Traveling Dec 16 - Crowds? Weather?

[jfili]

We are planning our trip during week of Dec 16 and plan to leave before the holiday. This is our first trip during the month of December. We have heard many great things about the decorations and atmosphere during the holidays. But can anyone share the crowd situation and weather expectations during this time? Any big groups or special events this week before the holiday?

 

[crazy4disney01]

We went last year during the same week that you are going this year. When we arrived, the weather was quite warm (low to mid 80's). We wore shorts and tee-shirts/tank tops for the first 4 days we were there (didn't use sunscreen and didn't sunburn). Then I remember it raining some the next morning (could still go to the parks and enjoy ourselves wearing ponchos) and turning drastically cooler, like highs in the mid 50's lows in the low 40's (maybe even upper 30's). The only time we were really cold was when we had to stand in line like at Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh and were out of the sun and the wind was blowing making it seem cool. We were at Epcot waiting for Illuminations one night and couldn't take being cold anymore and left before seeing it. (My DD had a runny nose toward the end of our trip.)

We enjoyed ourselves in December but decided that really November (week before Thanksgiving) is the best time to go because the days you could wear a tee-shirt and at night a sweatshirt or light jacket and never really get cold.

Who knows though? The weather could be absolutely perfect the whole week you are there with no cold nights or days.

Hope this helps!
Chelly

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3 weeks 4 days until our next WDW trip!! Can't wait!!!!!

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[crazy4disney01]

The crowds were not that bad at all, but you still had waits on some of the rides (longest wait being maybe 20 minutes). But the longest waits were on the classic rides like Winnie the Pooh that always seem slow anytime of year you go.

The characters, decorations, atmosphere is great!! All the characters were dressed up in a holiday sweater, hat, scarf (Goofy dressed up like Santa at AK). Christmas music plays throughout the park. We saw Christmas carolers at Animal Kingdom.

You'll want to go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at least one night. The parks are only open to the people that have tickets to the party so you can ride most of the rides at Magic Kingdom and get hot cocoa and Christmas cookies and watch the WDW Christmas parade. It snows on Main Street-it is just so magical and fun!! Wilderness Lodge also has sleigh rides that are fun too!

Maybe I need to twist my hubby's arm to go back at Christmas again-

Chelly

 

[crazy4disney01]

Disney Studios has the Osbourne Christmas lights and it is something that is a must see. No words to describe it.

 

[8 Ears]

We have been twice the week you are going. Crowds are very low BUT both times we have been there at that time of year (1989 and 2004) we ended up purchasing sweat shirts becuase it was so cold. And as you see we are from Maine!!

DH said "no more" Disney in December so now we are going in June 2006

Enjoy your trip and plan on packing for warm and cool weather. Only 1 day did it shower and there were no one in the parks!

Enjoy your trip, you will be in WDW after all!

 

[jfili]

Thanks for the replies. It is helpful. We have been to WDW in Jan, Feb, and Mar, summer and Oct and the weather for the most part cooperates enough to still have a blast. Poncho's from 3 years ago come in handy. How about the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party? Recommended or not?

 

[MicheinMA]

This sounds promising. We're thinking of going the same time of year and were concerned the crowds may be bad and that the weather may not be too pleasant.

Sounds like it might work for us