Going between Halloween & Thanksgiving

[nemofans]

Would Nov.1-9 have low crowds since Halloween is over & Christmas season hasn't started yet? Would that mean HM & SM would be closed? When does Christmas stuff usually come out?

 

[skiingfast]

Would Nov.1-9 have low crowds since Halloween is over & Christmas season hasn't started yet? Would that mean HM & SM would be closed? When does Christmas stuff usually come out?

Haunted Mansion Holidays stays open, it's open for Halloween and Christmas seasons.

Space Mountain will close but only for a few days.

Small World will go down for it's Christmas overlay.


Chistmas stuff comes up right after the Halloween stuff comes down. You will see some of both.

 

[nemofans]

Would you recommend this week over the 1st week in Dec?

 

[skiingfast]

Would you recommend this week over the 1st week in Dec?

It's a trade off. Early November, low crowds, cheap rooms, short hours, rehabs, reduced entertainment. Early December, is the oppsite. Higher crowds higher room cost, everything else better.

So it's up to you, but if it was for a whole week I'd take the high crowds.

 

[Sherry E]

I would say to go during the first week in December. While the crowds will be lighter in early November, they will not be at their peak of craziness in early December either (the peak doesn't hit until around the end of December).

Plus, you will get the full holiday experience by going in early December - everything will be up and out, all the holiday entertainment, food and merchandise will be available, and the entire Resort will be decorated (including the 3 hotels, and the GCH is a big highlight of the Christmas season). IASW Holiday will be running. The Storybook Land ride will have its cute little tiny Christmas decorations on the miniature cottages. The snow will fall on Main Street at night. The glorious Winter Castle will glow incandescently after dark.

In early November, there will be none of that. What you would see are the beginnings of the holiday decor starting to be put up in the parks (they usually start in New Orleans Square), but the hotels won't be decorated, Santa won't be there, the Reindeer Round-Up won't be open and IASW Holiday will not be running.

The holiday season will not officially begin until 11/11/11 or 11/18/11 - we are not sure yet.

I think you will have a much more worthwhile overall experience if you take the early December week. I'm actually considering a late November/early December visit myself because I think that's the best time to get the full holiday immersion and effect while the crowds are at a lower point for the holidays.

I don't think the crowds will be "low" at any time this year, because Star Tours 2.0 and the Little Mermaid are both opening. But lowER is possible.

 

[nemofans]

We definitely will be going this fall, but I'm trying to find the best week. I 1st was thinking Sept, but it will be hot. Then Oct, but busy w/Halloween stuff. We went the 1st week of Nov b4 & it was very nice, low crowds & nice weather (70's). That's why I was thinking that week again. Going the 1st week of Dec would be nice w/all the christmas stuff, but not a must do. We've been to WDW in Dec & the holiday season is not a priority. I would prefer Halloween decor over Christmas, but not worth dealing w/crowds.
Plus, we don't do any night time events/shows b/c being from the midwest, we have a 2 hr time difference. W/little ones, we are usually back in our rooms by 7:30pm for bedtime. My older DS hates fireworks anyway.
So, we will be happy w/low crowds, nice (not hot) weather, & less entertainment. The only issue would be which rides are closed.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I have been during both early November and early December (second week for both months) and while the crowds were actually less for the December trip it was because Disney bumped up the dates for the taping of the Christmas parade during our November trip. I have a feeling crowds would have been less if Disney had stuck with their plans for taping during the third week of November.

The first week of December usually has CM Christmas parties and DL closes early so I would keep that in mind.

 

[Sherry E]

We definitely will be going this fall, but I'm trying to find the best week. I 1st was thinking Sept, but it will be hot. Then Oct, but busy w/Halloween stuff. We went the 1st week of Nov b4 & it was very nice, low crowds & nice weather (70's). That's why I was thinking that week again. Going the 1st week of Dec would be nice w/all the christmas stuff, but not a must do. We've been to WDW in Dec & the holiday season is not a priority. I would prefer Halloween decor over Christmas, but not worth dealing w/crowds.
Plus, we don't do any night time events/shows b/c being from the midwest, we have a 2 hr time difference. W/little ones, we are usually back in our rooms by 7:30pm for bedtime. My older DS hates fireworks anyway.
So, we will be happy w/low crowds, nice (not hot) weather, & less entertainment. The only issue would be which rides are closed.

nemofans -

I think, based on your criteria, you should stick with going in early November. I don't think there will be a perfect scenario, but I think that is the best one for you.

I don't think you will get "low crowds" this whole year. Things are changing at DLR so much, so the crowd patterns are changing too. I don't think there are many magic times anymore when the crowds are going to be really low. What patterns applied in the past may not apply this year or next year.

This year will see the opening of 2 major new rides (I am counting Star Tours 2.0 as a new ride), and World of Color is still going strong. The crowds have picked up all over the Resort in the last couple of years and this year will be no different.

But you can find lowER crowds at certain points that at other points. Early November will be one of those times, most likely, because it is in between Halloween and Christmas time.

September in SoCal is often times hotter than mid-July. Last year in September, we had the crazy heat wave where it reached something horrible like 113 degrees or 115 degrees (it was the hottest day in recorded history for L.A.). Once I was at DLR for the start of Halloween weekend in September and it was not crowded - but that was only because it rained off an on. If it is not raining, it will probably be hot. Maybe not 113 degrees hot, but it will be hot.

I have been during both early November and early December (second week for both months) and while the crowds were actually less for the December trip it was because Disney bumped up the dates for the taping of the Christmas parade during our November trip. I have a feeling crowds would have been less if Disney had stuck with their plans for taping during the third week of November.

The first week of December usually has CM Christmas parties and DL closes early so I would keep that in mind.

The Cast Member parties were later last year than usual - they took place one week later. I'm not sure if that will be the case this year or if they will resume their old 'first week in December' schedule. Even when they do happen, it's really not a big deal. I was there last year during CM party nights, and I just did other things on those 2 nights when I had to leave DL early. If Disneyland park were the only place to go, then closing early would be a big problem, but DCA is there, the 3 hotels are there, DTD is there - it wasn't an inconvenience for me at all to leave DL early for those 2 nights. It just forced me to do some of the other things I wanted to do outside of Disneyland itself. Sure, it would have been nice for DL to be open late on those 2 nights, but it didn't make much difference. And it was crowded too! Out of my 4 days/3 nights there (Sun. - Wed.), Wednesday was actually the least crowded!

The second week in December is different crowd-wise than the first week in December, I think. By most accounts, as soon as the Candlelight Processional passes, the parks clear out during that first week and that is the lowest crowd point of the whole holiday season (possibly because people are scared off by the CM parties, but not sure?). But when the second week rolls around, crowds begin to pick up a little bit, and they build more and more as the month progresses.

 

[nemofans]

Thanks! Yeah, We will be going the 1st week in Nov. I feel good that it's the best fit for us. I'm sure the new rides will bring more people, but I'm sure it won't be as bad as next year when Carsland opens up.

 

[DisMike]

I've been twice the 1st week of November. LOVED IT!!! The weather is great, low crowds, most of the Christmas decorations are up. Best time of year IMHO.

 

[nemofans]

Thanks DisMike for the confirmation! I am excited to go!