Off Season Touring in December?

[puffkin]

My mom just agreed to go to WDW for her first trip so we are going the second week of December 2003. My fiance and I have been there the past two Junes. I have never toured in the offseason, and I was wondering what type of differences I should expect. Specifically, I was wondering what your opinion was on touring with shorter park hours. Also, we are used to the heat of summer in Florida, so what is it like to tour in early December. Finally, what special events shouldn't we miss. I have read that early December is a good time to go, and I hope I won't be disappointed. Thanks in advance for all the info!

 

[chucknrita]

If you go back through some of the recent December posts you'll see that the weather was unusual in that there was lots of rain as opposed to previous years. We were there Dec. 19-25 after the four-day Wonder cruise and it was alternately rainy/sunny/cloudy/warm/cold/very cold. I read that the people who went the first two weeks in December got lots of rain. I'd like to go back next December, but not if the weather is going to be like it was last month.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

We went Dec. 8th - 14th of 2002 and the weather was great. 80's everyday and no rain, but as Chucknrita said, this past December was cold and rainy. Unfortunately December is very hit and miss with the weather.
As for the shorter hours, we didn't find it to be a problem being we have young children. If you don't have children and you like to sleep in, you might find the shorter hours not enough time to do what you want.
As for what not to miss during that time, of course, MVMCP, the Osbourne lights at MGM. There is also a candlelight processional held at Epcot. We didn't do that, but I heard it's nice. The decorations at both the parks and the hotels are beautiful. We had a great time when we went and would love to go again in December.

 

[TLinden16]

I have gone to Disney World in December three times. The first two times, I went the first week in December, and the third time was this past December 11th through 18th.

The weather will be a lot cooler than in the summer months that you are used to. Low to mid 70s is probably a good estimate of what you can expect temperature wise during the days. Each time I've gone in December, we always wore jeans and sweatshirts in the evenings (or sometimes simply put a sweatshirt on with shorts in the evening). A light jacket is also a good idea. This past December, I wore jeans and a t-shirt to the parks all day on 6 of 8 days because it was so cool while we were there.

December is a great time to go because there is so much extra activity going on. You should definitely catch the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. It's an incredibly moving show. Watch for the dinner packages to go onsale during the summer. They run in the $40 range, and include a full meal (appetizer, entree, and dessert--no drinks), and reserved seating for the show. You'll also get 15% off at your purchase at Epcot that day--we saved at least the cost of the dinner package by saving most of our shopping for that day.

You should also plan on going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom, which costs about $35. They have the Christmas parade, special fireworks, and holiday shows. It also includes a family photo, and cookies and cocoa. And it snows on Main Street. It's a lot of fun, and well worth it. Tickets usually go onsale in July or August.

It's also worth going to the resorts to check out the holiday decorations. I went to several resorts, and loved the decorations, especially the huge gingerbread house at the Floridian and the carousel at the Beach Club.

The shorter park hours aren't too big of an issue. The parks aren't as crowded so you can get more done in less time. It also gives you the chance to experience things outside of the four main parks that you might not see in the busier months. We spent a lot of time at Downtown Disney on this trip, which we didn't always have time for in the past.

You should check out the trip reports section. A lot of people have posted their trip reports for December (including me).

Hope this helps, and have a great trip.

Karen

 

[smfnj]

Originally posted by TiggerPiglet
We went Dec. 8th - 14th of 2002 and the weather was great. 80's everyday and no rain, but as Chucknrita said, this past December was cold and rainy.

Um, this past Dec was 2002.....We were there the 2 - 11 and one of the last 2 days was rainy all day.

steve

 

[TiggerPiglet]

We went December 8th -14th, 2002

I made a mistake there. I meant to type 2001.
Smfnj is right, this past December of 2002 was cold and rainy.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) We now do last week in February due to family scheduling.
2) But, the first two December weeks remain our favorite time.
3) The decorations are gorgeous.
4) The festive mood is grand.
5) The weather is "usually" shorts/shirts warm during the day and sweaters after sundown.

