December Availability?

[AspenLL]

So we are potentially looking to go down at the end of November into early December I know in the past that this was considered to be a slower period. However, we are finding basically no availability at any of the resorts. Does this mean that crowd levels are expected to be really heavy? I don’t want to book something off site just to have to deal with insane crowds. Anyone else having a similar problem? TIA!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

December is no longer a truly quiet period. Most of park crowd is dependent on off-site traffic, so parks aren't to full nuts that week, but it is also Pop Warner, which uses a lot of the Values.

That said, if you book off-site, I would expect issues with the top FP+ options.

 

[SAMMMMMMMMMM]

We booked end of November into the beginning of December months ago and are nervous that crowds are getting bigger. On touringplans, the crowd levels keep going up.

 

[focusondisney]

So we are potentially looking to go down at the end of November into early December I know in the past that this was considered to be a slower period. However, we are finding basically no availability at any of the resorts. Does this mean that crowd levels are expected to be really heavy? I don’t want to book something off site just to have to deal with insane crowds. Anyone else having a similar problem? TIA!

Unfortunately the beginning of December is no longer as slow as it used to be. As a matter of fact, that week wasn't even included in Disney's bounceback offers this year. The first weekend of December has Pop Warner football & cheerleading competitions who book lots of value & moderate resort rooms.

Carribeean Beach & Coronado Springs resorts have had rooms taken out of inventory for new construction projects. Rooms were converted to vacation club at both the Poly & Wilderness Lodge. And early December is very popular with vacation club members. Deluxe resorts were included in the room discount bounceback which was being offered since last October.

Disney has gotten really good at spreading the crowds out year round. There really are very few truly slow times anymore, just a week here or there. Reports are the summer was a little less crowded than previous years but fall crowds have increased. Early December won't be as crowded as Christmas week but will have moderate crowds.

Good luck deciding!

 

[jenrose66]

Unfortunately the beginning of December is no longer as slow as it used to be. As a matter of fact, that week wasn't even included in Disney's bounceback offers this year. The first weekend of December has Pop Warner football & cheerleading competitions who book lots of value & moderate resort rooms.

Carribeean Beach & Coronado Springs resorts have had rooms taken out of inventory for new construction projects. Rooms were converted to vacation club at both the Poly & Wilderness Lodge. And early December is very popular with vacation club members. Deluxe resorts were included in the room discount bounceback which was being offered since last October.

Disney has gotten really good at spreading the crowds out year round. There really are very few truly slow times anymore, just a week here or there. Reports are the summer was a little less crowded than previous years but fall crowds have increased. Early December won't be as crowded as Christmas week but will have moderate crowds.

Good luck deciding!

We are going from the 10th to the 16th. We were able to use a pin code for the 13th to 16th at CSR. However no availability (besides $500+ rooms) for the 10 thru 12th, not even rack rate.

We really wanted to do the xmas party on the 12th and I wanted to be settled in a room beforehand so I checked Expedia and was able to book one night at CSR for the 12th and I'm hoping we can just keep our same room.

For the 10th and 11th we decided to stay at Universal!! Portofino was only a few dollars more than CSR with the annual pass discount.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

There are a couple reasons lots of people can't find hotels for October - December. First, it used to be slow but I think park attendance is more spread out throughout the year now, so less people go in the summer and more go in the winter. Also, people just loooooooooove to tell everyone to book at full price and then "apply" discounts later. That hasn't worked this year, because Disney has figured out what everyone's doing. So from their point of view, they just sold 70% of the rooms at full price. Why discount the other 30% when people are willing to pay full price for them? So as time gets closer, people who really are going realize they won't get a discount (because nothing is available), and book at full price. Then a week or two out you have the people who were waiting to apply a discount cancelling their full price rooms, because they can't afford them or aren't actually willing to pay rack rate. This is why it's important to keep checking - my PIN code was useless 2 months ago when I got it, but I just used it 2 days ago to get a discounted room at the Yacht Club for my trip in 2 weeks. Also that first week of December is when the cheer groups or whatever are having their competition thing (I think it's December 2-9?) so the values are pretty full due to that. You just have to keep checking! Or stay off site, which is what I'm doing for December.

 

[BK2014]

I don't have any data to back this up, my theory is that full resorts in December translate into a different type/level of park crowd than when resorts are full in the summer. I would guess in December that there are more groups of couples without children (like me and DW), or couples with children who have not yet reached school age (like OP appears to be). I am not saying that there aren't the usual families with children of all ages, I just think the make up of the crowds is different. So I would guess that sold out hotels in December equal less people than in other times of the year because you probably have less rooms filled to capacity. How much less, I couldn't say.

ETA: When I say December, I meant the first part of December, before schools are typically on break.

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't have any data to back this up, my theory is that full resorts in December translate into a different type/level of park crowd than when resorts are full in the summer. I would guess in December that there are more groups of couples without children (like me and DW), or couples with children who have not yet reached school age (like OP appears to be). I am not saying that there aren't the usual families with children of all ages, I just think the make up of the crowds is different. So I would guess that sold out hotels in December equal less people than in other times of the year because you probably have less rooms filled to capacity. How much less, I couldn't say.

ETA: When I say December, I meant the first part of December, before schools are typically on break.

I am not sure I agree, however I will add that I find the parks crowded the first week of December into the second. POP warner is there and their attendance does affect the crowds to an extent. Many of the Cheers are accompanied by their family so while the kids are doing whatever it is they do, their families are in the parks.

Christmas Parties are going on so the MK is busy on non party days. I mean CROWDED, and that is because there is a limited number od nights to visit to enjoy the evening entertainment, so folks will go on those evenings I think lately there are only 3 nights open, but I could be wrong.