Crowds the week before Thanksgiving?

[jenlos]

We are headed out to see the mouse in just 19 days. Any input on what to expect in terms of crowd levels? I'm hopeful that it will be pretty quiet - but just curious to see what you all think?

Thanks!

 

[Dizny Dad]

So many things influence the crowd levels: special deals, weather, etc. Our experience has been that the beginning of Thanksgiving week has been light and delightful, as far as crowds go.

Hold on to your hat on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

 

[cvjw]

We'll be arriving on the 18th, staying until the day before Thanksgiving. We're not too sure what to expect either. We're hoping for some days that aren't crazy crowded!

 

[wdwfanatic316]

I've been wondering about the crowds then too! We're arriving on the 20th and leaving Thanksgiving Day. When we scheduled we were hoping that the crowds would be (somewhat) light at that time, and that the weather would be good. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Schools are out on thanksgiving and the next few days. We found the crowds appeared to double.

 

[Cee]

I have a "Girl's Trip" planned for Nov. 15-20(S-TH). There won't be any parks involved so I'm hoping not to encounter crowds.

 

[DenLo]

We'll be arriving on the 18th, staying until the day before Thanksgiving. We're not too sure what to expect either. We're hoping for some days that aren't crazy crowded!

Are you flying? If so you are brave flying the day before Thanksgiving. The airports are sooooo crowded. It sounds like you'll have a great week at WDW though with less crowds.

I've been wondering about the crowds then too! We're arriving on the 20th and leaving Thanksgiving Day. When we scheduled we were hoping that the crowds would be (somewhat) light at that time, and that the weather would be good. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

If you are flying it looks like Thanksgiving Day is much better than the day before or after. I would expect you to have lighter crowds for the period you are there.

I have a "Girl's Trip" planned for Nov. 15-20(S-TH). There won't be any parks involved so I'm hoping not to encounter crowds.

Light crowds for you to!

Hope you all have a wonderful time!

 

[MEGADAN]

We went the week before Thanksgiving last year and stayed 4 days after Thanksgiving.What we found is that the crowds were very light until around Wednesday. Then they started to get heavier. Thanksgiving Day in the park was busy but I didn't find it overwhelming. The next few days after Thanksgiving the crowds were heavy especially at during the Christmas events like the Osbourne Lights.
It was still a glorious time to go. We loved it so much that we just booked a last minute trip to do the same thing this year. We will be there from Nov 22 thru December 1st!
Can't wait!

 

[jenlos]

We are actually going a full week before thanksgiving, arriving on the 16th and leaving on the 22nd.

Hopefully that means we won't be experiencing many crowds at all (that was our whole intent for booking that week anyways).

Thanks for the advice and input!

 

[CarolMN]

Moved from DVC Forums

 

[2littlez'sandme]

Really hoping for lighter crowds Sunday-Tuesday right before Thanksgiving tho I'm used to the busy (I was just there in July).

 

[dolphindan1]

we will be there 14th to 22nd and I have had 2 people tell me they are jealous of the time we are going that its perhaps one of the best weeks to be there...1 was from another traveller and one was from a popular planning site....cant wait

exact words from website planner owner

"IMO, you've chosen an AMAZING week to visit WDW. I still remember one year going to the MK the week before Thanksgiving and seeing the posted standby wait for Space Mountain at just 5-10 minutes -- and this was in the afternoon!"

 

[ukcatfan]

Just plan ahead and do it right. Use the days before Thanksgiving to get all the rides in and after it for seeing the sites and special events. Try to do the Osbourne Lights before Thanksgiving if possible b/c it will already be going on. Sunday is not bad at all as almost everyone is leaving to go home and not going to the parks.

 

[nerdyone]

The week of the 14th is supposed to be very light. I was able to book a room yesterday at the GF without any problem at all. My sister is a CM and she said they are expecting low crowds.

 

[sharibrat]

we will be there 14th to 22nd and I have had 2 people tell me they are jealous of the time we are going that its perhaps one of the best weeks to be there...1 was from another traveller and one was from a popular planning site....cant wait

exact words from website planner owner

"IMO, you've chosen an AMAZING week to visit WDW. I still remember one year going to the MK the week before Thanksgiving and seeing the posted standby wait for Space Mountain at just 5-10 minutes -- and this was in the afternoon!"

This will be our fifth year going that exact same week. There is a reason we go that week
ENJOY

 

[freaksloan]

We are going 11/21 thru 11/25, I had booked because I thought the crowds would not be that bad. But now I am seeing the crowd calendar on touringplans.com is all 8's and other people are talking how cazy busy it has been in the past.

How can it both? Considering changing vacation plans and go elsewhere.

 

[ShelShelsmommy]

We will be there Nov 18 - Nov 24. I am hoping that our first few days will not be to bad. I have never been to Disney when the crowds are "light" so it will not take much to impress me. I mean come on our last 2 trips were Dec 27 07 - Jan 4 08 and then Spring break of this year. It was FULL both times, we still had a blast though!!!!

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

We are going 11/21 thru 11/25, I had booked because I thought the crowds would not be that bad. But now I am seeing the crowd calendar on touringplans.com is all 8's and other people are talking how cazy busy it has been in the past.

How can it both? Considering changing vacation plans and go elsewhere.

What I read from people who are actually there is that it doesn't get real busy until Wed. Disney is not even planning F! on St 11/21, Mo 11/23 and Tu 11/24. I just don't put much stock in the crowd calendar. Even Disney said acknowledged how hard it is to predict how many people are coming to the parks so how can a statistican from Canada know more?

Need more evidence .... Here is what Touring Plans has on thier website as to how they predict crowds

Wait Times For our latest recommendations, our Orlando-based data collection team visited the parks at least seven straight days each month from January through October, 2005. Each day, the team wrote down the standby wait and FASTPASS distribution times for the park's most popular attractions, every 30 minutes, from park opening to park closing. In the Magic Kindgom, for example, the team collected statistics at the 27 most popular attractions. The team also stood in line at key rides to ensure the posted wait times corresponded to the actual wait times.

My points ..
1)Touring Plans last did a survey four years ago. Gee do you think anything has changed since then?

2) They didn't even survey in the month of November, but it doesn't seem to stop them from making a prediction for that month

3) I might get flamed for this, but I think its wrong to call your self an expert and have good people think about changing vacation plans when the "expert" hasn't done their due diligence.

 

[Zandy595]

What I read from people who are actually there is that it doesn't get real busy until Wed. Disney is not even planning F! on St 11/21, Mo 11/23 and Tu 11/24. I just don't put much stock in the crowd calendar. Even Disney said acknowledged how hard it is to predict how many people are coming to the parks so how can a statistican from Canada know more?

What does the bolded part mean?

We're going to Epcot on Saturday, 11/21.

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

My point was that Disney was scheduling double-Fantasmic on Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, but they don't schedule it on 3 of the four days prior. Yet Touring Plans rates every day an 8.

I will also be at Epcot on 11/21. As I have the hopper I will spend a little time at MK that same day hoping that the day will be a bit lighter than a normal Saturday as everyone will be targeting to go there Sunday for the opening of Space Mountain.,