January or late November for those that have been both??

[canadiancowgirl]

For those that have been to WDW during both mid-late January and late November/early December, which do you prefer?

I am hoping to take my family there next year (DH, DS 9, DS 6, DD 3 and myself). I have been to WDW in mid January years ago and, in comparison to mid April (my only other experience at WDW), found the crowds to be small and the weather much more acceptable for this canuck. I was hoping to go in mid- later January, but am now considering later November/early December-ish as a January trip would be right in the middle of my 2 DS hockey season.....and well...we are Canadian so priorities right? lol ….

The biggest consideration for us is crowd level, my DH is the type that would very much rather be heading to Alaska than to WDW so going at a time with low crowds is a must. I have heard in the past that late November/ early December is an excellent time to go crowd wise but I'm curious to know, for those that have been during both times, was there a big difference in the crowd level? (or enough of a difference to make me reconsider January?) And by crowd level, while wait time for rides is a consideration, the crowd level just walking down the streets is more what I'm talking about- will it be shoulder to shoulder crowds or something much more tolerable for a DH who is really not a people person? (fyi, I'm not expecting him to love WDW- I know, what's wrong with him? but he is going to appease me and the kids so I guess we'll keep him around)

Our second consideration is weather- we would also prefer the weather to be more like our spring/ falls up north (t shirts during the day, light jackets in the evenings).

Ride closures/ refurbs really aren't that big of a deal to us, I realize that this time of year is more likely to have closures. Going in summer/ early fall is not an option at all for us.

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, thank you in advance!

 

[NJ Goofy]

We have been there at both the times you mentioned. January crowds will be less, the weather may not be as nice (we had rain & clouds), the parks are not open as late, and more things are being refurb'd (I know you said that's not a big deal). You have to be careful with late November, as you don't want to go the week following Thanksgiving (American), so the 1st or 2nd week of December is better for crowds, the weather may be a little nicer, the Parks & Resorts will be decorated for Christmas (which is very nice), the parks may be open a little later and you shouldn't encounter many refurb's. I think you'd enjoy early December and the difference in crowd levels may not be that great.

 

[lorenae]

I’ve been there both times this past winter. The only issue I had was with the Christmas parties- the first week of December had parties every day except for Wednesday that week. On party days, MK opens at 9, and closes at 6 PM. Party guests start arriving in droves at 4 PM (when they are allowed it), so it’s a very short park day. When there is no party, MK is MOBBED in the evening as a result, as it was the only time to see the fireworks and evening activities, and the MK after dark.

The crowds were pretty heavy in January this year, partly because of the Star Wars land I’m sure, but also due to marketing and groups of people from South America. That may be the new normal, but I was surprised.

So I’d say this year was a little better in January than late November/early December, but Splash Mountain was closed, and so was Test Track.

In the past, the week after Thanksgiving and the second week of January were my top picks, but this year disappointed me with the huge mass of humanity.

 

[a742246]

I would do the late November-early December, hockey season at that age is too big to miss.

 

[GatesFam]

I’ve been there both times this past winter. The only issue I had was with the Christmas parties- the first week of December had parties every day except for Wednesday that week. On party days, MK opens at 9, and closes at 6 PM. Party guests start arriving in droves at 4 PM (when they are allowed it), so it’s a very short park day. When there is no party, MK is MOBBED in the evening as a result, as it was the only time to see the fireworks and evening activities, and the MK after dark.

The crowds were pretty heavy in January this year, partly because of the Star Wars land I’m sure, but also due to marketing and groups of people from South America. That may be the new normal, but I was surprised.

So I’d say this year was a little better in January than late November/early December, but Splash Mountain was closed, and so was Test Track.

In the past, the week after Thanksgiving and the second week of January were my top picks, but this year disappointed me with the huge mass of humanity.

We are planning for early December. The tip about Christmas parties is good info to have. I hadn't thought about that, but can factor it in now.

 

[TeacupsForever]

I went in January 2017 and in late November/early December twice as a teenager—probably around 2011 and 2015. I know a lot has changed between those Nov/Dec trips so long ago, but I would say the January trip was slightly more crowded. However, crowds in general jumped a lot during that time period, and based on trip reports I've heard in recent years, I'd imagine the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is now quite crowded with parties. The weather was comparable both times of year. There are more closures in January, I think.

 

[beccasmom]

We just returned last week. The parks were very crowded and there are a lot of things happening in preparation for the 50th anniversary, particularly at Epcot (where some of the changes are long overdue). The weather was okay, but too cold for swimming IMHO; we wore sweatshirts and/or jackets most days. We’ve enjoyed our early December stays, but early closure of the MK because of parties is an issue. My favorite time to visit is in the spring when the weather can be glorious, but of course there are no guarantees of that.

 

[Azred]

I have been to WDW every year for the Christmas time since 1993 (except for one year) and also usually do a trip late January. If you can do it, I would do a trip starting the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. By Monday most people are heading home and the crowd levels in the park will be very manageable. Being at WDW during the Christmas season is wonderful and all of the decorations, parades, etc will be up and running. There will be minimal ride closures this time of year also. More ride closures will happen happen in January.

 

[Shellyred8]

I would vote for the first couple of weeks in December because I love being at WDW when it's all dressed up for Christmas. As others have mentioned, you need to keep an eye on the party days though. It's actually nice to go to MK on a party day because the crowds aren't as bad. I would recommend being there for rope-drop and then getting as much done as you can before 4pm. You can then use that evening in whatever way you decide: have a relaxed evening at the resort; go to Disney Springs (they have some christmas stuff going on too); Do a nice dinner at a non-park restaurant; resort hop to the deluxe resorts to check out the different christmas decorations; whatever else you can dream up!

The weather can be fickle during either of the times, though we've had better luck with the weather during our early December trips than our mid-January trips. Just make sure you look at the weather forecast about a week before you leave and pack accordingly from there.

Happy planning!!!

 

[Timothy02359]

We prefer November. The last time we went in Jan it was freezing cold.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

it’s going to be crowded no matter when you go, but we love the two weeks after thanksgiving.