Originally Posted By gidget_girl_rose Hi, this may be the wrong section for this...if it is I am sorry. I will be in WDW December 2-8, and I am trying to get a feel of how busy it will be. EVERY guide book and website I have looked at says the 1st 2 weeks of December are slower. But I have now been told that the first week is actually quite busy. Does anyone have information on this? Is it gonna be summer at DL busy (since I am a DL person)? Thanks~
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I haven't been to WDW that time of year, but everything I've read points to light crowds. Since WDW is more of a destination than DL, the big crowds only really materialize around the times of school holidays. Because of this, Thanksgiving and the weeks around Christmas and New Years are busy, but the time in between is significantly less crowded. At DL, that time of year is bad because of the Candlelight and the crowds it brigns. However, in WDW, there aren't as many locals to descend on the parks, and their Candlelight runs for about a month. Spread the folks out between the 4 parks, each of which is bigger than either DL or DCA, and the crowds shouldn't be a problem. As far as comparing the crowd levels to what you might experience at DL, I would say that it will probably be no worse than a weekend in the early spring, when there aren't a ton of people around. Best case scenario, it will be even less crowded than that, which is what I would expect it to be like. I would be shocked if there were summer-level crowds.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo WE have been there at that time of year in 2000 and 2007. In 2000 it was moderately busy with quiet days. In 2007, it was very busy. Not undoable, but it certainly was not as quiet as 2000. The MK attractions were about 40-60 mins for the e-tickets. The rest of the parks not as bad (closer to 20-30 mins.) It did one day take us 30 mins to get through security of Epcot because it was busy. The issue with WDW is not just the crowds, but the way they manage the place. Unless it has changed recently, they have staggered opneing and closings of attractions which means the parks can feel busier. They do not do that as much in the peak season. So while it will not be mobbed, it also will not be quiet. The literature, a lot of it what written years ago before Pop Warner, but that competition has really made the place quite busy (not so much in the morning, as that is when the competitions are on), but certainly in the evenings. The parks that seem to feel it are the MK and the Studios (due to the Thrills). Epcot and DAK are not hit as hard.
Originally Posted By dabekr I have found that the absolutely best time of year to go is when there is a week between American Thanksgiving and the first week of December (Pop Warner). Crowds were light, Christmas decorations were up, weather was cool; it was, dare I say, magical. This year that would be November 29-December 4. So I think the first half of your vacation will be great, and the second half you'll have to work around Pop Warner. Definitely consider changing to Pop Century rather than the All Stars. Have a great time!
