Opinions please? 11/30-12/3 or 12/7-12/10?

[SSH]

About to book our annual Dec trip - we've been going every year for 20 years now! We always stay at value resorts to keep budget reasonable. Planning on a Sun thru Thurs stay to take advantage of lower weekday rates. It's just the two of us, no kids. Which week do you think is best if I am hoping for less crowded/more relaxing time - Nov 30- Dec 3 (some crowd holdover from thanksgiving weekend, but no Pop Warner.) or Dec 7-10? (Thanksgiving crowd gone, but Pop Warner at value resorts.)

I don't care which value resort we choose, but I don't think Pop Warner announced which specific value resorts they're using yet, so we can't avoid them and still book in advance at this point. Unfortunately, budget does require value level price.. should I consider an off-site stay? I've always stayed onsite...it's sort of a tradition for us I'd hate to skip. But with rates at 90/night before taxes, I could also find an off site stay and still come out ahead even after parking.

So that's a consideration, although not sure if the on-site benefits outweigh offsite with the MyMagic changes. (Last Dec, program was in test mode and only avail to resort guests...not sure what's changed since.) Thanks for any input you'd like to share!

 

[sxeensweet]

Your best to go 12/7-12/10. The other option there is still some of the large Thanksgiving crowds left the weekend right after.
We always go a week after Thanksgiving. Pop Warner does not affect the parks really at all, I have never noticed them a whole lot. The only way you really notice them is if you stay at Value or Moderate resorts but they are gone most of the day/night doing activities and visiting the parks. This is our favorite time of year to go.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I would go the week following Thanksgiving, stay at the a value resort and enjoy the trip. I think that the hold over from the Thanksgiving crowd will be small but skip the Pop Warner crowd the following week. If you were said that you were wanting to stay at a non value, I would think it would not be much difference.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I agree with 12-7! Less Crowded

 

[SSH]

thanks for everyone's thoughts so far...much appreciated. 12/7 does seem like it would be the lighter of the weeks park-wise. Maybe I'll just book that offsite hotel for now. If I can find out which value resort Pop Warner is using in time to land a discounted room at another Value Resort, I can always cancel off-site. For some reason, value resort bookings seem extra-heavy this year or maybe they just haven't released their discounted Dec room blocks yet.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Discount for that time frame for the General Public has already been released. Pop Warner's own website says: The 2014 Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championships will take place from Saturday, December 6th through Saturday, December 13th at ESPN Wide World of Sports™ Complex. That could be why you aren't seeing any discounts as this is usually a black out period. Marie

 

[bee]

So that's a consideration, although not sure if the on-site benefits outweigh offsite with the MyMagic changes. (Last Dec, program was in test mode and only avail to resort guests...not sure what's changed since.)

MM+ and FP+ are now available to the general public. For our last three trips (one on-site and two off-site) we were able to select FP+ online in advance and had no problem getting the times and attractions we wanted. We even changed some selections the night before and/or the day of. Make sure your tickets are linked in MDE so you can select your FP+ options. If budget is a concern and you will have a car and the MyMagic+ situation is the only thing keeping you from staying off-site, you might as well stay off-site as you will be fine.

 

[SSH]

Thanks everyone!