Disneyland crowds on Mon-Tue before Thanksgiving?

[UrbanDad]

My family and I will be in Calif the weekend before Thanksgiving and we are flying in and out of LA for cheaper airfares. The Mrs. and I are considering doing Disneyland with our kids and my parents on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I figure Thanksgiving Thu-Sun is super crowded and we are flying home either Wed or Thanksgiving anyway.

I believe the local schools are out all week so I know there will be some crowds but how bad is it on the Mon and Tue before Thanksgiving?

 

[Sherry E]

My family and I will be in Calif the weekend before Thanksgiving and we are flying in and out of LA for cheaper airfares. The Mrs. and I are considering doing Disneyland with our kids and my parents on the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I figure Thanksgiving Thu-Sun is super crowded and we are flying home either Wed or Thanksgiving anyway.

I believe the local schools are out all week so I know there will be some crowds but how bad is it on the Mon and Tue before Thanksgiving?

According to some accounts, the days leading up to Thanksgiving are very, very crowded - for exactly the reason you stated, that schools are out. Many people take off that whole week now (in the past, I don't think that was the case as often). It stays quite busy all the way through Thaanksgiving weekend, and then the crowds taper off as people return to work and school before the Christmas break.

This year, with the addition of the new Little Mermaid ride in California Adventure and the new version of Star Tours in Disneyland, it's safe to say it will be a pretty busy year in general.



Here is a post from the Disneyland at Christmas Time superthread that may help with your planning, and there is even a question in the Q&A section that deals with crowds:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39197550&postcount=3

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Crazy crowded ~ thankfully I haven't experienced this but we were there this past Thanksgiving weekend ~ our days were Turkey day, Fri & Sat ~ we had a fantastic time, crowds were minimal ~ a Cast Member Thursday afternoon said to me "Today's been the quietest day this week."

I believe this is because most APs are blocked and non locals want to *spend the day at home/with extended family *and think it'll be crazy crowded at the parks. I feel the same away about the 4th of July *we were there last year.

 

[UrbanDad]

My wife and I took our son to Disneyland towards mid-December for Thu-Sat and it was terrific. Sat was a bummer because of an all-day rain event but it didn't matter because we got so much done on Thu and Fri. All things considered, I would like to do a repeat trip during the same time in 2012 (post remodel) but we are going to Calif this November for a family deal.

We don't have to do Disneyland. My kids have been Disney spoiled enough lately. Disney World during the holidays and Dream last week. If it's going to be max waits on that Monday and Tuesday, might as well save the money. If things going according to plan, the Mrs. could be pregnant so I was looking to spend the extra money for a Disney hotel to give her an easier walk.

We were spoiled in mid December 2009 but we have also been to Disney World during twice during the week between Christmas and New Year's. (Although Magic Kingdom on New Year's morning was a ghost town..and wonderful) I thought Thanksgiving through Sunday would be super packed and that possibly Monday and Tuesday before might be moderate - figuring most people at least go to work Monday and Tuesday. Maybe it's the opposite. The schools being out obviously creates the issue.

On the other hand, my kids are young enough where we can get up early and have a productive morning and they don't have a ride quota (Space Mountain 5 times in a trip) like I did from age 6-12. The mornings were pure gold at Disney World over the holidays because the masses stayed up late and slept in late. We also enjoyed the Downtown Disney area staying at Disneyland Hotel a couple of years ago. We are locked into airfare one way or the other and it's a lot cheaper to fly into the LA.