When to Go?

[mickeymexica]

Hi, I'm planning my first trip to Disney World in 2008. I am planning on spending 8 full days at Disney (all theme parks, Cirque plus maybe 1 waterpark). Based on your experience w/ crowds, weather and anything else that comes to mind, should I go in early May or early December? If I go in May, I have a better chance of bringing along more friends. But I am a huge christmas fan and have never spent the holiday season in Disney.....Which time is better and how great is Epcot International Flower Fest, compared to the ambiance and events of Christmas time?

P.S. How crowded is Disney world on Dec. 21?- this would be my last day there.
THANX!!

[echoscot]

May would be the least crowded, and more enjoyable weather for a water park. The Christmas decorations are beautiful but anytime between Thanksgiving and New Years Day are the most CROWDED of the year.

ALso, even with low crowds 8 days is not enough to really see all 4 parks, a water park and enjoy yourself. You need at least two weeks.

There are many things to do as well as the parks. If a lot of friends go with you, in lieu of a water park you might want to try DisneyQuest as well. That is a half to a full day experience. It is a lot of fun if you like virtual reality games and immersive environments. The Virtual Pirates of the Carribean is the best thing there. You enter a theatre with 3-D head set and a screen that surrounds you. You are standing on the deck of a pirate ship with a throttle and a wheel and 6 cannons. You and your friends run around the ship, while one drives trying to loot other ships and fight off an attacking sea serpent and finally fight Davy Jones(pre movie, a skeleton pirate and his crew not octupus face). It is a lot of fun, yelling and screaming stuff. You can easily spend the whole day there.

Again, I would recommend May, be aware that Space Mountain will probably be closed for rehab when you go. They are closing it for about 2 years in order to change out the ride system.

If you want more info about tips on what to see, feel free to ask. I grew up in Orlando and was there for the opening. I worked there for about 25 years. So let me know if you want more...

[mickeymexica]

Thank you very much for such extensive info.... i have a few more questions if you don't mind.
How sure are you of the Space mtn closure and do you know when it will close? I was somewhat aware of this possibility.

also, I have read in every guidebook that the week after thanksgiving thru the week before Xmas is the LEAST crowded time to go of the entire year. Is this a myth???
also, can you see Seaworld in, say 8 hours?
thanx for the disneyquest recommendation, as for 8 days that's really all i can afford and I know it'll be a whirlwind tour but oh well. maybe I'll forgo the water park if i go in december. I may come up with more questions, thanx once again for the helpful answers
:)

[echoscot]

1. Space Mountain, not 100% sure of when they will close it. The best plan is to expect it to be closed, then if it is not you get a bonus!

2. That particular week after Thanksgiving is "hit or miss" Sometimes it is slow, other times it is just as busy as the rest of Christmas (If you do go then, depending on the weather could affect your DisneyQuest/Waterpark decision)

3. Yes you can visit Sea World in around 8 hours. HOWEVER, my recommendation for a Non-Disney park day would be Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios. Sea World is wonderful if you like animals, but I have found to be the smallest of all the Orlando parks and not as well maintained as either Universal or Disney.

[LoehnWolf]

Always check the refurb/closure schedule at disneys website because the dates have a funny habit of changing. It could be scheduled to be open one day and then they could extend a closure and bam no Space Mountain. As for when is the best time to go the guidebooks are pretty much right, Ive gone first week of May and it was pretty packed. But you have to remember this, if you are going down in Dec to see the Christmas festivities then there are probably gonna be alot of like minded people trying avoid the crowds. 8 days is gonna be a race especially if you want to do things outside the park. By the time you are done you are gonna need a vacation from your vacation. Its going to be running from attraction to attraction.

[mickeymexica]

the 8 days would only include all 4 theme parks, one night Downtown w/ Cirque and perhaps a morning at a water park. I don't mind being at the parks from opening to closing. Given this, will it really be that hard to cover all worth seeing? has anyone actually gone in early December? Oh... and is MVMCP worth it, or can you most of it (esp. fwks, parade, and do they sell hot cocoa?) by December 21?

[echoscot]

Yes, with the situation you have given, it will be HARD for you to cover all worth seeing. Being at the parks from open till close sounds like fun and easy right now, but you will get worn out. It is very exhausting going through the parks. WDW's parks are HUGE and just walking around can wear you out. A "morning at a water park" won't really let you do much either. They are pretty much a 5-6 hour experience, when it's not crowded. MVMCP is neat, if you are going the week after Thanksgiving you may want to get tickets for that in order to see the Christmas parade. Yes they sell Hot Cocoa.

Have you been to DLR? or is this your first Disney park experience ever?

.....If you go in December 2008 I will probably be there. I graduate in May '08 and am planning to move back to Orlando and resume my job there, so as it gets closer I can let you know about closures and things....

[queensandkings]

The Christmas decorations are beautiful but anytime between Thanksgiving and New Years Day are the most CROWDED of the year.


Isn't Late November, Early December "Value" season though? :confused:

I thought it was value season because people didn't go... :O

[echoscot]

That period is hit or miss depending on different area schools. Sometimes it is pretty relaxed. If you want to see the Christmas decorations, that is the best time to do it because it is less crowded than the main rush of the two weeks around Christams. I am just saying to expect crowds and lines. If you get there and it is not crowded, you get a bonus. And be sure to use FastPass it works there really well. Good luck and have fun.

[queensandkings]

Thanks for clearing that up :)

[LoehnWolf]

Plus crowds at the parks are going up more and more each year. So what used to be a off peak time is now becoming moderate because everyone is planning around the idea that crowds are smaller during those periods. We went during "off peak" periods like January and faced decent crowds.