November 2021 vs. January 2022 - large family trip

[kat.tolle]

Large family trip, 8 adults (& 8 kids - aged 5-12. All adults and 2 kids have been before.
Which time would have a better crowd situation? Arriving on Thanksgiving and staying for about 10 days or arriving around January 6 and staying 10 days?

Rooms: Is the best option for this many people to have two 2 bedroom villas? We want a washer/dryer in the room. How possible is it to rent one of the Grand Villas? We were placed in one for one night once when the 2 bedroom villa wasn't ready for us and it was obviously magical.

 

[CynBeth]

I would do Thanksgiving so you can enjoy the holiday stuff.

 

[sharonabe]

Which time would have a better crowd situation? Arriving on Thanksgiving and staying for about 10 days or arriving around January 6 and staying 10 days?

Can't speak to the room situation, but have an opinion on the timing.

The Nov trip could have heavier crowds on both your weekends. The Thanksgiving crowd would still be there your first weekend, and the Pop Warner people will be coming in on your second week. The weekdays of this time period, however, would be some of the lease crowded of the year.

Your Jan dates will include the Marathon, so that first weekend will be crowded, but after the marathon on the 9th, things should settle down.

Some other things to consider:
Nov will be decorated for Christmas and have all the Christmas specialty offerings, but this also means MK will close early on at least 4 days of a calendar week for the MVMCP. That makes planning your days a little more difficult and you have to decide if you want hoppers to avoid some crowds and maximize your time.

 

[Wild4Walt]

If it were me, I'd do the January dates. Even though you'll have the Marathon, it's closer to the beginning of your trip.

 

[adamak]

I wouldn't go during Thanksgiving week. That's the busiest time in WDW. Will be nightmare to book restaurants for such a large group. Go Jan instead.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

HMMMM, this is tough. I've never planned a trip for a large party before but taking that factor out of the equation, if it were me and my family...I would choose to go in January if those were my one two choices. I know you didn't throw this time frame out there but mid November, after Jersey Week and before Thanksgiving is a good time as far as crowd levels. It's still crowded but not Thanksgiving holiday crowd levels. Also, if you are going for that long, I presume missing school/work may not be an issue if January dates are on the table. Just another date option throw out there. The parks are all decorated too.

January will be less crowded but that's about the only reason I would choose that time of year. November will have all the holiday events, yes you will have to plan your park days around MVMCP and other holiday events but overall, November is a more fun time to visit IMO. In either situation, planning travel for a big party is never easy but logistically, it will probably present more challenges for you in November than in January.

I cannot comment on the grand villa. I've know several folks who have gone to WDW with extended family and they all raved that they loved the Family Suites at AofA. That might be worth a look. Good luck!

 

[imbatman]

I'll always vote for the time of year that you can experience the holiday decorations.

 

[kat.tolle]

Can't speak to the room situation, but have an opinion on the timing.

The Nov trip could have heavier crowds on both your weekends. The Thanksgiving crowd would still be there your first weekend, and the Pop Warner people will be coming in on your second week. The weekdays of this time period, however, would be some of the lease crowded of the year.

Your Jan dates will include the Marathon, so that first weekend will be crowded, but after the marathon on the 9th, things should settle down.

Some other things to consider:
Nov will be decorated for Christmas and have all the Christmas specialty offerings, but this also means MK will close early on at least 4 days of a calendar week for the MVMCP. That makes planning your days a little more difficult and you have to decide if you want hoppers to avoid some crowds and maximize your time.

Thank you for the feedback. We've already experienced Christmas there a few times, so I'm more concerned about the crowds!

 

[kat.tolle]

HMMMM, this is tough. I've never planned a trip for a large party before but taking that factor out of the equation, if it were me and my family...I would choose to go in January if those were my one two choices. I know you didn't throw this time frame out there but mid November, after Jersey Week and before Thanksgiving is a good time as far as crowd levels. It's still crowded but not Thanksgiving holiday crowd levels. Also, if you are going for that long, I presume missing school/work may not be an issue if January dates are on the table. Just another date option throw out there. The parks are all decorated too.

January will be less crowded but that's about the only reason I would choose that time of year. November will have all the holiday events, yes you will have to plan your park days around MVMCP and other holiday events but overall, November is a more fun time to visit IMO. In either situation, planning travel for a big party is never easy but logistically, it will probably present more challenges for you in November than in January.

I cannot comment on the grand villa. I've know several folks who have gone to WDW with extended family and they all raved that they loved the Family Suites at AofA. That might be worth a look. Good luck!

Thank you for the feedback! We were also considering the week before Thanksgiving break as well. We have seen the holiday decorations before, so I'm really more concerned with the crowds & dining situation. We are open to taking kids out of school for a week. To me, it's worth it for lower crowds.

 

[Nancyg56]

I am inclined to pick January. We have been twice in January and really do enjoy it. MK closes earlier IIRC, but we find that we have more than enough time to enoy the park.

I will say that we have landed for up to 9 people, and I htink the 2bdrm villas seem to be the best for what you are looking for. They are pricy though, so if you want to rent points I would be sure to plan ahead and make the request at 11 months. I have no idea how the rental agencies handle this, but I woudl nto wait too long after the window opens.

 

[Beachmom0317]

Will you be flying? We live in New England and sometimes flights in January can be unreliable with snowstorms and delays. I’d go for November with Park hoppers on MVMCP days and look into renting DVC points from an owner for a grand villa!

 

[kat.tolle]

Will you be flying? We live in New England and sometimes flights in January can be unreliable with snowstorms and delays. I’d go for November with Park hoppers on MVMCP days and look into renting DVC points from an owner for a grand villa!

Yes, we will be flying from California!