First week of December Confusion?!?

[disneyfan328]

In reading through various posts it seems that there are contradictions as to what exactly goes on the first week of December so can anyone clarify or tell me where I can find the info?

Is the parade taping the first weekend in December (sat & sun the 7th & 8th) or is it Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th?

Does the cheer/dance compeition affect the parks and when does that start this year? I have seen dates ranging from the 4-9th.

Pop Warner football? what/when is this and does it affect the parks?

Basically we will be there from Dec 2nd - 9th and we are trying to decide when/how to tackle the parks and if we should do the MVMCP. I would like to try it and I've narrowed it down to 2 days either Tuesday the 3rd or Thursday the 5th. I am worried about tuesday thinking that maybe the thanksgiving crowds will rollover to the begining of the week and that day will be crowded. Would we be better doing it on the 5th?

I see that people are saying its no longer a good time to go and that its very crowded but we looked at the 2nd and 3rd week and there weren't as good of deals for the resorts and the airfare was considerably higher so I am just wondering what to expect for that week in general. any & all help is appreciated.

[MickeysBestPal]

In reading through various posts it seems that there are contradictions as to what exactly goes on the first week of December so can anyone clarify or tell me where I can find the info?

1- Is the parade taping the first weekend in December (sat & sun the 7th & 8th) or is it Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th?

2- Does the cheer/dance compeition affect the parks and when does that start this year? I have seen dates ranging from the 4-9th.

3- Pop Warner football? what/when is this and does it affect the parks?

Basically we will be there from Dec 2nd - 9th and we are trying to decide when/how to tackle the parks and if we should do the MVMCP.

4- I would like to try it and I've narrowed it down to 2 days either Tuesday the 3rd or Thursday the 5th.

5- I am worried about tuesday thinking that maybe the thanksgiving crowds will rollover to the begining of the week and that day will be crowded. Would we be better doing it on the 5th?

6- I see that people are saying its no longer a good time to go and that its very crowded but we looked at the 2nd and 3rd week and there weren't as good of deals for the resorts and the airfare was considerably higher so I am just wondering what to expect for that week in general. any & all help is appreciated.

1- It will be primarily Fri-Sat, Dec. 6-7.
There have been times when they have started on Thu.
Also, Sunday is held in reserve and used if there is a problem (weather and/or technical) on a previous day.

2- Parks see little affect.

3- In 2013, December 7 - 14, at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Parks see little affect, except for later at night.
And, DHS will close one hour early (at 7PM) on Wed. Dec. 11 for a
private Pop Warner Party.

4- Either date will be fine (and comparable.)

5- Take your pick of either date. You can over-think these things.

6- People say all kinds of things.
Just go... and have a great trip!

[Strmchsr]

To answer your other questions - Pop Warner and the cheerleading competition starts on Saturday, Dec 7. Some teams will arrive earlier. There's not usually a huge impact on the parks from that, but there's definitely a huge impact on the value resorts and either POR or CBR depending on which mod is on their list.

Your question about the parade taping dates was answered but I'll just add that usually they do the music on Friday, which only ties up the hub and stage in front of the castle, then the parade is taped Saturday which fouls up Main St.

Yeah, the crowds the week after Thanksgiving are a lot bigger than they used to be. I guess all those years of Birnbaum's and other guides posting that week to be the "least" crowded of the year now has everyone going that week. But even though it's a lot more crowded than it used to be, it's still not too horrible. Just be prepared to use fastpass and have a plan for what's most important for you.

[disneyfan328]

Yeah, the crowds the week after Thanksgiving are a lot bigger than they used to be. I guess all those years of Birnbaum's and other guides posting that week to be the "least" crowded of the year now has everyone going that week. But even though it's a lot more crowded than it used to be, it's still not too horrible. Just be prepared to use fastpass and have a plan for what's most important for you.

I know this is going to be a hard question to answer because its all about perception but what is the first week in december (as it is now with the increase in popularity) crowd wise as compared to the times of year my family has been in the past?
We have been the following times

The last week of Septebmer - crowds & lines were pretty light for most things - even walk on to some things.

The first week in May - flower & garden festival - crowds were moderate - lots of lines and parades/fireworks were very crowded unless you got a spot 45 mins to an hour out

The first week in January - value resorts were insanely crowded with South Americans (brazil ect) the parks were more crowded than late September - probably about the same as in May but I must say that we dealt with a lot more "rude" people during this time of year.

We also went in march but that was in 1997 before a lot of the newer attractions and such were there and I honestly can't remember what the crowds were like.

We are already booked and paid for so its not like I can move the trip regardless but I just want to know what to expect.
Is it worth it to do the MVMCP? There are 4 of us so its about $260.00 total. We have never done any of the hard ticket events or parties so we really have no idea what to expect.

As an added note - We are staying at all star movies - we always stay at the Values except for our September trip which we stayed at POR. We prefer the in your face animation of disney which is the value resorts. We really are only at the resort to sleep, shower and for breakfast or a late dinner in the food court.

[Strmchsr]

I would compare that first week of December to your experience in early May.

As for MVMCP it's really up to you. I don't find it worth the current prices. You're basically paying for the parade and fireworks. There's not much else you can't experience the rest of the time. The MNSSHP is definitely a much better party and even it is getting to the point I'm not willing to pay any longer. Most folks will say experience the MVMCP at least once, and that's probably a good idea, but i just don't think it's worth that much money for parade and fireworks.