“Here’s a tip for avoiding the crowds. The entire world over, two of the best weeks to go anywhere are the first two weeks of December. The weather is good in most places and attendance is almost always low. At Disneyland and Disneyworld in particular, the first two Wednesdays of December are often among the three or four lowest days of the year.”
Buzz Price, Walt’s Revolution: By the Numbers
WHEN TO GO
Arrive in Walt Disney World the second Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2009, arrive December 5th; in 2010, arrive December 4th, in 2011, arrive December 3.
WHY GO THEN?
Crowd levels are the key issue in timing your Walt Disney World trip.
Here’s why: daily attendance at the Magic Kingdom, the signature park at Walt Disney World, varies from fewer than 20,000 people to more than 60,000, with more than 90,000 heard of at Christmas. The park has a total hourly capacity of approximately 40,000 people.
Consequently, on a day with 60,000 visitors, it will be hard for you to average more than one attraction every 90 minutes or so. Multiply this by the number of attractions in the park and it could take you more than 50 hours to enjoy everything at the Magic Kingdom. The attractions themselves take about 7 hours to enjoy; the other 40 or so hours will be spent waiting.
On the other hand, if you go to Walt Disney World during a low attendance period, you can enjoy an attraction at the Magic Kingdom every 20-30 minutes, reducing your total Magic Kingdom time to less than 15-20 hours, and your waiting time down to 8-14 hours.
Multiply this effect over the other three parks and you can save literally days of waiting in line by going during a low attendance period. This allows you to
- Spend fewer total days at Walt Disney World, easing budget and schedule issues,
- While seeing more of the best of the parks,
- Taking more breaks from the parks, and, all in,
- Having a less stressful, more satisfying experience.
Other points considered in setting your date include seasonal pricing, the hurricane season, ride closures, and special events.
Given this, early December is the best time to visit. Prices are as low as they are at any time during the year, the hurricane season is over, few rides are closed, and magical special Christmas events and displays are everywhere. You will need to take your children out of school; for most families this is entirely manageable with sufficient advance planning. Moreover, if you choose for it to be, Walt Disney World can be as educational a setting as any your children have experienced.
LINKS FOR WHEN TO GO
- For when to go, see this
- For next best dates, see this
- For 2009 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
- For weeks to visit in future years, see this
- For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
- For 2009 price seasons, see this
- For projected price seasons in future years, see this
- For weather at Walt Disney World, see this
