Who has gone during Pop Warner days in Dec???

[bjcaed]

We are planning a girls adult trip just to enjoy the Christmas season. Is it super crowded during these days in early to Mid December??
Thanks

 

[kickash]

We went in 2015. It was a last minute trip for us and only thing we could get in budget was a Value. Kids running everywhere, we had a connecting room and the boys on the other side were up all night, trying to open the door, etc. I didn't feel the parks were overly crowded (Christmas party was but that's to be expected) and DHS was because it was the last year of the Osborne Lights (why we went). My advice is not to stay at a Value lol!

 

[jaysmom4285]

We've been there many times during Pop Warner. It has very minimal effects on the park crowds because the kids are generally busy elsewhere most of the time, although you may encounter a few roving groups of loud cheerleaders at random times. As the PP noted, it is those who are staying in the same resorts, usually the values, as the Pop Warner crowd who see the most negative effects. We find early December a great time to go, as it is generally not terribly crowded and the parks are decorated for Christmas, without the Christmas mobs. Don't let Pop Warner stop you - just try to avoid the value resorts.

 

[ELLH]

Thread about this just the other day:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-at-christmas.3768588/#post-61052833
The short answer: no

Also, dress in layers.

 

[icc2515]

They are very crowded at this time of year. Go to the Disney website and check for a hotel room starting on Dec 1st for 6 nites. There are 2 hotel rooms available Coronado for $751/nite and Grand Floridian for $612 per nite. The same thing starting on the 8th except higher prices. I can also tell you that just about every DVC room is fully booked. So yes they are very crowded, unless there is a problem with their reservations website.

 

[PirateFish989]

They are very crowded at this time of year. Go to the Disney website and check for a hotel room starting on Dec 1st for 6 nites. There are 2 hotel rooms available Coronado for $751/nite and Grand Floridian for $612 per nite. The same thing starting on the 8th except higher prices. I can also tell you that just about every DVC room is fully booked. So yes they are very crowded, unless there is a problem with their reservations website.

My husband is going to Orlando for a business trip December 3-5 and I thought maybe I'd join him and we could extend the trip a few days so we could go to the parks. I tried booking hotel rooms back in June with the same results so I don't think its an issue with their reservations website.

Isn't that first week when the new Star Wars ride is opening, too? That may have an impact in hotel reservations, too.

 

[nkereina]

They are very crowded at this time of year. Go to the Disney website and check for a hotel room starting on Dec 1st for 6 nites. There are 2 hotel rooms available Coronado for $751/nite and Grand Floridian for $612 per nite. The same thing starting on the 8th except higher prices. I can also tell you that just about every DVC room is fully booked. So yes they are very crowded, unless there is a problem with their reservations website.

This isn't really indicative of crowd levels in the parks. It just says more people are staying onsite. Resorts with availability will only be returned when searching for 6 consecutive nights. So its possible all other resorts may have availability every night except night 4, for example. Also, early December is the busiest time of year for DVC and its been that way for a while. Pop Warner also takes up a lot of rooms, and people who have free dining checking in on 11/27 (or earlier) may be taking up rooms through early December as well. Point being, there may be things bringing people to stay onsite, but it doesn't really equate to super high crowds in the parks.

Having been early December, I would say its moderately busy. Certainly more tolerable than Thanksgiving and closer to Christmas, but nothing is walk-on.

 

[cheerguin]

We went last year at this time and saw no difference. We stayed at BCV. This was one of my favorite times b/c we wore jeans and a hoodie to MK for the chirstmas party! I love cooler weather so I really enjoyed this time of year. The parks look amazing.

 

[kwdw]

If you definitely want to avoid the kids participating - don't stay at one of the values. That time of year is moderately busy and with the new Star Wars opening about then, too, I think the parks will be your average crowded (vs. packed or light). The Pop Warner folks - sure - they go to the parks - but not all at once and not much in mass. If it wasn't them who are guests at the hotels and headed to the parks - it would just be others.

 

[focusondisney]

We are planning a girls adult trip just to enjoy the Christmas season. Is it super crowded during these days in early to Mid December??
Thanks

It won’t be “super crowded”, but it won’t be empty either. Thanksgiving is late this year, so there are only 3 full weeks between Thanksgiving week & Christmas week. Lots of people trying to fit trips into a smaller time frame. Most resorts have had very limited availability for the first 2 weeks of December since early this year. I booked a bounceback for Dec 7-14 th back in the first week of February. I have been watching resort availability ever since. Most resorts have been pretty booked up even before Rise of the Resistance was announced. Crowds have been pretty heavy all year with a few exceptions. I am planning heavy crowds, if they aren’t, that will be a bonus.

 

[dachsie]

I went last December and thought it was great. Had no problems with crowds. However, this hear RotR opens so all bets are off. The hotels have been booked for a while now

 

[SG131]

My husband is going to Orlando for a business trip December 3-5 and I thought maybe I'd join him and we could extend the trip a few days so we could go to the parks. I tried booking hotel rooms back in June with the same results so I don't think its an issue with their reservations website.

Isn't that first week when the new Star Wars ride is opening, too? That may have an impact in hotel reservations, too.

Disney initially sets aside a huge block of rooms for athletes, but the final room reservations don’t occur until much closer to the event so availability does free up.

I was there the first two weeks in December last year. Pop warner was the first week and the parks weren’t bad. The second week was ok crowd wise but the further into my stay it got the more crowds were increasing. It’s such a nice time though you have to see the Christmas decorations at least once. There’s a lot of stuff in World Showcase for Xmas and you probably won’t see too many cheerleading groups there.

 

[Pmlocke]

I always stay at AS Music and was there twice for Pop Warner. It's Disney and the kids are geeked up because they are playing for a football championship as well. How much better does life get? The kids were usually away for practice or games and when they weren't they were in a park. Never had any problems with the kids.

 

[lovethattink]

We stayed at value resorts during Pop Warner. Didn't have any park impact for us, but definitely affected the food court if they arrived to eat before us.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I've been many times, maybe 15 years, during PW days. Minimal impact, if any, on the parks. I would suggest though, to not stay at their resorts.

 

[DebbieB]

I've gone that week many times, Pop Warner wasn't a big deal but I stayed at Boardwalk.

Regarding weather, I've experienced highs anywhere from 40's to 80's. So don't make final clothes decisions until right before you go. My general rule is to take shorts over 70, under take jeans. If the high is under 70, it will get cold at night. There were trips where I took a winter coat and gloves for night. Other trips, shorts during the day, sweatshirt and jeans for night.

 

[JJ2017]

My daughter is dancing in Disney in December 2020. I believe the 4th-6th. Is this during Pop Warner?

 

[DebbieB]

My daughter is dancing in Disney in December 2020. I believe the 4th-6th. Is this during Pop Warner?

Pop Warner is December 6th to 13th this year.

 

[JJ2017]

Pop Warner is December 6th to 13th.

Thanks!

 

[Selket]

I agree to avoid the value resorts or wherever they may be staying. We hit the end of PW one year at All Star Sports and our room faced that fake football field - it was exceptionally loud even after midnight. I had to walk over to the front desk in my pajamas to complain (I tried calling - didn't work). The staff working there did take care of it. IMHO those resorts need to have a few extra security people on the grounds at night just to keep the noise down (I don't care if the kids are outside - it's just the noise). The kids are nice but they are definitely excited and will make noise - I mean that football field was THE place to be apparently - lol! Never noticed anything in the parks though.