Arriving Thanksgiving day - looking for suggestions....

[ImagineEar]

We are WDW veterans who have never been at this time of the year. We should arrive at the hotel (WL) by 11:00am on T-day.

I am trying to plan a nice but memorable holiday for the family (Me, DH, DD8, DS4) I know that it will be pretty crowded so my initial thoughts were to avoid the parks on T-day itself. What do you think?


Our family will have been up since 5am, so I did not want to push the kids over the edge by rushing around too much - Dinner is at 5pm at WL - any ideas??

 

[MelanieC]

Some of my best memories in life are at MK on Thanksgiving day.

What about doing a MK day where you do no rides that have lines (maybe get a FP and ride your favorite ride), take the boat over to MK from WL, look at the Christmas decorations, watch Mickey's Phil Harmagic (worth the trip into MK alone), ride the train, ride the TTT, shop, take one of those rides down mainstreet via the cars or horse driven vehicles, Ride the Liberty Square Riverboat around Tom Sawyer's Island, have lemonade at Tom Sawyer's Island (even watch the parade from over there), ride it's a small world. Whatever you do, just make it leisurely, and unstressful. Just soak up the ambiance and think about what a wonderful day it is.

Then when it's time for your PS, take a leisurely boat ride back to WL. This way you get the magical "walk down Mainstreet" (don't forget to stop and get a family photo).

You could also take the monorail around to the monorail hotels and look at Christmas decorations.

No matter what you do, you'll have fun just because you're at WDW.

 

[Minnie824]

Head over to MGM and see the Osbourne lights. That will get you in a festive mood and you can take your time walking around seeing the lights. Have fun!

 

[MelanieC]

Head over to MGM and see the Osbourne lights. That will get you in a festive mood and you can take your time walking around seeing the lights. Have fun!

I thought about that too, but the Osbourne lights won't start until after dark. She has a 5 pm ADR for dinner at the Wilderness Lodge. The Osbourne lights is the thing I miss most about going that time of year.

 

[minnierocks]

We went last year with extended family...we scoped out a spot along the main drag at MGM for the 3 PM parade...It was awesome!!! It was way better than watching the Macy's Day Parade. To see Santa coming along in an old Cadillac was a treat for the kids and grandparents alike. Don't miss the Osbourne Christmas lights...they were spectacular!

 

[Frantasmic]

A parade at either MGM or AK is a good idea, if the time fits in.

If your kids are up for it, head over to MK and do what you can. You are already there for your boat ride to WL, so you could do a few things if you wanted.

We were at WDW last Thanksgiving and I am very anti-crowd. Things weren't as bad as I expected them to be.

 

[MelanieC]

It was way better than watching the Macy's Day Parade. To see Santa coming along in an old Cadillac was a treat for the kids and grandparents alike.

Santa is in the Thanksgiving parade??????? I didn't know that. All the times we were at WDW in the MK on Thanksgiving day and we NEVER watched the parade. My poor kids. I won't tell them if you won't!!! We aren't in to parades that much, but we do watch them once in a while. We watched two this year in two weeks. That's a record for us!

 

[anditoo72]

I want to know how you got ADRs for 5:00pm I called 179 days out and could only get in at 1:40

We are getting in the day before Thanksgiving. We are going to RELAX (something we NEVER do at Disney) maybe take a stroll downtown disney. I am making it a no plan (except for lunch) Day, something that usually doesn't cross my lips!!!!!! Hey I don't even have to cook a Thanksgiving meal

Are you going to do the MVMCP while you are there? It will be my first time going at this time of year and I am so excited, I can't hardly wait!!!

 

[minnierocks]

Santa is in the Thanksgiving parade??????? I didn't know that. All the times we were at WDW in the MK on Thanksgiving day and we NEVER watched the parade. My poor kids. I won't tell them if you won't!!! We aren't in to parades that much, but we do watch them once in a while. We watched two this year in two weeks. That's a record for us!

Santa is definitely there!!! All the cars parade by draped in their holiday finest...and at the end, Santa rounds the corner in a car filled with presents!!! It was so cool...that is a DON'T MISS parade!!!

 

[addicted2disney]

We have been to MGM the past 2 Thanksgiving days ( 3 times total at that time of year), all 3 times Thanksgiving day being the day we arrived. MGM was quite uncrowded the last 2 times we went!! We did the Hollywood & Vine fantasmic package the second T-day trip, and when we got to the theater for Fantasmic, it was still half empty! We didnt even need the preferred seating with the dinner. We cant go this THanksgiving But if we were going, MGM is where I would head!! Have Fun. Its an AWESOME time to be there.

 

[ImagineEar]

Thanks for all of the advice so far. I am definitely a planner, but it would be nice to just go wherever the day takes us I suppose.


anditoo72: Don't know which restaurant you chose but we are eating at Artist Point, not WCC ...and "i too" called about 179 days in advance!

 

[BamaFan121s]

We go every T'giving and crowds levels are usually pretty low. (Less than when we go in May.) I would just recommend staying out of MK T'giving day because it gets pretty crowded, often times past capacity. Also, there are All-Star cheerleaders there that week. Find out when their scheduled days at the parks are and avoid! T'giving ADRs are not always easy to get, so start trying to get them waaaay in advance if you can.

 

[Steven41782]

We'll be there during thanksgiving... how do we find out where the all star cheerleaders will be so we can avoid them.

 

[BamaFan121s]

We'll be there during thanksgiving... how do we find out where the all star cheerleaders will be so we can avoid them.

Here is a site w/ a little info about it...maybe you could call or use the email address to find out? Says it's Nov 21-24. I know that they go on a package deal set up by Varsity/UCA and they go to a certain park each day...I know they are in MK on T'giving day b/c they are in the parade.
They stay at the All-Star Sports, spilling over to the other All Star resorts and they practice for the parade at the CSR convention area. We always just find one and ask them which parks they will be at on which days.

Sis was an All Star for several years, so I know from experience. This is what got us started on going every T'giving.