Help me decide when to go!!!!

[Coconuts]

So we usually do WDW on Jersey week (anytime from 11/5-11/13 this year), so the kids only miss a day or two of school and it always had free dining. When it wasn't offered this year, we switched to Thanksgiving week. We have never been there at such a high volume time and I am leery of the crowds. But my family loves the DDP so free dining is such a huge discount for us(4 Disney adults). I was able to get all of the ADR's we wanted, which can be tough for 6 people. Airfare is more than we would like to spend, but I found some fairly reasonable fares for a holiday week.

Because I have been growing more nervous of the crowds that week, I have been pricing Jersey week. There are no discounts as of yet, but am hoping for something. A problem is we can't get a must do ADR's that my family loves and insists upon every trip, which is HDDR.

Apples to apples, comparing both trip with identical features, airfare, DDP, PH... Thanksgiving week is $1100 cheaper.

If we don't do the DDP for Jersey week, since we can't get our ADR's and my 2yo doesn't like to sit a lot at meals anyway, I'm sure we could save some. It would give us a $1300 budget for food for Jersey week.

So in summary...

1) Jersey week with DDP is $1100 more, has less crowds, but not able to get the HDDR ADR that my family really looks forward to on our WDW trip. And a room discount may come out to make it a little cheaper.

2) Jersey week with meals OOP and a $1300 budget for the 6 of us. I do know that not being on the DDP, I will probably be crazy and counting every penny we spend and not enjoy my meals as much.

3) Thanksgiving week with FD and all of the ADR's that we wanted but huge crowds. We have never been to WDW with huge crowds and honestly I get a bit claustrophobic in big crowds. I am not sure we will like it or be able to get anything done with our 2yo and a stroller. I am worried about the long lines and bus waits.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

[sharonabe]

I vote for Jersey Week and OOP. ADRs become available all the time, so don't give up checking. And maybe it's time to find some new favorites. There are a lot of new restaurants to try. If you decide to go this route, once you've finalized your ADRs, go to the menus and ask what everyone wants and tell them price doesn't matter. Do the math with their choices (don't forget the 6.5% tax). I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can do with that $1300. I would even bribe mine with more TS meals if they would agree to sharing dessert.

 

[Order66]

I have never been during Jersey week, so I have no idea what the crowds are like, but went last year during Thanksgiving week. We arrived the Tues before and left the Tues after. While our first park day Wed, was a little higher crowds than I would have liked, the rest of the week wasn't bad at all and the Sun and Mon after the crowds were really low. We had a great time and plan on doing it again next year. We did pretty much everything we wanted, adr's everywhere we wanted to eat at and even spent 1/2 day before the Christmas party visiting the resorts to see the decorations for the holidays. If you're imagining that a "holiday" visit will look like the wall to wall crowds of Christmas or Easter, I assure you that was not my experience at all during Thanksgiving. I would compare it more to average summer crowds. Which for some is still too much, but didn't phase us at all. I'd take the savings and don't let the rest scare you off. The weather was perfect and the holiday decorations everywhere are worth the trip.

regards

 

[gap2368]

I would stick with what you have it sounds like you have your places that you like to eat and you got them as PP said it was not that crowded.

have a plane for what parks you would like to visit each day and your 3 must do rides ( EPCOT and HS are a littler harder) and then book FP for them

at EPCOT if your top rides are FEA TT and soaring I would get a FP for FEA rope drop soaring and then do dingle rider line for TT

same with HS if you must do TSMM and RR then have a FP for TSMM and single rider line RR.

a few tips I do when I go when it is very crowded

1 rope drop ( AKA get there about 30 minutes before the park opens) have a slight plane or at lest where you want to go first do a headliner that you do not have a FP then do other rides near by for the most part the rides are almost all ( there will be a few that have long waits right when the park opens like FEA 7DMT) but the rest should be about walk on for the first 60-90 minutes of the park opening

sas fair as the busses getting back disney dose a really good job about moving people very fast but here are a few things I do

try not to leave with the big crowded after things like the fire works stay and people watch shop talk to CM pin tread go on more rides

if you know you will have to leave try to leave as soon as you can and if you can be close to the park exit this help but you will ( or I have always been) very surprised at how fast the lines move even when I am tired and want to go back.

 

[Klayfish]

When I saw the header of your post saying "Help me decide when to go", my initial response is "When nature calls"

OK, to be serious, I haven't been during Jersey week (I don't think, not even sure when it is), but I was there at Thanksgiving week last year. The only time we said "Wow, it's really crowded" was MK on Thanksgiving Day itself, and even then it was fine before about noon. The other days were busy, but not ridiculously so. We still got to do a ton of stuff...plus seeing WDW decked out for Christmas is awesome!! That gets my vote hands down.

