Christmas is our favourite time of yr at Walt Disney World, and in the course of the vacation season, there’s a week-long window that we actually love. This submit discusses why we suggest visiting after Thanksgiving however earlier than the height weeks of winter break, with a rundown of what makes this time of yr particular–and totally different from the busier weeks.
This is hardly a secret. Long-time readers of the weblog would possibly know that our favourite week of the yr at Walt Disney World is the one after Thanksgiving. That’s been true for ages. Back after we lived within the Midwest, our annual Christmas journey normally began the Sunday after the vacation. (Even after we have been nonetheless at school, we used to skip a pair days to make it an extended weekend journey!)
I don’t preserve monitor, but when I needed to guess at which week of the yr we now have spent essentially the most minutes in Walt Disney World since 2007, it might be this one. Probably by a fairly large margin. We completely love the week after Thanksgiving. This yr truly introduced a brand new wrinkle to our time-tested strategy to visiting Walt Disney World in the course of the vacation season…
When Japan introduced its border reopening, we needed to resolve whether or not to do a fast journey to Walt Disney World collectively in early November for the debut of Fantasmic and begin of the vacation season, or wait and do them individually in late November and early December.
We opted for the latter, doing two journeys by mid-December. Now, I may declare this was a deliberate resolution for the sake of analysis and gaining firsthand expertise with a wider vary of dates…but it surely’s actually extra about Walter and Yossarian (our canine and cat), and different scheduling conflicts.
In any case, we collectively skilled the primary two weeks of December, and have been pleasantly shocked with each. To ensure, the second week (or first full one) was noticeably busier, however nonetheless not even remotely on par with Thanksgiving or what we’re anticipating within the lead-up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Here’s what we love about this timeframe in the course of the vacation season at Walt Disney World, and why you need to go to throughout one in every of these weeks in case you’re already planning a 2023 or 2024 trip throughout Christmas-time…
“Complete” Christmas – Even with out the Dream Lights and different issues which have been misplaced during the last decade-plus, the vacation season is much and away our favourite time at Walt Disney World. We’ve gone into this at size in numerous different posts, together with our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World, so we gained’t belabor the purpose.
When it involves Christmas, we like just a few totally different home windows. The first is the very starting, earlier than any vacation crowds arrive. The second is after the week of Veterans’ Day, however earlier than Thanksgiving. The downside with each of those is that it’s not fully Christmas throughout them. Many resorts nonetheless aren’t decked out for the vacations, and EPCOT continues to be “celebrating” Food & Wine Festival. This leaves the 2 weeks after Thanksgiving because the candy spot to go to Walt Disney World for a full Christmas.
Resorts – I stayed in a newly-refurbished room at All Star Sports, and it was completely incredible. Not simply the room, however the expertise as a complete. I’m not usually an All Star fan, however I used to be impressed. I stayed there as a result of it was far and away the most cost effective choice and I needed to see the way it contrasted to the ‘old days’ when ESPN Wide World of Sports hosted main youth occasions this time of yr.
In each manner, my expectations have been exceeded. The grounds have been trying nice, the meals courtroom was by no means overly-crowded, and there have been by no means rowdy teams of children taking part in on the soccer area. About my solely grievance was the WiFi and mobile service, however that’s on T-Mobile as a lot as it’s Disney. (I used to be in a ‘remote’ a part of Home Run Hotel.) On a extra optimistic be aware, bus service was immediate, pickup occasions have been correct, and it was solely shared on one late evening getting back from Magic Kingdom. Despite leaving late, I all the time made Early Entry with time to spare.
While there, I spoke with a supervisor in regards to the resort refurbishment who advised me that except for one household that needed the previous rooms, the suggestions on the brand new rooms at All Star Sports has been universally optimistic. Guest satisfaction is up and Cast Members favor the brand new rooms, too. This supervisor additionally supplied fascinating insights about resort occupancy and constructing closures, which confirmed what I suspected primarily based on the low variety of folks out and about on the resort.
It was the same story at virtually each resort I visited. Admittedly, I intentionally didn’t do Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge throughout their ‘peak’ hours when crowds are likely to the worst, however even the favored Crescent Lake resorts have been fairly quiet in the course of the days that I visited. As with the parks, this can be a far cry from the scene in the course of the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and NYE.
Crowds & Wait Times – As measured by common wait occasions, Thanksgiving week was the third busiest week of the yr so far, behind solely Presidents’ Day and the height of spring break season. The week-to-week drop is fairly pronounced, with crowds plummeting on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and staying there for everything of the subsequent week.
The week following Thanksgiving averaged a 34 minute wait time (3/10 on the gang calendar), as in comparison with 49 minutes in the course of the week of Thanksgiving (10/10 on the gang calendar). That 15 minute distinction could appear insignificant, but it surely’s truly large–and actually provides up over the course of a day. (For those that need extra knowledge and in-depth evaluation, see Early December Drop in Crowds at Walt Disney World.)
