Please tell me realistically what to expect TG weekend

[mmlover74]

I am looking to get tickets for DH, me, DS (12), DD (4), DD(4). Usually, if we go, it is in October, but Thanksgiving is on my son's birthday. I know it will be busy, but I would like to know what I'm in for. TIA!!

 

[Niltiac]

Everyone says it's one of the busiest weekends ever, so when I went a couple years ago I was prepared for the worst crowds possible. I was pleasantly surprised, it really wasn't any worse than a weekend in October. That was pre-60th, though, and crowds have increased overall since then.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

Agree, weekend before Thanksgiving is worse than weekend after in our experience. You have a lot of AP's blocked the weekend after Thanksgiving. We have found Thanksgiving day not that bad early and black Friday actually quite doable as well.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

We went the Sunday through Wednesday before Thankgiving in 2015. It was really, really crowded BUT we still had a fantastic time. The parks were open early and stayed open late, refurbishments were at a minimum, there was a ton of entertainment and everything was decorated for the holidays. We made reservations for at least one sit down meal each day and made good use of Fastpasses. We also started at rope drop each day, took afternoon breaks at the hotel (Park Vue Inn that trip, so we were super close), and stayed as late as the kids were able to keep going.

 

[Malcon10t]

It will just be you and 58,000 of your closest friends!! We go often at this time, and yes, it is a bit crowded, but we love it.

 

[Angrose]

We went the Fri to Mon right after TG back in 2014 and we thought is was fine. Friday was super busy, but we got there mid-afternoon which is the busiest time on any day. The other days were great though, especially mornings we got a ton done and took it easy in the afternoons. I would not hesitate to go that weekend again! Have fun!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Plan to get there early and accept that there will be crowds. I have found Black Friday to be less crowded than the rest of the weekend (people either shopping, sleeping off their food comas, or visiting with family). Thanksgiving itself is actually not too bad.

 

[Malcon10t]

Plan to get there early and accept that there will be crowds. I have found Black Friday to be less crowded than the rest of the weekend (people either shopping, sleeping off their food comas, or visiting with family). Thanksgiving itself is actually not too bad.

We have found Black Friday to be pretty heavy, but with teens. It seems a lot of people drop their teens off to go shopping without them. It has gotten better the last 2 years.

 

[Lain]

Thanksgiving is on my son's birthday.

As an aside, I have to recommend you consider celebrating your son's birthday at the Disney Thanksgiving Day Family Feast in the Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom. It's a beautiful annual tradition at Disneyland filled with a vast buffet of foods, live music (dancing encouraged!), character meet and greets, and festive fall decorations that fills the entire hotel ballroom on Thanksgiving Day with seatings from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. It's on the pricier side and they moved to prepayment required last year, but it's worth it enough to us that our family makes it a point to do this every year. ADRs typically open up (usually to long phone queues and technical difficulties on the website) in September, 60 days prior to Thanksgiving, and reservations fill up within a day or two (don't wait).

Since our family tends to go every year for Thanksgiving week, I'd say generally the crowds are manageable. Thanksgiving Day tends to be the lightest day, the Friday morning after is light but crowds build progressively throughout the day, and Saturday and Sunday tend to be the heaviest days during that weekend.

As an indicator of crowds, I would check the AP blockout calendar. For the week of Thanksgiving, SoCal Select and SoCal APs are good to go on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then blocked out on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; the SoCal pass is open again on Sunday, but the SoCal Select remains blocked. The Deluxe AP is good to go on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but blocked out for Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, and open again on Sunday. So you can probably expect the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday leading up to Thanksgiving to be crazy when the locals come to get their Disney fix before the holiday weekend, and again on Sunday to make the most of the weekend. I'd add that this week should be peak pricing for single day tickets, so that could help deter some crowds.

 

[mmlover74]

It will just be you and 58,000 of your closest friends!! We go often at this time, and yes, it is a bit crowded, but we love it.

love this...thank you

 

[mmlover74]

Thank you everyone...I appreciate all the Mickey advice and think my girls will really enjoy all the decorations. Keep it coming.