Given a choice....

[marivigi]

Would you go during a Peak/holiday season or prefer a value season??


I think both have positives and negatives, here's what I think:


Peak/Holiday
+ Almost all attractions are open
+ Special events like MVMCP

- Crowds
- Cost

Value
+ less people, can many times walk right onto rides
+ accomodation is cheaper
+ easier to get PSs

- Some attractions are only seasonally open
- No special events
- lots of refurbishments

Whats your opinion???

[Whitequeen]

I'm doing something I said I'd never do. Going to WDW at Christmas/New Year. the busiest time of the year. :unsure:

I would prefer to go the 1st 2 weeks of Dec. but the kids schooling doesn't allow me to do that this time. :(
I'm trying to look at it positively. I know it's going to be shoulder to shoulder but I've never seen crowded, so I have no pictures in my head.
I'm planning accordingly and have cut back our WDW park visits drastically. :(
I fully expect to take an Itinarary and rip it up within the first week! :shrug:

So I suppose the answer to your question from me would be. No, I wouldn't choose to go at that time, but it's better than not going at all. :D

[MPHARJ]

I always thought it would be neat to surprise the kids with a trip at Christmas, however we have seen most of the decorations with our November trips. I prefer the quieter times of the year. I enjoy being able to stroll right onto the rides. I like being able to accomplish a lot in one day, so we have time later in our trip to redo what we enjoy the most. I usually only get a week trip at a time, so I have to use the time well. :wink:

[JuniorMickey]

Go early december and you get the best of both worlds. October is "regular" season and you get the food and wine festival and MNNSHP

[Nikdimps]

I prefer to go at the slowest time of the year. You don't have to deal with the crowds. The lines are shorter and you don't feel like you have to rush around to try to fit everything in on time. I have been at peak and non peak times. Granted not all of the rides are operating but if you have been before, do you really need to ride ALL the rides and DO EVERYTHING??


Nik :wiggle:

[Isafari]

Our first visit was so quiet......walk ons, no crowds at all.....that was January 3rd - 17th 2003.

Second visit, we wanted to spend more time in Florida and the only way we could do that was to have part of the peak time in our holiday. It was manic :eek: We went December 27th - January 16th. The first week was like crowds coming out of a football match. We didn't go on many rides but we still got to see the shows. I thought it was terrible that you had to 'grab' a spot for a parade and to watch any show long before it started. I had been spoilt with the first trip :sigh: New Years Eve was spent at MK (we knew it would be crowded but wanted to get the atmosphere and excitement :D )....it took us nearly three hours to get out of the park that night :wacko:
However, the second half of the holiday we were back to walk ons and turning up for a show just a couple of minutes before it started.

What was the question again :confused: :lol:

Would you go during a Peak/holiday season or prefer a value season??
I much prefer the value season....we got to see a lot more and the lack of people made it much more enjoyable :thumbs:

Oh...........we are going part peak this next visit but only to get the extra holiday time :blush: oh...and to see the Xmas shows :blush:

[lisaw]

We have only ever been low season which I love because it is so quiet and we have been lucky enough never to experience too much in the way of closures or refurbs but after this trip we are going to have to go school holiday time :eek: As I will not go in August our options will be Christmas or Easter :wacko: I expect we will choose Christmas as if both are as busy as each other I will go for atmosphere :)

[Cinderella]

Mari - keep in mind that during the Christmas season the special shows / parades that are shown during MVMCP are shown during the regular park hours.

MVMCP usually ends on December 17 or 19

If you can arrive during the last day of the value season in December you will get the value season rate for the whole time.

If you are going to enjoy just being there during the holiday season and won't mind not getting on rides, I say go. But if you are planning on going on a lot of the rides then the holiday season will be stressful.

I agree that October is a nice time in the beginning of the month. Nice weather and MNSSHP

[ukwdwnut]

we will be sticking to last 2 weeks in october, so am i right in thinking thats low season?

[Cinderella]

we will be sticking to last 2 weeks in october, so am i right in thinking thats low season?

That is considered regular season. Value season ends on October 4 in 2005 and restarts back up on November 27th

[TimonAndPumba]

We've only ever been during the busy July-August period so have nothing to compare it to.

There were a lot of people around, however we didn't find this to be a problem for us. The waiting around for transport and in queues didn't bother us; we were too excited and filled the time by chatting about what we'll do next! :D

It would be nice to go at less crowed time, however we're not sure how we'd feel about forsaking a few rides for the lesser crowds :shrug: Understandably we realise all cannot be done, but if there was a ride or two we were really looking forward to and found it closed for rehab, I think we'd be rather disapointed.

... we're off again at the end of August next time, which I've been told is a little less busier than end of July - begining of August? Hopefully we don't have our fave rides closed :fingers:

[american idol]

value period no question- most seasonal rides i've seen and are not the headliners like Space mountain etc so it doesn't bother me too much. The lack of crowds is what attracts me.

[Deb]

I always choose to go at low or regular season - I particularly like October. I don't think I could stand the high crowds and queues - they are things that particularly annoy me and I think they would spoil my fun. As I always intend to go back there at some point in the future, if anything is closed for rehab then I tell myself I'll catch it next time.

But, if I had kids and couldn't take them out of school, I'd obviously rather go high season than not at all!

