Need some advice on Going in December.

[disneyfan67]

My wife and I have been going back and forth on when to go back to WDW and it's been quite the discussion. We had thought of going in August and trying to do a cheap trip and it just didn't sound to appealing to me. Driving 1200 miles in the dead of summer and being at Florida when it's like a blast furnace isn't my idea of a vacation.

Then when I was reading the thread about (MVSCP????) I thought it sounds like a good idea. My wife's birthday is on December 1st and I thought what a great way to spend your birthday by being at the Poly (our favorite) and enjoying all WDW has to offer during the Hoildays. By going in Dec, I can stay at a nicer resort and will have more time to save for the trip.

My questions are the following:

How is the weather during late November/early December and can we swim in comfort during the day? I don't want to be in the water when it's 50 outside and raining, no matter how nice the pool is.

How cold does it get and does it rain more than usual in December than the summer?

Is the water parks out of the question and are they even open?

Is the after hours Christmas party at MK really all that and more? It sounds neat and I would like to try it once. I know I have to get tickets but I was wondering is it worth the price. My family loves MK and we're looking forward to this but we would like some info from people who have been there.

So if any of you fine people can help me out, that would be great! Thanks!


Eddie

 

[disneyfreak7]

we have been to WDW two times in Dec. I love this time of year! The decorations are beautiful and the parks were not crowded. Once we were there at the Poly the first week of Dec and we had nice weather, maybe 70-75 degrees. The only bad weather day we had happened to be on my 35th birthday! It was a downpour, some buildings at the Poly were flooded! I remember hearing on the Orlando news that they had more rain in one day than the usual amount for the whole month of Dec! Just my luck! From what I have seen on the weather sites Dec is not a high rainfall month. The second time we were there was Dec17-28. The week before Xmas was wonderful, no crowds. Of course it got busy 24th on. As far as swimming goes, I thought it was a bit cold, but my kids went swimming just about every day. Have a great time if you decide to go in Dec, it really is a beautiful place to be.

 

[Hugpug]

I wemt this last year from Dec 11-18th and had a great time. Was to cold for me to swim but I did see some guest in the pools. It is a mater of choice. If you never have been to the MVMCP I would say you need to do it at least once. I went last year and had a wonderful time even with it being cold. You must see CP at Epcot this is a wonderful show.The decoration are gorious.I am planning to go the week following Thanksgiving and hope the weather will be a little warmer. OH don't forget Osbourn lights and Fantasmic not to be missed IMHO

 

[Quinn222]

I live in Florida and can tell you the weather in terms of temperatures can be pretty variable. It might be cool. I was there the first weekend in Dec. last year and it was a little cool for swimming. But we've had a lot of years when it's hot enough to swim right through the holidays. I hardly ever rains in December. Rainy season is summer and it's dry in the winter.

December is the best time to go. It's cool enough to walk around all day without collapsing, the crowds are low and the parks and resorts look beautiful. I'm planning on going again around the seventh this year.

 

[goofy4tink]

I love this time of year in WDW! I'll be there for the fourth time this coming Dec. The holiday decorations can't be beat, MVMCP is great fun, Candlelight Processional is beautiful, the weather is good. It was fairly warm during the day and got chilly at night. There were people in the pools. It was a bit too chilly for me to swim but my dd has in the past.
MVMCP has some good shows, the parade is a good one. There can be pretty large numbers of people but it's managable. We just love the party atmosphere.

 

[crazy4disney01]

We went in December and it was really nice. It was short and tee shirt weather the first two-thirds of our trip then it got cold where the high was in the low 50's ,nights in the lower 40's. It wasn't really bad out in the sun but waiting for rides in the shade like Peter Pan got cold. It never rained when we were there. Also, the parks were not crowded at all, we could ride twice in a row if we wanted on most rides.

We've been to the MVMCP and really enjoyed it. It was very crowded when we went but it was manageable. Watching the parade and eating Christmas cookies is something my DD remembers to this day. I would go and at least try it once. You get a free pic in front of the castle and the Mickey/Minnie Christmas show in front of the castle is good. Also, snowing on Main Street is fun too.

Hope this helps!

 

[Taja]

I visited WDW in mid-December in 2003, and other than one very cold night (by my standards--people from Maine were wearing shorts and hoodies!) at MVMCP, the weather was comfortable, with one dreary, rainy day in the mix. Not particularly cold, just grey and wet!

I also visited WDW in early December, 2004, and the weather was gorgeous (occasional afternoon showers). Mornings and evenings required extra layers, but day time temps were 70s. Swimming is personal choice--the water is heated, but the air usually is too cold for me to consider it!

So, plan on variable weather and layers! You won't need anything warmer than what you wear when leaving the Chicago area. Think spring and autumn, with a touch of summer and a jacket, gloves and hat--just in case a cold front visit at the same time you do!

 

[HayGan]

We went the first week of December 2005. It was warmer some days and cooler others. There were 2 days when it rained all day. We still had a blast! The very short lines and lack of oppressive heat and humidity were definately a plus!!! There were lots of people swimming while we were there (especially at the Poly!)

 

[Ginamarie]

How is the weather during late November/early December and can we swim in comfort during the day?

Temperatures in early December vary a lot more than other times of the year. I've seen it get up into the low 70s at that time, or only be as warm as the low 50s. We're going back during this coming December and I'm going to bring a swimsuit just in case, but I doubt we'll be going in the pools.


How cold does it get and does it rain more than usual in December than the summer?

The coldest we've seen it at that time of year is in the upper 20s at night, which just made it too cold to do nighttime activities for us (we didn't even pack our big winter coats!) I dont think it rains any more often in December than at other times of the year.. if anything I think I've experienced less rain during December because during the summer FL usually has a short bout of rain about once a day (IMO the rain is refreshing and welcome during the summer though).

Is the water parks out of the question and are they even open?

During December one of the water parks will be under renovation and the other will be open. They do rehab on each of the parks during the colder months, as soon as one is done with rehab they open it and close the other park.

Is the after hours Christmas party at MK really all that and more?

The Christmas party is a lot of fun. I wouldn't say it's a "must see" for people on a tight budget, but if you're going at that time of year it's a fun thing to do. I really enjoy the Christmas parade (I love parades though) and the "snow" on Main Street.

 

[hezreck]

Hey disneyfan67, my DD birthday is Dec. 1 also. We will be there again this year the same time as you. There is nothing like celebrating a birthday at Disney.
We were at Disney this same week in 2004. The weather was perfect! Low 70's during the day. We wore shorts, capris and T-shirts the whole week except for one day. That day if only got to low 60's, so we wore jeans and T-shirts and a light jacket in the morning and evening. I am like you, I don't like HOT weather. Low 70's is PERFECT for me. Also, no rain the whole week.

MVMCP was OK. We rode BTMR 4 times in a row and didn't have to get off. But to get a good seat for the shows or the parade, you have to get there at least an hour ahead of time. And even then we were sitting in the back.
I would say we accomplished more in MK the day before MVMCP than we did at the party. So for us, we are not doing it again.

We never waited more than 10-15 minutes for anything. We did do fastpass for Mission Space, because the wiat times were 90 minutes, but that was it's first year. With Fastpass, we walked right on. That was the only thing we used Fastpass for the entire trip.

Have a great time. You pray for good weather and I will too. Maybe we will luck out again!