Getting nervous about 1st week of Dec!

[kellyf2626]

So I know the beginning of December is a busy time for DVC due to the low points, but I kinda thought that the parks (overall) wouldn't be too crowded. I just went online to look for a friend who wanted to book that week, and there are no Moderate hotels with availabilty, and barely any Deluxe or DVC resorts with availabilty either.

Beginning to think it is going to be super-duper crowded! Yikes!

Anyone go last year the first week of Dec? What were the crowds like? Wait times?

Thanks!

 

[ThreeKMom]

We went the Saturday after thanksgiving untill the first Saturday in December (11/28 -12/5) last year and are going the exact same dates this year. The first 2 days were more crowded than the rest but we didn't think it was too bad. Other people that we know, were there the same time and thought it was packed, I guess it depends on which park you go to on which day of the week. We did Epcot the first 2 days and didn't think it was crowded, we even got a fastpass for Soarin at 11:00am and our return time was 12:30! The only ride that we didn't get to do was Peter Pan - the shortest wait time we saw was 90 minutes, most other rides were basically walk-on or very little wait (15 min.).

I was also looking at availability for friends and couldn't find much either, I think maybe the Pop Warner groups hold blocks of rooms untill they find out which teams are going and then release any rooms that are not needed. Either that or Free dining is really taking over and we are all in for some looong lines!

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

You really can't use the availability at the resort hotels to judge how crowded it will be at the parks. Disney adjusts pricing and promotions to make sure that most or all of the rooms at the hotels are full.

However, the majority of the visitors to the parks don't actually stay on Disney property. The real crowds come from people staying off property. And there are significantly fewer of those people during that time of the year.

Go during the 1st week of december. It's an EXCELLENT time to go as far as crowds are concerned...It's certainly not DVC's most popular time for no reason :-D

 

[DebbieB]

This happens every year, I've gone that week many times. People start to freak out because the hotels are all booked. The parks are not that bad. Park Crowds = WDW resort guests + offsite resort guests + locals. While the WDW resorts are full, I don't think the offsite are and it's not a popular time for locals. Don't worry.

 

[Peggy Sue]

We've been traveling to WDW early December every year since 1997 .. when we joined DVC!

The crowds have increased every year, but we don't find it too crowded. We seldom run into lines. The major attractions may be an exception, but even the lines that do form are not horrific. Many times we find the fast pass machines are covered and if the attraction loads from 2 sides usually only 1 side is open.

Our Experience .. We find the first week in Dec to be more crowded than the 2nd and 3rd ... towards the end of the 3rd crowds start to build for the Xmas holidays.

A Disney staff memeber told me once that during the off season (early December) they have less day trippers (off site hotels) coming into WDW. During the busy season off-site hotels add a substantial number of guests every day. He told us that every WDW room could be filled and the parks would not feel crowded. I honestly don't know where he got his facts but it sounded reasonable

We love traveling to WDW in December .. hope you have a great trip too!

 

[MinnieGirl33]

We used to do the 1st week of December every year. In fact, we purposely did a BLT add on so we could get home resort priority for that week. Crowds have steadily increased, IMO.

We are not doing December this year

 

[TisBit]

A Disney staff memeber told me once that during the off season (early December) they have less day trippers (off site hotels) coming into WDW. During the busy season off-site hotels add a substantial number of guests every day. He told us that every WDW room could be filled and the parks would not feel crowded. I honestly don't know where he got his facts but it sounded reasonable

from Answer.com

As of April 2008 Disney owns & operates 25,126 rooms in the Walt Disney World Resorts. (this included Vero Beach and Hilton Head DVC, so the number is probably pretty accurate for on site since the addition of BLT rooms).

So even if you figure an average of 3 people per room (capacity 4, figure split with families and couples) that is only about 75,000 people spread throughout the four parks.

To put that in perspective, again from answers.com

Magic Kingdom can hold at maximum 100,000 guests. At that point all arriving guests including Passholders and those staying at the resorts are all turned away. This is what is known as a "Phase 4".

So, even if all those guest were in MK, it wouldn't be at capacity, and probably feel like a busy summer day. And that is literally every room/dvc villa booked and holding an average of 3 people, with them all going to a park that day. The shear number of hotel rooms in Orlando is huge, so off site guests definitely make up a large percentage.

 

[kellyf2626]

Thanks everyone for the replies...I feel a bit better now!

I guess I never realized hotel capacity and how the actual numbers work out in comparison to park capacity.

Keeping my fingers crossed that all the locals stay home that week, lol!

 

[Sammie]

We went last year the first week and it was more crowded than our other trips in the summer. I won't be doing it again. Especially Magic Kingdom.

Epcot was manageable.

 

[jkfreeman33]

It's Pop Warner football and cheerleaders, with their family week. We used to go that week and changed after dealing with it a couple of times. Very crowded and lots of screaming and cheering youngsters for my taste. The cheerleaders cheer the entire time in line. It gets old..........
This year the Daytona 500 weekend was also the cheerleading and band competition. I couldn't believe how crowded everything was.

We changed to the Food & Wine Festival. Still crowded but with adults.
Christmas is still one of my favorite times of year at WDW. The decorations are wonderful.

 

[RDP]

So I know the beginning of December is a busy time for DVC due to the low points, but I kinda thought that the parks (overall) wouldn't be too crowded. I just went online to look for a friend who wanted to book that week, and there are no Moderate hotels with availability, and barely any Deluxe or DVC resorts with availability either.

Beginning to think it is going to be super-duper crowded! Yikes!

Anyone go last year the first week of Dec? What were the crowds like? Wait times?

Thanks!

We have been over the first two weeks in Dec in the past. I would describe the parks as moderately busy. Nothing like July busy. There were waits and you do need to book restaurants if you have specific times and venues in mind. The weather is great for park days with the low humidity and low rain fall.