Talk to me about Thanksgiving week...

[TikiTikiFan]

I reread some of the old Thanksgiving threads (including the one from the year that had the horrible weather- yikes!) but would love further input.

I teach at a college so I'm usually constrained to our semester calendar which gives us a week off for Thanksgiving break. Normally I never travel to Disney that week (we usually go middle of December) but this year I'm thinking that will be the week we go. And because the earlier the better for the xmas season- I'm so antsy to get back.

So far flights look reasonable and I have some flexibility in when we can arrive/depart. Is the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving better than the weekend after? If we flew in say Friday night and left the following Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) would we miss most of the crazy? Or is that entire week just busy? Would the airports be insane the day after Thanksgiving? I read the following Sunday is typically the worst but I don't know, we've never traveled that week.

I'm hoping we'll still have some limited capacity though making this the best year to pick some crazy crowded week in pre-covid times- maybe it won't be that bad.

Seems like the special Thanksgiving dinners take place at the hotels- any of the park restaurants do anything special? We'd likely just stay inside Disneyland all day- we're vegetarians so unless the hotels are serving tofurky, the draw isn't there anyways.

Weather in November in SoCal... a bit warmer than December usually, right? We usually go in Dec. and it's varied but our last trip (Dec. 2019) it was so windy and freeeeeeezing all week and not my idea of a good time.

 

[Malcon10t]

We are there every year for Thanksgiving (even last year....). Weather? Its CA, it might be warm (I've been there when it has been in the 90s Thanksgiving day) and it might be cold (had 40 degree days.). Windy? Likely, it is Santa Ana, and winds are high in November/December, to the extent fireworks are very likely to be canceled during these months. Anyone remember the Avengers Half Marathon weekend, I think it was 2015? Wind blowing over porta-potties and police barricades?

Food - Many of the in park restaurants will serve a form of turkey dinner, but as that isn't your thing, I would just suggest making a reservation if you want table service, and if not, eat at off times.

The entire week will be busy. Wed will likely be less busy than the rest of the week. And while Fri-Sun are likely all bad for flying out, Sunday would be the worst. We drive, and we leave Sunday about 7am because if we leave after 9, LA is a mess with people leaving.

 

[maleficent55]

I'm not going Thanksgiving week, but hopefully will be the week before. I just want Fantasmic....I can dream right?

 

[evilmommie]

I think it going to be CRAZY this year. Out of state people will be allowed to attend (hopefully ) and all of the So Cal residents love to go the hotels and park for the Thanksgiving meals. Due to pent up holiday celebration demand, it just might just be off the charts.

Since you’re not into the traditional meal, hanging out in the parks sounds like a great idea. Historically all Holidays are packed at DLR and this one won’t be any different.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

The entire week will be busy. Wed will likely be less busy than the rest of the week. And while Fri-Sun are likely all bad for flying out, Sunday would be the worst. We drive, and we leave Sunday about 7am because if we leave after 9, LA is a mess with people leaving.

Good to know- thanks! I think using SNA altogether makes it easier. I love that little airport.

I'm not going Thanksgiving week, but hopefully will be the week before. I just want Fantasmic....I can dream right?

This is my ideal Thanksgiving evening... dining package at Blue Bayou... front row Fantasmic! seating!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I think it going to be CRAZY this year. Out of state people will be allowed to attend (hopefully ) and all of the So Cal residents love to go the hotels and park for the Thanksgiving meals. Due to pent up holiday celebration demand, it just might just be off the charts.

Since you’re not into the traditional meal, hanging out in the parks sounds like a great idea. Historically all Holidays are packed at DLR and this one won’t be any different.

I keep hearing this term "revenge travel" and it's definitely real! Our week at WDW in June shows sold out hotels and park passes... all the crowds will be happening this year! But it's much better than my living room so I'm ready to revenge travel the heck outta this year.

 

[evilmommie]

I keep hearing this term "revenge travel" and it's definitely real! Our week at WDW in June shows sold out hotels and park passes... all the crowds will be happening this year! But it's much better than my living room so I'm ready to revenge travel the heck outta this year.

Oh yes! Well, what a great attitude. Can't go wrong. Will be so much fun revenging the heck of DLR!!

 

[upritbass]

Check the VGC Points Chart for seasonality. The week of Thanksgiving is high season; the week before or after are mid-low season.
https://cdn4.parksmedia.wdprapps.di.../2021/FINAL_2021_DVC_GCAL_Pt_Chts_Revised.pdf

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Oh yes! Well, what a great attitude. Can't go wrong. Will be so much fun revenging the heck of DLR!!

I think if we can survive this sold out week at WDW in the Florida summer heat I have planned for June... we can survive anything.

Be curious though to see how quickly DLR will move into larger capacity levels when the state allows them too... Personally, I'd welcome full capacity if it brought with it a more normal holiday season.

