November or December for a Christmas trip? Plus Resort question

[pixiedust33]

Help me decide between November and December for our 2025 trip with our (then) 4 year old! In brief, I want to go for the purpose of seeing Christmas decorations at the parks (plus all the usual Disney stuff), but also want to minimize crowds, so I'm debating first or second week of November versus first week of December. I'm seeing conflicting information online about when I can count on Christmas decorations being up - can anyone who went in the last couple of years in November report in on level of decorations? And crowd levels? Ride overlays would be cool and I'm tempted by the "FULL CHRISTMAS" that I think the first week of December would guarantee, but willing to trade some of that for lower crowds if early November is noticeably less crowded than early December. I think my top 3 Christmas things I want to do are: 1) see the tree and Main Street decorations at MK and decorations at HS, 2) have my son meet Santa, and 3) Hollywood and Vine christmas character meal. We most likely won't be doing the MVMCP because it's past bedtime.

My secondary question is focused on the resorts - does anyone know when Wilderness Lodge decorations typically go up? I think that's my first choice for a Christmas-time stay, but would also definitely want the decorations up if we stay there and I've read the resorts come later than the parks. And can anyone speak to the noise level at Wilderness Lodge from fireworks, or any of the other MK-area resorts? I do want to stay MK-area, but we stayed at the Poly last trip and, while we absolutely loved it, the fireworks were very loud in the Tokelau building and my son couldn't sleep through them, even with white noise. It's not a huge issue at 8pm, as he just stayed up a bit later, but I understand the MVMCP has a later 10pm fireworks, and that would be a bigger issue for us, I think. So, if anyone could compare fireworks noise at WL or any other MK-area resorts against the Poly, I would be very interested to hear!

ETA: After some further research, I will make this more specific by saying the debate is specifically between November 16-21 versus Dec 7-12. Both dates look similar on crowd calendars and would avoid event spikes (runDisney, Jersey Week, Veteran's day, Thanksgiving, Christmas) and would likely be a Sunday to Friday trip.

 

[sponica]

I don't remember the fireworks at WL but I do remember the electric pageant, that was worse. It could be that we were facing the water dead on from our room (5069). Normally it wouldn't have bothered me, but we had gotten up early that morning to disembark the Wish and we were leaving early the next morning to go to the airport and all I wanted to do was sleep.

ETA: Whatever week in November is Jersey week, you want to avoid....unless you want to be on vacation with the entire state of NJ.

 

[WinterSolider]

Christmas in November feels weird to me, just like Halloween in August. The vibes aren't going to be quite right until after Thanksgiving.

 

[CarolynFH]

I'm seeing conflicting information online about when I can count on Christmas decorations being up - can anyone who went in the last couple of years in November report in on level of decorations?

There's a lottery each year that determines when each resort is decorated, so it's unknown now whether WL will be decorated early or later. This thread will give you the decoration schedule from last year - https://www.disboards.com/threads/🎄...read-all-resorts-are-now-decorated-🎄.3932476/.

 

[pixiedust33]

There's a lottery each year that determines when each resort is decorated, so it's unknown now whether WL will be decorated early or later. This thread will give you the decoration schedule from last year - https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-official-holiday-decorations-at-disney-resorts-thread-all-resorts-are-now-decorated-.3932476/.

Oh this is fascinating! I had no idea. What a weird approach. Thank you for sharing! Looks like we would have been out of luck with decoration in early November 3 of the last 5 years at WL so those odds aren't great!

 

[pinkxray]

We typically travel the week after Thanksgiving or the week of Nov. 9 for our anniversary. The week after Thanksgiving feels much more Christmasy to me. When we go towards the beginning of Nov. the Xmas decorations are just starting to go up. Some resorts have them, some don’t. Main Street in MK looks good since they need to be ready for the Xmas parties.

I prefer going after Thanksgiving. Festival of the Holidays starts after that. We enjoy both weeks but if I’m going for the full Xmas experience I’m picking anytime after Thanksgiving.

We have stayed at WL our last two trips starting the day after Thanksgiving. Love it so much! Nothing beats WL with the Xmas tree. We have never heard any noise from the fireworks that I can remember. We just stayed at Bay Lake Tower and could hear the fireworks every night, felt like loud thunder storms. We had nothing like that at WL.


Since we like to be there around Nov. 9 we have been down at Jersey Week a few times. It is crowded. Looks like Jersey week and Veterans Day happen the same week this year, so might be busy. Have you thought about the week before Thanksgiving? People tend not to pull their kids out of school the week before a holiday week so just from watching the last few years this seems like a good option. Might have more decor up too.

The week of Dec. is one of the most popular times for DVC members to go, so that week is never slow either. We have had great trips any time we have been in Nov. or Dec. so I would just pick based on how much you want to see the full Xmas decor.

 

[pixiedust33]

I don't remember the fireworks at WL but I do remember the electric pageant, that was worse. It could be that we were facing the water dead on from our room (5069). Normally it wouldn't have bothered me, but we had gotten up early that morning to disembark the Wish and we were leaving early the next morning to go to the airport and all I wanted to do was sleep.

ETA: Whatever week in November is Jersey week, you want to avoid....unless you want to be on vacation with the entire state of NJ.

Yes, thank you! We live in NJ and Jersey week is definitely on my radar! Might be us when my son gets older by necessity, but I will go off-peak as long as we can get away with it!

 

[sparrow10_]

We typically travel the week after Thanksgiving or the week of Nov. 9 for our anniversary. The week after Thanksgiving feels much more Christmasy to me. When we go towards the beginning of Nov. the Xmas decorations are just starting to go up. Some resorts have them, some don’t. Main Street in MK looks good since they need to be ready for the Xmas parties.

