First week in December

We’ll be there Dec 1-11. This has been our go to time for years. I was able to get FOP FPs, twice during that time, I’m hoping for the best.

We are DVC, and the first 15 days of December are in the least expensive of the many point costs. That’s one reason it's so popular with us! Our Florida friends with APs had a hard time finding reasonable on site accommodations and are staying off site.
 
My daughter cheers for Pop Warner. We’ll be there the 1st through 7th. It’s always crowded.
 
We are also going the first week of December, and also with a two year old. I'm a little sad that our choice for Magic Kingdom is either a very short day (party day) or a very crowded day.... We are opting to go on two party days, hoping to get there at rope drop. What really annoys me is that although the party does not start until 6, they apparently let folks in at 4. By that logic, non-party guests should be allowed to stay until 8 .
 
We go 11/25-12/5 and going same time again this year. And we got all the dining and fast passes we wanted. Actually got rid of some BoG and ohana extra reservations.
We must have went to all the parks at the right time cause the crowds where great , we had less than 30 minute waits on everything we wanted to ride except for Pandora rides.
 


We'll be in the Orlando mouse trap 11/29 - 12/02.

The only reason we picked the is week is 12/01 is my pregnant DW's birthday. It will be my DD2 first trip.

I expect it to be crowded, but really when is it not. I got the FP's I wanted, granted we are limited on what we can ride anyhow and got a character meal at AK so I think we will be ok.

I was amazed at how fast some of the stuff booked up though. At first we had considered booking on-site but due to lack of availability at a lot of resorts, we decided against it.
 
When we went last year MK was the busiest I have ever seen it. We went there Dec 11th and we were only able to ride three rides, and they were rides no one *really* cares about IMO (magic carpets of aladdin, philarmagic, voyage of the little mermaid). It was a lackluster trip to say the least. Disney parks are getting busier every year and harder to predict so I wouldn't be surprised if the crowd calendars were wrong. Good luck though, I hope you enjoy your trip!
 
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We'll be there 12/8-12/14 (and we are DVC as well).

The parks will be crowded...but manageable. I think everyone needs to understand that the metrics of "crowded" have changed. What was a level 5 crowd 5+ years ago is not the same as a level 5 crowd now.

And remember, Disney is ALWAYS crowded now. It's just either crowded or EXTREMELY crowded.
 


Last year, I felt like everybody was going the same week as me (2nd week of November) because everybody here was talking about it.... but in the end, it was not so bad. We only attended MK on party days and it wasnt so bad. There were lineups but not crowds.
 
I'm just not surprised at all that TP increased their crowd predictions is all. I bet even with this increase, the final numbers will show they predicted lower than actual. As one poster said, Disney is ALWAYS busy now, but my sense (especially my warped sense of Disney from all my time on the Disboards!) is that it's going to be a busier week than TP and the other bloggers are saying. I still think it will be an incredible week and I'm really excited. The whole point to my initial post was to say that if I'm reading the signs correctly, it's going to be busier than predicted. But maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong, and I'm wishing everyone an absolutely fantastic vacation either way!!! See you there- only 25 days left for me!
 
We go 11/25-12/5 and going same time again this year. And we got all the dining and fast passes we wanted. Actually got rid of some BoG and ohana extra reservations.
We must have went to all the parks at the right time cause the crowds where great , we had less than 30 minute waits on everything we wanted to ride except for Pandora rides.
You must be the reason I recently scored BOG and Ohana
 
DVC here and going from 12/4 - 12/9! Dining ressies weren't too bad to get but FP... ugh! Started at 7am for FOP with no luck. I keep trying and still no luck. So we'll rope drop and do the quick walk there. I find it disappointing that there aren't really slow times any more but that's Disney's business. :( But you know what? I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
 
DVC here and going from 12/4 - 12/9! Dining ressies weren't too bad to get but FP... ugh! Started at 7am for FOP with no luck. I keep trying and still no luck. So we'll rope drop and do the quick walk there. I find it disappointing that there aren't really slow times any more but that's Disney's business. :( But you know what? I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

Don't give up hope on FOP. I booked after the 60 day window and was able to get fast passes for the 9th without too much trouble just this week. It seems like they keep popping up from time to time. I probably saw about a dozen different day/times show over the last 30ish days, sadly until this week they didn't fit into my touring plan.
 
DVC here and going from 12/4 - 12/9! Dining ressies weren't too bad to get but FP... ugh! Started at 7am for FOP with no luck. I keep trying and still no luck. So we'll rope drop and do the quick walk there. I find it disappointing that there aren't really slow times any more but that's Disney's business. :( But you know what? I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
I actually had a harder time with dining than FP personally.

I'm going 12/4-12/10 and got all my FPs right away.

It's so weird how people can experience different results.
 
We'll also be there then, but I am fine with whatever happens....we're THERE!
We got all the dining we wanted and all the FP.
Plan to be there early and then go back to resort if it gets too bad (other than our Fantasmic and Illuminations FP)
 
I’ve gone the first week of December many times. It’s always the same - people freaking out that hotels are sold out. I’ve never found it that bad. I never do MK on a non-party day, it is really bad. Do party days and hop at night. Make the best of fastpass. Not doing it this year, already had 3 WDW trips and 1 DL this year. Planning next year.
 
I was there last year from the middle of the first week to the middle of the second week of December. We did morning EMH at MK on a party day and were able to cover most of the park by lunch time with light crowds and FP+. Our second MK day was not a party day and it was mobbed, touring plans later announced they had predicted low for that day. It certainly felt like a 9 or 10 crowd and we were grateful we had done a party day as well to get more rides in.

The other parks were all doable, we were able to cover everything we wanted using morning EMH, rope drop and fastpass. We absolutely loved it and I would go again at that time in a heartbeat - just plan ahead!
 
I actually had a harder time with dining than FP personally.

I'm going 12/4-12/10 and got all my FPs right away.

It's so weird how people can experience different results.

I had the same experience. We're going 12/7-12/13 and I had no trouble getting all of the FP's we wanted at the times we wanted. But ressies for TS took some extra work! LOL
 
I’ve gone the first week of December many times. It’s always the same - people freaking out that hotels are sold out. I’ve never found it that bad. I never do MK on a non-party day, it is really bad.

Same here and completely agree with this statement.

Been several times in the first week of December as we love the holiday decorations but dont want the BIG Xmas crowds. People panic right up until the time about the hotels being sold out and dinning reservations full...been this way for at least 6 years now.

Their will be some crowds, but not bad at all. NEVER go to MK on a day that they are not doing the Disney christmas party as that WILL be jam packed. Go when they are having a party as that day will be shorter due to the party but you will find you get way more rides in then if you went on a long day with no party due to the shorter lines.

That week is really a good time to go and the lines are really not bad.
 
In another lifetime, I drove a cab in Orlando, and my usual spot was to take people from WDW to the airport.

I DIED the first week of December. Literally worked -- well, I waited -- all day and finished my shift owing the company $50. It was what made me get a real job.

I know it's all changed now, but back then it was as slow as it would ever get. Funny to hear people worried about crowds and hotels at capacity. It sure didn't used to be that way, even when it was just the monorails and the CBR onsite.
 
Going December 2nd till December 14 for the first time. Had no issues getting the fastpasses(eg. 3x 7dmt. 2x fop) and dining reservations(eg. Cali grill. be our guest lunch) I wanted.
 

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