First day all parks red other than HS....WWYD

We are planning our "One and done" WDW trip for December 1st-9th. We have done DL and will again, so it's not our only shot with the kids at DISNEY...but it is likely the only time we will do WDW.
My kids only think of MK when they think of WDW...they have no idea what adventure and excitement the other parks will hold. Being who I know they are however (not thrill seekers and not star wars fans), I think HS will be our least favorite park.
The first day we will not arrive until about 5pm, so seems silly to do a park that day.

The second day (12/2) is red everywhere other than HS.

This means it would be the second full day and third day overall before we get to MK if we stick with the crowd calendar...I am worried that will be hard and maybe even kill some of the magic to wait so long...What are you thoughts? Is it worth a red park visit to do MK first day?

That is normally a fairly slow time, I'm a bit surprised. I would try to avoid red days, even if it means waiting on MK. You will want to plan well. Use rope drop and FP strategy to the max.

ice_queenocf said:

We are planning our "One and done" WDW trip for December 1st-9th. We have done DL and will again, so it's not our only shot with the kids at DISNEY...but it is likely the only time we will do WDW.
My kids only think of MK when they think of WDW...they have no idea what adventure and excitement the other parks will hold. Being who I know they are however (not thrill seekers and not star wars fans), I think HS will be our least favorite park.
The first day we will not arrive until about 5pm, so seems silly to do a park that day.

The second day (12/2) is red everywhere other than HS.

This means it would be the second full day and third day overall before we get to MK if we stick with the crowd calendar...I am worried that will be hard and maybe even kill some of the magic to wait so long...What are you thoughts? Is it worth a red park visit to do MK first day?

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would your first full day be a nonparty day at MK? because those are only days for evening things MK will be very crowded. but you will be forced to leave at either 6 or 7 on party nights, I have heard both for this Christmas season, so no fireworks or castle show for non party guests. I would check out party days before I made any decisions if evening activities are important to your family

I actually prefer to save MK for the end of the trip. We usually do HS/AK first, then the other second, then MK, Epcot, recovery day and end with MK.

HS has a lot more to offer than Star Wars and thrill rides. They have a bunch of daytime shows, Indy, TSM, the frozen singalong (which I love), M&G, and one of my favorite (and DH's favorite) nighttime show, Fantasmic!.

I actually love doing HS and AK first because, to me, they are much more leisurely parks and get us acclimated to the touring spirit. I'm anxious about how Pandora is going to affect that.

I would do the parks in the order which suits your family and ignore the crowd calendars.

ice_queenocf said:

We are planning our "One and done" WDW trip for December 1st-9th. We have done DL and will again, so it's not our only shot with the kids at DISNEY...but it is likely the only time we will do WDW.
My kids only think of MK when they think of WDW...they have no idea what adventure and excitement the other parks will hold. Being who I know they are however (not thrill seekers and not star wars fans), I think HS will be our least favorite park.
The first day we will not arrive until about 5pm, so seems silly to do a park that day.

The second day (12/2) is red everywhere other than HS.

This means it would be the second full day and third day overall before we get to MK if we stick with the crowd calendar...I am worried that will be hard and maybe even kill some of the magic to wait so long...What are you thoughts? Is it worth a red park visit to do MK first day?

Click to expand...

We will be there on 12/2. I have selected this as our off park day and will go visit some resorts and mini golf.

When you say it is red which calendar are you using? I'm going to guess Kennys. I think some of the crowds that day is that it is the first day for pop Warner.

Undercover Tourist has AK as the best that day.

Touring Plans has HS a 5 EP & Ak a 6 and MK 7.

Easywdw using reasoning from his past calendars. 6 crowd level overall. Green - HS EP AK Red - MK

I would go where I want except avoid MK.

All crowd calendars are relative (they're a good guide), and you just have to take the info for what it is. What one vacationer calls a 7 may be a 5 to a crowd calendar, but to you it's an 11. So keep that in mind.

I would also look into what outside events are happening around that time (ie Pop Warner and such). I forget off the top of my head if there even is anything at that time. But if there is, you'll have groups everywhere at certain times.

Crowd calendars these days are shots in the dark. Before they were shots in dim lighting, but now it's completely dark. Especially trying to look all the way out to December when July hours and events aren't even finalized and out

Go with the parks you want to go with. Keep an eye on any MVMCP dates and plan around that. Don't let a crowd calendar throw anything off

I agree that the calendars are just a guide, but since your week seems to be busy, I would just plan what works for the family.

