at over the weekend. The weekdays should be okay, but I would still go expecting to see moderate crowds (I would not expect to walk-on to very many rides).

3. No, I do not think the park will be running extra long hours yet. That is more likely to start once the block out period begins the next week. Assuming this December is something like last year, DLR will be open from 9a-9p on Mon-Wed, 9a-10p on Thu, and 9a-midnight on Fri-Sun. DCA will be open 9a-8p on Mon-Wed, 9a-10p on Thu, and 9a-11p on Fri-Sun. Fantasmic and Mad T will probably only be running on Fri-Sun, but fireworks, the Christmas parade, and WoC should be running nightly.

4. I think you could book now and then if a discount comes out, call and ask to have it applied. As long as there are still rooms available at the discounted rate, it seems like most folks have luck getting it applied to an existing reservation.

5. I think AAA has discounts, but I don't know about Costco or how much the discounts are.

On point 2. Can I still assume that this week would still be less crowded then Christmas week, even though the AP's are blocked?
3. Would it be better to go on the week days with shorter hours(less crowds) or the weekend days with longer hours but bigger crowds?
Thank you for all your advice.
6. I also was wondering if BBB is the same as dining and only 60 days out for ADRs? It seems kind of weird after all the 180 day up at dawn to get the reservations.

 

[figment_jii]

On point 2. Can I still assume that this week would still be less crowded then Christmas week, even though the AP's are blocked?

Yes, I think the second week in December is likely to be less busy than the week of Christmas. In general, I kind of think of December as getting busier as it goes. The first week is less busy than the second, the second is less busy than the third, etc. Even though the Deluxe and lower APs are blocked from 12/19 (SoCal and SoCal Select) and 12/20 (Deluxe) in the later half of December, the crowds between Christmas and New Years are among the highest of the year.

3. Would it be better to go on the week days with shorter hours(less crowds) or the weekend days with longer hours but bigger crowds?

That really depends on how much you want to avoid crowds. i would personally plan on doing mostly weekdays, but have at least one weekend day in there. I like Fantasmic and Mad T Party and those only run Fri-Sun, so I would plan to be there for at least one of those days. The weekdays (Mon-Thu) are likely to be okay during the day, but there will still be crowds because some schools are already out and some folks are already traveling. If you do go that week, one word of advice about Christmas merchandise...if you see something you like, buy it when you see it. Don't wait until the end of the trip. I went that week last year and arrived on a Thursday. When we got there they still had a fair amount of items, but by Saturday, they had run out several items (e.g., the Christmas t-shirt in a specific size, some of the pins, etc.).

6. I also was wondering if BBB is the same as dining and only 60 days out for ADRs?

According to Disneyland.com, yes, BBB reservations can be made 60-days in advance.