Who has gone the first week of Dec.?

[dpic]

We have ressies at WL Dec 3-11, and I have a few questions. What has the weather been like? We plan on sweaters for the evenings and it will probably be warm enough to use the pools, but what are your experiences? Next, what are the crowds like? We've normally go in late October, and the crowds are relatively low (never waited longer than 40 minutes for any ride), so I'm hoping they'll even be better in early Dec. before the Christmas rush. We're planning on two nights of MVMCP (Sunday and Thursday). How crowded are those nights?

Next, the Pop Warner competition will probably be that week. Does this event have a noticeable impact in the parks? Will we see lots and lots of groups of kids or will we see a few here and there? Are they more groups at night? I'm not looking to turn this into a Pop Warner bashing thread, I just wonder about this event's impact on park attendance. Seeing kids having fun is a great part of Disney. Being in the middle of thousands of kids having fun is a little different. We just want to know what to expect.

Thanks for any info and tips you can pass along.

 

[keddy]

1

 

[christianweecare]

Having made several trips during your time frame, I would have to tell you to be prepared for anything where the weather is concerned. We try to watch the forecasts prior to leaving to get some idea. We have encountered rain, bitter cold, and warm and sunny. From one extreme to the other.

As far as crowds go, we have never waited 40 mins. for anything. If there is a wait we usually will fass pass and then go do something else in the meantime. MVMCP is a different story. We don't try to do the rides during this time but enjoy the special events associated with the party instead.

We have also encountered the Pop kids during one stay one year. We had them staying at the FQ and CSR with us but they were not a problem. Others have reported otherwise. I don't seem to think that they were a big impact on the parks either.

 

[john2u]

Dan

We did the exact samething you are planning to do this past Dec. at DW. The weather was not to bad. During the entire trip we wore jeans and short sleeve shirts and brought along sweaters for the night time. I would not recommend wearing shorts because it did get a little to cool for shorts.

The crowds at the parks were very light. The longest wait for the rides was about 10 min. We did not have to use any fast passes at all.

The crowds for the MVMCP are managable. I believe going to 2 MVMCP will give you enough time to view all the attractions and not have to rush the evening. (Do not miss the snow on Main Street)

Hope this helps
Have a great day!!

John

PS - Did you attend the MNSSHP? Any info. you can pass along concerning this event. We have ressies from Oct. 13th through the 17th. Attending 2 MNSSHP

 

[Harley-Mouse]

The weather is good you might nead a jacket.

 

[cobbler]

Its a great week to go. The longest line I saw this last year was about 30 minutes. There was one point where splash mtn was 70 minutes stand-by but hay, that is what fastpass was for. Must have been something weird because by the time our fast pass window came the wait was down to about 20 min.

Weather is nuts. We go around that time every year and it can be all over the place. This year we had one very chilly day and one that pants and tank top were fine. Other years we froze our tushies off and others were shorts and tank top. In 03 when we went to MVMCP we had on mittens, pants, sweatshirts and were still chilled. In 04 we had pants and tshirts and were quite warm the whole night. Best advice is plan for ANYTHING!

As for crowds with Pop Warner, we didn't expirence them at the parks, it was very little if at all. However, we ended up at ASSports the same time they were and that was a different story. Just a lot of them around in the pool, we couldn't swim if we wanted to. In the food court - very busy and long waits at times. In the parks we didn't see them very much. Luckily we were in a bldg away from them at the resort.

Have a good time

 

[jaysmom4285]

We were at WDW December 5-11. The weather that week was exceptional, in the low 80's every day. We wore shorts and tees all the time, even at night. It was plenty warm enough to swim. The next week, a cold front moved in, and highs were in the low 60's. Best advice is to check the forecast just before you leave to get an idea of the trends for your vacation time and pack accordingly. Crowds were pretty light, very short waits for most things and walk-on for many. We did MVMCP on a Tuesday night. Crowds tend to be lighter on the weeknights.
As far as the Pop Warner's go, they were there that week, and we have been at WDW other times at the same time as they were. If you've done any reading on these boards, you'll see that people have very strong feelings about this. From our experience, they didn't make any noticeable impact on park attendance. I understand that they sometimes have one park closed early for them so that they can use it exclusively. The week we were there, they used MGM one evening. We didn't happen to see any large groups of them in the parks, and we never stayed at they same resort as they did, so they weren't a factor for us. But, as they say, your mileage will vary. If I were to venture a recommendation, it would be to be sure you stay at a resort where they are not, and you probably will barely know they are there.