If you’re planning a Walt Disney World journey for 2023 or 2024, you clearly can’t rely on these actual numbers holding up. However, that’s fairly in step with what we’ve seen in regular years for the final decade or so. Typically, crowds fall off a cliff the Sunday after Thanksgiving, plateau for every week or so, after which steadily rise within the lead-up to Christmas.
All bets are off as soon as winter breaks begin, with the interval between Christmas and New Year’s Eve being one of many worst weeks of the yr, and issues not likely letting up till faculties return into session and Marathon Weekend concludes.
Dining Availability – We have been capable of eat in every single place we needed (with the necessary caveat that many of the locations we favor aren’t essentially the most highly-coveted Advance Dining Reservations), and sometimes discovered same-day ADRs or availability through walk-up waitlist. This included actually no watch for Nomad Lounge and Steakhouse 71, in addition to discovering same-day ADRs for numerous eating places (and even Fantasmic and Candlelight Processional eating packages).
Given that we each favor extra spontaneity, this positive beats visiting in the course of the peak vacation weeks. Guests doing journeys then needed to be up early to make ADRs 60+ days prematurely, and a few possible nonetheless didn’t get the whole lot they needed. Waits for Mobile Order and Walk-Up Waitlist are additionally a lot worse when it’s busier.
Genie+ Pricing & Availability – During my go to for Christmas, I purchased Genie+ on three separate days for analysis (I wrote in regards to the DHS day right here, however as a result of an absence of curiosity, I’ll confine the others to updates of present posts), if this have been my first and solely expertise with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, I’d most likely marvel what the entire fuss is about. Genie+ was additionally “only” $16 after tax each single day of my keep, which was good (and reflective of the decreased demand).
Sarah had issues even higher, with a part of her go to overlapping the ‘game-changing’ Genie+ modify button. Conversely, crowds have been barely greater and Genie+ value extra most days, however the potential to switch arguably made it simpler and higher on stability.
Either manner, our experiences have been (and are) a stark distinction to the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, when Lightning Lane availability was or can be far more restricted as a result of elevated “competition” ensuing from extra folks shopping for the paid FastPass service. Worse crowds solely compound that, with greater wait occasions and extra congestion in between Lightning Lane return occasions.
Weather – One factor I’ve realized over the previous few years is that I used to be not “built” for Florida warmth and humidity. To ensure, we had traveled to Walt Disney World in each month and week of the yr beforehand, so we knew what we have been getting ourselves into. Nevertheless, lots of our transplant associates reassured us that it’s not so dangerous and also you get used to it. That by no means occurred for us, and we discovered ourselves spending far an excessive amount of time indoors 8 months of the yr.
While some folks go to Florida for the limitless summer time sunshine and heat temperatures, that’s positively not the case for us. Our ‘sweet spot’ for Florida climate is from round November till February. I’ll take having to put on a coat over sweating by my shirt any day of the week. You can all the time add layers, however there are solely so many you may subtract earlier than safety says, “sir, you can’t take off your shirt here and this Miss Piggy fountain is not a water play area.” (Buzzkills.)
While it’s not all the time excellent, we’ve discovered that 90% of the time, the climate in late November and early December is at the least temperate. As a lot as I really like late August and September for low crowds, I’ll fortunately take care of barely elevated attendance for considerably higher climate. It’s a simple commerce off for us.
Outfits – I’m not what you’d name a trendy man in any conventional sense of the time period. GQ won’t be ringing me anytime quickly, asking the place I get my moisture wicking polos, quick-drying shorts, or bucket hats. In the summer time, my outfit rotation is fairly easy and restricted. Unlike Sarah, who all the time appears to be like good irrespective of the season or climate, I appear like a doofus who simply emerged from the sauna throughout Florida’s three seasons of summer time.
However, roughly 75% of my wardrobe is sweaters and flannel shirts. It’s gotten to the purpose that I’ve been “banned” from shopping for extra blue plaid, as ‘that looks like a half-dozen shirts you already own and can’t put on 10 months of the yr.’ It ought to go with out saying, however these should not the optimum outfits for Florida.
It’s an offshoot of climate, however one of many issues I like about this time of yr at Walt Disney World is that I don’t have to decorate in utilitarian clothes that appears like I’m about to go fishing. I can bust out my formidable sweater assortment or huge array of blue plaid shirts. In the grand scheme of issues, it’s minor, but it surely’s good to have pictures of us the place we each look presentable and have enjoyable outfits.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – For years, we’ve executed the primary Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in early August and the primary Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in early November. While I can go from 0 to 60 in the case of entering into the vacation spirit, the identical isn’t true of everybody else.
Not solely is the climate (normally) higher for the December events, however the power is sort of all the time higher. Way extra friends are wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, truthful isle onesies, vacation Spirit Jerseys, and so forth. Just because the MNSSHP is best in October, so too is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nearer to Christmas. The occasion itself is an identical, and but, higher.