 

[strawberryblonde]

Even though MVMCP tickets go on sale early, if you aren't planning on attending on a Fri. night or the first or last one, wait to buy until you get there. The first two weeks of Dec. are slow. Locals buy out the Fri. night parties but the ones during the week are still for sale the day of. This way, you can plan for a nice day to attend. Rain will cancel the parades and fireworks . I've read many posts of folks wishing they had waited to buy. We bought in advance and I was deciding between the 3rd and the 5th. I went with the 3rd - Thank goodness!! The 5th was rained out with everything cancelled. I will wait to buy until the last min. from now on.

Heidi

 

[DebbieB]

We went the past 5 years the first or second week. 1998 & 1999 was around 75-80 degrees, no rain, 2000 was around 60-65, no rain, 2001 was around 80, no rain, then there was 2002 We had some nice days, the 7th & 8th were warm & sunny, the 9th was horrible, the 10th it cleared up in the afternoon and we went to MVMCP it was comfortable with just a pullover sweater, the 11th was on the cool side but no rain, the 12th it rained in the afternoon, cleared up some and then poured in the evening. We drove to the airport on the 13th in the pouring rain, it never stopped from the night before. I'm hoping 2002 was just a fluke, I'm going to call DVC next week for reservations for Dec 6 to 12.

Unless you want the dinner package or go on Friday, I would hold off on the MVMCP tickets until you get there. Some of the nights this year were total washouts.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We were just at WDW from Dec. 11-21 and it was perfect. The crowds were very light,and the weather was very good. There were a few nights where it got pretty chilly, but overall the weather was great. Christmas time is our favorite time to go. You have The Osborne Family Lights at MGM/Disney, The Candlelight Processional at Epcot & Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at The Magic Kingdom. I would do the Candlelight Dinner Package at Epcot. If you have never been to WDW during the holidays you should go if you can. We did MVMCP this time and just loved it, with all the christmas shows and parades it is well worth the extra $ that it costs.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

We went this past year and are going again this year and will be sure to praying to the no-rain gods this time! Seriously though, we had great fun and b/c there were almost no lines were able to do all the rides we wanted.

We too got lucky with MVMCP but I want to be sure we get an in park PS that night so we'll be taking our chances and buying tix in advance. If we get washed out, we'll still have 2 other nights to try and go. I heard the washouts were offered tix to future evenings if available.

The biggest change we'll be making is where we're staying. We stayed at WL which we LOVED but with the parks closing early and the rain we wished we had more evening food options and activities. This year we're staying at YC so we can take advantage of the boardwalk and Epcot at night.

 

[TLinden16]

I went to MVMCP during a bad rain storm last month. It was coming down in buckets, and they had to cancel the parades and some shows. To top off our night, we got stuck on Splash Mountain for a half hour. As we left the park, I stopped at City Hall, and a cast member told us we could write a letter and we may get compensated for the ticket.

A couple days later, we heard some people on the bus say that they had been at MVMCP that night, and they were able to switch their tickets to another night. So, we also switched our tickets to the another night, and got to go to the Christmas party. They were great about it, and made it very easy to switch the tickets. We just gave them our old tickets, and they switched them out at City Hall.

Karen

 

[puffkin]

Thanks for all the great info! We will definitely be doing MVMCP and the CP. Can someone give me an idea of what the typical park hours were during this time period. Thanks!

 

[DebbieB]

Hours from last month:

http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/dec.html

They are shorter than most of the year, but crowds are lower so you get more out of it.

Best tip from last month: they will accept your MVMCP tickets after 4:00pm and you can get your wristband. This gives you 2 hours to ride before regular closing. We went on Dec 10 and the park wasn't crowded after 4:00 so we got alot of rides in. They ask MVMCP ticketholders to go to Tomorrowland between 6 & 7, so we rode Space Mt & Buzz after watching the 6:00 fireworks.

 

[LSU Tigerfan]

Puffkin,

The main thing to watch out for is a truly shocking lack of lines.

As far as the rain, we were just there Dec 15-19 and didn't see a drop. In Orlando, December is actually one of the two lowest months of the year for precipitation, so people who went in early December this year were just particularly unlucky to get the rain that they did.

As far as the park hours, (if you stay onsite) you'll be able to play in one park or another from 8 am to 9:30 pm. That's still plenty of time in my book. Have a great trip.