When and Why?

[Tom]

I rarely start threads, so hopefully I don't get ridiculed for this one. I tried to do a search but it kept timing out on me.

Anyway, my brother and I, along with two couples who are good friends of ours are planning a June 2006 trip. Since we were kids, our family has always gone in the summers - for the obvious reasons of missing school and avoiding holidays. I've never experienced WDW without being miserably hot and covered in sweat from the moment I step outside the resort room door until I get back at night - but I would like to someday. We have chosen this coming June as our trip time partly because all of the night-time shows run, often....but mainly because my brother and another member are still in college (and you just don't take a week off of college!).

Here's my question, which as I mentioned above, may have been asked before - but eventually these topics have to repeat or we'll run out of things to discuss!! When do you go to WDW and why do you go then?

In addition, I'd like to get all of your expert opinions on when the BEST month or week is to go if my criteria is as follows: not during holidays or when attendance starts jumping because of upcoming holidays; during low to moderate attendance - much unlike June - August; temperatures where you can wear shorts and tees, but not be miserable during the day; rates are lower (not critical); they run at least some of the night-time shows and parades; you can sit down and relax wihtout being rushed and still see everything!

I thank you for your responses and help in advance. Perhaps I can plan a 2007 trip that meets some of your suggestions!

-Tom

 

[dvcnut39]

First two weeks in December- as I stated in earlier posts- they don't call it "The Secret Season" for nothing. Plus, I love being at WDW for Walt's birthday (Dec 5) and you can't beat MVMCP and all the Holiday decorations

 

[Tom]

First two weeks in December- as I stated in earlier posts- they don't call it "The Secret Season" for nothing. Plus, I love being at WDW for Walt's birthday (Dec 5) and you can't beat MVMCP and all the Holiday decorations

Yeah, I've wanted to be there once the Xmas decorations were up for years - but just haven't been able to work it yet since most of my co-vacationers are still in school. I take it the crowds aren't quite there yet in early Dec?

 

[ImagineAtl23]

Well.....

It depends on your tolerability toward this issue but gay week is the first week in june for the orlando area and wdw, other wise i dont think it makes a difference. Or the week before Christmas, is great i go then alot, but this year(if colleges give a winter break) Christmas is two days after break starts (my break is the 23rd to the 10th) Ask the person in college though.

 

[Tom]

It depends on your tolerability toward this issue but gay week is the first week in june for the orlando area and wdw, other wise i dont think it makes a difference. Or the week before Christmas, is great i go then alot, but this year(if colleges give a winter break) Christmas is two days after break starts (my break is the 23rd to the 10th) Ask the person in college though.

Interesting point about Xmas Break. Sometimes they do end up with Xmas being early or in the middle.

On the other week in June you mentioned, I'm NOT going to allow a discussion on that to get started, but we HAVE been that week and won't be going again. Not necessarily because of being uncomfortable, but because it's only a week before the week we've gone the last 3 years in a row. It's still hot & crowded - exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

 

[Dwarful]

First off is there really ever a "bad time" to be at Disney ?

We loved Christmas week and even though it was a mob house, we had a great time and would love to go back and we might just be going this year.

We also like early May before school gets out, our kids are little enough that missing a few days of class is easy to make up.
We've done early June (through Gay Days) and its alright, gets hot and can be crowded but its still fun.
Also like going for the FWF at Epcot in early Nov. think veterans day or the week before Thanksgiving.

 

[Tom]

First off is there really ever a "bad time" to be at Disney ?

We loved Christmas week and even though it was a mob house, we had a great time and would love to go back and we might just be going this year.

We also like early May before school gets out, our kids are little enough that missing a few days of class is easy to make up.
We've done early June (through Gay Days) and its alright, gets hot and can be crowded but its still fun.
Also like going for the FWF at Epcot in early Nov. think veterans day or the week before Thanksgiving.

We're seriously toying with early May. One of the other guys and I work at the local High School as a side job, running their theater - and have to check our May schedules....but if my bro gets out of Purdue early enough, we might be able to pull that off. Fewer kids, less crowds, and perhaps a TINY TINY bit cooler, on average.

 

[inafog]

We've been a couple of times in October, which is my favorite time. It's still warm (although we had a couple of nights when we huddled together for warmth!) and although the parks close earlier we just kept the kids on their regular schedule--which meant they generally weren't up before 9 or 10 (we're in the mountain time zone). We were still able to see the evening parades and the fireworks. Except for Columbus day we didn't hit unmanageable crowds.

This year we went in July/August and I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be (although I like to think this is because of my own superior planning). We managed to do all of Fantasyland and most of Tomorrowland in the first two hours the park was open. Although, it was really, really hot, even with getting the kids out of the sun for midday. Still, we met many helpful CMs (including a couple who gave us magical moments--and I think they got Dopey out early to meet my 3-yr-old daughter, who was dressed as Snow White in a homemade cotton costume).

I've been during early May; I was hoping to hit between spring break crowds and summer vacation crowds but it didn't really work out that way. The parks were much more crowded than I'd thought they would be. Live and learn, I suppose. It wasn't unpleasant once I had rethought my plans, but then, I'm like that. And it wasn't as hot as July/August, although the humidity always knocks me out (where I live the humidity hovers around 40%) and May was no exception.

Sorry to be long-winded; I think it's like every trip to WDW, that as long as you've done your planning it's hard to have a bad time.

 

[swimmom]

Besides December because of the decorations, our farvorite time to go is early May. The weather is great, warm but not extremely humid and very little rain.