It’s powerful to clarify how, however in case you’ve executed the primary evening of MVMCP and in addition one of many December dates, . (We have additionally been rained out manner too many occasions on the first MVMCP previously, and that will’ve occurred once more had we attended this yr. Knock on wooden, however that hasn’t occurred to us in ages in the course of the December dates of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.)
Candlelight Processional – I’m a sucker for Candlelight Processional. The pageantry of all of it, stunning music, and energy put into the spectacle by so many expert and passionate Cast Members. Suffice to say, Candlelight Processional is one thing particular. From the choir to the orchestra to the conductor to the ASL interpreter, I really like watching these gifted performers give it their all. It’s an excellent custom–one began by Walt Disney at Disneyland and imported to EPCOT a lot later–and one thing I hope by no means ends.
I’m not significantly ‘big’ on celebrities, so the narrator issues much less to me. (If something, I favor a few of the much less well-liked ones as they draw smaller crowds of their followers.) With that mentioned, there are some I take pleasure in greater than others. I don’t need to ‘name names’ and disparage anybody (or alienate their followers), however I’m not significantly eager on the narrators who regularly seem throughout this window. Perhaps it’s simply my notion, but it surely looks like Walt Disney World books the most effective narrators in mid-to-late December.
The upside to that is low crowds for Candlelight Processional. I managed to snag seats twice with no eating bundle and no wait in line. Sure, I used to be in direction of the again, however I’ve seen it sufficient that I’m completely happy with solely an okay view. Not having to purchase a eating bundle (to not point out the stress of attempting to attain ADRs) or wait in an extended line is a greater than truthful tradeoff, from my perspective.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Holiday Remix – While I hope this isn’t related to anybody planning a 2023 Walt Disney World trip in the course of the vacation season, the digital queue for Cosmic Rewind was exceedingly simple to enter within the afternoon. On a number of events, I joined after 2 pm Park Hopping started. My newest entry time was after 4 pm! (Above is a photograph of a nearly-empty queue taken a kind of nights when the attraction was a literal walk-on to the pre-show.)
Although the digital queue will hopefully be retired for Cosmic Rewind in Winter 2023, there’s a powerful likelihood it gained’t die out fully. Instead, count on TRON Lightcycle Run to change into the brand new VQ experience. In which case, it needs to be the same story–a lot simpler to enter the digital queue within the couple weeks after Thanksgiving than throughout peak vacation weeks when it nonetheless fills up in seconds.
Speaking of issues that I hope should not related subsequent yr, there’s the Holiday Remix “overlay” of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. To every their very own, however neither of us cared for this. It’s under no circumstances by any means built-in into the attraction, so the Christmas track simply comes out of nowhere. Even with that, the experience doesn’t really feel in the least festive as a result of actually nothing else was executed to make it a cohesive or complete Christmas overlay.
The track itself isn’t superb, and really diminishes the experience itself. Cosmic Rewind has incredible move and fluidity–due to the music and the movement, it usually looks like dancing in curler coaster type. That’s not the case for Holiday Remix, which underscores simply how a lot track choice issues. Here’s hoping that this can be a one and executed.
Ultimately, it needs to be simple to see why that is our favourite week (or weeks?) of the yr at Walt Disney World. Even although wait occasions for sure headliners are nonetheless excessive, the decrease congestion ranges as in comparison with Thanksgiving week made a large distinction for us by way of general consolation degree–and the climate additionally helped there. The solely time and place we ever noticed crowding was within the hub and Main Street throughout Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, however that’s about par for the course.
If you’re trying ahead to subsequent yr, our suggestion could be to make November 26, 2023 your first day within the parks, leaving by December 2, 2023. That’ll virtually definitely be the candy spot for the most effective of crowds, wait occasions, climate, seasonal spirit, and so forth. With that mentioned, if we had to decide on a next-best set of dates from a qualitative perspective, I’m not inclined to decide on December 3-9, 2023 over November 12-17, 2023 (that’d be my third selection).
It’s the same story for the next yr. While it’s untimely to set any dates in stone as lots can change between every now and then, I’m inclined to pencil in December 1-7, 2024 as my first selection and December 8-14, 2024 as my second selection. I’m much less assured about that second week, because it’s nearer to Christmas than the identical timeframe this yr or in 2023. Regardless, some potential journey dates to contemplate to your future journeys to Walt Disney World!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about lodges on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for the whole lot it is advisable know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
If you probably did Walt Disney World post-Thanksgiving this yr, what was your expertise? If you’ve visited this identical week in prior years, how do you suppose this yr compares? Thoughts about anything lined right here? If you’re a frequent customer throughout this timeframe, what’s your tackle crowds, wait occasions, seasonal spirit, climate, and so forth? Agree or disagree with our evaluation of those two weeks as the most effective time in the course of the vacation season? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!