Nov...too crazy?

[tatsmx]

Hi! Planning a week in WDW to celebrate my DD's 8th bday Nov 2017. Her actual bday is Nov 18th (mickey's bday!!!) So we can be there fri nov 17 thru sun nov 26... is it a waste of money cause of the crowds?? I am afraid we will not enjoy ourselves.. and my DD has very high expectations. That is the only week we have off. It will be DH and my other DD will be 2.5 years old. What do you think? Just scared of the crowds during spring break, saw the pics on easywdw and kenny's fb.. thanks!!!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Hi! Planning a week in WDW to celebrate my DD's 8th bday Nov 2017. Her actual bday is Nov 18th (mickey's bday!!!) So we can be there fri nov 17 thru sun nov 26... is it a waste of money cause of the crowds?? I am afraid we will not enjoy ourselves.. and my DD has very high expectations. That is the only week we have off. It will be DH and my other DD will be 2.5 years old. What do you think? Just scared of the crowds during spring break, saw the pics on easywdw and kenny's fb.. thanks!!![/


NOVEMBER is great. Usually still warm, not as humid!!
Not sure when Thanksgiving is in 2017. There could be expected largercrowds leading up to and the weekend after T-Day. I would not say it's a waste of money at all -do some PLANNING )

 

[Kathryn777]

I liked going in Nov. it was crowded but not insane

 

[tatsmx]

I liked going in Nov. it was crowded but not insane

Thx!!! Very nervous about transportation, ADRs, FP+ ... just reading as much as I can and having fun planning!!

 

[imthemamahere]

We enjoy November - typically great weather (warm but not hot and humid, little rain), and the crowds are... well, there's no "quiet" time at Disney World anymore, but November is generally quieter than Spring Break or Christmas, at least. We've arrived on Thanksgiving Day once, and the day after Thanksgiving another time. The crowds thinned out over that weekend and were quite reasonable by the following Sunday. I haven't done the week leading up to Thanksgiving, though. In 2017, Thanksgiving falls on 11/23, so that will put you there for the busiest week of November. You can expect the crowds to intensify over the course of that week, hitting peak that Friday/Saturday right after Thanksgiving, I'd imagine.

What matters most, I think, is going with the expectation that there's no way you can do/see everything in one trip. (That's why so many people go back again and again!) Decide in advance what each of you most wants to do in each park - whether it's a character meet and greet, a handful of rides, a show, a character meal, etc. If your family is full of early risers, your best bet during a busier week is to get to the parks EARLY. Know your top-priority rides, and aim to get them done first thing after park entry. Schedule your FP+s later in the day - after noon, or even in the early evening - don't waste them in the AM hours when the lines will be comparatively shorter. If you want to follow a precise touring plan, there are places that will help you maximize every minute in the parks. I don't do that - there's so much that is scheduled in advance on a Disney vacation, I like to leave some room for flexibility and time to stop and smell the roses. But some people swear by precise touring plans.

Go with the understanding that there will be some crowds. There will be lines. You will have to wait. (Easier for your 8 year old to understand than your 2 year old, I know.) There will also be a lot of walking, which can be especially tiring for the kids. 5 miles is easy in a single Disney day - 8-10 miles is likely if you're in a park for a bunch of hours. Plan your meals strategically - they'll give you a chance to take a load off your feet for a while, and if you like the idea of sit-down meals, those ADRs are vital. Try not to waste morning time at a sit-down meal, though. If you want a big breakfast, eat before park opening (get a pre-opening ADR at the park, if that's your thing). In particular, reserve your Thanksgiving meal FIRST - dinner that night will be a hot commodity when it comes to your 180 day dining mark.

If your family likes to swim, maybe plan some downtime at your resort pool - it's a great break from the crowds to just float and splash and chill poolside. We did an evening swim after dinner just about every night of our last November trip. It was cool after dark, but the pools are heated, and we just hustled back to the room quickly once we got out of the water. It was very relaxing!

As for transportation, are you staying on Disney property? Using Disney buses and such? We always rent a car - I prefer not to be packed in with dozens of cranky people (while I'm possibly cranky myself!) at the end of a long, busy day. But again, there are people who swear by Disney transportation and wouldn't take a rental car if they were given one for free. To each his/her own!

There's so much info out there, and people on these boards are great at sharing what's worked for them - but you have to take it and apply it to your family. (For example, if you know there's no way you're getting your family to the park in time for rope drop, that's fine - just adjust your expectations and know that it will be busier by the time you do arrive.) Have fun dreaming and planning!

 

[sweetcarolinamoma]

We have always gone in Nov. Typically around Thanksgiving. While it can get crowded, we have never not been able to ride the rides we really want to. Its hot but not unbearable. Even a light jacket needed in morning and the evening. I think y'all will have a great time! I hope y'all have a magical time!

 

[Lori74]

we went last nov and only had 2 park days, one at mk one at epcot and hs. for our mk day we had a ppo breakfast at bog, got to ride mine train 3 times before the rope drop crowd arrived. we stayed in the park until about 1. went back to the resort and all took a nap until about 6. went back and enjoyed the park until 1am. we did a lot in the time we were there. rode every ride we wanted to, only did 4 fp the whole day. the crowds really didn't bother us since we studied and planned beforehand. later in the night it seemed as if we had the run of the park. I look back at our photos and it was very crowded, but the funny thing is, it never affected us and I really don't remember the crowds. I just enjoyed my family and didn't have real high expectations. it felt like a perfect day! the epcot and hs day, well...I think we overdid it that day. we tried to do too much for sure. but still had a great time! enjoy yourself and your family, try to slow down, lower your expectations just a tad and it will be great!! have fun!

 

[tatsmx]

Thank you all!! Looking forward to make our reservation this summer!!!
Summer '14 we went to DLR and had a blast. Used ridemax and was great.. WDW needs so much planning!!