 

[Tom]

We've been a couple of times in October, which is my favorite time. It's still warm (although we had a couple of nights when we huddled together for warmth!) and although the parks close earlier we just kept the kids on their regular schedule--which meant they generally weren't up before 9 or 10 (we're in the mountain time zone). We were still able to see the evening parades and the fireworks. Except for Columbus day we didn't hit unmanageable crowds.

I've heard a lot of good things about October. I dont' want to go when they're going the halloween party thing - the only holiday I want to see at WDW is Xmas. But it sounds like the weather is great (for me) and attendance is MUCH better.

This year we went in July/August and I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be (although I like to think this is because of my own superior planning). We managed to do all of Fantasyland and most of Tomorrowland in the first two hours the park was open. Although, it was really, really hot, even with getting the kids out of the sun for midday. Still, we met many helpful CMs (including a couple who gave us magical moments--and I think they got Dopey out early to meet my 3-yr-old daughter, who was dressed as Snow White in a homemade cotton costume).

In our early years, we often went in August - after summer school, drivers ed, summer gym, et al were all over. My dad, who hates crowds and heat more than I do, managed to make the trips, for us kids, for years - but he's done now! I will never go in July or August again. My kids will either go on breaks, in early June, or when they graduate :lol:

I've been during early May; I was hoping to hit between spring break crowds and summer vacation crowds but it didn't really work out that way. The parks were much more crowded than I'd thought they would be. Live and learn, I suppose. It wasn't unpleasant once I had rethought my plans, but then, I'm like that. And it wasn't as hot as July/August, although the humidity always knocks me out (where I live the humidity hovers around 40%) and May was no exception. Sorry to be long-winded; I think it's like every trip to WDW, that as long as you've done your planning it's hard to have a bad time.

Since October just isn't feasible yet for us (with college students going) May is the only other current option, other than June. I predict the attendance is a bit less than June, since most kids are still in school. However, I don't know when those dang grad nights happen. You couldn't pay me to go during that time! I live in Indiana, where we experience pretty much every climate Mother Nature has to offer (sometimes we get several in a period of 24 hours) - but I still hate extreme heat, especially with humidity. So, the more comfortable it is outside, the more I'll get to enjoy WDW

Thanks for your input!

 

[stingrock23]

I go in the fall, early December, or early spring because it is less crowded. i went once during Easter and had a horrible time spending half the time waiting in line, and from then on I swore that I would never again go during a busy season.

 

[barnum42]

April / May (avoiding Easter) or September / October. It's not mad hot and the brats are still in school.

 

[hls1023]

The most comfortable time of the year I think to visit would be anytime in January. We went this past year and it was awesome! I swear there is nothing like walking around WDW in a sweatshirt taking your sweet time to walk around and see everything and not rushing around to get the heck out of the sun and in the A/C. I've lived in south florida for 22 years and I cannot imagine my boyfriend and I walking around in the dead heat of summer. Orlando gets hotter than it does here on the coast, most of the time with no breeze so we choose to go when the temperature is not hovering around 90 degrees (unless of course there is some great package deal that requires us to go at a certain time ).

 

[Yenfid]

The first two weeks of December is nice. I also like to go in early May, around mothers day. It is warm, but not to warm and the park is crowded but not over crowded. I like may also for the Flower Fest at Epcot too. But if you haven't seen WDW decorated for Christmas then you must go the first two weeks of December. It is empty. Walk on everything and no need for PS at most places.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

April / May during the Easter break - UK schools are off for two weeks which is an ideal length for a WDW holiday - its just a little busy though
Next year we're doing a three week holiday to WDW so we're going August - again during school holidays but education is too important to be missed

 

[Aurora_25]

We go in October-Begining of December (just depends) and yes, we have a child in school, but we tell the teachers before hand and they give us work for her to do on the car ride there so that she is still "caught up" (granted, she is in Kindergarten right now, but my parents did this for me till I was in 9th grade!)

I love the weather at that time and the crowds are almost non-existent. This will be the first year we are going in December so I can't wait to see all the decorations and the lights. We went a couple years back and got to see the decorations in the resorts, but not the parks.

 

[Lauriebar]

We go in October-Begining of December (just depends) and yes, we have a child in school, but we tell the teachers before hand and they give us work for her to do on the car ride there so that she is still "caught up" (granted, she is in Kindergarten right now, but my parents did this for me till I was in 9th grade!)

We have done this with our daughter as well. Unfortunately she is now in 9th grade and the attendance policies are very strict plus, she gets 3 extra points added to her final grades if she is not absent!!

We always made a point to learn lots of new things (esp. at EPCOT) and she would make a small presentation at school when we returned. It was always a win-win situation!

The beginning of Oct. and Dec. are the greatest times to go. We have been in Jan. and Feb. as well but, it is rather cold during the day and very cold at night. We also love the extra fun that MNSSHP and MVMCP provide.

 

[bgraham34]

I went the second Week of Dec last year and will do the first week this year. Further years I plan to go back to my last week of September schedule. I like it then becuase its still warm so I can swim and the crowds are light.

 

[RatherBinDisney]

We arrive on December 4th and Walt's birthday is December 5th??? Do they usually do something special on that day??

 

[Raven66]

The first year we went, it was in August. Our last day in the parks was Labor Day and it was horrible!!! Not only was it hot, it was elbow to elbow people and it was just no fun. Then we started going the 3rd week in May, after my daughter got out of school. We love it!! Unfortunately we won't be able to go in May this year for reasons related to my DH job. We are going the last week of Feb. (I think). We will have to take our daughter out of school, and I don't want to do that, but she is a straight A student so I don't feel she will suffer.

Could anyone tell me what to expect of crowds and weather in late Feb.? Thank you.