Question About Disney World!!!

We went in December a few years ago and it was awesome! No crowds - but totally beautiful for Christmas. The weather was 70's (but mornings would start in the 40's - so always needed a sweater) - it only rained one day. The kids did swim one day - but we are so used to being able to swim in TX so that wasn't a big thing to them - the hot tubs were great though!!

The first week of December is one of the best times to visit Disney. We just moved from Jacksonville and we were season ticket holders so we went at all times of the year.
In December you have very mild weather and you get to see all of the wonderful christmas decorations and special activities.

The best wevsite for info is www.allears.net

If you have any specific questions feel free to email me ~ my friends consider me a Disney expert.

I lived in Orlando for 5 years (and am actually writing this from there now, although I live in Denton), and can say that Dec is much better than Oct. In Oct, chances are it will still be VERY hot and humid, with storms nearly every afternoon. Dec is cooler, yet still sunny and less rain. You may get a cold snap in Dec, but on average, it's a lot more tolerable, weather-wise.

It's expensive! :(

Go in December! The weather is mild and you can see Disney in Lights. I think your little ones would truly enjoy seeing Disney all lit up! there is an awesome condo resort about 10 minutes from Disney called the Liki Tiki -- small water park plus VERY kid friendly!!! www.likitiki.com I want to take our kids to Disney over X_mas some time! I think it would be very cool to see it in Lights:D I know several people who have gone then and said it is just amazing!!!!!

J.
www.mygc.com/jfiegl

Well, first off Kelly,
I am in tears.
I am SO SORRY to hear that you lost your little girl.
I have a 2 year old baby girl who is our life and purpose for living.
I cannot even begin to try to understand what it is lifke to lose such a precious being.
God Bless you and your Husband for going through with what you have been dealt.
And God Bless your Sweet Angel in heaven.

As far as when you shoud take your trip?
If it is weather you are cocerned about, then October is the absolute best time to be in Florida.
And at Disney for sure.
We have taken many trips to Florida at different times of the year and October is the best time.
The temp is low 80's high 70's...the humidity is gone at that time and so you will have the most gorgeous weather ever. December can be very tricky. One day can be warm and then next day, cold and rainy. October is the month!

Have a wonderful time whenever you go.
And I know you will keep your little girl in your heart when you go.
She will be there with you.....you know she will.

My best to you both,
P.

We usually go in Nov. Thanksgiving Week. It is beautiful then. Very little rain, if any. I have gone in Dec. but there were intermittent rain showers. Nov. is typically upper 70's low 80 and It's never rained on us so far. Regardless I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.

Sorry for your loss...... When you should go...well you're deciding between Oct or Dec but let me tell you February is totally awesome, the weather was perfect, it was high 60's at night and high 70's during the day...LOVED it, next time we go it's February.

We have been in October and the beginning of December (as well as January and Thanksgiving week...never again). Both of the times that you selected are great crowd-wise. In early December, the weather is typically sunny and slightly cool. In our pictures, we are wearing fleeces during part of the day and then short sleeve t-shirts as the day warmed up. I thought the Halloween stuff they did as mostly OK, though I am not a fan of Halloween. We were not actually there at wdw during Halloween though, so I have no idea how crazy that it. I loved the Christmas decorations though. Very festive and make great photo opportunities for family Christmas cards. October was easy weather wise. Sometimes pretty warm...but not typically too hot.

So, there you go. Both are pretty great times to go. I personally would chose the first week of December over Halloween week though.

I can't specially answer your questions but I know someone who can.
A friend of mine owns Off to Neverland Travel. They specialize in Disney travel. Look them up online.

I live in Florida and both October and December have great weather. October can still be hot and humid, but nothing compared to summer months. Keep in mind that all the snowbirds start coming back to Florida the weekend after Thanksgiving. That means way more crowds everywhere you go!

We've been in October several times, and in December once, and we've done the Halloween party (3 times) and the Christmas party. We also went this year in January, which, weather-wise, is similar to December.

