Stressing about antcipated crowd level 12/13-22

[Melct]

I thought I was booking during a moderate crowd level time. However, everything I am reading states that from 12/17 and after will be heavy crowds. Can anyone that has been there in the past during this time tell me how the crowds are? I already booked my airfare but am condering paying the $100 flight change penalty and rebooking a January trip for lower crowds. Are the crowds that significantly less in January that it would be worth it? Thanks in advance!

Melissa

 

[Singinglizzie]

How many days do you plan on staying and which week would you want to switch to? You can still have a great time at WDW with high crowds if you use a touring plan. I checked the crowd predictor for you and if you go with the park that is estimated to have the lower crowds you should be fine. For ex. on 12/17 it's etimated that MK will be a 9.5 but Epcot will only be a 3 - so go there. If you don't have the unoffical touring plan subscription (mine cost $10 per year to renew) I'd highly recommend it. Why spend thousands of dollars on Disney,without it? It may save you the $100 change fee. best of luck.

 

[kerri0616]

The January crowds will be significantly less but you will miss all of the amazing holiday happenings. I'd still go in December to enjoy the festivities. We have been twice during the peakest peak time of all---the dreaded Xmas week, most recently 12/24/11-12/30/11. IMHO, the CP was worth the $3,xxx+ expenses and the crowds. Amazing.

The earlier part of your December trip will be much more manageable than the latter. The crowds will not truly descend until the latter part of your vacation. Just plan around that and you'll be fine. Just know you're leaving when most of the insane people (like us ) are just arriving!

K

 

[pequele]

I know for true Disney fans it won't matter but I understand a lot of schools in our area won't be getting out the week before Christmas this year. I HOPING this deters a larger crowd until right before Christmas (a girl can dream huh ). We are going the 15-27 and I KNOW we will hit huge crowds while there but I'm crossing fingers that kids not out of school the week of the 17-21 will work to my advantage!

 

[kddisney502]

I'm one of those people who like to use crowd calendars. They have worked well for me, but I know other DIS members do not use them.

For Dec 13-22, you actually have many moderate (some low) days for touring. There are only 4 days with high crowds dec: 15,17, 19 and 22. And out of those days, only one (the 22) will have high crowds in all 4 parks. So as long as you do some planning on those 4 days you should be fine.

Also, I agree that it's worth going for the christmas atmosphere. If I were you, I would go and just try to plan around some of the very crowded days.

 

[WsPrincess]

We use crowd calendars and they work well for us but we also do not rely solely on them. We make sure to get there at Rope Drop and then take an afternoon break. It works well for us, even on high crowd days. The dates you are looking at will have more people than January simply because it is the lead up to Christmas and depending on school breaks, there are more people who travel. But as pp said, the Holiday atmosphere at Disney is amazing and something you will not get in January.

You will have a magical trip if you have a plan and are ready!

And to give you and idea: School in our area so not start break until the 21st this year so most families would be arriving as you are leaving from around me.

 

[hsmamato2]

IDK...seems like it's busier in early December than say,2nd week in January for sure- but the year we went the 2nd week was ok, by the time we left around th 17th- it was looking BUSY.....