Why is the first week of December so crowded?

[Nottamus]

now NEXT year with SWGE opening (at some point) it's probably going to be a busy late fall...Including the first week of December.

We kinda are planning on the first week in December 2019-------unless it just gets insane. We've never been there in December.

 

[TomDisney]

Bottom line these days....Disney no longer HAS any slow times.....

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

now NEXT year with SWGE opening (at some point) it's probably going to be a busy late fall...Including the first week of December.

We kinda are planning on the first week in December 2019-------unless it just gets insane. We've never been there in December.

I wouldn’t...honestly. There could be massive price increasss by then and If they want this open Christmas, it has to be up 12/1 to work out the technical kinks.

It’s gonna be miserable...a $5000-10000 dollar regret. Just lookin at the odds. I’d leave it to the geeks who liked attack of the clones (if they can borrow enough money from their parents for a $600 flight on southwest)

 

[mj2v]

I know dvc is part of it, along with the Christmas party.

The DVC calendars were developed when old key west was being built. Most of the previously slow times are no longer slow. Disney has done a great job of making it busy all year.

They have kept the calendar the same because changing seasons is a nightmare and anything that that goes up forces something down. The total points for a resort have to remain the same.

Booking the first two weeks of December is among the hardest time for dvc members. Christmas week books slower (December has the lowest, second lowest and highest points of the year).

 

[ABQ]

Dumb question, perhaps, but what the heck is Jersey Week? Having been to WDW many times in the first week in December, I'm curious and never heard of it.

 

[slappy magoo]

Dumb question, perhaps, but what the heck is Jersey Week? Having been to WDW many times in the first week in December, I'm curious and never heard of it.

"Jersey Week" is what people who work for WDW call the week in November (usually the 2nd weekend though not always) when the NJ Education Association holds its annual convention. All schools have off for at least a 4 day weekend, some schools for 5 or they'll even take the whole week off. And a lot of NJ parents use the occasion to take the kids to WDW. A lot of teachers go too, forsaking the convention. So even though WDW isn't packed by summer or holiday standards, there's a disproportionate amount of visitors who are from the Garden State.

I've spent my entire life in NJ. The NJEA Convention has always been in November. Usually, as I wrote, the 2nd weekend in November, but not always.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We have been the first week of December 2 times over the past 3 years and never seen the hotels so booked up. The crown calendars say the week is at 4 and below all week , however most hotels are booked solid. We are staying at the Contemporary but can't get another room type. I checked the poly and the grand and nothing there either. I know that it is pop football week but they usually stay at the all stars.

Crowd calendars and resort availability are two different things. Disney resorts have occupancy up around 90% all year long. The fluctuations in park crows is driven by off-property guests, not an influx at the resorts.

 

[DisneyJoe]

"Jersey Week" is what people who work for WDW call the week in November (usually the 2nd weekend though not always) when the NJ Education Association holds its annual convention. All schools have off for at least a 4 day weekend, some schools for 5 or they'll even take the whole week off. And a lot of NJ parents use the occasion to take the kids to WDW. A lot of teachers go too, forsaking the convention. So even though WDW isn't packed by summer or holiday standards, there's a disproportionate amount of visitors who are from the Garden State.

I've spent my entire life in NJ. The NJEA Convention has always been in November. Usually, as I wrote, the 2nd weekend in November, but not always.

Precisely.

Election Day and Veteran's Day can contribute to the number of days off as well.

A google search for NJEA Convention will usually find the dates - once they are set.

 

[slappy magoo]

Crowd calendars and resort availability are two different things. Disney resorts have occupancy up around 90% all year long. The fluctuations in park crows is driven by off-property guests, not an influx at the resorts.

But it is kinda weird to see so many resorts presumably "sold out." I keep popping in different check in days and different trip durations and sometimes there are only 5 resorts available, Caribbean and Saratoga, Bay Lake and VGF and campsites.

EDIT: I will say that occupancy seems to open up quite a bit starting 12/9.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I wouldn’t...honestly. There could be massive price increasss by then and If they want this open Christmas, it has to be up 12/1 to work out the technical kinks.

It’s gonna be miserable...a $5000-10000 dollar regret. Just lookin at the odds. I’d leave it to the geeks who liked attack of the clones (if they can borrow enough money from their parents for a $600 flight on southwest)

I'm struggling with this myself. Rack rates for DAK Lodge are super decent November 16-23 and with even a 25% discount I'd be all over it but I really don't want to be there for SWGE. We're doing our first ever Disneyland trip in February specifically so we can beat it.

But it is kinda weird to see so many resorts presumably "sold out." I keep popping in different check in days and different trip durations and sometimes there are only 5 resorts available, Caribbean and Saratoga, Bay Lake and VGF and campsites.

