How is late Nov/early Dec?

[Punkin's Mom]

The Unofficial Guide says this is the best time to go - Christmas decorations are up, crowds are low, value season prices. Has anyone been during this time? What is the Christmas party like? We're thinking Nov 30 - Dec 3, 2006.

 

[dmk1021]

I personally love this time of year. There may be some rehabs, but overall, you get the whole package - small crowds, nice weather, cheap hotel rates, and holiday decorations. It really is one of the best times to go.

Our family's visit to MVMCP was one of the best memories of our last full family trip. The best rides are open (it's usually 7pm to midnight), and if you can make it until midnight, you will have the run of the park after about 10pm. They do two performances of the Christmas parade, plus there are all sorts of shows (namely the castle show and a neat "Mickey's Night Before Christmas" (or something like that) at the Tomorrowland theater. Plus, on top of all that, free cookies and cocoa, special holiday character meet n greets, a free family picture (mailed to your house, 1 copy for each person in the photo), AND snow on Main Street! If you go during this time of year, you must (that's an order ) go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!

Have a great time (I'm so jealous!)!

 

[debloco]

It's a nice time to go, very nice. We've been twice during this time period.
The last time was this past Dec. 1st-5th.

The Unofficial Guide is right on all counts. The one thing I would be prepared for is chilly weather. While you can have nice, warm days (upper 60's to low 80's) they are not that often. The first time we went during this time the daytime highs were in the 40's, and the nights were darn cold.

This last December, the first two days were cold (again, 40's and 50's) with the nights colder, but the last couple of days were in the upper 70's.

MVMCP is a lot of fun, and WDW does limit the number of tickets sold per night. The weekend nights can sell out and can therefore be more crowded than the other nights. I would recommend getting tickets for a non-weekend night.

This year they had an area where kids could dance (to music from a DJ) with the Christmas reindeer from the parade! Made me wish I had a little one to do this with again!

Definitely go and have a wonderful time!

 

[mushumadness]

Hiya

we went early december 2005, and it was great, the weather was good and the best things was we didnt que more than 5 mins for anything over the entire trip

 

[Punkin's Mom]

Sounds great! Are the tickets for the Christmas party extra? If so how much? Do they hold it every night?

We just came back last weekend and loved it so much my sister and I are going to take my 4 yo daughter in December. Since this is the second trip in a year we're only going Thursday to Sunday. If we do want to do the party on Friday or Saturday night will we be disappointed?

 

[Mimi Q]

Sounds great! Are the tickets for the Christmas party extra? If so how much? Do they hold it every night?

PRICES FROM 2005 FOR MVMCP:

Advance purchase prices Sunday through Thursday
Age 10 & up $41.49
Age 3-9 $31.90

Friday nights and day of event
Age 10 & up $46.81
Age 3-9 $37.23

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

I agree, early December is a wonderful time to go. Crowds were low for us and the decorations were beautiful. However, keep in mind that it could be very cold at night. My children, who were 5 & 6 at the time, asked to go back to the hotel around 8:00 at the MVMCP.

 

[Punkin's Mom]

Someone told me that Pop Warner will be there the first weekend in Dec. I'm pleading ignorance here - I don't know what that is! Whatever it is, does it affect crowds a lot or should I not worry about it?

 

[becobscot]

Pop Warner is young kids who play football right?

 

[debloco]

Sounds great! Are the tickets for the Christmas party extra? If so how much? Do they hold it every night?

We just came back last weekend and loved it so much my sister and I are going to take my 4 yo daughter in December. Since this is the second trip in a year we're only going Thursday to Sunday. If we do want to do the party on Friday or Saturday night will we be disappointed?

They do not have this every night. I'm not sure if the schedule is up yet for 2006.

Here is a link to the MVMCP Info thread

MVMCP

 

[Buttercup Roberts]

Late November/early December has been getting steadily more and more crowded the past three years. It's still not jammed, but Epcot in the evening during Food & Wine, especially on a Thursday - Sunday night is packed, and I will avoid it from now on.

The Christmas party is a must-do for us every year, I can't imagine a year without it!

You can be sure that once a nationally published guide book tells people to go a certain time of the year, that time of year will soon not be a low season anymore. I honestly thought there were fewer people in the middle of July in some locations, than there were in early December.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I have to agree, going the second week of December 4 years apart, that there is a huge crowd difference now than there used to be. It's still not packed but it's definitely not dead either. And you never know with the weather so be prepared. It was in the mid-70's when we went the whole week in 2001 and low 50's (40's at night) when we went in 2005. We're trying the week after Thanksgiving this year to try and avoid some of the people that come piling in towards the end of the second week of December. I love the decorations and it's so romantic walking around the parks

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Someone told me that Pop Warner will be there the first weekend in Dec. I'm pleading ignorance here - I don't know what that is! Whatever it is, does it affect crowds a lot or should I not worry about it?

Kids/tweens/teens for football and cheerleading competetions. We were there in Dec when pop warner was this past year and we ran into those kids everywhere. Others had better luck, but everywhere we went there were droves of them. I think the competetion is just a cover to get to go to WDW and get out of school. The values and one moderate will be crawling with them, so if you want peace at you hotel, this is the time to stay in a deluxe. POR was the moderate for them last year, i beleive they rotate which mod they can get thier discount with evey year. I personally wouldn't go again during pop week, but others didn't have any problems. We just had bad experiences with it.

 

[mylilnikita]

This is my favorite and only time of year DD and I have gone. I love the christmas decorations, everything is so festive. Last year, it rained when we fly into MCO and by the time we got to ASMO and had lunch and got on MK bus, the raining had stopped. Well, we walked onto Pirates, Small World, 10 minute wait on Dumbo and HM was pretty much a walk on. We went from Nov. 29-Dec. 2. We just went to MK then a day at Sea World and that was a nicer day, but crowds were not bad at all. Then we went on our 2nd DCL cruise.

 

[jeankeri]

The first MVMCP is the Sunday following Thanksgiving. You can get in with your party ticket anytime after 4pm, the Christmas shows start about 6:15.

 

[RobInBigKC]

We've been in early December, end of January, mid-February, and multiple summer trips and I absolutely loved early December the best! We did that before any of our DS's were in school and I don't think we'll be able to do that again until all of our DS's are out of school (but if we ever get some school days off in early December, we're there!).

The Christmas decorations without the Christmas crowds makes for a very special trip.

-- Rob

 

[Principessa]

We went Nov 22-Dec2 2005: The Monday and Tues after Thanksgiving
are nice; most people go back to school Sunday. If you go then, which
I do recommend, don't pick your resort based on the swimming pool. We swam once in 10 days. It's just not as appealling when there are so many other things to do and it's so cool out. Also, be sure to do photopass
pictures on the sunniest days - we were in MK on two very cloudy days so my family in front of castle pictures look more dreary than the day felt.
MVMCP was awesome; we went the the second date in 2005; be sure to
adr your meals though - the restaurants are packed.