Thoughts, advice? Mid Nov vs. Mid Dec trip?

[vicb]

Would like to take a 4-5 day trip in 2017 with our young adult children (22 and 25), thinking of either mid Nov (before Thanksgiving week) or mid Dec. (before Christmas week). Have never traveled during these times, always Feb, April or May. Would appreciate thoughts on weather and crowds. Would like to see the holiday decorations but not really interested in Mickey holiday event at MK, nor really wanting to hit Epcot Food and Wine festival. Would likely be staying at Dolphin. Thanks for any input.

 

[Accident]

anytime in the fall will be more crowded than you've experienced in the spring. The immediate week including thanksgiving weekend I think is the second most crowded time of the year. The first being mid december until early jan. Now just before those 2 time periods can be 50/50 if it's higher or lower than spring crowds. It really depends on what you've experienced before. It will be less people than other fall weeks but might not be lower than you know from your spring trips if that makes sense.

 

[vicb]

Hmmm, well I was there one year the week leading into Easter but we left on Friday so missed the actual Easter weekend. I have also been there during Mardi Gras/Presidents week. But our "quietest" week was early May, before Mother's Day and Star Wars. We definitely won't be there during Thanksgiving week or Christmas week!

We want to go when Pandora-land will be open thus the Nov or Dec.

Is the weather significantly different Nov vs. Dec?

 

[disneydreaminTN]

We just got back from a trip with our two young adult children (18 & 21). We were there Dec 13-17 (thankful to get in on the free dining promotion). Our two were just finished with college finals so it was a perfect time for our family to go. I will say that by the evening of the 16th the crowds were picking up and Saturday was pretty crowded at HS. The weather was beautiful - actually warmer than we expected. It felt more like October than December, at least in the middle of the day. We really enjoyed seeing all the Christmas decorations everywhere and the Candlelight Processional at Epcot was amazing. We did not do Mickey's Christmas Party but that did limit our MK day because the park closed at 7pm. After years of October trips (during their regular Fall Break) we loved going in December and would definitely do it again!

 

[cbg1027]

The weather is unpredictable for both the times you are considering. From April-October, you can count on it being HOT. November-March can be warm, pleasant and mild, rainy and warm, rainy and cold, or in some rare cases, dry and cold. There is no rhyme or reason, it's just Florida in the winter. We sometimes will be run our AC and Heat in the same week (just did that last week in fact). So you can count on both those times not being hot. But other than not hot, it's anyone's guess!
I have ride photos from EE taken exactly one year apart in mid December. One photo I am in a t-shirt. The next year I am wearing a coat, scarf, and gloves. But on that same trip where I had to bundle up most days, I did manage to go in the pool one day.

Bottom line is weather is nice at either time.

Crowds are going to be slightly less the week before Thanksgiving than before Christmas. If you are going after F&W ends and before the Thanksgiving crowds come, it's very nice and manageable. The week before Christmas won't be bad, but more crowded than week before Thanksgiving. Although it can depend on how the holiday falls. Basically, WDW will be slammed once most schools are out. If you can plan to leave the day most people start arriving, you're golden.

You will be able to see almost all the holiday decorations and events the week before Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the trip - it's my favorite time of year in Florida!

 

[stinkpickle]

We usually go mid-November between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. There's usually a mid-week lull in there...at least there has been the last couple of times we went, including this year. Except for a cold front that rolled in at the end of our trip, the weather was perfect this year.

 

[stinkpickle]

...Basically, WDW will be slammed once most schools are out. If you can plan to leave the day most people start arriving, you're golden...

100% this ^^^. The crowds started rolling into the resorts the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but they didn't hit the parks until Sunday. Saturday was fine...Sunday was not. Next year, Saturday will be the last day we spend in the parks.

 

[CynBeth]

I would not go in mid Nov because you will miss all of the holiday stuff. The resort decorations won't all be up until Thanksgiving and Holidays Around the World doesn't begin at Epcot until Black Friday.

 

[g-dad66]

I think November 12-18 would be a great week to go (with Thanksgiving falling on the 23rd the following week).

I also think December 10-16 would be a great week.

But with Christmas next year being on a Monday, I would not choose to go December 17-23. I think a lot of schools will not be in session part, if not all, of that week.

 

[rangerxenos]

We usually go mid-November between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. There's usually a mid-week lull in there...at least there has been the last couple of times we went, including this year. Except for a cold front that rolled in at the end of our trip, the weather was perfect this year.

Yep, go the week after Veteran's Day if you go in November, it's noticeably slower than the week of Veteran's Day. I got back from a Wednesday - Thursday trip last month, and the first week the crowds were madness. They started getting better on that Monday of the second week.

Still really crowded now, though. November and December (non holiday weeks) were always a great time to go, and now it's pretty crowded. I went in early December last year, and it was crowded, but managable if you have a plan.