It really depends on what part of each month you would go in. If you have to go after December 15 (due to school or work schedules), I'd say go in October. Nothing in the world is more beautiful than Disney World at Christmas, but the crowds there during the school holidays are insane. The year we went in December we had great weather - no rain, sweaters during the day and light coats in the evening - but when we went this year in January, we stumbled upon the coldest weather they've had in over a decade. It was unpleasantly cold for the first 3 days we were there.

As I said, the park is gorgeous in December, but it's not too shabby in October either, and I think if I had to choose between the two parties, I'd choose the Halloween party. It's just so much fun to take the kids to the trick or treat stations between rides - and to get the kids dressed up in costumes! The end of October is a lot busier than early October, but also cooler. We usually go in early October for our anniversary, and the crowds are minimal. Weather-wise, maybe we've just been lucky (but as I said, we've been several times during October), but it's usually cool enough in the mornings and evenings that I have to wear a long sleeve shirt. During the day it's been warm enough for shorts. I will say that it's never been warm enough for us to swim in October (or December, for that matter), but that may be because my husband and I don't like to swim in even slightly cool water.

Edited to add: Sorry, I didn't see your last sentence till now. It it's between the LAST week in Oct vs. the FIRST week in Dec, I'd go with the first week in December, if for no other reason than the lower crowds.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have. Until recently I was a Disney travel agent, and talking Disney is just about my favorite thing to do. :-)

Halloween! Christmas was beautiful but SOOOO crowded. The parks were filled to capacity and you could not even walk to to some areas of the park- people were at a stand still. Ride waits were 3-4 hours.

I went in the first week of Oct. It was great. Small lines but the weather was still very warm. I actually got a sunburn. lol They had at that time the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween and the Food/Wine Festival. The Halloween party is only open to people that bought a ticket for that event...it is a seperate purchase. The park closes early to regular customers and then reopens to the party people. It also rained each day we were there...5 days total. I defently would try to go the first week of Dec. The park will be decorated for Christmas and it will be wonderful.....and probably very very small lines. Have fun.

We took our kids to Disney the first week in December and were told that was one of the slowest weeks of the entire year. We did not have to wait in one line and had a fabulous time. We did the Very Merry Christmas Party which was fun but not so sure it was worth the cost. They had free cookies and hot chocolate, some extra shows and you could stay in the park longer, but if I recall correctly we paid $40 per person for that event in addition to the cost of the park ticket. We have been at different times of the year and this was most definitely our most enjoyable experience. The weather was in the high 70s and I would highly recommend it!

I personally have not been in either of those months. We went last year at Spring Break. Beautiful weather but busy. Since then, we have been plotting our next trip and from everyone I have talked to that has gone, the best time to go is in December. They say it is truely "Magical". It might be a little cooler than summer, but not what we are used to here in TX. A friend said if you can work it, the best is the week after Thanksgiving. They have all the Christmas decorations up, but it's not cold yet, and there are no crowds!
Good luck and you will have so much fun whenever you go! Just do some planning beforehand!!!

Its a little cool in Dec for swimming but you can't beat the sights. What ever you do get the guide books ...official and unofficial, at the library, if you can and see how to work your trip best. We used it (I had the "clipboard of fun"!) at the Universal studios and doubled our fun easily. We went backwards around the park and went to all the best rides first and rode them several times with NO waiting. By the way I went to Disney World for the first time when I was 15 in 1975 on Christmas Day and it is one of my favorite memories!
B.

The weather is definitely better in October. December is very iffy - could be 80, could be 30. You never know. We were in the Orlando area over Thanksgiving this past year and half the week was 40's/50's, the other half was low to mid 70's.

I've never done December (although I want to), but we did go in October and do the Not So Scary Halloween. We had such a great time! The weather is still great for swimming, but not overly hot. The Halloween thing at Disney was a lot of fun -- the characters dress up in costumes and there are trick-or-treat stations throughout the park. You have to purchase a separate ticket, but it's really neat because they empty out the park from the day visitors.

