November 2018 Holiday Getaway Advice

Mike K · Mar 26, 2017

Hey all! My wife and I officially became DVC members last year and have been slowly mapping out our future vacations. We typically get to WDW around May with February becoming a newer slot we're testing out. We've experienced the Halloween season and have been dying to get there when all the Christmas festivities are going on. Currently, we're looking at the first week or second week of November 2018 at our home resort of the Poly. Any advice regarding crowd sizes and especially whether the holiday festivities are usually in full swing by that time would be most appreciated. My wife's job makes it really difficult to get away in December so November is looking like our best shot. Thanks again for any help!!

Disneyfreak Jen · Mar 29, 2017

November is a really nice time to go. I've gone two or three times. Weather is comfortable, shorts and t's during the day and bring a sweatshirt to put on when the sun goes down. The parks are decorated for Christmas around November 2nd….typically as soon as the Halloween decor is taken down the Christmas ones go up the same night. Usually the changeover date is the night of the last MNSSHP, if I remember correctly.

One thing to watch for is the NJEA (New Jersey Education Assoc.) Convention dates. Although the Convention occurs in NJ, our schools close for Thurs & Friday that week, so A LOT of families across the state take their kids out of school for the entire week and go to Disney. It's actually called "Jersey Week" on the message boards! In 2018 it is occurring on Thurs 8th and Fri 9th of November, so I would avoid that week if you can. Note that the week varies from year to year….usually it occurs in the 2nd week of November, but sometimes they have it the first week. I always try to correct people on here because everyone assumes it's always the 2nd week, and then they plan their trip around it and they may end up being there when it's crowded. Even though I'm born and raised in NJ, I avoid that week at Disney like the PLAGUE!

So, what about the week of November 11th as an alternative? You'll also get to enjoy Food & Wine at Epcot. I hope this helps, and that you have a fun time planning!!
Jen

Disneyfreak Jen · Mar 29, 2017

I also forgot, you should also look into getting tickets to MVMCP. I'm not that big on doing the additional ticketed events, but the friend I went with last year convinced me to do it and it was fantastic. There were characters out that you never see, they had hot chocolate and cookies, and the parade was wonderful. They have 2 parades, and the park clears out after the first one. We closed the park that night, and there were no lines, we were riding whatever we could and taking advantage of it. Just another thought, I would do it again if I had the chance.

Mike K · Apr 2, 2017

Disneyfreak Jen said:
November is a really nice time to go. I've gone two or three times. Weather is comfortable, shorts and t's during the day and bring a sweatshirt to put on when the sun goes down. The parks are decorated for Christmas around November 2nd….typically as soon as the Halloween decor is taken down the Christmas ones go up the same night. Usually the changeover date is the night of the last MNSSHP, if I remember correctly.

One thing to watch for is the NJEA (New Jersey Education Assoc.) Convention dates. Although the Convention occurs in NJ, our schools close for Thurs & Friday that week, so A LOT of families across the state take their kids out of school for the entire week and go to Disney. It's actually called "Jersey Week" on the message boards! In 2018 it is occurring on Thurs 8th and Fri 9th of November, so I would avoid that week if you can. Note that the week varies from year to year….usually it occurs in the 2nd week of November, but sometimes they have it the first week. I always try to correct people on here because everyone assumes it's always the 2nd week, and then they plan their trip around it and they may end up being there when it's crowded. Even though I'm born and raised in NJ, I avoid that week at Disney like the PLAGUE!

So, what about the week of November 11th as an alternative? You'll also get to enjoy Food & Wine at Epcot. I hope this helps, and that you have a fun time planning!!
Jen

Thank you so much for all the advice, Jen! We're actually NJ residents but, I never realized so many people took that entire week off during the teacher's convention. We'll certainly double-check our school calendars to plan around that week for sure! Thanks again for everything, this was terrific!

Disneyfreak Jen · Apr 2, 2017

Mike K said:
Thank you so much for all the advice, Jen! We're actually NJ residents but, I never realized so many people took that entire week off during the teacher's convention. We'll certainly double-check our school calendars to plan around that week for sure! Thanks again for everything, this was terrific!

Your'e welcome, I hope that you have a great trip! And awesome that you're from Jersey too, Love it! Yeah, I don't have kids, I'm an adult Disney lover, but I always try to avoid school vacations because it gets so crowded. I went at the end of January this year for the first time, it was great. Weather varied from shorts/T shirts to one cold day with jackets on, and it was great. No crowds really. Maybe keep it in mind if you're able to do a quick trip down there in the future.

LAKid53 · Apr 2, 2017

We've visited around Veterans Day before. Nicer weather, fewer crowds and all the holiday directions are up. The Castle lighting show should be in place - it's basically the same as the one during MVMCP. Can we assume Elsa will once again turn the Castle into ice?

Make sure to bring a jacket for the evenings. November weather can be hard to predict. Unless an early cold front comes through, temperatures during the day should be in the upper 70s with lower humidity.

Visiting the first few weeks in November and the first two weeks of December are the best times to enjoy WDW for the holidays. All the decorations are up in the parks and resorts, MVMCP is in full swing, the weather is cooler and the crowds aren't horrific. Make sure to hop on the monorail and visit the GF lobby. The gingerbread house will be up, along with the tree. Don't miss visiting the lobby at WL - it is stunning. If you schedule permits, I'd take some time to resort hop to see the decorations. Do they still do the carousel at BW?

Here are some pictures: