Best Month/Days to Visit? (Oct, Nov, Dec)

[Makayla]

Hello,

I will be taking my first trip to Disney in 2016. I had originally planned on going during my birthday weekend... Arriving on October 1st and leaving on the 5th. One of those days (Most likely the 4th, my birthday) I plan on attending the Halloween party.

BUT I just recently came across a popular blog with a list of the best and worst times to visit WDW.. according to the post the days I planned on visiting would most likely have heavy crowds due to something called 'fall break.' Which honestly I've never heard of in Texas.. supposedly schools let out for like a week for Columbus day. (??) I am wanting to avoid heavy crowds. So I would like some opinions.

Also, if those are heavy days which month (Oct, Nov, Dec) /days would you recommend?

and LASTLY- Which is a better party to attend? Halloween or Christmas?

 

[DarthVader]

I found the beginning of October to be nice, many schools are not out yet, as I recall there are some school systems that give a fall break in the middle of the month. So for my somewhat uneducated experience its not too bad.

I found the middle of October to be busier for the reasons I just listed.

November before Thanksgiving is what I found to be a great time in WDW. It frequently has the free meal plan, the crowds are not getting crazy due to the christmas holdiay season, yet it is decorated for Christmas.

December is busy, as the beginning of December as the pop warner football/cheering stuff, and as you get closer to christmas it just get busier and busier.

and LASTLY- Which is a better party to attend? Halloween or Christmas?

I like the Halloween better the Christmas party.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Out of those choices id go in November. October is hit and miss with the crowds and Food & Wine Festival. Columbus Day usually does bring a good crowd along as well. December can be a good time, go after thanksgiving up to about a week before Chrismas and you'd be ok. Me personally, I love WDW over the Halloween time. The Christmas decorations obviously are really cool to. Party wise, I prefer the Halloween one the Christmas one. If you've never been to either, you can't pick wrong.

 

[DarthVader]

December can be a good time, go after thanksgiving up to about a week before Chrismas .

I found out that the first week of December is the Pop Warner football stuff, so the resorts are usually full/busy with that program - both football players and cheerleaders. I'd personally avoid that week, while they'll be busy with their programs during the day, the resorts will be busy and the OP may not have as restful time at their resort.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I found out that the first week of December is the Pop Warner football stuff, so the resorts are usually full/busy with that program - both football players and cheerleaders. I'd personally avoid that week, while they'll be busy with their programs during the day, the resorts will be busy and the OP may not have as restful time at their resort.

Oh yuck lol yeah I've heard that week can be horrible while they are there

 

[officialtom]

Currently considering a November 2015 trip (normally go sometime between January and late March), so watching this thread closely! It looks like you can hit the end of F&W during the first week of November, so that's tempting...

 

[PAW PAW 70]

Been going the last five years to WDW the week before thanksgiving crowds are manageable weather cool some rain but I think you will enjoy your trip. We leave Friday after thanksgiving and head home. Great trip!

 

[MickeyMomV]

The week before Christmas is our favorite. Its just a magical time.
Keep in mind though, its like a switch is flipped on Christmas day and the crowds become a nightmare until after the new year.

 

[James J]

Currently considering a November 2015 trip (normally go sometime between January and late March), so watching this thread closely! It looks like you can hit the end of F&W during the first week of November, so that's tempting...

That's exactly what I'm doing this year! I went in October in 2013, but decided on November this year for the hopefully more manageable crowds, to catch the end of F&W as you mentioned, and to see the Christmas decorations starting to go up.

 

[FrostyNaples]

I printed out the 2015 calendar and did some research on 'green' weeks.

I came to the determination for this year (subject to change without notification) surrounding Oct/Nov/Dec:

October - Week beginning on the 4th or beginning on the 25th
Novermber - First three weeks ending on the 21st
December - First three weeks

*As always, weekdays over weekends even for 'green weeks', and minus any holidays or special ticket event days.

Those will have the least crowds.

In case you were curious, the only other weeks I deemed fit, where 2nd and 4th weeks of this past January, and week beginning on the 3rd of May (which we went).

Everything else is off limits to this passholder, since we have the local flexibility card to play, we can chose wisely.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We've gone on Oct, Nov and Dec trips. The crowd numbers have increased over the years during the once very slow weeks of those months so theres more guests on property than there used to be. But the weeks in Nov & Dec prior to the holidays are still a good bet for less crowded conditions. Out of the 3 months I'd choose Oct less because you can run into more stormier days.
I've done both MNSSHP and MVMCP. I've enjoyed both, but I give MNSSHP a bit of a better rating.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Currently considering a November 2015 trip (normally go sometime between January and late March), so watching this thread closely! It looks like you can hit the end of F&W during the first week of November, so that's tempting...