Not a specific answser to your question and you may already know about these great sites, allears.net and touringplans.com are both disney planning sites that were a lifesaver to us when we planned our trip last year. Both sites include crowd prediction pages based on prior years park attendance for every single day of the year. Additional planning tips include a lot of specifics on both of the special holidays you are wondering about. Good luck and have fun!

I am actually trying to make that decision myself. I have been in early December.It was about ten years ago, but the weather was great and we were able to swim... a lot! Mickey' Very Merry Christmas Party was fun. Just like the Halloween party it is a separate purchase. The holiday decorations are beautiful. We also have lots of birthdays and anniversaries in Oct. and were thinking about going on the 30th into November.

I've been there both months and I would definitely vote October. Much better weather, smaller crowds -- and if you go later in October you get in on all the Halloween fun.

The first week of december is SOOOOOO NOT crowded. We had the greatest time. It is actually one of their slower times (check out the price "seasons" on there website and you will find rates the lowest b/c its the slowest) I **think** the last week in oct. is still the food and wine festival which could be fun but I also think would be more crowded so def check the website. Let them know that you are celebrating your birthday whenever you dicide to go and they can still give you the royal treatment. There is also a "MOMS" panel on the disneyworld website that can give you really good info. My family and I are actually going in less than 2 weeks so I am super excited. (for me and for you!) So when I get back if you want to know anything feel free to give me a shout.

I love Disney in October. We go at least once a year and one of our favorite times is around October. You can still swim in October if it's early enough in the month. Late in October you may not want to swim. You don't necessarily need a coat during the day. There are few people out of school so the parks aren't crowded. The Not so Scary party is late at night and it's not so scary.

Now, if you go in December and don't do the Christmas week then it will not be so crowded. You won't be able to swim unless there is some freak heat wave, could happen. The parks are not crowded if you are in the first few weeks of December. The park is decorated for Christmas.

If you are doing the food plan, try dining at The Liberty Tree Tavern in the MK. The characters are great, the food is served family style so you have plenty of food and can share easily. I think the bathroom is upstairs there so it's not easy to cart kids up there but it is a great/fun place to dine.

My family has been there both times you are talking about. It really depends on your preference. When we went in October it was still VERY hot during the day. We didn't do the Mickey Halloween party, but the families I talked to who did had a ball.

The first week in December is WONDERFUL! The parks are all decked out in Christmas and the parades are Christmas themed as well. It's a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season. There will be NO waiting in line at that time of the year. The only downside is the water rides are not as fun because of the cooler weather. We usually just waited to do those last before going home. My daughter and husband literally rode the space mountain 6 times in a row without waiting in line at all.

My personal opinion is December is the way to go. Especially since your children are so young. You won't have to wait long for autographs from characters or rides. If you choose December don't miss the Osborne lights at what used to be MGM. It is beyond words fantastic.

Hope this helps. We're going soon too. I can hardly wait!!! One of my favorite vacation places!

Blessings!
L.

I have taken my girls to Disney World twice. The first time was at the end of June. I wouldn't suggest doing that again because all of the kids are out of school and it is was packed! I would think that December may be the same way.

The second time I took them was the first week of October. It was perfect. The weather was great. The lines for the rides were miniscule. We even got to participate in the "Main Street Parade." Also, since it was off season the lodging and airfare was considerably cheaper.

Oh by the way, the day that we went to the park happened to be the night of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. It was an additional charge, and if you hadn't bought the tickets they kicked you out of the park. Well I didn't know this, and we didn't get to the park until the afternoon because I wanted my girls to be able to make it through the day for the fireworks and electric light parade. I went to "City Hall" and complained. They gave us evening passes to be able to return another night after 5pm.

Hope this helps. I'm sure you'll have a blast!