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Here’s what we’re looking at for December 2013:
Click the image to enlarge or click here for a cleaner looking PDF file. If you have no idea what the letters and numbers mean, read the top of this post.
The crowd calendar should look similar to December 2012 because the operating schedule is nearly identical. Despite Disney charging peak season pricing a week earlier than in the past, I’m not expecting peak level crowds until December 21st. Pricing during that week is curious and it will probably coincide with a “Free Dining” promotion or something similar. As I mentioned in the previous post, don’t discount how much busier the non-recommended Parks will be on a given date. We see much more variation in crowd levels when operating hours fluctuate and evening entertainment is less common. In a month like July, where the operating hours are long every day and nighttime entertainment is scheduled every night, there aren’t great fluctuations in crowds from one day to the next. The recommended Parks will still be less busy, but it generally isn’t the night and day difference you see for most of September – December. This phenomenon is due mostly to the Mickey’s Party schedule. In other words, if the overall crowd level quoted is a “4,” that doesn’t mean the least recommended Park is going to be a “4″ on that date. It means that when you add the number of people in the four major theme parks together, the total number is below average. If you think this website’s recommendations are hocus pocus, I would invite you to visit Magic Kingdom on a Monday or Saturday in December and then compare those crowds to a most-recommended Tuesday or Friday.
Beginning December 21st, Disney World sees the heaviest crowds of the year. Magic Kingdom will close to capacity around 11am on several dates and all Parks will be slammed in the afternoon and evening every day. It’s still doable, but touring very early or very late is essential. Check last year’s final schedule to get an idea about what the Park hours will look like when they’re updated around August 16th.
The September Crowd Calendar was updated with the few changes that were released yesterday. There were no changes to the recommendations and only minor changes to the crowd levels on a couple dates.
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Disney made several changes to the September 2013 operating schedule today. You can view the full schedule here. As always, these changes are “official” and will show up at DisneyWorld.com in the coming weeks. Overall, September is the least crowded month of the year – by far. It also sees the shortest hours of operation and the fewest number of changes to the operating schedule. An FAQ follows the list of changes below.
Tuesday June 4:
- Magic Kingdom hours extended to 9am – 12am from 9am – 11pm.
Sunday September 1:
- Hollywood Studios hours extended to 9am – 10pm from 9am – 8:30pm. Second Fantasmic added at 10pm, in addition to 8:30pm Fantasmic.
- Magic Kingdom hours extended to 9am – 12am from 9am – 10pm. Second Main Street Electrical Parade added at 11pm, in addition to 9pm Parade.
Monday September 2:
- Hollywood Studios hours extended to 9am – 10pm from 9am – 8:30pm. Second Fantasmic added at 10pm, in addition to 8:30pm Fantasmic.
Tuesday September 3:
- No changes.
Wednesday September 4:
- No changes.
Thursday September 5:
- No changes.
Friday September 6:
- No changes.
Saturday September 7:
- No changes.
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Disney released the December 2013 operating schedule in the usual location here: http://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_dec.pdf. As always, this is the “official” schedule that will appear on DisneyWorld.com at some point in the next few weeks. Disney tends to update their disneywebcontent.com address earlier because it’s easier to update a text file than it is to update the hunk of junk that is DisneyWorld.com. Also per usual, the current operating hours are conservative and will be lengthened as we get closer to December. Review December 2012′s schedule here to get an idea about what the final schedule will look like.
The first two weeks in December remain very good with relatively low crowds and the Parks/resorts fully decked out for the holiday season. Interestingly, Peak Season on Disney property begins December 13th, which is a full week earlier than usual. Prices jump around 35% between December 12th and 13th, so keep that in mind when planning your trip. My estimation is that pricing is elevated in conjunction with what will most likely be the “Free Dining Plan” promotion, where guests pay full rack rate in order to receive the Disney Dining Plan at no additional cost, rather than because crowds are expected to be elevated.
While crowds during the first two weeks in December are heavier than past years, they’re still below average to average for the most part. The problem most people run into is the Mickey’s Party schedule. When Magic Kingdom is open longer and offers nighttime entertainment during regular hours, it gets completely slammed due to the number of people that avoid the 9am – 7pm Party days. On Party dates, the other Parks are busier because fewer people are headed to Magic Kingdom. Knowing this, you can certainly work that phenomenon to your advantage by visiting Magic Kingdom on a Party day and then going to the other Parks when Magic Kingdom is open from 8am – 1am.
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Monsieur Paul is the recently renovated restaurant on the second floor of the France Pavilion, located directly above Les Chefs de France. If memory serves, the restaurant closed last July and reopened in the middle of December, about three months later than expected.
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It’s been a while since we visited Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of “us,” I get a lot of bizarre emails. This is part of my favorite as of late:
P.S. I’m curious of the use of “we’re” and “our” since it implies relation to the park or working for the company. Just a thought since other aspects of this blog appear more rudimentary so any confusion there may ultimately lead to distrust.
I can assure you that all views present within are the official opinions of the Walt Disney Company and every one of its subsidiaries. You can totes trust me and you will only consume the official line.
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The BoardWalk Bakery reopened on April 27th after closing for a refurbishment back on January 6th. It generally takes Disney 4,000 years to refurbish something as simple as a bathroom door. This may be a record.
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Disney celebrated its 15th Anniversary last Monday. T-shirts and hats are still available. You can still get Epcot 30th Anniversary merchandise for that matter.
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We’ve spent some time at Splitsville in the past, particularly in this post and this post.
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24-Hour Day at Magic Kingdom announcement.
As you’ve undoubtedly heard from 74,000 other places, Disney is hosting another 24-hour day on Friday May 24th. Magic Kingdom will open at 6am on May 24th and continue operating for 24 straight hours, through May 25th at 6am. Disney did the same last year under the “One More Disney Day” banner. That 24-hour day was significantly busier than anyone had predicted. You may remember that this website had a question mark next to Magic Kingdom on the crowd calendar. While it was a lot of fun, Disney was not staffed to handle the crowds, which stayed heavy throughout the night and into the early morning. This year, the date kicks off the “Monstrous Summer” campaign and falls on the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. I’m expecting crowds to be similarly heavy this year, but Disney should be better equipped to handle the crowds. On the crowd calendar, Magic Kingdom moves from being “Recommended” on Friday to “Not Recommended.” Magic Kingdom is now recommended on Saturday the 25th instead. Crowds should be lean during the day on Friday. We can expect a lot of people to spend the morning/afternoon at work or at Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends before moving over to Magic Kingdom in the evening. The novelty is really being at the Park at 4am rather than 3pm. You can still make Magic Kingdom work on Friday if you’ve already planned it – just be aware that crowds will be thicker in the evening.
In addition, Hollywood Studios will be hosting a Limited Time Magic event on May 4th. You may have noticed Disney changed the operating hours to 9am – 12am a few weeks ago. Now we officially know why. The Studios was already not recommended and will remain not recommended on the 4th, but you may want to take a look at the event and see if it’s worth battling the crowds in order to take advantage of the festivities. The Studios typically only offers fireworks on two or three nights a year.
Finally, after years of rumors, Disney announced a new daytime parade will be arriving in 2014. Dubbed “Festival of Fantasy,” the art looks impressive.
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