[Goofy Girl]

Personally, I prefer the quieter times. It's great to be able to just walk onto the rides with very little queuing (great when you have young kids!). Also, it's nice to be able to stroll around enjoying everything without constantly bumping into people. Being able to get a PS - or even a seat in a regular restaurant - without any hassle is great too.:thumbs: (http://www.wdisneyw.com/forums/misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&select_category=Standard+Smilies#)

[ukwdwnut]

that why we like october, its nice and quiet, not too much that there is no atmosphere, and what we like most hardly to no queue's :D

[windbag]

[QUOTE=Whitequeen]

I would prefer to go the 1st 2 weeks of Dec. but the kids schooling doesn't allow me to do that this time. :(
:eek: Uh oh!! What do you know that I dont WQ!! Ive just booked 2 weeks from 8th December despite the boys being in school at that time. I figured they would only miss the decorating time and run up to the concert at school and I know my oldest has exams November so plumped for Dec - so fess up! Did I miss an important thing in the school calender???

[Whitequeen]

No honey. You missed my DH sounding off at me for keep taking the kids out of school. :rolleyes:
He's Deputy Chairman of the School Governers and feels he needs to be seen as 'clamping down'. :rolleyes:

What he doesn't know is, I may have got the start of the Christmas break wrong and they'll miss the last few days of school anyway. :wink: What he doesn't know won't hurt him, eh? :lol:

You'll have a great time from the 8th. Think of me battling the crowds at Christmas. :(

[wdwgrandma]

There is so much to be said for both activity times - peak and value. I love going the last week of Nov/first week of Dec! There are all sorts of wonderful activities and the parks are so pretty! But they aren't as crowded as you might find them in the summer months or during Christmas week. That being said, we don't plan our trips to WDW around the "season", necessarily. We pretty much go when we have the opportunity and the time available. or if something is going on that we absolutely CAN'T miss...

[Goofy Girl]

I love going the last week of Nov/first week of Dec!
I like the thought of going then because it incorporates my birthday! :D I've put Easter 2006 out of my head now because of the reports about crowds. The kids get a week off at the end of October too - is that a very busy time (Halloween)? Having said that, I'd have no problem taking them out of school for 2 weeks in Nov/Dec. I asked DH last night if money was no object, where in the world would he travel to and he said 'Disney World'. So I guess I'm planning the right pressie for his 40th! :thumbs:

[wdwgrandma]

I like the thought of going then because it incorporates my birthday! :D
Well, then that sounds like an excellent time to go! Birthdays at Disney are the BEST!

[marivigi]

Now.. this is something I didnt know...

If you arrive during the value season, even if the season changes to peak season, you will be charged VALUE prices for all of your holiday??? :eek:

Thats excellent!! Thanks Jo!!!

[wdwgrandma]

Is this a new thing? It didn't work that way for me several times when my stay split the seasons...

[Cinderella]

Donna
it's not something new it's always been that way.

The only time it doesn't work is if you split your stay it doesn't work because the rate is calculated by your check in date. So if your check in date of the second resort is not in value season, you will be charged the price of whatever season that is

[wdwgrandma]

No, the stay wasn't split between two resorts. It was one resort...

[Cinderella]

No, the stay wasn't split between two resorts. It was one resort...

Hmmm that is strange as you should have been charged the rate of whatever the season was on your check in date

[wdwgrandma]

It even happened when I booked All Star Music for my DD and DSIL for their honeymoon. I tried to convince them to go a few days later when I could get the resort for value prices because I was going to be charged peak prices even tho only the first couple of nights were going to be during the peak time frame.

[Cinderella]

It even happened when I booked All Star Music for my DD and DSIL for their honeymoon. I tried to convince them to go a few days later when I could get the resort for value prices because I was going to be charged peak prices even tho only the first couple of nights were going to be during the peak time frame.

That is correct if the check in date is peak season you are charged the peak season price for the entire time unless you make two reservations one for the first few days and then book a different reservation for the lower season rates.

It works in your favor is your check in date is value or regular season and then goes into peak as you are charged the value or regular for the entire stay

[wdwgrandma]

Now that we've played with this stuff, we don't get caught in those traps anymore, but for a novice, it can be quite intimidating.

[Josette]

I enjoy value season since it is less crowded, and cheaper. Peak Season is always crowded, and blahh, and it is expensive, and you pay all that money just to stand in line half the time.

[Wendy]

Would have to be value for me...............but trying to work around the kids schooling can make that difficult. :grrr:
If I had no other choice I'd choose Christmas for the decs and atmosphere and just plan very well! :reindeer:
Easter just does not appeal to me nor does July, I'd do end of August at a push...........

[DopeyMom]

If you can arrive during the last day of the value season in December you will get the value season rate for the whole time.



That doesn't work the other way around does it???? We plan on arriving November 26th which is the last day of holiday season and then the other 4 nights are value season. Will I pay the higher rate the whole time?? Or the high rate the first night and then the lower rate the rest??

[Whitequeen]

You pay the rate that is applicable on the first night, for the rest of your stay.

The only way around that is to have 2 reservations. 1 for the first night and another for the next 4 nights.

[dcfromva]

That doesn't work the other way around does it???? We plan on arriving November 26th which is the last day of holiday season and then the other 4 nights are value season. Will I pay the higher rate the whole time?? Or the high rate the first night and then the lower rate the rest??

DopeyMom,
One way around that used to be you made two reservations. One reservation for the high season and then another for the value season and then link the ressies. (You do run the risk of having to check out and check back in.)
-DC :ears: