For those who were at WDW T'giving 2003

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I've read that the Thanksgiving day crowds at MK were excessive in 2003, causing MK to close the gates early in the day. We're planning on visiting the world over Thanksgiving week in 2004, just as we'd done in 1999, arriving the weekend before and leaving the weekend after. I'm wondering if we should avoid the parks altogether or just MK. How crowded were the other WDW parks on Thursday and Friday?

 

[tink2]

We were one of the many at MK Thursday. We're also planning on going back Thanksgiving week next year, and I'd love to hear about the other parks that day. We had a PS at CRT for breakfast and CP for dinner, so we stuck it out.
As far as Friday, it was do-able. We did EE at AK and got several things done- safari, Festival of Lion King, several character meet and greets. Not bad here in the morning. We then hopped over to MGM- not terrible here either- crowded but OK. We did the Mermaid show, Beauty and te Beast, Indy show, parade, character meet and greets, shopping, and then it rained before Fantasmic.
I'm interested in other parks for turkey day though. My parents travel with us and my mom likes being in MK for that day, but it is a day in which we know we will not get much accomplished. I think we may do something different this year.

 

[Bojangles]

Epcot wasn't that crowded.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Originally posted by Bojangles
Epcot wasn't that crowded.

That's a relief - that's where I had the park I had planned to visit on Thanksgiving day.

 

[llane]

The weather was nice enough, so we did TL during the day. Not crowded at all. We went to Epcot for dinner and the evening, it was a very nice Thanksgiving.

 

[susy]

They switched EE frojm MK to Epcot on that day.

It was really nice. We hung out in FW until 11 and then headeed right to the WS- never had waits the whole day for anything. Really nice!!! Actually, we never experienced much of a wait for anything during our trip. We avoided the MK Thurs-Sat, though. We will be back this year!!!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Any reports from MK on Friday after Thanksgiving day? I want to go on Friday due to the extended hours. If WDW switched the EE day with EP, did they make Friday EE at MK (I don't have the EE schedule in front of me to see which park is which day)?

 

[tink2]

The schedule for this year was:
Monday- AK
Tuesday- MGM
Wednesday- MK
Thursday- Epcot
Friday- AK

I'm also interested to hear how crowded MK was Friday. I've heard before it is crowded, but does it compare to Thanksgiving day? We were in MK the Monday before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day. Monday was pretty crowded too- not comparable to turkey day, but more than we expected and than we experienced in other parks throughout the week. Was MK basically crowded all week? Any insight out there?

 

[llane]

We flew home the friday after thanksgiving, so we always spend our last day at MK. The park was very doable until noon. We got a lot done and saw a few characters. We did use FP for buzz and PP.

When we started to leave at 1:30 WOWWWWWW, the crowds, had arrived. We wouldn't have stayed in the park, even if we weren't catching our flight.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

We had the same experience as llane. We got to MK Friday at 9 and did everything we wanted in the first 2 hours. We walked onto the first 5 rides, short 5 minute waits for 3 others. We ate lunch, shopped, used FP for SM, and left and the crowds were thick then! We were glad we were done and headed back to AKL to relax and enjoy it.