I prefer going after Thanksgiving. Festival of the Holidays starts after that. We enjoy both weeks but if I’m going for the full Xmas experience I’m picking anytime after Thanksgiving.

Unrelated, but how is the week after thanksgiving in terms of crowds?

 

[pinkxray]

Unrelated, but how is the week after thanksgiving in terms of crowds?

We always find it a great time to go. The only thing we have come across is Epcot is very busy that weekend since the Festival of the Holidays start. We tend to avoid Epcot on weekends anyway so we avoid that.

 

[sponica]

Yes, thank you! We live in NJ and Jersey week is definitely on my radar! Might be us when my son gets older by necessity, but I will go off-peak as long as we can get away with it!

Oddly enough my youngest who is the lightest sleeper in the world, wasn't bothered by the fireworks in Tuvalu when we stayed at the Poly in April 2022 but I can't remember if she was asleep by then or not....

 

[pixiedust33]

Christmas in November feels weird to me, just like Halloween in August. The vibes aren't going to be quite right until after Thanksgiving.

I respect but disagree with this opinion! LOL. I used to be a firm "no christmas before thanksgiving person" but then we lived in the UK for a few years where there is no Thanksgiving to hold it back, and now I feel like one month is not enough time to dedicate to my favorite holiday so our decorations around here go up early November But it seems like Disney may agree with you and I can't count on the full Christmas vibe until post-Thanksgiving so that's where I'm now leaning!

 

[pixiedust33]

Have you thought about the week before Thanksgiving? People tend not to pull their kids out of school the week before a holiday week so just from watching the last few years this seems like a good option. Might have more decor up too.

This thread has already convinced me that early November will not get us what we want, so I think I'm now debating November 16-21 (the week before Thanksgiving, which is on the 27th this year) versus Dec 7-12.

 

[Skippyboo]

Other than some Christmas lights in Living with the Land, WDW doesn’t really have any ride overlays like they do in Disneyland. I would go after Thanksgiving so you get the Festival of the Holidays at Epcot including the candlelight procession. That doesn’t start until Black Friday.

 

[pixiedust33]

Other than some Christmas lights in Living with the Land, WDW doesn’t really have any ride overlays like they do in Disneyland. I would go after Thanksgiving so you get the Festival of the Holidays at Epcot including the candlelight procession. That doesn’t start until Black Friday.

I have heard about "Jingle Cruise", a different Monsters, Inc show, a change in lights and music for Space Mountain, Tea Cups, and GoG, and lights and decorations on Tomorrowland Speedway. But it's also unclear to me if that's only available at the Christmas party. Is that what you mean - that it won't be available during the day? I'm also not sure it's worth planning a trip around some minor changes though, so I'm also not sold on necessarily planning a trip around this.

I need to read more about the candlelight processional - very confused on what it is. I heard Neil Patrick Harris was narrating some of them last year, or the year before, but still don't know what it actually is haha

 

[Skippyboo]

Jingle cruise is just some decorations in the queue. Nothing like Disneyland haunted mansion where it becomes Nightmare Before Christmas. Nothing is dramatic as that in WDW

Guardians was just changing the song for a Christmas song which they didn’t bother to do last Christmas.

 

[pixiedust33]

Jingle cruise is just some decorations in the queue. Nothing like Disneyland haunted mansion where it becomes Nightmare Before Christmas. Nothing is dramatic as that in WDW

Guardians was just changing the song for a Christmas song which they didn’t bother to do last Christmas.

Ok got it! So sounds like you agree it's not something worth planning a trip around? I've never been to Disneyland to have that to compare it to, but a Nightmare before Christmas Haunted Mansion sounds amazing!! You do recommend the candlelight processional though? My last few trips to Disney have all been at festival times, and I love the booths, so festival of the holidays does sound appealing.

 

[Skippyboo]

If you have not seen it before, candlelight procession is definitely something you should do once. They have dining packages for it that guarantees you a seat like they do with Fantasmic in HS.

It’s a celebrity narrator telling the nativity story with an orchestra and choir.

 

[CarolynFH]

Unrelated, but how is the week after thanksgiving in terms of crowds?

Historically, that’s one of the least crowded times in the parks. Schools aren’t out, the weather’s nice, hotel rates are lower. That’s why it’s one of the most popular times for DVC members to go!

Something you can do is to compare the ticket prices for the two weeks on the WDW website. Lower ticket prices usually indicate lower expected attendance.

However, the truth is there are no more slow times in the parks, just less busy times!

 

[Specter]

FWIW, my family has been in November and December. Historically they do not finish putting up the Christmas decorations until the week of Thanksgiving. There is a lot that is already put up but that is when everything is fully decorated, if that matters to you.

Of particular note, we stayed at AKL the week of Thanksgiving in 2022, arriving late at night the Thursday prior, and I think it was the day before Thanksgiving, almost a week into our trip, when the resort tree was put up. Everything else still looked great, it just depends on when your particular resort is scheduled for the makeover.

 

[yorkieteacher]

We arrived December 2 ,2023 , for our stay in Wilderness Lodge. By then, everything everywhere was decorated, Including the campsites at Ft. Wilderness. One of our favorite activities was taking the boat over to Ft.Wilderness for the “sleigh” rides through the elaborately decorated campground. And the horse barn! Beautiful! Don’t miss this activity! And I agree with Candlelight Processional being a don’t miss. We lucked up and had John Stamos for our narrator.