I'm not sure exactly how their tool works, but I've seen examples of six night stays showing no availability but when you add a seventh night things magically appear, even though you're still including the same six nights that were, in theory, "sold out." It definitely pays to tinker.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

"Jersey Week" is what people who work for WDW call the week in November (usually the 2nd weekend though not always) when the NJ Education Association holds its annual convention. All schools have off for at least a 4 day weekend, some schools for 5 or they'll even take the whole week off. And a lot of NJ parents use the occasion to take the kids to WDW. A lot of teachers go too, forsaking the convention. So even though WDW isn't packed by summer or holiday standards, there's a disproportionate amount of visitors who are from the Garden State.

I've spent my entire life in NJ. The NJEA Convention has always been in November. Usually, as I wrote, the 2nd weekend in November, but not always.

Boy...you really put a more happy sheen on than I can

People in New Jersey are lemmings...once people started yapping about how great it is...it was over. That happened around 2009

 

[danyoung56]

The fluctuations in park crows is driven by off-property guests.....

I didn't know there was anything that could affect park crows . . .

 

[slappy magoo]

Boy...you really put a more happy sheen on than I can

People in New Jersey are lemmings...once people started yapping about how great it is...it was over. That happened around 2009

I just went to touringplans to see how the NJ crowds affect the predictions and even in the column "WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR" it highlights the NJEA convention.

EDIT: I'd also argue it's kind of a jerk move on WDW's part to make both Thursday the 8th AND Friday the 9th days where MK closes at 6 for the Xmas Party.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I'm not sure exactly how their tool works, but I've seen examples of six night stays showing no availability but when you add a seventh night things magically appear, even though you're still including the same six nights that were, in theory, "sold out." It definitely pays to tinker.

There are many unpublished rules that are tied to trip duration and weekends and days of week - and they can vary by resort.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I just went to touringplans to see how the NJ crowds affect the predictions and even in the column "WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR" it highlights the NJEA convention.

They strangled it like Lenny...

But to be fair...after being in WDW during the second week of February...I have to give a second prize to the purples shirts from Louisiana...


“Attention, citizens: some of you have to stay HOME!!! ...or go somewhere else!”

 

[DisneyJoe]

Boy...you really put a more happy sheen on than I can

People in New Jersey are lemmings...once people started yapping about how great it is...it was over. That happened around 2009

I believe I heard once that NJ sends the most visitors to WDW of any state.

I know we have an extremely high number of Disney-focused travel agencies in the state.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I believe I heard once that NJ sends the most visitors to WDW of any state.

I know we have an extremely high number of Disney-focused travel agencies in the state.

I don’t think so...but the highest number of dvc members per capital are from the concrete garden state...

And I bet the highest number of repeat
Visits and annual passes per capita are as well.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Straight from the Disney Mom's Panel, that controversial band of Maternal Marauders that posts all sorts of villainy, ok, mostly they post highly filtered and triple approved Disney pablum.

“Can you tell me when jersey week 2018 will be”
Hiya Tiffany!

Thank you so much for stopping by! The phenomenon known as 'Jersey Week' will be the week starting November 4, 2018. This week tends to have a bit higher crowd levels due to an education convention that gives students a bit of a break in the school calendar early in November. Many families tend to take advantage of these days off by spending some time at Walt Disney World!

I hope this helps in your vacation planning!

Have a magical vacation!
Amanda"

https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com/question/tell-jersey-week-354050/

Jersey people get out on a regular basis. They have at times been spotted running amok all over the country at any given moment. One week is just as likely as the next to spot them at Disney. During Jersey week they tend to run in larger herds.

~NM

LOL, Love it I must have seen a lot of them running amok in December, but come to think of it, some of them sounded like they were straight outta da the Godfather
I just figured out that I had a "senior moment" and of course it is the first week of November, never changed. We Used to go to WDW the first week or 2 of November, then we switched to the early December. I guess I got Nov and Dec mixed up. I do remember Nov being jersey week, but we actually never knew it was Jersey week until on these boards. Of course, there was a lot of "Get ovah heah Antony!" heard in the parks, LOL.
So my sincere apologies to all the Jersey people who, of course, know when they get out of school. It was always fun that time of year, but must confess we haven't been back in November for years.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Boy, that first week of December used to be the best. We went at that time constantly and you could pretty much walk onto every single ride without a wait. This was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth of course, and then all the guidebooks and websites started posting that this was the perfect week to go, and the cat was out of the bag. It's really too bad that the crowds are so insane now, but what can you do?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Boy, that first week of December used to be the best. We went at that time constantly and you could pretty much walk onto every single ride without a wait. This was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth of course, and then all the guidebooks and websites started posting that this was the perfect week to go, and the cat was out of the bag. It's really too bad that the crowds are so insane now, but what can you do?

It’s more than just undercover tourist...

The aggregate crowds have risen 25% (estimated) when Disney has added no significant capacity. It’s like fitting more clowns into a car...eventually travel was gonna shift into the voids