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When, in your opinion, is the best time to go to WDW with children under the age of 10? Please factor cost, crowds, and whatever other considerations you think are important.

School calendar is not an issue.

TheCalvinator24 wrote:When, in your opinion, is the best time to go to WDW with children under the age of 10? Please factor cost, crowds, and whatever other considerations you think are important.

School calendar is not an issue.

Do not--I repeat, DO NOT--go during any of the major holidays (such as Christmas or <ahem> Thanksgiving) if you want to get close to any of the big attractions. The last three weeks would have been a good time. I think May is also uncrowded.

If your kids are too small for the big rides, the situation might be somewhat different, but the crowd issue is still the same.

The most important factor of all is that whenever you do come, please bring a ton of the green stuff....

TheCalvinator24 wrote:When, in your opinion, is the best time to go to WDW with children under the age of 10? Please factor cost, crowds, and whatever other considerations you think are important.

School calendar is not an issue.

I have found that May is a good time to go to WDW. Lots of kiddies are still in school and they are waiting 'til summer to go.

The weeks in between Thanksgiving and Christmas are a fab time to go. We took Madeleine before she was in school and it was great. There were NO lines to speak of and the whole place was decorated for Christmas. This is also when they have Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. It costs extra but it's worth it for little ones. Madeleine had a marvelous time.

If you want to go in the late winter/early spring, look at the calendar and find out when Mardi Gras is. Lots of New Orleanians go to WDW during the Mardi Gras week and it could be crowded then.

Avoid August at all costs unless you like sweating like a pig and standing in line for a thousand years.

What Marley said about the last three weeks is very true. From the week after Thanksgiving to the week before Christmas is one of their least populated periods. If you go toward the end of that timeframe, you get to see their holiday decorations without the holiday crowds.

Late October into early November is also good, speaking from personal experience, albeit a number of years ago. We went on November 1st one year, and walked directly into nearly all the major rides and attractions with no line at all. I recall one ride where even Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide said you'd have to wait no matter what, and we had to go back a second time in order to see the pre-show. The doors opened just as we finished meandering through the rope maze and we went right in and sat down.

I know there are a few other times like those. Check with Sehlinger and Google up some of the unofficial websites. They'll tell you the best times of the year to avoid crowds.

Walt Disney wrote:The most important factor of all is that whenever you do come, please bring a ton of the green stuff....

.....what? Are you making a salad......with iceberg lettuce?

Yup, what they said - Right after Thanksgiving until right about now. Lower prices, no lines, all the Christmas specials are in play and the weather can still be nice. We've gone several times at this time of year - last years trip even had a hot day that we spent at Blizzard Beach.

Jumping on the bandwagon for just after Thanksgiving through mid-December. Not only are their Christmas DECORATIONS up, there are special shows and activities..EPCOT has storytellers at each of the countries regaling guests with tales of how the holidays are celebrated in their homelands, there's a special coda to the Illuminations spectacular that is set to "Let There Be Peace on Earth" that leaves me with a gigantic lump in my throat and tears in my eyes every time I see it, and the beautiful "Candlelight Processional", which features a symphony orchestra, a huge choir comprised of Walt Disney World employees and high school students from around the country, and a guest celebrity narrator who reads passages from the Nativity story from The Bible in between selections from the choir/orchestra. VERY moving. I also enjoy hearing The Voices of Liberty (who perform year round at The American Adventure) doing acapella Christmas Carols.

Magic Kingdom has a special holiday version of the fireworks show, Disney Hollywood Studios has the unbelievable Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights...all this and more, except the crowds aren't so bad (although the last time we were there, it WAS a bit more populous than we had seen before). My favorite time to go there, hands down.

The late October/early November crowds have picked up a bit, as The Food and Wine Festival, which runs during that time, has become quite popular.

Although I have never been there in mid-January or September after Labor Day, I have read that it is comparatively deserted during those times. Main drawback to January is that, since the attendance is so sparse, Disney usually picks those weeks to shut down and rehab a few major attractions.

Check all the gay travel sites.

You don't want to go during 'Gay Pride' week.

BackInTex wrote:Check all the gay travel sites.

You don't want to go during 'Gay Pride' week.

Why?

peacock2121 wrote:

BackInTex wrote:Check all the gay travel sites.

You don't want to go during 'Gay Pride' week.

Why?

Last time BiT went that week, they "made him" switch teams!

We went around Mother's Day one year and the crowds were light. Epcot was giving away free pictures of kids with their mothers and I thought that it was nice.

jaybee wrote:Yup, what they said - Right after Thanksgiving until right about now. Lower prices, no lines, all the Christmas specials are in play and the weather can still be nice. We've gone several times at this time of year - last years trip even had a hot day that we spent at Blizzard Beach.

Disneyland is a zoo at this time of year and doesn't die down again until the second or third week in January.

Estonut wrote:

peacock2121 wrote:

BackInTex wrote:Check all the gay travel sites.

You don't want to go during 'Gay Pride' week.

Why?

Last time BiT went that week, they "made him" switch teams!

I don't think that would be possible.

I am thinking it has something to do with not wanting his children to see some things, but I am not sure about that.

Definitely check out the Unofficial Guide (Sehlinger) recommendations if crowds are a factor. I agree the major holidays would be unworkable for a first-timer and a large family, and if the school calendar isn't a factor you don't have to deal with the scheduling issue.

I found the heat to be worse in May than in August, but I think it was because I'm acclimated to heat and humidity by August, but not yet earlier in the year.

Steve saw airfare of $59 to Orlando this weekend and contemplated running Erin down for her birthday weekend to get her out of my hair, but there was no way he's getting out of doing the Christmas stuff and no way I'm not going too if it's 80 degrees there. Besides, he thought her birthday was Monday and didn't think he'd keep her away from me on her actual birthday. Non-holiday times have lower airfares and hotel prices, but reduced hours of operation.

minimetoo26 wrote:Definitely check out the Unofficial Guide (Sehlinger) recommendations if crowds are a factor. I agree the major holidays would be unworkable for a first-timer and a large family, and if the school calendar isn't a factor you don't have to deal with the scheduling issue.

I found the heat to be worse in May than in August, but I think it was because I'm acclimated to heat and humidity by August, but not yet earlier in the year.

Steve saw airfare of $59 to Orlando this weekend and contemplated running Erin down for her birthday weekend to get her out of my hair, but there was no way he's getting out of doing the Christmas stuff and no way I'm not going too if it's 80 degrees there. Besides, he thought her birthday was Monday and didn't think he'd keep her away from me on her actual birthday. Non-holiday times have lower airfares and hotel prices, but reduced hours of operation.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MinisKidToBeNamedLater wrote:

minimetoo26 wrote:Definitely check out the Unofficial Guide (Sehlinger) recommendations if crowds are a factor. I agree the major holidays would be unworkable for a first-timer and a large family, and if the school calendar isn't a factor you don't have to deal with the scheduling issue.

I found the heat to be worse in May than in August, but I think it was because I'm acclimated to heat and humidity by August, but not yet earlier in the year.

Steve saw airfare of $59 to Orlando this weekend and contemplated running Erin down for her birthday weekend to get her out of my hair, but there was no way he's getting out of doing the Christmas stuff and no way I'm not going too if it's 80 degrees there. Besides, he thought her birthday was Monday and didn't think he'd keep her away from me on her actual birthday. Non-holiday times have lower airfares and hotel prices, but reduced hours of operation.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, it's been a whole 9 weeks since your last visit, Veruca..............

BackInTex wrote:Check all the gay travel sites.

You don't want to go during 'Gay Pride' week.

Why not? I did and had no problem. It's the first week of June, BTW.