No Availability First Week of December

[peanutslovesWDW]

Hey Everyone!

I was looking to book a room, ANY room, the first week of December. There is nothing available. Is there something going on that week? Do you think availability will open up? I also checked the parks calendar and that's wide open. Seems odd that all the parks are available but there's no place to stay.

 

[JoJoGirl]

I’m seeing a little availability the first full week in December, granted it’s very slim. AKL still has regular rooms for all the dates I’m entering, with a few others popping up depending on the days. Try playing around with your dates, beaking your trip up into smaller segments to see which day is causing the issue. It is crazy to see the resorts so booked up this far in advance!

Edited to add: Make sure you are searching for non-discounted offers. Sometimes if you’ve searched for a special offer in the past, the website will remember that and not clear the filter automatically.

 

[peanutslovesWDW]

Thank you! I'll keep looking. It is crazy to see it booked so far in advance. I guess it makes sense; with people finally being able to travel and all.

 

[Heather07438]

More resorts are coming back online. Poly, Boardwalk, AKL hotel sides will open over the summer. Some of the values and Port Orleans aren’t open yet either.
Keep an eye out. As more opens and people switch resorts or change plans, slots will probably pop up. It’s a pain but keep checking every week or so. Goodluck! Hope you find something you like

 

[jujubiee4]

Hey Everyone!

I was looking to book a room, ANY room, the first week of December. There is nothing available. Is there something going on that week? Do you think availability will open up? I also checked the parks calendar and that's wide open. Seems odd that all the parks are available but there's no place to stay.

I booked in late MAY for this same Dec week. Pickings were extremely slim even then. Couple
years ago I booked in Nov for Dec. Right now there is nothing or absurd prices!
I agree with the other poster. Hopefully the other hotels will open up because this very
limited availablity puts a stronghold on pricing.

 

[MomOTwins]

There are many accounts of how travel within the U.S. in 2021 is becoming near-impossible to plan travel for, with so many people stir crazy from the pandemic looking to travel, and international travel still requiring a Covid test to return. It is not just Disney -- lots of places are sold out or are charging astronomical rates. But Disney has also added insanity Oct-Dec because of the 50th anniversary celebration with new fireworks and other festivities.

I still have a week of vacation left to spend in fall/winter and will most likely just be staying at home because things are so difficult to book and crazy expensive for the rest of the year.

That said, I am seeing AKL available the first couple weeks in December (rack rate, but that's the only option now). Maybe make sure you are not searching for a date-limited special offer and try again.

 

[Nabas]

For the first full week of December, I see Animal Kingdom Lodge available for around $500 per night.

For the second full week, I see several options, including Value and Moderate Resorts.

 

[flowergleam1211]

Is the first week of December normally a (relatively) popular time to visit?

 

[Nabas]

Is the first week of December normally a (relatively) popular time to visit?

Yes. Normally:
- Lower prices
- Good weather
- Lower crowds
- Christmas decorations!

This year, there's overwhelming pent-up demand for travel.

 

[MomOTwins]

Yes. Normally:
- Lower prices
- Good weather
- Lower crowds
- Christmas decorations!

This year, there's overwhelming pent-up demand for travel.

All true except the low crowd part. The last few pre-covid years the secret got out and early December was super crowded.

 

[Nabas]

All true except the low crowd part. The last few pre-covid years the secret got out and early December was super crowded.

Yeah, it's interesting. As word gets out that certain times of year are "less crowded", people change their vacation plans and those less crowded times become more crowded.

For example, it used to be that the days leading up to Thanksgiving were not that bad. But in recent years, they've gotten worse.

Conversely, summer used to be terrible. Now, it's not quite as bad, especially late summer.

I need to figure out how to get the word out that it's super-crowded the weeks I'm there!

 

[MomOTwins]

Yeah, it's interesting. As word gets out that certain times of year are "less crowded", people change their vacation plans and those less crowded times become more crowded.

For example, it used to be that the days leading up to Thanksgiving were not that bad. But in recent years, they've gotten worse.

Conversely, summer used to be terrible. Now, it's not quite as bad, especially late summer.

I need to figure out how to get the word out that it's super-crowded the weeks I'm there!

Haha, I know what you mean. We are going in the second half of august and any time someone mentions how crowds are bad early august but drop off in the second half of the month I think “Ssshhhhh!”

 

[focusondisney]

Yeah, it's interesting. As word gets out that certain times of year are "less crowded", people change their vacation plans and those less crowded times become more crowded.

For example, it used to be that the days leading up to Thanksgiving were not that bad. But in recent years, they've gotten worse.

Conversely, summer used to be terrible. Now, it's not quite as bad, especially late summer.

I need to figure out how to get the word out that it's super-crowded the weeks I'm there!

Exactly! Traditionally slow times aren’t slow anymore. Early December has been touted as slow by every Disney travel book, website & blog for years. Same thing for late January/ early February. There have been posts from people complaining that early December was busier than they had been lead to believe for years. And early December has been omitted form discounts for years too. Because it isn’t a slow time anymore.

 

[MomOTwins]

Exactly! Traditionally slow times aren’t slow anymore. Early December has been touted as slow by every Disney travel book, website & blog for years. Same thing for late January/ early February. There have been posts from people complaining that early December was busier than they had been lead to believe for years. And early December has been omitted form discounts for years too. Because it isn’t a slow time anymore.

Yep, my friend who is new to WDW came and asked me what I thought of President’s day week because she heard February is such a quiet month. Her second choice was Columbus day weekend this october because “all the kids will be back in school so it won’t be as crowded as summer”.

 

[jennyq87]

I was just searching this topic -- I can't believe the availability (or lack there of) in early Dec. We've gone at that time of year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) several times and it's always felt very manageable to us. We'll be there for 5 days in early Dec - lucky we booked several months ago - but I stalk availability regularly to see if there's a reason to switch somewhere else. Literally 0 availability at any resort for our dates. I've not personally seen that before. Kinda has me nervous for our trip!

 

[rangerxenos]

I was just searching this topic -- I can't believe the availability (or lack there of) in early Dec. We've gone at that time of year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) several times and it's always felt very manageable to us. We'll be there for 5 days in early Dec - lucky we booked several months ago - but I stalk availability regularly to see if there's a reason to switch somewhere else. Literally 0 availability at any resort for our dates. I've not personally seen that before. Kinda has me nervous for our trip!

Same here. I will say that early December has become busier over the last few years; it's one of my favorite times to go. Last trip was 2019, and there was very little availability that year either, I don't think it means things will necessarily be crazier. I hope not anyway! I am glad I booked back in June, though.

This year there was a lot more availability until the pandemic ramped up down in FL, I suspect that a lot of people cancelled September trips and rebooked to December.

 

[davidbridgman]

I'm trying to book a room for November 4-14 and getting zero availability anywhere in the resort.

I really wanted the early entry and extra hours at night but I guess I will just pay for express passes with the $$$ I will save staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek.

 

[Dave006]

@davidbridgman you are trying to book one of the lastest busy times for WDW.

RunDisney - Nov. 4-7
Last weeks of Food & Wine is winding down (ends Nov. 20th)
Jersey Week - NJ schools are out the first or second week.
Veterans Day Holiday week

Plus 50th Celebration and better weather...

Dave

 

[davidbridgman]

Wow OK thanks for the info. I'll probably want to move the dates anyway if that many people from Jersey will be there.

 

[jujubiee4]

There should be some rooms available first week of December as I just canceled
our party of 16. These rooms were at Boardwalk Grand Destino Tower Port Orleans
Riverside and French Quarter.

Now that Disneyland is having their first after hours Christmas event I switched everything
to there so not to fly.