Christmas at WDW

MK is decorated for Christmas first because there is usually a week between the last Halloween party and the first Christmas party. Then rest of the parks and resorts get decorated after Thanksgiving, also the Christmas Tree for Magic Kingdom doesn't get put up until after the first or second of December after they film the Christmas Day parade for Abc.

Robyn, that sounds like a GREAT time to go. You'll catch F&W *and* the Christmas stuff. We went November 11 - 18, 2012 and got to see the almost complete Christmas decorations. The resorts were still getting decorated when we left. Disney cuts over from Halloween to Christmas VERY fast.

We went to the MVMCP on November 13th. We also saw the Osborne lights which were amazing. The castle is something you just have to see in person. Absolutely beautiful!

A lot of Christmas will be up before Christmas but not all of it. When we checked in the day after Thanksgiving two years ago the Contemporary was still decorating. I do not believe the candlelight processional starts till after Thanksgiving either. So, although you will get to see a good deal of the Christmas decorations you will miss some of it.

From my experience, there is a lot to see the week before Thanksgiving. All the parks are decorated. MVMCP will be going on and the Osborne Lights are up. Epcot is decorated after F&W ends. It's cool to see the transformation during the week. A lot of decorations are up at the resorts. They may not be fully decorated but I have seen a lot. You go to bed one night and the next morning the tree is up in the resort lobby. The ginger bread decorations are amazing. I watched them building the carousel at the Beach Club one year.

One thing I have missed and would like to see is the Candlelight Processional. As Scrappy said, it doesn't start until after Thanksgiving.

Candle light processional was a big favorite of ours.

November and December is our absolute favorite time to visit WDW because we love the weather. We live in Florida year round and I LOVE the few days a year it's actually cool! We go at least two weekends each month, more if we can swing it. It is usually in the low 70's or sometimes high 60's during the day, but always very sunny so it feels warmer. The nights do get chilly though, and sometimes quite cold. It's typically in the high 50's-low 60's at night, but it does get colder sometimes.

We were there for 5 days Thanksgiving week 2013 and we'll be there the same time for five days this Thanksgiving too. It can get pretty cold here at night during November and December. Last year, Thanksgiving was one of the coldest days we had all year. I believe it got as low as 39 degrees, which only happens a few days a year here. I had a heavy hoodie, gloves and a scarf and I was COLD, and I never get cold! Bring a light jacket for the afternoon/early evening and a heavy coat, scarf and gloves for the nights, because you may need them.

We were there November 30-December 10 last year. As Annie said, it was chilly around Thanksgiving last year. We arrived the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it was very cool that evening at Top of the World Lounge. As the days went on though, it warmed back up quickly. We had several days near the end of our trip that were nearly 90 degrees. Meanwhile, it was snowing back at home! In 2003, we went the week between Christmas and New Year's (don't do it) and it was in the upper 80's all week. This year we went in April and we had two days that were downright cold. You never know what you'll hit weather-wise, but for those of us up north, Florida temps are typically a welcome relief from the sub-zeros at home!!

Our can't miss Christmas list was Holidays Around the World at EPCOT (I believe this starts the day after Thanksgiving), Osbourne Lights, MVMCP, and the Gingerbread displays at Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, & Boardwalk, and driving to all of the resorts to see the decorations!

Christmas is my favorite time at Disney so far. We found the weekends to be fairly crowded, but mid-week was super slow. There is a Pop-Warner football and cheerleading thing going on in mid-December and we hit the beginning of it since we were there for 11 days. Touring Plans just put out an article today that referenced the Pop-Warner thing as being "not a factor" in crowd level. I disagree. There were cheerleaders everywhere! and they seemed to like to move around in large, very obnoxious groups chanting & clapping loudly and walking like 63-people across. Of course because they are athletic groups, some of them are traveling with a whole crew of kids and only a handful of chaperones. There's not really a way to miss Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Pop-Warner thing but still go for 3 weeks near Christmas and see all of the holiday splendor. Just be aware that some of the groups may be a nuisance for a few days during your trip.

I've frequented about 6 years in a row the day after Thanksgiving and stayed a week. It is warm enough in the day to wear shorts, but chilly enough at night for pants. At least one water park is open and I have visited pools during this time.

After Thanksgiving, all of the Christmas decor is up! It is such a wonderful time to visit!

This was the deciding factor for us in picking our dates for next year. We were thinking mid-November but seeing the Candelight Processional on our first Christmas trip was a must for us so we're doing the first week in December 2015.

My absolute favourite time to visit Florida and specifically Disney is the first two weeks in December. We have been many times at this time of year. Although the Xmas decorations were up in November, I found it really hard to feel Christmassy, even at the Osborne lights. It is normally quiet but by the weekend before Christmas the crowds are notably higher. It can be very cold or super Florida sunshine, so you need to take more variety of clothes. The parks tend to close very early, so you have to find other things to do in the evenings like DTD, dining in resorts, cinema etc. we never had any problems with Pop Warner week.

When we go in December, we like to take a few days in Key West in the Florida Keys. The weather is beautiful and we love the lighted boat parade. The Gardens hotel is our favourite but not cheap. I have also stayed in the Key Lime Inn which was nice but more moderately priced. We have driven and flown to Key West. It is my favourite place in the whole world (except for Disney of course!) I would love to be in blue heaven sipping a rum runner right now!

I've never visited the World "at" Christmas time, though have been many, many times for Thanksgiving and found the crowds to be lesser and the weather much more pleasant than in the dead of summer that's for sure.

As already mentioned, the parks at times do close earlier than usual, though it was not tat big of a deal to us.

All the decorations were up each visit and I really enjoyed seeing the parks "dressed" for Christmas.

I've been the first week of December as well and found the crowds to be light and the weather beautiful. I agree with Eeyore - take both shorts and pants. I highly recommend listening to the story tellers in Epcot as well as going to the Candlelight Processional. How great that you will start the holiday season in Disney!

A friendly reminder to everyone about Magic Kingdom Christmas decorations. The garland that would line Main Street will not be returning this year or the years in the near future. Not sure if they have something else planned to replace them.

Is that due to the new parade and the tall dragon? I know I have read it before but I forgot.

I love holidays in The World too. I am always so bummed when I have to come home a day or two after Thanksgiving - just when the Christmas stuff is in full swing. I played hooky on the Monday after this past year to stay for the MVMCP on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

What?? It's a staple piece in the MK at Christmas!!! That is sad...

That's what I had read also Doc, due to the new parade floats being so big.

I also read it was not only because the floats were so big, but also because the Maleficent dragon is so large and breaths fire, the garland becomes a fire hazard.

It's due to the Festival of Fantasy parade because the most of the floats are really tall. Also Maleficent breathing fire also makes sense now.

Am I right on this--I think I remember that last year the garland was up when we arrived on November 30, taken down for 2 days for Christmas parade taping, and put back up.

I remember for sure that a stack of gifts was added above the Confectionary during parade taping and removed when taping concluded. I thought that was weird because the display really added to the overall look and feel of Main Street. I wish they had left it up!