When is the best time for a Winter trip?

[DarthVader]

New poster here, and I'm planning a trip to WDW in the winter. I had set my dates for 12/05 through 12/14 (ten days). I was notified that as a Disney Visa card holder, I'd get the meal program for free on certain dates. Of course those dates do not include the week I have tentatively booked.

Anyways how busy/crowded is WDW for the week of 12/05 through the 14th? I'm assuming the following week (12/12 through the 21st) is going to be very busy. From what I've read, it starts getting really crazy then.

Another week is November 9th through the 18th. My wife is concerned that while some (all?) the decorations may be up, it may not "feel" Chistmassy" (is that even word?) Given the lower cost of the resort, compared to the first week of December, and free meal plan. I'm kind of liking this time frame.

Can anyone comment on this time frame as well - how busy is it and/or hows the weather in November compared to December?

Thanks in advance.
Mike

 

[Tuvalu]

We have been both weeks and November is far less crowded then December. The weather is usually the same both months (60s and 70s) but one year in December it was in the 20s! Some of the Christmas things will have begun the November week you are considering (MVMCP, Osborne lights, Cinderella Castle lights) and park decorations begin to go up. The hotels begin decorating more towards the middle of November.

If you wait until December, the Epcot events (Candlelight Processional, Holiday Storytellers and the amazing Illuminations Holiday finale) will be happening.

It will feel somewhat "Christmassy" in November, but VERY much so in December . So you need to decide what is more important, less people and less Christmas, or more people and more Christmas. (And the free meal plan too.)

We are backing up our annual Christmas trip into November this year (16-22) to experience the smaller crowds. It is also hard to "give up" a week out of December during that busy month of the year.

You will have fun no matter when you go.

 

[PAW PAW 70]

We go every year in November with the whole family(including grandkids). Weather great and crows not bad. Usually week before Thanksgiving and go through Thanksgiving. As long as your stay includes one of the days allowed for Disney dining plan you can extend further. Enjoy your trip.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

The best time is when winter has come and gone.

 

[joannecasey]

My family always goes in November (avoiding U.S. Thanksgiving) and it has always been perfect ! Great weather, low crowds and has always felt extremely Christmassy !! Although I've never been in December so I can't compare the two, but every nook and cranny seems to be decorated to me !

 

[DarthVader]

It will feel somewhat "Christmassy" in November, but VERY much so in December . So you need to decide what is more important, less people and less Christmas, or more people and more Christmas. (And the free meal plan too.)

I guess this is the key point - some what Christmassy with less people or more holiday like spirit and more people. The wife is wanting more Christmassy so her desire is to stay with December. If I can avoid large (or larger) crowds I'll be happy.

 

[mickeysshoes]

Welcome Mike!! I will be there Dec 5-9th! I think it a great time to go. It will not be overly busy. The levels will start to increase the weekend after you would leave. The time frame in November will also be pretty good crowd wise and the world will have its full on Christmas vibe going except for the main tree at the Magic Kingdom which wont go into place until after the taping of the Christmas Day Parade which is the first weekend in Dec (but this will only effect the MK for a handful of hours for a couple of day....nothing to make the entire trip too busy).

 

[lunchbox1175]

In my experience, the second week of December is one of the slower weeks, if Thanksgiving is late in the month like it is this year, then people will add on to there break that first week of December and it will be a little busier. We have done a nice Sunday - Thursday trip that second week and it was great, crowds were lite, weather was fantastic as well. I have also heard that the weather and crowds are great the weeks before Thanksgiving as well, not the week before, but the ones before that. Have a great time!

 

[DarthVader]

In my experience, the second week of December is one of the slower weeks, if Thanksgiving is late in the month like it is this year, then people will add on to there break that first week of December and it will be a little busier.

I thought the same thing so I'm arriving on the 5th and leaving on the 14th so technically its the second week of december so those folks sticking around in theory should be leaving by then

 

[ninjaprincesst]

We have been the week before Christmas and it really did not start getting overly crowded until 21st. We go every year for thanksgiving and it is not bad as long as you avoid MK Thanksgiving Day. I love the fall weather, it is just so much more pleasant when your not melting.

 

[DarthVader]

Thanks everyone for your input. So far its hard to walk away from saving 1,200 dollars and the wife and I are leaning heavily towards changing. I think she's a bit disappointed because the Dec 5 time frame falls outside of the window for this promotion, and its kind of odd that is.