 

[ninergrl6]

I visited DLR Thanksgiving week in 2018 and 2019 (Mon-Wed). The weather was great (60s-70s) except for the smoke from wildfires. In fact, the reason why I was able to go in 2018 is because the school where I teach called an emergency shut down because of poor air quality in the Bay Area, so I high-tailed it to SoCal where the air was better. I don't recall the parks being particularly busy, but I was there on the weekdays leading up to Thanksgiving. I've heard it's deserted on Thanksgiving Day and a madhouse on Black Friday, but I've never experienced either myself. I liked being able to experience all of the holiday magic early, pre-Thanksgiving, because I feel like it put me in the holiday spirit and December is just waaaay too chaotic. It felt like the best of both worlds.

One year I went the first weekend in November, just after the Halloween decorations came down, and they were filming for the Disney Holiday Parade that airs on ABC on Christmas Day. That was A LOT of fun but not a typical day at the parks. Who knows what post-pandemic DLR will be like.

 

[mouschievous]

I've been twice for Thanksgiving, but once was in the 90s so we'll ignore that one!

Most recently we went in 2018. We flew down on Wednesday night (day before Thanksgiving) and did DL on Thursday and Saturday, with a DCA day on Sunday. We did not have hoppers. We flew home Sunday morning.

Prior to going everyone told me how crazy it was going to be. It was busy, but not terrible. We never waited more than 20 or 30 minutes in a line. Now, there were lines longer than that, we just chose not to wait in them! The one exception was RSR - we ended up waiting in a 2 hour line for that because there were no FPs left and it was the only thing we really wanted to ride in DCA at that point.

Saturday was busier than Thursday and Friday, as expected, but still not bad at all. We were able to do everything we wanted to do, and when Saturday got busier than we liked we went back to the rental house and took a nap, then closed down the park that night!

Weather was nice - 60s and 70s while we were there. We mostly wore jeans and long sleeve shirts in the morning and evening, often taking off the long sleeves mid day.

Food - we decided not to do the T-day dinners because they were pretty expensive. Instead we got turkey legs! Our splurge meal was Blue Bayou. And yes, it was worth it!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I've heard it's deserted on Thanksgiving Day and a madhouse on Black Friday, but I've never experienced either myself. I liked being able to experience all of the holiday magic early, pre-Thanksgiving, because I feel like it put me in the holiday spirit and December is just waaaay too chaotic. It felt like the best of both worlds.

Oooo I hope this is true! My tentative plan is to fly out on Black Friday since the return flight is cheap that day!

We usually visit in mid-December and we've had some crazy, packed days. One day in 2018 our last day was one of the final days APs were unblocked for the season and the crowds were insane. It was so bad we ended up taking the train to get from land to land just because the walkways were so horrible to deal with. I don't think I've ever experienced a day at DLR that wild.

I'm sure at the very least, it won't be that bad!

 

[Malcon10t]

We usually visit in mid-December and we've had some crazy, packed days. One day in 2018 our last day was one of the final days APs were unblocked for the season and the crowds were insane. It was so bad we ended up taking the train to get from land to land just because the walkways were so horrible to deal with. I don't think I've ever experienced a day at DLR that wild.

I'm sure at the very least, it won't be that bad!

Ahhhhhh, so you have never been on NYE!!! Honestly, NYE is worse because there are very few APs, and a ton of people who really don't know where things are, or which walkways go where. It is funny to watch though. And I am not kidding, we had 1 time t too 30 mins to walk from Haunted Mansion to Pirates! It was just that packed.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

And I am not kidding, we had 1 time t too 30 mins to walk from Haunted Mansion to Pirates! It was just that packed.

Isn't it hard to imagine now being pressed up shoulder to shoulder with people after this wild year? I'd be a fan if at least enough physical distancing remained in the future to avoid that.

 

[Malcon10t]

Isn't it hard to imagine now being pressed up shoulder to shoulder with people after this wild year? I'd be a fan if at least enough physical distancing remained in the future to avoid that.

I doubt we will see this for a while. And this wasn't even NYE crazy! There is some space there....

 

[mouschievous]

Whoa. That picture looks nothing like our Black Friday experience! Granted, we were in DCA, but there weren't anywhere near that many people!

 

[Malcon10t]

Whoa. That picture looks nothing like our Black Friday experience! Granted, we were in DCA, but there weren't anywhere near that many people!

That wasn't even a "capacity" weekend. It was President's Day 2018.

 

[ninergrl6]

NYE is by far the worst in terms of crowds. I've done it twice and spent most of the day sitting in one place because it was too difficult to move through the crowd. It *was* a good day for the holiday tour though. With our guide we were able to walk on the Jingle Cruise, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and Small World, and then we got front row seats for the parade with Mickey gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate in a souvenir mug. That tour was worth every penny that day!