 

[rangerxenos]

Also, I've been to Disney 3 times in the last 4 years in November and December, and the weather has been perfect, high 70s - low 80s and almost no rain.

 

[vicb]

I think November 12-18 would be a great week to go (with Thanksgiving falling on the 23rd the following week).

I also think December 10-16 would be a great week.

But with Christmas next year being on a Monday, I would not choose to go December 17-23. I think a lot of schools will not be in session part, if not all, of that week.

So if we went during this week (Nov. 12-18) would any of the holiday decorations be up yet? And would the party at MK have started yet? We don't want to go just wondering how it would effect evenings at MK.

 

[stinkpickle]

So if we went during this week (Nov. 12-18) would any of the holiday decorations be up yet? And would the party at MK have started yet? We don't want to go just wondering how it would effect evenings at MK.

A lot of the decorations will be up, and the MK parties will have started. That makes the daytime hours at MK on party dates MUCH less crowded. I'm talking 9's and 10' on non-party dates, and 3's and 4's on party dates.

 

[vicb]

A lot of the decorations will be up, and the MK parties will have started. That makes the daytime hours at MK on party dates MUCH less crowded. I'm talking 9's and 10' on non-party dates, and 3's and 4's on party dates.

Oh interesting.... so perhaps I could do a rope drop non-party day and get out of MK by 5pm, then go back another night that is non-party for evening atmosphere. I love to do the emh pm at MK but maybe that won't be happening at that time. Thanks for the advice.

 

[stinkpickle]

Oh interesting.... so perhaps I could do a rope drop non-party day and get out of MK by 5pm, then go back another night that is non-party for evening atmosphere. I love to do the emh pm at MK but maybe that won't be happening at that time. Thanks for the advice.

Absolutely. This is the best time of take advantage of park hoppers. The only time we enter MK on non-party dates is just to see Wishes; otherwise, we go on party days and leave when the party starts. Better yet, the last couple of times we've visited during that week, MK held a private party starting at 4:30 in the afternoon, and the park was practically dead that day. My son and I rode Space Mtn 6 or 7 times in the last hour.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I'd choose Pop Warner week (second week of December.) It misses both the Thanksgiving crowds and the worst of the Christmas crowds, as well as missing the height of the Christmas resort and restaurant pricing, but all the holiday decorations, entertainment, and parties are in full swing. We did that this month and it was an awesome, not-too-crowded trip. I'd avoid staying in the All-Stars due to PW player/cheer crowds, though. But we had almost no issues with the PW kids in the parks.

 

[JZCubed]

Would like to take a 4-5 day trip in 2017 with our young adult children (22 and 25), thinking of either mid Nov (before Thanksgiving week) or mid Dec. (before Christmas week). Have never traveled during these times, always Feb, April or May. Would appreciate thoughts on weather and crowds. Would like to see the holiday decorations but not really interested in Mickey holiday event at MK, nor really wanting to hit Epcot Food and Wine festival. Would likely be staying at Dolphin. Thanks for any input.

Weather:
Fall that is closer to Summer is more likely to be hotter than some might expect.
Fall that is closer to Winter is more likely to be colder than some might expect.
-- This unpredictable weather in the Fall, and around both times you've outlined, has been our experience.

Crowds:
From what you've outlined, you're basically splitting a proverbial hair.

Just by looking at how Disney Vacation Club points are utilized, the first two weeks of December are likely to be less crowded than anything in November. That changes as the calendar approaches Christmas.

But when you pick in November also matters if it coincides with anything that touches Thanksgiving or the weekend that includes Veteran's Day.

Parks/Resorts start to change to Christmas decorations the day after Halloween (Mickey's xMas Party started on November 7), but not every resort is done decorating as early.

Promenade between Swan & Dolphin has a dancing light show.

 

[DebCW]

We just got back and were there from 9th-15th Dec. Personally we found it really crowded and wasted a lot of our holiday waiting in lines. None of the touring plans worked because the predicted crowd levels and wait times were so off base. Lots of people we spoke to who were regular visitors said they'd never seen it so crowded in those particular weeks of December before.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

We just got back and were there from 9th-15th Dec. Personally we found it really crowded and wasted a lot of our holiday waiting in lines. None of the touring plans worked because the predicted crowd levels and wait times were so off base. Lots of people we spoke to who were regular visitors said they'd never seen it so crowded in those particular weeks of December before.

Free dining started on the 10th (I think.) So the resorts and ADRs got very crowded/tight at that point. We were there from a few days before until a couple of days after the 10th, and we definitely felt the shift in crowding.

 

[DebCW]

Free dining started on the 10th (I think.) So the resorts and ADRs got very crowded/tight at that point. We were there from a few days before until a couple of days after the 10th, and we definitely felt the shift in crowding.

Aaah - I didn't realise the free dining would have an impact - makes sense!