We'll fully vet out our decision but even the flights are about 200 to 400 dollars cheaper during November then December. So the projected savings is closer to 1,600 then 1,200. I realize that the odds of the flight prices going down for December are high so that particular figure is not all that accurate but still, its in my budget and saving that is a huge plus.

I appreciate all that was said, given many of you are seasoned Disney folks

 

[thomas998]

New poster here, and I'm planning a trip to WDW in the winter. I had set my dates for 12/05 through 12/14 (ten days). I was notified that as a Disney Visa card holder, I'd get the meal program for free on certain dates. Of course those dates do not include the week I have tentatively booked.

Anyways how busy/crowded is WDW for the week of 12/05 through the 14th? I'm assuming the following week (12/12 through the 21st) is going to be very busy. From what I've read, it starts getting really crazy then.

Another week is November 9th through the 18th. My wife is concerned that while some (all?) the decorations may be up, it may not "feel" Chistmassy" (is that even word?) Given the lower cost of the resort, compared to the first week of December, and free meal plan. I'm kind of liking this time frame.

Can anyone comment on this time frame as well - how busy is it and/or hows the weather in November compared to December?

Thanks in advance.
Mike

Go in December and then if you want more Xmas stuff you can add on a Mickey's Christmas party to your trip.... not sure if it will be going on in November, but will very likely be in December... then you get your fake snow and hot coco...

We've been down the week right before xmas where we were there xmas day, and it really wasn't that bad until the sunday before xmas... that year December 25th was on a Tuesday, I recall the 25th was bad, very bad.... but even the sunday right before it wasn't as bad as I've seen it in the summers. But you could certainly see a build up growing in the days right before Christmas.... about 7 days from Christmas the place was very manageable and not that crowded at all.

 

[hull327]

I didn't even think about Thanksgiving being a week late this year and we've already got a WDW trip booked December 1 - 6. Now I'm worried about Thanksgiving carryover park volume. They're offering the free dining plan starting December 9. Would it be worth switching to that week or would that be even busier?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Most recently, we've been just before Thanksgiving and Dec 7-13. The Dec trip was definitely less crowded, all of the decorations were up, all holiday festivities were in full swing, and even the MK tree was up since the parade was already filmed.

 

[jlsHouston]

We have gone two years in a row at Thanksgiving. We arrive the weekend before and crowds are medium at the parks and resorts. Steps up on the days leading up to Thanksgiving. The entire resort vibes of Christmas to me. Last year we stayed a few days past the weekend and did MVMCP and the Candlelight Processional.
Also it has been relatively chilly over Thanksgiving in Orlando past two years and that of course makes it more holiday like to me too.
Thanksgiving day we dine somewhere and then catch a movie at DtD. We end it at HS looking at the Osbourne Lights and listening to Christmas music.

 

[DarthVader]

So the wife still isn't jazzed up about moving the vacation, She can't deny we're saving a lot of money and we need to do that, but she wants december. I don't want to push it later into December because of the crowds. I realize its always busy in DW, but by the same token, if I can find a time frame that's less crazy I'd do it.

 

[mickeysshoes]

So the wife still isn't jazzed up about moving the vacation, She can't deny we're saving a lot of money and we need to do that, but she wants december. I don't want to push it later into December because of the crowds. I realize its always busy in DW, but by the same token, if I can find a time frame that's less crazy I'd do it.

So now you have to ask yourself....."self: his my wife worth that $1600 that I would save to give her the trip of her dreams in Dec". I think yourself would say "YES SHE IS" There all settled and trip is on for Dec!!! LOL I am sure when you go it will be a great trip!!

 

[DarthVader]

Made the change, another brief discussion with the wife and we both came to the conclusion 1,200 is just too much to pass up. I was finally able to get through and alter my reservation so that we're now in November.

 

[JillC LI]

The last time we were there was December 14-16, 2012. It was not terribly crowded at all then. And it was a beautiful time of year to visit with the holiday festivities and decorations.

 

[dreamfinder]

I do believe that Pop Warner still has their event that first week of December, which would be why they aren't offering free dining then. I don't feel they increase in park crowd levels terribly much, but Disney knows they book a lot of rooms regardless of discounts and doesn't want to give away a fortune in free food if they don't need to.