I have gone Disney crazy please help!

[mom4scrapbooking]

SO I am so crazy and love Disney I need Help!

Trying to convince hubby not to wait till next year and go this November or Decmber to Wdw for the firstr time. I need some help convincing him.

My questions are what are the pros and cons of going during this time of year versus next July?

How is the weather?

Can you still do water parks?

When do the holiday decorations go up for christmas?

I need help to convince hubby to go this year!

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[MinnieTink]

I think (not 100% sure) the holiday decorations go up right after the Halloween ones come down. Nov/Dec are great times to go! I would just avoid Thanksgiving week and Christmas week because of crowds. The weather when we were there Dec '05 wasn't really great swimming weather, but it was great for the parks. 60's and 70's. I would avoid July--school's out and crowds are big at WDW, and it is REALLY HOT. If you have the choice, I would go with Nov/Dec. Have FUN!!!!!

 

[DISNEY4XMAS]

My Dh hates the heat so for us to go in Dec was the right choice and that sold him.. The last time we went 7 years ago we went in may and it was 90+ degrees out. I would figure that in July it would be over that. I have a day that we are planning to go to the water parks... call us crazy but my kids swim in may and pool water is in the 50 and air temp is just about 68` so my kids will not mind. Average temp in Orlando in dec I heard is around 50- 70. I have also heard that July and August are busy months do to NO school. November would be a better choice! Hope this helps...

 

[huntersmom]

They also have some great rates at the Value hotels during this Nov. and Dec. Some nights Sun.- Thur are as low as $59 per night, just a bit higher for other nights well into December. Can't beat that and the decorations are beautiful. It will get you into the Christmas Spirit.

 

[Princess Roo]

What ages are your children? We've been both early December and 4th of July so far.

I don't think in November/December you can 100% count on the water parks, but there is a decent chance you'll be interested in using them, assuming you're a little adventurous! I think during the winter they only have one open at a time and work on maintenance of the other. You just have to realize that there is that chance that it will be REALLY cold...not likely, but if that would absolutely ruin your vacation, take that into consideration.

November/December crowds are a good bit lower (avoiding holiday weeks), the room prices are a lot lower, the Christmas decorations are cool to see, it's easier to get ADRs with less advance planning. You need to dress in layers because the temp varies a lot during the day, which we didn't mind since we had the stroller to stash stuff in, but probably would have rented a locker otherwise. The parks open a little later and close a lot earlier (which was a plus for us, since our toddler could stay up for the fireworks).

When we went 4th of July, we didn't think the crowds were bad even with the holiday weekend (though 1st week of Dec. was lower, of course) and had no trouble seeing Fantasyland in the first few hours after rope drop and using FastPasses and visiting less popular rides the rest of the day. We went back to the hotel for a nap during the hottest part of the day, and since we're from Atlanta the high temps didn't bother us much.

So, for us we prefer Nov/Dec right now. If we had older kids that wanted to be in the parks late at night and for whom pool/water park time was a high priority, we'd lean more toward summer. HTH!

 

[deedeetoo]

It is a bit late to be planning a November or December trip. You may not find what you want in hotels and ADRs. You may have to take what's left rather than what you really want. If you wait until next July you'll have more options.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We go in December for short trips and August for long ones. We've also been in January and February and had crummy weather so I think we'll skip those in the future!

If you go in early December it shouldn't be TOO crowded or too expensive. If you go towards the end (after the 19th) it will be VERY expensive and get progressively more crowded. We're going the 12-16th of Dec. and I couldn't get all of the ADRs I wanted even though I called the first week of August. You can possibly attend MVMCP in Nov/Dec, whichis kind of cool. Watch out for Pop Warner the first week of December. We went last Dec. 2-6 and I thought it was cold. NO WAY would I have gone in the pool or to a water park.

We've never been in July, but I know there are LOTS of tour groups that can be kind of obnoxious that time of year. Prices are probably right in the middle. Deluxe resort prices drop down earlier in the summer than value & mods. I guess it depends on what you like and what you want to experience while you are there.