 

[cheerdancer11]

We went in 1996 the first week of December. Best week ever to go! We experienced little to no lines on all the big attractions, we hit tower of terror first thing in the morning and rode 3x w/o any wait! i'd definietly reccommend going this time of year when you can get on all the rides you wish. we went to blizard beach 1 day even though it wasnt really that hot out but we had a blast! my little sister went on the kiddie slide all day w/o a wait- the lifeguard got to know her name! as for pop warner, i didnt see ne of them there if they were. we stayed off site at a good hotel and had no problems commuting into the parks. let me know if you have ?'s!

michele

 

[dpic]

Thanks for the great replies! Sounds like it will be a good week to go. We've have been so happy with the last week of Oct. we're really torn about going at a different time. We really want to see MVMCP, so we're going to do it. Thanks, too, for the info on Pop Warner. Since we're not staying at one of their resorts, I was more concerned about their impact on the parks, and it sounds like it will not be bad at all. John, I'll PM you with some MNSSHP stuff--we love that.

Lastly, anyone else with any insights please chime in!

 

[DebbieB]

We've gone the first or second week of December the past 7 years. It started in 1998 as a "just this once let's go during the holidays". Loved it so much, we have gone every year since (and joined DVC). Weather can vary widely. I've seen days in the 80's and days in the 50's. I think 4 of the years we wore shorts most of the time, including last month (most days in the low 80's). One year, 2000, was cold the entire time, never higher than low 60's. The days aren't bad but it gets really cold at night when it's below 70 during the day. Other years were a mix. Love the Candlelight Processional, MVMCP & Osborne Lights. Crowds on the low side.

This year we are going Nov 26 to Dec 2 because we bought new AP's last month that will expire on Dec 4.

 

[scrump]

We were there 12/3-12/10 in 2003 and it was on the chilly side in the evenings, so we did carry around some extra layers.

Also went to MVMCP during our stay and the crowds were very manageable, not bad at all. Pop Warner week was going on as well, but there was no noticeable impact in the parks.

Enjoy, you'll have a great time!!

 

[Leota]

I've gone twice during the first 2 weeks of Dec. The first time, in 1995, the weekdays were dead. Everything was a walk on. Weekends picked up & MVMCP was a relatively intimate event.

The next time I went, in 2001, I did notice quite an increase in crowds, but still manageable. I also noticed quite an increase in attendance at MVMCP. Although, I noticed the same increase for MNSSHP - so if you are used to that, the size of MVMCP seems along the same lines.

Weather, as stated, is all over the place. I tend to only use the pool or hot tub if it's 75 or higher. I lucked out on both trips & was able to use them. We did use sweatshirts at night.

I never noticed Pop Warner, so if they were there, they didn't impact our stay or Park time.

 

[kathymc]

another early dec traveler here. We have been 4 times the first or second week of Dec and LOVE it. The holiday decorations and special events are wonderful. Yes weather can be tricky but we had one year where it was 80-90* the whole week and others where it was 40* at night! Hard to plan what to pack in advance (but hey - you can always buy another sweatshirt) Just remember - parks close earlier so midday breaks might not work as well as they do at busier times when hours are longer. We tend to get to a park around 10 ish - spend the day there - then do Epcot at night.

We've experience PW at Dixie Landings and while a little irritating, they weren't too bad (the cheerleaders with them were worse! ) and didn't notice them much in the parks.

have a ball - and see ya there!

 

[dpic]

have a ball - and see ya there!

Looks like we'll beat you there by about four hours! ha, ha.