 

[Coconuts]

Thanks for the replies so far. The pp have definitely made me feel a little better about the Thanksgiving crowds.

 

[CynBeth]

I would stick with your plans. We have been twice during Thanksgiving Week and did not find it too bad.

 

[Coconuts]

Bump. Anyone else?

 

[EdmondD]

If, as I'm guessing, Jersey Week implies there were will be a disproportionate number of people from New Jersey, I would skip that week. But I'm guessing that if you're considering that week, you are from New Jersey, and thus can't escape them anyway.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I am also glad to hear this about Thanksgiving. People tried to scare me out of booking that week, but we really want to experience the holiday there. Expect the worst and hope for the best!

 

[kwdw]

YOu'd get more responses if you said when Jersey week is..... most of us don't know.....

 

[Coconuts]

YOu'd get more responses if you said when Jersey week is..... most of us don't know.....

Sorry. Every year either the first or second week in November, there is a statewide teachers conference that Thursday and Friday. A lot of school districts give the kids off Monday through Wednesday too, so they have off the whole week. This year Jersey week is 11/7-11/11. We usually try to go for the weekend before or after or both, or stay a few days later like until the following Tuesday to get better airfare.

 

[kwdw]

Crowds will be less 11/7-11/11. But the cost difference you are mentioning is quite measurable - and I'm actually shocked by the difference. I would have guess earlier in the month both hotel rates and airfare would have been less. For us - DDP is never a financially wise choice - though I know folks who have run the numbers, made the plans, and found it to be a benefit for them - so I'm probably not a good judge of that's importance in your decision.

Did you run the numbers assuming there might be a room discount 11/7-11/11 based on the resort you are at? That could be a 15-25% discount - and then paying OOP for food might make that week in the same price range.

But - if its really an $1100 difference - I'd fight the crowds.

 

[Coconuts]

Crowds will be less 11/7-11/11. But the cost difference you are mentioning is quite measurable - and I'm actually shocked by the difference. I would have guess earlier in the month both hotel rates and airfare would have been less. For us - DDP is never a financially wise choice - though I know folks who have run the numbers, made the plans, and found it to be a benefit for them - so I'm probably not a good judge of that's importance in your decision.

Did you run the numbers assuming there might be a room discount 11/7-11/11 based on the resort you are at? That could be a 15-25% discount - and then paying OOP for food might make that week in the same price range.

But - if its really an $1100 difference - I'd fight the crowds.

Airfare has jumped around a lot and is only a few hundred dollars cheaper earlier in November, probably because the airlines know many will be leaving for WDW that week from my airport.

Yes rates are cheaper earlier in November, but with no discounts then vs. FD during Thanksgiving it washes out. My family loves the DDP, so with 4 Disney adults it is @$2400 for us.

I did price a scenario with @ 15% off, considering a possible room discount for values, which is where we would be staying and it takes off @ $600-700. I would like to book airfare now, which is the lowest I have seen it in a while, and I can't bank on a discount I'm not sure will happen.

 

[kwdw]

Airfare has jumped around a lot and is only a few hundred dollars cheaper earlier in November, probably because the airlines know many will be leaving for WDW that week from my airport.

Yes rates are cheaper earlier in November, but with no discounts then vs. FD during Thanksgiving it washes out. My family loves the DDP, so with 4 Disney adults it is @$2400 for us.

I did price a scenario with @ 15% off, considering a possible room discount for values, which is where we would be staying and it takes off @ $600-700. I would like to book airfare now, which is the lowest I have seen it in a while, and I can't bank on a discount I'm not sure will happen.

Sounds to me like you are settling in on Thanksgiving week! In general, I think the crowds are more about attitude than real issues. If you have your ADR's, must have FP's, know to utilize RD or EMH effectively for your family, and just have the right attitude about crowds - it will still be a great trip.

 

[Coconuts]

Sounds to me like you are settling in on Thanksgiving week! In general, I think the crowds are more about attitude than real issues. If you have your ADR's, must have FP's, know to utilize RD or EMH effectively for your family, and just have the right attitude about crowds - it will still be a great trip.

Yes I think I have been edging more towards Thanksgiving week in the past few days. Just having ADR's is a huge weight off of my mind. DD will be there on her first trip so there are no expectations. I just said to DH, that we have all been there so many times and done most of the rides,so there isn't pressure to make sure we see or get on everything. We never ever do rope drop; we aren't early risers or that organized in the am. And we never really do EMH; we usually try and go to the best recommended park for that day. I'm sure whatever we do, our family will love it.

 

[DekrRini]

I went over Thanksgiving a couple years ago when I had a few extra days to add to my usual week after Thanksgiving trip. The crowds were a tad busier, but very managable. I'd go again in a heartbeat if I could get the time off.