Thoughts on December - Best week to go

[Nickunited]

Thinking of hopping down as we have never done Disney around Christmas and always wanted to try it.

Can I pick the brain of the Disboard community on expertise on traveling in December? We have no kids so just my wife and I and we would want to know the best week/weekends to go.

Thanks in advance
Nick

 

[Planogirl]

We had a nice visit the week before Christmas week a few years ago. It was busy but manageable. Only the Osborne lights were crazy crowded but that was the last year so that's no longer a factor.

Why not check the calendars to see what's going on to see what appeals the most to you? We thoroughly enjoyed it but skipped such things as the Candlelight Professional at Epcot.

 

[DebbieB]

The first or second week would be your best bet. I've gone the first week many times, love it! Doing it again this year.

 

[GreatLakes]

The earlier in December you can go the better. Once you are past the Thanksgiving weekend crowd you are usually good until the kids start getting out of school.

 

[matheke]

You need to go. As stated, any day after Thanksgiving weekend Saturday (Sunday was a ghost town two years ago) and before the kids start getting out of school is best.

The first week can be a little busier than the second week of December. There used to be a big meet of internet groups during the first week. It has kind of fallen apart as a huge organized event but there are still a lot of groups that meet during that time.

Some years the later you go the less choice of merchandise is available. This has happened at MVMCP and some of the Gingerbread houses.

There is a lot to do so study up what is available and pick what you want to do.

We think it may be the best time to go to WDW.

 

[chalee94]

In years like this one where Thanksgiving falls a little early, I would recommend going the week after Thanksgiving.

Otherwise, I'd go the 1st or 2nd week of December - whichever is not the week of Pop Warner.

 

[dreiwhit]

We went for the last few days in November and first week of December in 2016. It was a good week to go, but not nearly as dead as other people have told us it was in the past.

If I had to go in December again, I would go in early December.

 

[ktlm]

We have had several December trips. Our least crowded one was the one we took the third week. It was the week after Pop Warner and right before most kids got out of school for the holiday. The crowds really started to pick up the last weekend of our trip, but Saturday they were all arriving, so it was not bad until evening in the parks, and Sunday we were leaving so we didn't care.

We have done the week after Thanksgiving several times (started doing that because DD always had performances and parties that third week she did not want to miss). That week was pretty good as well. We arrive the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend- that Sunday is not bad because everyone is leaving. Up until the last couple of years it was parade filming week which required a work around- not bad as long as you avoided MK during parade filming Saturday particularly, but Friday (except we did MVMCP that Friday night some trips). The last couple of years the parade has filmed earlier, so that may have helped- we have gone in the fall since the parade filming changed, so I can't tell you. The Pop Warner kids usually start arriving on Saturday so that can increase the crowds that weekend as they have not started their activities yet and are in the parks. We still liked that week. I do agree that some holiday merchandise will be gone the later you go- but we have had that even the week after Thanksgiving. One year there was a holiday shirt I really wanted that we kept seeing in the parks that people said they had bought just a couple days before we arrived- it never reappeared-- clearly it was more popular than they expected. WDW is wonderful during the holiday season.