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r/WaltDisneyWorld•
engineercat

December tips?

Planning

Hi guys!! Long time lurker here

I’m super excited as I’m going for my first visit next week :) I think I have most of the bases covered (ADR & fast passes booked, magic bands purchased & linked (we’re staying offsite)), but I was still wondering if there’s anything else I should keep in mind... there are two things I am mostly worried about: weather and December crowds. Do you guys have any tips in regards to this? Would it be a good idea to take disposable ponchos even if there’s low chance of rain? How do you structure your layers to keep warm? Is Uber the easiest way to park hop? I have so many questions !!

Posted Dec 14, 2018, 4:07 PM UTC

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buzzlightyear1987•

Pack all sorts of clothes!!!

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engineercatOP•

Do you mean have a pair of shorts AND a parka in your backpack ? jk jk 😜

2
Tuilere•

yes

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itzyagirl69•

First timer here - on my fifth and last day at WDW and it’s been great! Currently riding this while waiting for ride so excuse if this is too long or I have some errors..

I researched a lot before but found it can never prep you for real time. I came this week which was supposed to be a low level crowd according to crowd calendars I found online, which I’m sure it’s low level compared to the rest of the year but you can still expect long wait times for the more popular rides. Hopefully you got fast passes for the rides you most want to ride, otherwise rope dropping is great to knock them all out. I can only imagine it getting more crowded next week as finals end and kids start getting on break.

As for clothes, it was super cold our first couple of days so I’ve just been wearing the same thing as I had brought half a suit case of warm weather clothing - ha! The weather seriously changes here everyday so no weather forecast before the trip really helps. I’ve been wearing leggings and tennis shoes everyday, with a t shirt and light zip up for warmer days, or a denim jacket (and zip up some nights) for the colder days. I ended up buying a blanket and it helped a lot at night because it got really cold and thankfully will be a great souvenir. We’ve been here for almost a week and have seen rain twice. Our first day was bad but stopped by 2pm, and today it’s a light rain. I brought a light rain jacket which was totally fine for both days. Just gotta brave it or find indoor rides/entertainment/dining until it’s over. A poncho might even be lighter to pack than a rain jacket, but I’ve been OK with light rainjacket/jacket because it helps if it’s cooler temp and can I just wear it around my waist instead of lugging around a poncho.

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engineercatOP•

Thanks for your response!! Do you find that the blanket is very cumbersome to carry around? I’m considering getting one from Amazon but wonder if I’ll be overloading my backpack. Also, did you find less people at the parks when it was raining ?

1
itzyagirl69•

Sorry for long answer, I’m probably rambling but it’s all so fresh in my head and hoping to help - The Disney blanket we bought was kind of thin so it was easy to wear around and it was thin enough that we tied it around our backpack! So depends how heavy/thick the one you get is and how much of a tolerance you have for carrying it around/being tied around your bag. A blanket on the medium side is probably all you’ll need. We brought it one day when we didn’t need it for warmth but I used it as a towel on splash mountain so it paid off - ha! Today was weird because it was rainy and cloudy but pretty warm... it was so strange because our first three days were freezing so you might just need to pack for all weather and keep checking the forecast before you leave your hotel that day.

I think there are many factors about rain and crowds - such as what park, if there is a MVMCP at MK, etc. For example, we went to MK yesterday for the day and did MVMCP and it seemed pretty crowded throughout the day and night even though it was a party day. Today we stopped by MK for lunch and it was raining consistently throughout the morning/afternoon, and MK was not busy at all compared to the other times we went. Seemed strange considering it was a Friday, but not able to confirm if the Christmas party was as packed either.

From 10-2 we were at Hollywood studios with a consistently light rain and the waits were still long for all the good rides. In addition though, whatever reason, not sure if this happens a lot but the rock n roller coaster was temporarily closed so all the waits for the few good rides left were still long.

We found that with rain some rides might not be working, or not as popular which also can make waits longer for the more popular rides, especially at the smaller parks. Important to note at Epcot that Test Track closes when it rains so the all the other rides had super long waits and we never got the chance to ride it :(

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stitchadventurer•

For park hopping, depending on which park you're hopping to, you don't have to use Uber all the time (unless you're traveling to and from AK). If you park hop between Hollywood Studios and Epcot, they have free friendship boats which is about 20-25min travel time between the two parks. There are 3 stops, however, it's great to relax on the boat when you need a small break without spending $$ on uber/lyft. If you want to hop between MK and EP, take the monorail back to the TTC and go to the either of the two parks you want.

