Is it better to go to Disney around Christmas time, or Halloween?

[Gullywhumper]

Considering the fact i've never been to the park in either of these time frames, I'd like to know which one is better. There are some things that are needed to determine which one is better.

1.How long are the wait times?

2.What are the shows/parades like?

3.What characters are there?

4.How crowded is it?

5.Would the overall enjoyment be higher?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[jlsHouston]

I like Thanksgiving week. It is crowded and the weather can be a bit chilly so pool time isn't something we do a lot of but I love the Christmas decorations and the Osbourne Lights and the music.
I went once in late October and got to enjoy F&W. Never attended MNSSHP, but we did MVMCP and loved it.

 

[dreamfinder]

stricly from a crowds perspective how bad are the first 2 weeks in Dec.? We usually go the first 2 weeks in Sept and everything short of the big rides are no more than 10-15 mins. Big ones are usually around 30-45.

Crowds themselves aren't terribly bad. It is slow season for WDW, with a few caveats. DVC gets slammed as it is low points, but you get the holiday decor so owners like to go then. And they also tend to do the Pop Warner Championship during this time. I don't feel that has a huge difference in park crowds, but they do pack the value resorts (and now one of the moderates) with guests.

 

[Toveck]

Try both! Go the last week of October into the first week of November. There is only a week between the last Halloween party and the first Christmas party (Oct 30th and 31st and Nov 7th). If you time your stay right you could catch both and see the quick changeover to the Christmas decorations!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I have been there twice in October and twice in December I personally like October better because the few times I've been in December its a little chilly and I would rather go in October and know I'm wearing shorts then going in December and not know the weather I found the wait times to be the same I went the end of October and the beginning of December

 

[tem325]

I went to Disney last year from 12/11-12/14. It wasn't super crowded, but it wasn't dead. The crowds were big at the more popular attractions as the day progressed and we were able to do FP+ and paper Fast Passes at the time, and we got to ride everything we wanted (well, except Peter Pan!!! The dude is always a long line!). We were able to enjoy all of the Christmas decor and shows, but did not do Mickey's Xmas party in the park. I've also been Jan 6-12 (the week prior to the marathon) once and it was about the same for crowds.

We are going this year 9/24- 9/29. We are going to the Halloween party because I've heard it's a must-do, also I'm excited to have one day (a Thurs) to explore the Food & Wine festival. I'm excited it's a free dining week finance-wise, but I'm nervous about crowd levels. According to web pages and blogs, it's a medium to low crowd week. We'll see!

 

[rob45]

We've done both October and December, and love both times. I found the crowds somewhat light during the first week of December. Just my opinion.

 

[CaptainShortty]

Halloween time is my favorite time in the parks during the year! Between the Food & Wine Festival happening at Epcot and the MNSSHPs at MK, there's so much to do. F&W and MNSSHP are my two favorite events that happen at WDW throughout the year! As far as crowds and wait times, that really depends on the week you come regardless of if it's Halloween or Christmastime. Some weeks during the fall are definitely better than others and the same goes for Christmas. The atmosphere of both times of the year is very themed and enjoyable but for me, Fall time wins.