So torn over where to stay, Thanksgiving last minute decision

[scarletpastel]

I have only been to Disneyworld as a child. My husband and our 3 year old have never been. It's our 5 year anniversary. Both of our jobs force us to take accrued paid time off for Thanksgiving. So I said we're going to Disney this year! Driving on Wed, arriving maybe wed, leaving Monday. 12 hour drive.

I have already booked 2 different early evenings at 2 different Child Activity centers for our son.

We are looking for value or moderate resort, with the dining plan. We were seriously considering Doubletree near downtown, but I don't want to drive anywhere and I'm hoping if we stay in a resort we can use the bus system to get to another resort to drop off the little one AND still get to a park. I don't think you can do this with doubletree.

We want short travel and wait times so we can come back to the room for little one's naptime. Being that Thanksgiving will be crazy busy, which is the best value and moderate resort for transportation?

Is there any way we can get them to throw in the dining plan?

Help! I'm a serious crazy trip planner. I am the type of person who schedules "freetime."

 

[cvjw]

Thanksgiving will be very, very busy. I would opt to stay onsite if possible. We have only stayed at POP at the value level, which wasn't for us. We stayed at all of the moderate resorts before joining DVC, and our favorite was POFQ. Just an FYI, buses only go from resorts to theme parks/DTD. You will not be able to take a resort bus to another resort to drop off your child. You will have to take a resort bus to a theme park, where you will take whatever resort bus that goes to where your child will be staying, and then yet another bus to get back to whatever park you want to go to. Plan on that being a very involved, time consuming process.

 

[minnie mum]

Thanksgiving is probably not the ideal time for a first vacation to WDW: the room rates are among the highest of the year. Any discounts are blacked out for that period. The crowds in the parks and resorts will be huge.

That being said, look at any of the value or moderate resorts that still have availability for your dates- none of them will be close to the parks, but will probably be in your budget. The only way you will get short, direct travel to a park is if you stay deluxe- and that only gets you close to one (or 2) of the parks. I would recommend that when you want to drop your child off that you do so with your own car- it will be much easier and faster.

If you want the dining plan you will have to pay for it. Be aware that if you buy the DDP (as opposed to the QS DP), you will have to make ADRs as soon as possible, and may find difficulty with availability at this late date.

 

[GenieCat]

Agree with PP. Unless this is absolutely the only time you can go, I would encourage you to reconsider, especially with a small child. Plan on spending most of your day standing in lines.

Many of us plan the timing our Disney vacation months, or even a year or more in advance to avoid crowds like this (YMMV):

 

[Ilivetogo]

Oh snap.

.

 

[scarletpastel]

Yup, it is the only time we can go because our jobs make us take 20 hours of our personal vacation time at Thanksgiving.
So I guess we just won't go. Thanks for your help.

 

[Skip2MyLou]

The Doubletree is not a Disney hotel so you will not be able to get the dining plan or use Disney transportation to your hotel if you are staying there.

I put your dates in on the disney world website. All values & moderates were available, but free dining is not (blacked out for holiday)

It will be very busy at the parks. Get there EARLY, use fastpasses, make a must do list, and realize that you won't be able to do everything. Check out crowd level predictions at easywdw.com or touringplans.com.

Be aware that if you leave for naps and the park closes due to capacity, you will not be able to get back in.

If you want to eat at any table service restaurants I would suggest you make ADRs today (lots of people book these 180 days in advance).

 

[rileyroosmom]

Agree with PP. Unless this is absolutely the only time you can go, I would encourage you to reconsider, especially with a small child. Plan on spending most of your day standing in lines.

Many of us plan the timing our Disney vacation months, or even a year or more in advance to avoid this:

I'm positive this isn't a picture from Thanksgiving. The fall decorations are not up on Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations are beginning to appear. I have been at Thanksgiving and will be there again this year. I don't anticipate crowds like this, but I wouldn't recommend going to MK on Thanksgiving day.

 

[siskaren]

I'm positive this isn't a picture from Thanksgiving. The fall decorations are not up on Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations are beginning to appear. I have been at Thanksgiving and will be there again this year. I don't anticipate crowds like this, but I wouldn't recommend going to MK on Thanksgiving day.

If I had to guess, I would say this picture was taken on October 1st of last year, which was the 40th anniversary for WDW.

 

[wahmtexas]

we went Thanksgiving week a few years ago for our first trip with our kids and had a fabulous time, crowds were NOT bad not at all compared to Easter break and summer heat! You will be fine!
FREE dining and a moderate is a great way to go.