 

[t-beri]

I live about an hour an 45 minutes west of the World and am in the air conditioning and heating business. So far it has cooled down very little and they are forcasting a warmer than usual winter. Of course I've been to WDW for a business trip (jan 05) when I refused to go to the parks b/c it was FREEZING and I was all bundled up and there were still plenty of people in the pools. I think the waterparks go onto a seasonal schedule later in the year and there's usually only one open at a time, so your choice may be limited.

hope this helps, warm weather is never a selling point for my hubby...he likes cooler weather, I however am a FL. girl- the hotter the better!!

 

[MiniGirl]

I live about 90 minutes east of WDW, and yes, you could still do the water parks comfortably right now. Who knows about next month? Or Dec. Actually, I think they close in Dec (or maybe Jan) for maintainance.

However, I would take a fall Disney trip over a summer one anyday. In fact, we only buy seasonal passes because the summer blackout dates don't bother us at all. Crowds are very light. You can walk on to most rides or have a very minimal wait -- even if you haven't planned anything. Also, the resorts (at lease the Values) are deeply discounted right now for the fall. The only problem would be ADRs. However, last fall I was able to get reservations at 1900 Park Fare for the Cinderella dinner 1 week out, so it can be done. Otherwise, there is always counter service.

Christmas/holiday decorations generally go up in mid-November. They are up for the MVMCPs which start around that time.

Truth is the weather is so unpredictable. Last year everyone was talking about how hot is was for Marathon weekend (early Jan) but in February, it was absolutely freezing cold.

But hey, you're at Disney, right?

 

[Pirates4me]

I didn't need to read past the first couple of sentences. The biggest PRO about going in November or December rather than July is the heat factor. Have you ever been to Florida in the summer? Weather is still nice in Nov & Dec. Maybe your husband id reluctant to go because he feels that he won't enjoy it or doesn't want to spend the money and feels if he puts it off all the better. Speaking as a dad that has been to WDW over 10 times, he doesn't know what he is missing. I look forward to all of our trips to WDW and look forward to getting away with my family. Money comes and goes but your kids are only kids for a short time and the money we have spent on family vacations has been worth every cent. Good Luck!

 

[Ellielovesdisney]

I definately vote for Nov. or December. We have been in december several times and have loved it. Some years we could swim and some it was a little chilly for us. But in general the weather is lovely, the parks less crowded, and it is less expensive. Just stay away from the holidays.

 

[Ellielovesdisney]

Oh yeah, I think the Christmas decorations go up right after Thanksgiving. But I may be wrong about that.

 

[dzneelvr]

There's really NO bad time to go to WDW. We've gone in January (less crowds, slower pace, parks close earlier, may be too chilly to swim at resort, alot of rehabs going on) and July (hot, crowds, parks open WAY late so you have plenty of time to sleep in and relax, all events and attractions running at full speed, weather cooperative for almost anything) and love the summer better. I'd be more inclined to have you speak with DH as to what his reservations about going are He may have reasons that you need to discuss first as a family. If cost is his big roadblock, there are ways to have a very economical trip--in fact, these boards are the best resource for that. Annual passes, dining plans, value resorts, etc all help eliminate that urban legend that you "go broke going to Disney". Have a talk with him--lets' face it, if he doesn't want to go, you won't have a good time anyway ASMo here we come June 08

 

[mom4scrapbooking]

okay I might have him convince to go right around christmas. That would be our present to our 4 kids. Is this better than 4th of July next year or about the same.

I am worried though as my kids really wanted to go to the water park.

 

[GoinToDisney]

Honestly, both of those times are going to be super crowded, but I think that the crowds are so bad on Christmas that the parks end up turning people away at the gates. If you can go in Nov or the beginning of December or wait until Jan, I would do that. Christmas break may be the most crowded week of all.

I've been there in Nov and in July, and we were able to do so much more in Nov than July. We spent less time in lines and we had more energy because July is sooooo hoooottt!!