What is up with December?

[2x_dis_dad]

I have reservations at SSR for Dec 10th through the 13th. I made the reservations a while ago and chose SSR because that was all that was available for the AP discount. I have been calling everyday to see if anything would open up at any other resort. I asked the CM that I spoke with yesterday if they are just out of AP discounted rooms, she said no the resorts all look full. What is the deal with that? I am still going to call everyday and see if I can get an Epcot or a monorail resort. I may just cancel because it looks as if it will be busy then. I figured the very beginning of Dec. would be not so busy at all...

 

[Scrappymags]

I'm wondering the exact same thing as I've been checking stuff out as well. I really really hope it won't be that crowded. I'll be very disappointed.

 

[tink2]

Well, it looks like this time of year may be busier than usual. Two events are going on that weekend- Mousefest and Pop Warner cheerleaders. Also, I'm thinking alot of people may have rescheduled for this time due to the hurricanes. We are going Dec. 5-11. I've been checking the website periodically for availability to give me an idea of how busy it may be. the other day there were several options- I think all the values (cheerleaders), POR (cheerleaders), and the Poly were the only ones completely booked. But, we are leaving the 11th. Your dates are on the weekend. I've read a lot of locals like to come on the weekends to take in the holiday stuff- making it more crowded. Either way though, it's Christmas and Disney- does it get any better? Any way you can change your trip to be during the week?
Good luck!!

 

[n2mm]

Hey 2x_dis_dad, you're competing with me. Well I guess CRO is getting tire of us. We also are going Dec. 10-13 and the only thing I was able to book was the A/S Sports at a cast rate. I've been calling both lines to see if I can get something at a Cast Rate or AP rate and nothing. Actually it's Friday the 10th that is the problem. When I change my dates on the web site, things open up on the 11th. I just don't want to change resorts for a 3 night stay. I'm hoping there will be some cancellations within my 5 days of arriving so that we can move. I wanted WL or CR, but the only thing available at the CM and the AP rates are suites. The same for rack rates too. It does look like it might let up on Saturday the 11th, so glad I'm not there any earlier than the 10th. I asked hubby if he wanted to do 1 night at Sports and then switch to 2 nights elsewhere, but he said he had no problem staying at Sports (with the cheerleaders)....go figure.

 

[2x_dis_dad]

Hey N2MM Have the CM's you have talked too said that the resorts are full or just out of AP discounted rooms? The last CM I talked too said the resorts were full. I think I am going to cancel. We are planning for a week in February anyways. This was going to be a trip for my wife and I only. Oh well maybe next year. Good luck to you...

 

[lark]

For what it's worth, there is plenty of availability on expedia for those dates. It's all at rack rates, but all the biggies are there. BWI ($289), Beach ($289), Poly ($299 garden, $385 lagoon), GF ($339/$400), AKL Savannah ($275), etc. Even for resorts where Expedia is showing that not all days are available for the three resorts, it seems to have availability on the Saturday and Sunday. Interestingly, the Friday seems to be the day when most is sold out.

Expedia room availability is frequently different from Disney room availability, because expedia has its own inventory. But it's usually a very good proxy for figuing out how much demand there is going to be and whether stuff might open up. Expedia only takes an option on the rooms, so if they don't sell them, the rooms go back to disney. At a minimum, lots of inventory comes back from the 10 to 5 day prior to check in point, due to the fact that people wait until the last minute to cancel. (If you want to play around some time, go to wdw web site and check some dates, and then 5-7 days before those dates check again; you'll be amazed what pops back up even in busy times.)

Also, someone posted here once that when disney says a resot is "sold out," it doesn't always mean all the rooms are full. In low demand times, they don't always make certain halls or wings available until they have measured that demand will justify it. (I don't really understand all this; it would be great if someone who does could explain it better than I just did.)

Finally, even if the rooms were sold out, we've been to WDW a few times when there was seemingly low supply of rooms but the parks were near empty.

 

[GEM]

Hmmm . . . My reservations are for the 10th-18th. We are switching resorts and have both resorts at the AP rate. I've changed dates, resorts, etc. MANY times - including just this morning - and had no trouble getting the AP rate at the new resorts. To me, it has seemed like there must be lots of availability, since I've had no trouble swtiching and switching and switching and always been able to get the AP discount.

 

[Destination Disney]

meaning in the most demand. The resorts and parks are decorated so nice and once those AP rates come out poeple pounch on them. They were posted in September so have been out for quite some time, and along with the AP rate goes that "FLORIDA RESIDENT DISCOUT CODE" for all of us floridians, so that also takes up a chunck of rooms. I know I booked under that code for my ressie in Dec.
I would not cancel your trip 2x_dis_dad, I was there last year during the first weekend of Dec. and I am going again this year. December gets busy more towards Christmas day. You should be pretty good being that you booked the second weekend. The weekends are a bit busier, but not overwhelming. Like I said, as you get more towards Christmas day, the schools are let out for Winter break and that is when the crowds arrive!!

Enjoy!
Jaime

Us floridians need these codes to recover from Hurricane season this year! Holy cow!!!

 

[lark]

It's actually a good point -- if these boards are an indication, one would expect that the same people who know to take advantage of AP discounts also know to take advantage of the lower crowds in early December.

And overall, that is a very very small portion of the visitors to disney.