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engineercatOP•

Great tip about the boats, I didn’t know they were free! Are there usually enough boats to fill demand or do you have to wait a while to get one?

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stitchadventurer•

No problem! Hmm I think it depends on the time of day. Usually there's two boats running, going in opposite directions, but there's plenty of space. If there's no seats, people tend to stand around by the seats like a bus or subway. Most times, I've seen them fit everyone that's waiting in line in one boat so from time to time, if you go at the right time, the boat might already be waiting there for you. The longest I waited for the boat was about 20minutes and that was around 1ish from HS to EP. On one of our "expected" busy days, my friend went from EP to HS back to EP for a popcorn bucket around 2pm. It took her 1h30m to do all that. So I think it just depends on crowd/time of day.

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buzzlightyear1987•

Yup!!!

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Rhamona_Q:HMBride:•

We just got back from our first visit a little over a week ago :) We packed layers of those 32 Degrees long sleeve shirts and leggings that you can get at Costco, to wear under jeans and t-shirts or button-up shirts. The under layers can be removed in the bathroom if it gets warm, and they roll up pretty small to be shoved in the bottom of a backpack until needed later in the evening (lows averaged 40-45). We also had a couple pairs of shorts to swap in as needed. Our trip was mostly highs of 60-70 on the clear days, and up to 84 on the rainy days. Lows averaged 40-45... I was glad to have brought a beanie and a pair of gloves for the mornings and late nights. We planned to do laundry at our hotel on our "break" day mid-trip, so we were able to get away with packing less clothes overall, but with more variety.

We took hooded rain jackets that we already owned, instead of disposable ponchos. We had one day with sporadic but heavy showers (we would have been drenched without the jackets), and one day with mild showers (we would have dried off in between just fine). I feel like the rain jackets breathed better than a plastic poncho. We also had a set of lightweight water shoes/sandals with us for those days so our regular shoes didn't get sopping wet and stinky.

I can't speak to Uber as we stayed on site and had a scooter, so we used the bus system to get around. We could have used Minnie Lyft also but we didn't want to spend the $20 each way.

We purposely went right after Thanksgiving/first week of December to avoid Christmas crowds. But I've done Disneyland in massive crowds, and my best advice is to just be flexible with your plans. Decide ahead of time what everyone's top 3 priorities are, do what you can, and then anything else is a bonus.

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engineercatOP•

That seems like a huge temperature variability!! I’m thinking of getting some heattech layers from the Uniqlo in Disney Springs in case things get too cold. Btw, compared to Disneyland how did you find the crowds? I went this October and thought it was crazy! We had a good time due to Fastpass and mobile ordering but walking around was certainly uncomfortable. I remember it took us an hour just to get through security. My friend says that due to the extra space in MK it isn’t as noticeable but I wonder if there’s any truth to that.

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Rhamona_Q:HMBride:•

It definitely felt more spaced out compared to Disneyland. The walkways are a lot wider, and there's way more nooks and crannies to sit down and chill at. The flip side to that is it feels like you have to walk for miles between stuff ;)

Our crowds at WDW were manageable. Again, we purposely scheduled our trip for a time when it was supposed to be low crowds. I think our Hollywood day was the most "packed" feeling day, but I wonder if that's partly due to their layout. It's not "circular" as the other parks are, more of a twisted x shape. Like, there are paths to stuff and then they end, so to get out you have to go back the way you came. Kinda weird. Maybe that will get alleviated some once Star Wars opens? I don't know.

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puttysan:Gargoyle:•

Weather: you won't know the weather until a few days before, and our winters can vary greatly. Earlier this week it was 42 degrees in the morning. Today it's 70 and pouring rain. Next week might be back up to 80. In the winter, a 0% chance of rain is pretty definite ponchos won't be needed. We usually toss them in the trunk and look at the weather once we're parked to decide.

Layering is up to your personal tolerances. I rarely need more than jeans, a tshirt, and a hoodie, and I'm a thin- blooded Floridian. You'll be moving around a lot, which helps keep you warm.

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engineercatOP•

Thanks!!! We live in Arizona so we’re pretty thin blooded ourselves. I think a hoodie will be certainly necessary :)

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puttysan:Gargoyle:•

Necessary to bring, but maybe not to wear. Last week we were at MK until closing and never needed jackets.

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findthewarmspot•

Honestly, pack your patience. It will be crowded. You will have to wait in lines.

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