Is the rule about early december still true?

[disneyluver91]

I heard a while ago (and still sometimes hear) that one of the least crowded times of the year is right after thanksgiving but before christmas. (ex: dec 6) Now i'm hearing that the parade shooting goes on then and MVMCP is drawing more crowds. Can somebody PLEASE tell me if the very little crowd "rule" is still in effect? thanks SOOO much!!

 

[southernwingz]

It was my understanding before I went that December crowds were fairly light until the week of Christmas.

We arrived on December 17th and the crowds were indeed very light until 20th and the 21st. By the time we were leaving on the 22nd, it was starting to border on mayhem.

 

[kerri0616]

We just returned from our 12/9-12/15 trip and the crowds were very light in comparison to memorial day weekend (sorry, that was my other most recent visit). I would assume that a lot of locals go to the parade taping around the 7th or 6th of december.

I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful our trip was. Everyone who reads these boards should plan a trip during this time if for no other reason than to attend mvmcp (not on a friday though!). We spent 5 days in the parks and used fast pass exactly 2 times (once for Pooh which had a 30 min wait on a Sat. afternoon and once for philharmagic).

The decorations are glorious, the xmas music is heart warming, and it is so low stress to either walk onto rides or wait 5 minutes.

I will begin my teaching career this fall, so this was my last chance to go during this time of year. The weather was perfect (70's during the day--fine for swimming, 50's at night--jackets and jeans for the parades). No humidity, no bugs either.

And it's value season! We paid 109/nite for AKL and were upgraded to savannah view! All in all, the most perfect trip imaginable.

Have I convinced you to go yet?

Kerri

 

[HolidayRose]

We went December 6 through 14 and had a wonderful time! Crowds were light--we used fastpass and didn't wait for anything more than 10 minutes. Christmas decorations were fantastic. We went to MVMCP and it was great. The parade at MVMCP, especially, was magical and beautiful--not to be missed.

Since you mentioned the televised parade, I'll tell you that some people on the monorail with us were complaining about the filmed parade. They said they kept backing up and restarting at various points to get the best shot. Of course, they also got to see the special parade performances and guests so I'd think that might more than make up for the restarts of the various floats, etc.

 

[Dad of 3]

I have been at WDW before christmas peek, although a while ago. IMHO, it is the best time to go. The crowds are less, but there are still crowds.
You have to keep in mind that that the comments from others are relative to the previous visits. I expect 2004 to be a very busy year. 2001 to 2003 has been rebuilding years.

Dad of 3

 

[mrsltg]

December is my favorite month of the year for absolutely everything... chief amongst this is visiting Disney! Our first WDW December vacation was 11/30-12/7/01. This year was 12/5-12/16. Crowds were better the first time around, but this year was far from crowded. There were some waits that were long (ie Fantasyland mid-day) but that's always going to be that way. It's nice to be able to navigate the parks without people crashing into you!

Erin

 

[CapeCod95]

I was at MK last year Dec 8-16 and the crowds were light. In fact, I went on Splash Mountain and had my own log with no one in the log in front of me or behind me. It was kind of wierd. Early Dec is a great time to go.

 

[mickeysaver]

We were there from 12/14 through 12/21. We did MVMCP on 12/14, which was wonderful and we did most of the rides, caught a couple of shows and felt like we had a great time. We did MVMCP on 12/19 and the place was mobbed. That night was a sold out night and it was just too crowded for our level of comfort. We did enjoy the parade and the fireworks that night, but were only able to catch a couple of rides.

Now, during the days, 12/15, 12/16, 12/18 were all great days to be in the parks, but late on 12/19 and 12/20 were a bit too crowded for us. Those last couple of days were busy with wait times on the rides that were somewhere in the 30-60 minute range. Now, I realize this is nothing like what the people going now are experiencing, but it's more than what your average value season park guest expects.

Would I go again at that time of year? Yes, but I would try to go the week prior without running so close to the holiday season, which seems to be back to normal now. Maggie

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just came back a few weeks ago from my 5th trip at that time of the year, this year was 11/30-12/10. As always in the past, light crowds.

 

[4greatboys]

I was there this year Dec 4-7 and about the same dates last Dec. Its a great time to go. Its cool and sometimes cold, they crowds were very light--hardly any waiting. I really love going in Dec. Plus many of my 55,000 closest friends were there

 

[danny1649]

Crowds were light,we've been going first part of December since 1992 and crowds have been light each year.It is our favorite time to visit WDW.

 

[erinz]

We were there Dec 6th to Dec 16th and the crowds were never a problem. I can't imagine going any other time than Christmas. It was a fantastic trip!!

 

[kda]

Great time to go, but if you happen to be a DVC member or hope to book a DVC property, those get booked up super-super early. It's one of the most popular times for DVC members, due to the light crowds and low points needed to book a stay. It's much easier to get into the regular resorts.

 

[disneyluver91]

Thanks everyone! You're SO reassuring!!!