So WDW crowd level very different than DL first week of Dec?

[GeneralTso]

Seems like it's vastly different, as in, much more crowded.

We have friends that just returned from Disneyland. They loved it, hardly a wait for anything, parks were very uncrowded.

Why do you think it's so different at WDW?

Schools still in session. Big Christmas crowds shouldn't start showing up for a few weeks. First week of Dec seemed like an ideal time to book. Thoughts?

 

[mom2rtk]

What days were your friends at DL? We just got back from there. Midweek was reasonable but Friday Saturday and Sunday were crazy crowded.

 

[Shanti]

Seems like it's vastly different, as in, much more crowded.

We have friends that just returned from Disneyland. They loved it, hardly a wait for anything, parks were very uncrowded.

Why do you think it's so different at WDW?

Schools still in session. Big Christmas crowds shouldn't start showing up for a few weeks. First week of Dec seemed like an ideal time to book. Thoughts?

Families no longer hesitate to take kids out of school for Disney World vacations. So traditionally low-crowd times like fall have really filled up, and traditionally high-crowd times like summer are now much more reasonable.

Disney World is seen as more of a vacation destination to non-local families than is Disneyland, so a lot more families take off work & school to spend full weeks at WDW than at Disneyland. That's why there's a difference between the two.

 

[mom2rtk]

It also depends on what day of the week you're using for comparison. If someone only visits MK on non-party days, they're going to think it's ugly crowded.

 

[dreiwhit]

We went last to WDW year at that time, and it was much busier than we had been told by several friends who had gone that week in the past. All the parks were actually much busier than the trip we had made back in late Feb/early March. For example, in late Feb/early March, we at lunch in The Land pavillion in Epcot. Then, it was mostly deserted, with two other small families eating there. Fast forward to early December - nearly every table was full and the FP line for Living with the Land stretched through the table area to the entrance near Soarin'! There was even a 30 minute standby wait for Figment!

My wife overheard several people say the only reason they came to Epcot was for Candlelight Processional, so that increased the crowds. We also saw a lot of little kids and a few teenagers. Apparently, people are indeed pulling them out of school.

Free dining may have also helped.

 

[DoomBugger]

I just got back from a four day hopper at WDW and the crowds are insane compared to DLR. My advice, if you have tickets already purchased, download the app and reserve fast passes for the really high demand attractions. It will save you untold hours.