When is Christmas decor up??

[bjcaed]

HI ALL,
We are planning a new trip and have been to Disnay at just aout every time of the year except for Christmas. We do not do crowded times of the year so we are looking at going right before Thanksgiving week when crowds are super low or the second week in December. I know Christmas will be in full swing by the December date but what about Novemember? MVMCP is scheduled during the November dates but I am afraid it will be skimpy in the other parks,anyone know??
Thanks!!

 

[Itinkso]

HI ALL, We are planning a new trip and have been to Disnay at just aout every time of the year except for Christmas. We do not do crowded times of the year so we are looking at going right before Thanksgiving week when crowds are super low or the second week in December. I know Christmas will be in full swing by the December date but what about Novemember? MVMCP is scheduled during the November dates but I am afraid it will be skimpy in the other parks,anyone know?? Thanks!!

The other parks will be decorated before then and the resorts should be fully decorated by your trip. Last year, the Gingerbread House @ GF was completed by November 19th.

 

[chalee94]

the parks should be 90% decorated.

i know the big trees in the resorts (WL, GF, AKL) didn't go up till the weekend before thanksgiving last year.

i think epcot's special events (candlelight processional and holiday storytelling from around the world) don't start till after thanksgiving.

 

[Bob P]

i think epcot's special events (candlelight processional and holiday storytelling from around the world) don't start till after thanksgiving.

I can confirm that the CP didn't start until the night after Thanksgiving in 2013, if that helps....

 

[MomofKatie]

MK: decorated completely by the first MVMCP on 11/7(except for the Big Tree, which can't go up until after the Christmas parade taping, usually the first weekend in December).

EP: this is the park that has the least done before Thanksgiving. The big tree and the few FW decorations will be up by mid November, but the signature holiday events , Candlelight Processional and World Showcase storytellers, don't start until the day after Thanksgiving.

HS: will be completely decorated by the first night of the Osborne Lights, usually on the same night as the first MVMCP (or within a day or 2).

AK: doesn't have a ton of decorations, but what they have should be done by mid November.

DTD and resorts: will start decorating right after Halloween, and will be fully complete by Thanksgiving. The "big" things, like the Grand Floridian gingerbread house, are usually done by the week before Thanksgiving (it was done during our trip last fall, 11/18- 11/22).

Bottom line- if you want general holiday atmosphere and quite a few decorations and activities, a trip anytime after the first week of November will be fine. If you absolutely HAVE to experience the Candlelight Processional and other Epcot holiday offerings, you will need to wait until after Thanksgiving.

FWIW, we have been several times in November to experience the holiday atmosphere. We never felt like we were missing out on anything by arriving before the Epcot stuff started. We aren't religious, though, so the CP wasn't something we were interested in anyway.