Seriously!!!-How crowded will Dec.16-21 be at WDW?

[dutton]

My kids have a week off the 1st of Oct and our church is going that 1st weekend. My dad and sister wanted to extend and join us for 3 more days, however they are worried about heat(We went same time last yr and it was hot and have previosly been around the 1st two weeks of Dec and know the crowds are great) I don't want to pull my kids out of school and I can take off the week before christmas. So how crowded will it be that week? Last week in Oct we definately saw more people than 1st two weeks of Dec, but thought it was managable except for the heat. I am worried about my parents having a good time in 90 degree weather. Thank you for any advice, b/c I am so torn!!

 

[lillygator]

We were there last year Dec that same time - crowds were minimal and the weather was COLD...

 

[Kitty-chan]

We were there last year Dec 19-22, and found the crowds reasonable. I don't think it's as quiet as the first couple weeks of December, but it's also not as busy as the week between Christmas and New Year's. We went on similar dates the year before, and found the same thing. We followed the usual advice (arrive early, take a break in the afternoon, come back at night, use FastPass, and either take advantage of EMH or avoid that park for the day). We never had problems getting a PS when we wanted one, and our average wait for rides was something like 10-15 minutes (some were 0, a rare few were 30).

 

[DeirdreTours]

We were there from the 14-21 several years ago. It was quiet up until the 20th--And then it was like a flood of people! Really, Friday we had the place to ourselves and Saturday it was 1 hour wait for everything and even walking around was difficult.

 

[DisneyHoneyMoon]

We were there last year. Of all the times I've ever been to Disney, it was the least crowded. We waited only a few minutes for the first few days of our stay. Around the 24th the lines started to get long. We're from Utah so we didn't think that the weather was too cold, but it required a light jacket at night.

Don't sweat it, we're going in August but every time we ever go after this trip will be in December if at all possible. Christmas day wasn't even that bad... albeit it poured so most people were heading out of the Magic Kingdom while we were heading in (0 minute wait times on splash mountain)

 

[wilsonjen]

We decided to go this week also. After looking at a lot of resources (DIS boards, Unofficial Guide's Best Days, and allears) and fretting over crowd levels for the holidays, we are happy with going the early part of this week. No, it won't be as slow as the first two weeks in December. But, we expect to make the most of it and enjoy ourselves. After all, we'll be at Disney World!

I know of a lot of DISers who will be there that week (do a search on the boards for December--there are quite a few posts on this topic). I figure, if people around here are going, it must be a "good" time. After all if you can't trust the DIS, who can you trust? Just stick to a smart plan, and the crowds shouldn't bother you. Arrive at opening, take afternoon breaks, use FP, and follow some tried & true touring plans.

I am also looking forward to visiting when it's not so hot! I figure the Christmas decorations will seem all the more festive if it's a little chilly. After all, this is Florida cold, not Rocky Mountain cold!

 

[DVCLiz]

We were there last year from December 16 - 21 and I felt the parks were JAMMED!!!! Don't know why everyone is saying there were minimal crowds, unless we went to the one park that was crowded every day. I felt they were more crowded than my summer trip a few weeks ago. I think I was expecting early December type crowds, but I really thought it was very crowded. Definitely a get up early and use FastPass trip, instead of a leisurely go whenever you get up and still no lines trip. But it was great fun no matter what!!!!!

 

[tazz23]

We were there 17-24th december and although it busy, if you had a plan it was ok! The christmas decorations were beautiful
It only started getting very busy and jammed from the 21st December so as you are going the week before this you should be fine! It was freezing cold though especially at night time waiting for parades- in the 30's and 40's so take scarves, hats and warm winter coats. We put them in a locker at the beginning of the day so we had access to them throughout the day.

Have fun, christmas at disney is magical