I'll be there Nov 5-15 and catching the last part of F&W

 

[sxeensweet]

Any time you pick out of those three months (minus Thanksgiving and Christmas week) is wonderful. Those months are the only months we usually go because it is our fave time of year. Our favorite time and the cheapest(if staying onsite for rooms etc) is Inbetween Thanksgiving and Christmas. Love all the decorations at the parks and resorts, and lots to see and do holiday wise. Second fave is during/around Halloween and Food & Wine Festival. We will be there this year 10/13-10/26.
Party wise MVMCP is our fave out of the 2 but enjoy MNSSHP as well.

 

[yensid67]

We always plan the first week of December. It may be a LITTLE more crowded than normal, but its manageable. I would suggest(assuming you would go first week in December) to check the calendar, if Pop Warner/Cheerleading are there, plan to stay off property NEARBY. This way you could save on a rental car, unless you are planning to do other things off property?. We stayed at The Clarion LBV (Clarionlbv.com) on Palm Parkway, just 5 minutes from Disney PROPERTY. Downtown Disney is reachable by walking, but would take hotel shuttle(busy roads to cross). If ya need some advice on off property hotels, send me message I'll help anyway I can!

 

[wdwfan4ver]

There is one thing to keep in mind if you have plans to see Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. The Magic Kingdom will not have its Christmas Tree up yet inside the park due to them waiting for Christmas Parade tapping that usually happens during the first weekend of December.

The other thing is Epcot doesn't have their Candlelight Processional before Thanksgiving.

I don't know if the Osborne Lights are going to be there in 2016 because it unknown if Streets of America will be down for construction that year.

The reason is Disney has plans of doing a redo for Disney Hollywood Studios that includes a name changes and Streets of America is part of the redo. The catch is Disney doesn't want to close all sections of the park at once.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I never went in October, but my Aunts did last year. They found the time they went very busy and this was around the time Maelstrom was going to close.

I only went in the 3 months you mentioned once and that was in Late November and early December of 2010. It was cold by Florida Standards for most of that trip with the night time temperatures were being record lows in the 30's including one that was below 30 degrees at night with the temperatures being in the 60's during the day. What I went through could happen anytime in December for Florida like it did for me.

The thing is crowds for me for the parks in question wasn't as bad as the reports for Christmas and New Years week.

Keep in mind the crowds I dealt with For Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios was different in 2010 to what 2016 is going to be. Epcot during the first December of 2010 weekend was crowded due to the Christmas Parade Taping at the time. Animal Kingdom was crowded, but it was manageable.

Magic Kingdom at the time I went was busy, but they already started the Mermaid ride and Be our guest Construction with Mickey's Toontown Fair still being there at the time. Magic Kingdom now has more capacity than it did for the time I went in 2010.

Disney Hollywood Studios can't be judge for early December for 2016 from my 2010 trip from an attraction crowd standpoint due to there being less attractions being open for 2016 and if Osborne Dancing lights happen in 2016. 2016 with the Osborne Dancing Lights would cause good crowds for night, but with crowds could be bigger on some attractions due to amount of stuff being open.

 

[Makayla]

Thank's everyone! Looks like I'll be going in November!!

 

[SMS55]

If you avoid Thanksgiving week and late December once the kids let out of school your fine. Early October can still be a little warm but very tolerable. I've been at different times during the month and the cross are fine. During what the call Jersey Week there might be some more traffic, but more than manageable. Same goes for November around Veterans Day. The crowds might spike a little but managable. Thanksgiving week can be bad. I haven't attended that week in years, but many on here will tell you that week can get pretty busy. It all slows down again in December while the kids are in school. I've attended the first and second weekend of December and the crowds are light, even the day they record the parade. Once the kids let out of school the crowds seem to grow exponentially by the day. Also consider what holiday you prefer. If you love Halloween go during October. If Christmas is your thing, then by the first week of November most decorations are up. We've gone for Veterans Day on multiple occasions and most decorations in the parks are up, including the Osborne Spectacle of Lights.

 

[AylaRanzz]

I went the first week of Oct in 2013 and the crowds weren't that bad. We didn't wait more than 20 minutes in most lines. I'm going back around the same time this year.

 

[TXDisney]

I've done early October before and felt the crowds were good plus the F&W festival is going on. We love going in early December as well. Crowds aren't bad since most go thanksgiving week or Christmas time. But they're decorated for Christmas then, so you get the Christmas time feel and low crowds.