Use MVMCP dates to plan MK, and be sure to hit that park at Rope Drop if you go on a party day. If you want to be in MK on a non party night for evening entertainment, temper your expectations because it will be busy. Plan your FP well, and enjoy the energy in the park.

I like the parks the first two weeks in December. The resorts are lovely, and the decorations throughout the parks are really pretty. Since you are DLR vets, why dont you plan the activities throughout WDW that you will not have there. I would spend more time in Epcot and DAK, and while I know that there are changes in DHS< I would not avoid that park. I think that it is in transition now, but it still has a lot to offer. My DD and her family went twice just for the fireworks spectacular. I am not sure what will be offered in December but I would schedule at least one day.

Epcot is pretty darn nice in December. The Holidays around the World are worth at least a day, and Illuminations is special during the Holiday season.

I would book at least one meal on the Boardwalk and use that time there to explore the Epcot resorts. They are decorated beautifully.

Take time to hit the monorail resorts, and Wilderness Lodge and check them out. The Grand and Wilderness Lodge are especially lovely for Christmas. Maybe go to Fort WIlderness and hop a wagon ride one night. It is about $8 a person and what fun!!! The campers go all out decorating their sites, so an evening ride is worth the time, IMO.

Now on to Disney Springs. Holy cow! I will be honest, I am still sad to lose DTD, but my DGD loves DS now that it has "grown up" She could spend hours just walking from shop to shop. It is pretty for the holidays, and last year there was a drone show that was fun. Also a CHristmas Tree Lane to explore.

Don't let the calendars scare you. I bet they reflect POP Warner, and while the value resorts and a few of the moderates will be impacted, the parks may not be as crowded as the calendar suggests.

Getting to any park at opening is the most effective thing to negate the large crowds.

I'm also going during that time. This is what I would do:

Dec 2nd Sat: HS hop to Epcot if you have Park hoppers (or vice versa to see Fantasmic at night) or visit Boardwalk after or Mini golf (both of which are walkable/boat from HS).

Dec 3rd Sun: MK (party day) closes at 6. hop, Pool time, or do
monorail tour afterwards.

Dec 4th Mon: Epcot

Dec 5th Tue: AK

Dec 6 Wed: MK for night time shows

Dec 7: Any

With Christmas parties all non-party days are red on KtP calendar. So you will have to go on red day or miss out on Happily Ever After. Typically Wed is the least crowded of these days.

HS: For Disney fix, Toy Story Midway Mania, meet Woody & Buzz, meet Sorcerer Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, see Beauty & Beast Show, Frozen Sing Along, Olaf. my DH enjoys Indy show, kids love the muppets, See Fantasmic.

Been going to WDW at that time since Dec. 20eet a person 00. Last time Dec 2015. It has been getting a little more crowded each time. Last trip the so called crowd calculators said each day were red days. NONE were even close to right!!!!!!
We always do EMH for mornings and night and haven't experienced hardly any issues. At emh at Epcot we got on Soarin right away with a less then 10 min. wait Then went back and got on again with FP. We also got on test track with minimum wait. Same thing at MK for Buzz, and the rest. At AK am. emh we got right on the safari and then dinosaur with no waits. Then went back and used our FP for them.
At EPCOT at 11 am the paths were quiet, we didn't meet a person from China to the outpost
So don't go by the crowd calcs saying red days were haven't seen that for amost 20 years.
1 thing is that at party days at MK the afternoons right before the party do get busy

I have not once checked a crowd calendar in 20+ trips to Disney, and we have gone during some crazy busy times (Christmas, 4th of July). It's much more about your touring style once you're there - you can control that but you can't control the crowd of a park on any given day so it's pretty irrelevant.

Pick the days that work for your family, you can always pivot while on vacation and your mood changes or you start to narrow in on what you love since it is your first time...

And last.. When we saw it's crowded, we're talking shopping in the mall during prime holiday gift shopping season. Go in expecting black friday crowds. You may see that, but you probably wont but if you plan on it's going to be like it's going to be quiet and not much waiting and you can fit everything in, your going to be miserable. go in for the black friday sale and everything will be ok and you were expecting it so everyone is in a good mind set that your going to get things done at a slower than normal pace..

and I've never used a calendar.. If disney is closing 11pm+, it's a crowded day at that park. I would pick a 9pm close day over an 11pm close day because you'll get the same amount done and have time to hop to a resort or springs for a late dinner not eating up park of your park time because it's a later night. Weekends are more crowded, locals have jobs.. Monday at MK seems to always be stupid crowded for some reason, can't figure that out it used to be the quiet day.. morning emh is great if your rope dropping. Evening emh is nice to park hop to for a few more hours but I wouldn't plan or buy hoppers to do it.