Hi again Tammy, it's always great to see you again here at planDisney!
I remember that you needed some insight as you were
deciding between two different weeks in December for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation next year, and when it comes to visiting during the last month of the year there are a few different things that can often indicate how popular it can be the closer your trip is to Christmas:
- Taking a look at the current ticket pricing as an example, it is easy to observe how they fluctuate throughout the year and how an increase tends to coincide with the busiest times of the year - Spring Break, Thanksgiving and the days around Christmas and New Year's Eve. (There's even currently an option to see when the lowest-priced 1-day tickets may be available, which is also when I've personally experienced the least waits for attractions all year!) As of right now there continues to be a trend for higher pricing with a slight dip between the first two weeks of December, so this is something that you might want to consider for next year if these trends continue. This can also be observed when you take a look at Disney Resort Hotel pricing and availability with a very clear increase from week to week in December when you look up the Value Resort Hotels.
- The first week of December can still see quite a few families sticking around after making their way to Orlando for their Thanksgiving trips, and my analysis of the standby wait time data collected by fellow guests over the past few years does sometimes show a few days in the second week where folks have experienced some lower crowd levels.
Ideally in my opinion, I would aim for weekdays in the first half of December and keep a close eye on the announcements for
Celebrity Narrators invited to take part in the Candlelight Processional to get an idea of how busy EPCOT might be on certain days. I also highly recommend keeping a close eye on the
Hours & Events Calendar as you and your family prepares for what you want to do on certain days, especially when tickets go on sale for
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - as you wouldn't want to be one of those families caught unaware with Magic Kingdom Park closing early to day guests on those evenings!
Happy holiday planning for next year, Tammy!
Prince