Who is going in December 2022??

[kikismom]

So I'm kind of rethinking our dates. We were planning for Dec 8-12, which is Th-M. I've started wondering if it might be better to go T-Sat (6-10). Any thoughts on what might be the better time frame as far as weekend vs weekdays, likelihood of Christmas parties (we want to avoid those), crowds, hours, etc? Thanks!

We had those same dates booked. I switched it to the 3-7 instead. Candlelight will be going for Saturday but we'll just stick to CA that day.

 

[acerry]

Yeah, choosing WHICH days of the week in December to spend in the park is becoming the most challenging and stressful decision of the whole trip planning! LOL
Are you allowed to change which days you can go to the parks after your first selection? Like if the candelight event or those party events are announced after I buy my tickets and choose dates? Or is it best to just wait until as late as possible to buy your tickets and have to choose dates?

 

[DizMe]

Yeah, choosing WHICH days of the week in December to spend in the park is becoming the most challenging and stressful decision of the whole trip planning! LOL
Are you allowed to change which days you can go to the parks after your first selection? Like if the candelight event or those party events are announced after I buy my tickets and choose dates? Or is it best to just wait until as late as possible to buy your tickets and have to choose dates?

In order to change your park reservations, you first have to cancel the current ones. The danger is if you cancel one (say, DL) and then the other one (say, DCA) is no longer available. This becomes an issue the closer you get to the dates.

You don't have to worry about it, at least not much, if you're staying on site. They have a much larger bucket of reservations for hotel guests. It's also better if you have a tickets rather than an annual pass. I know that as an AP holder, there have not been as many park reservations available to me as if I had a ticket. In fact, some AP holders have taken the step of buying a ticket when a park reservation wasn't open to them because that AP was maxxed out for park reservations.

 

[tlcdoula]

Just checked our flights for west jet after seeing others notice they are making changes.

Our direct flight has been cancelled and they have us with a layover. We were trying to avoid switching planes with the baby. Now back to square 1 for planning.

 

[acerry]

Thanks @DizMe .

 

[MikeRx]

December 18-21, VGC (our home resort). Same trip last year and it was fantastic. Looking forward to the holiday season again this year.

 

[mamacatnv]

We will be there 12/25-31 - we are that kind of crazy.

We are a geographically scattered family due to job relocations and a graduate student. We will be flying in from Alabama, central Texas and Northern Nevada, arriving at two airports all within an hour of each other. All the adults know what is up, the 3 littles have no idea, this is a Christmas surprise.

Haven't been to DL in 20 years, have been to WDW twice in the middle but not in the past 10 years.

I'm a California native and my heart has always been at DL, I cannot wait to come back even if it is during the busiest week of the year as that is when we always went to WDW and we did just fine. We don't know what not crowded looks like,

Staying across the street at the new Holiday Inn Express.
We are the flying by the seat of our pants style of travelers. Will be making park reservations here in a little over a week but will not be stressing over dining/show reservations.

 

[acerry]

we are that kind of crazy.

I laughed and smiled at this because it's nice to hear that I am not the crazi*est* person / planner, for planning my first trip to the CA parks in December. I mean... it's encouraging to see so many others in this thread planning for near the same dates as I am, but then to see that someone is brave enough to go THAT week, gives me hope that the crowds are ... survivable. As opposed to so many threads about recent rampant crowds and "bad times".
So nice that your family will all fly in to be together. Enjoy!

 

[Diana ZP]

Hopefully going December 4th through 8th- myself, niece, and her 2 girls. The girls have never been and the oldest will have just turned 18 in September so a birthday Christmas present for her! Thinking of staying at one of the Marriott properties so I can use the Platinum status and see what it will get me!

 

[PaladinButters]

We had those same dates booked. I switched it to the 3-7 instead. Candlelight will be going for Saturday but we'll just stick to CA that day.

We always end up there during Candlelight and our previous strategy was to spend that night at Trader Sams.

 

[kikismom]

Ugh prices have gone up so much for our flights. $500 for three round trip tickets over what I already thought was high. I'm rethinking my strategy if they don't go back down. If I fly down the night before and stay at a hotel by the airport it will still save me money. Then we can sleep in that next day anyway and go to the parks for the afternoon. I never buy my plane tickets this early but with how the economy is and fuel prices I thought I'd get a jump on it.

 

[nutsosmom]

Fingers crossed we are going Dec 22-29th or so. Haven't booked yet because still a little nervous about the flight issues but haven't been in several years. Flights are about double the cost of what they used to be from Canada .

 

[kikismom]

Fingers crossed we are going Dec 22-29th or so. Haven't booked yet because still a little nervous about the flight issues but haven't been in several years. Flights are about double the cost of what they used to be from Canada .

I am a cheapo when it comes to flights. I fly from SeaTac and normally pay $59-$99 each way to SNA on Alaska. This time one flight is $219 and the other is $179 for my normal flight times. I have never paid more than $99 for one way (not including premium) and even that was a struggle.

 

[tlcdoula]

I got our flights changed with West Jet and lets hope they don't change again. New dates December 4-10th!!! We had an extra day to just relax before the changes but we will still have our 5 park days unless something else changes... fingers crossed!!!!

 

[kikismom]

I got our flights changed with West Jet and lets hope they don't change again. New dates December 4-10th!!! We had an extra day to just relax before the changes but we will still have our 5 park days unless something else changes... fingers crossed!!!!

My fingers are crossed for you too!

 

[Diana ZP]

Ugh prices have gone up so much for our flights. $500 for three round trip tickets over what I already thought was high. I'm rethinking my strategy if they don't go back down. If I fly down the night before and stay at a hotel by the airport it will still save me money. Then we can sleep in that next day anyway and go to the parks for the afternoon. I never buy my plane tickets this early but with how the economy is and fuel prices I thought I'd get a jump on it.

I heard that Alaska is supposed to have some good fares coming in September. I sure wish they flew out of Paine Field to Orange County!

 

[AZMermaid]

We are with my sisters family. We will be there the 17-20 staying at VGC in a 2 bedroom villa. I’m probably buying my tickets this week! Getting closer!

 

[kikismom]

I heard that Alaska is supposed to have some good fares coming in September. I sure wish they flew out of Paine Field to Orange County!

Oh good to know. I'll test my patience and wait for prices to drop. If it doesn't then I'll have to fly out of LAX. The price difference between flying home from SNA and LAX right now is significant for the time we want to fly out. Even taking into account the price difference in shuttles and time on the road.

 

[dismomofbn]

We will be there December 10-14 and starting to get so excited! There are 9 of us and we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel. This will be our first trip back to DL since 2019. (We did WDW last year when my daughter was cast member there)
I booked my flights last week and this week Southwest had a sale. It would have saved me $500! Yes, I got credit back for future travel but when planning for 9, $500 would have bought a lot of churros or dole whips.
Yesterday, it was 102 here, but I was listening to Disney Christmas music in the car

 

[Wesley815]

You won't have to worry about Magic Key / Passholder local crowds at least since program is gone by then, unless a few random unfavorable guests (as Disney would call us) that didn't activate their Magic Key until later in year.