Tell me about your plans for Thanksgiving

[SFMommy]

We are in the early stages of planning a trip for Thanksgiving 2018. We would be traveling to/from on the Saturday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. So Sunday - Saturday for park days.

I'm curious from those of you traveling this Thanksgiving...what are your plans?

I'm interested in which days for which park? Which park for Thanksgiving? What restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner? And which day of the week will be your resort/break day (if you take one day off during the week.)?

Looking forward to hearing your plans and planning our trip for next year! Thanks!

 

[Shellyb84]

We are camping in our travel trailer at Fort Wilderness next Thanksgiving. We did that last Thanksgiving and loved it. Next time we plan to spend most of our time at the Fort. The parks were so crowded. We are planning on Trail's End for Thanksgiving dinner (which also happens to be my b-day). My favorite park is Epcot so we'll probably go there that day and then Trader Sam's before dinner.

That's all I've got so far!

 

[SaintsManiac]

We will be in Orlando 11/14-11/24. Splitting between Cabana Bay and Beach Club

Tuesday--drive day
Wednesday--Universal
Thursday--MK
Friday--MK (half day)
Saturday-- Epcot
Sunday--Universal for new Christmas HP stuff
Monday--HS/Epcot
Tuesday--sleep in--Bon Voyage breakfast--MK, HEA dessert party
Wednesday--lunch at Sanaa, AK
Thanksgiving Day-- Cape May breakfast @ 10:45am, head to HS, Fantasmic VIP Dessert
Friday--Drive day

We aren't taking a whole day off, but we'll sleep in and spend less time in the parks as Thanksgiving approaches.

 

[SFMommy]

Thanks! Also forgot to ask if any of you who have been there around that time of year before have found the weather to be too cool for resort swimming or a water park?

 

[Shellyb84]

DD swam but the water was too cool for me.

 

[Gentry2004]

The pools are heated but the air might be chilly. Just depends.

 

[570traveler]

We are going this year from 11/18-11/26 (also went last year at the same time)
Sunday-HS in AM
Monday-MK in AM
Tuesday-HS in AM
Wednesday-AK in AM
Thursday-MK arriving after noon
Friday-Epcot all day with Candlelight package booked
Saturday-AK in PM

We were fortunate to get Liberty Tree for thanksgiving day (could not get last year...ate at Cape May for dinner and loved it though).
Most of our park days were centered around where we made reservations for. I'm a little worried going to MK on Thanksgiving day because I've heard it's chaos but we have 3 fast passes planned along with dinner so if that's all we get done, I'm ok with that.
We leave our evenings open to park hop. Once we use up our 3 passes in the AM, I look to see which rides have availability and we hop over there.
The crowds do get worse as the week goes on so going with a plan will definitely help!

 

[Klayfish]

We'll be there Thanksgiving week. We were there for that week in 2015 too. We stay offsite. We haven't made our plans yet, really. We don't take day breaks from the parks, not our thing. Really, we just rotate parks for the most part...so we can hit them all pretty evenly. Thanksgiving Day will be MK, but only in the morning. We're leaving by about 2pm and heading back to our rental house, eating a big 'ol dinner ordered from Publix and watching football. To us, there is no right order or right "plan" to hit a certain park on a certain day. We like to go to whatever park we want on whatever day, we don't worry about crowd calendars and such.

 

[samantha3590]

We’re arriving day after thanksgiving!!
11/24-MK in the afternoon then California Grill to watch HEA for the first time
11/25-HS in the morning, Epcot in the evening with Via Napoli Candlelight Processional Package
11/26-AK with Tusker House breakfast. Have a Flight of Passage FP at 1:25 and I’m SO excited.
We’ll be there the rest of the week but I’m hoping crowds will drop after Sunday! Even if they don’t I am so excited to be in Disney for the holidays!

 

[shannonstar]

Flying In Fri 11/17 and staying at Legoland Beach
11/18 Legoland, check into Wilderness Villas and then late AK (only way to squeeze in ROL)
11/19 Universal Day and Disney Springs
11/20 MK morning, HS evening
11/21 AK morning, Epcot evening
11/22 Universal morning, Mk for late hours
11/23 EP EMH, AK afternoon, dinner at Boma
11/24 Epcot all day
11/25 MK am, HS pm
11/26 HS EMH and leaving

 

[Pixiedustspreader]

3 of us arriving Sat 11/18 - All 7 together starting 11/20 - 11/25
Tables for 7 -
11/20 - Dinner - Hollywood & Vine
11/21 - Dinner - 'Ohana
11/22 - Lunch - Teppan Edo, Dinner - Whispering Canyon
11/23 - Thanksgiving Dinner - Cape May
11/24 - Dinner - Turf Club Bar & Grill

 

[Disney Princess]

We have as many as 13 going this year staying various days from 11/16 to 11/28. We plan evening fastpasses and evenly distribute our mornings in the park as we feel. We have hoppers, so we'll see what we want in all 4 parks. We don't take a day off, but we rest and/or sleep in as our party needs.

We are eating at the 4:00 HDDR and heading to MK afterward. Don't know where we'll be that morning.

 

[rileyz]

I arrive 11/16 with my parents for one night at CBR. Then my husband and daughter fly in on 11/17 and we move to a house in Windsor Hills (we are in BWV next August for 12 Days). We will go to :

HS 11/18 (breakfast at Garden Grille EP first, dinner at Sci-fi)
AK 11/19 (dinner Tiffins)
MK 11/20 (Dinner whispering Canyon)
MK 11/21 (dinner Tony’s)
EP 11/22 (breakfast BOG, dinner Rose and Crown)
EP 11/23 (Thanksgiving dinner for 13 with local family at a Cape May)
EP/AK 11/24 (spice road candlelight late lunch after going to AK to finish Avatar)
Disney Springs 11/25
Head home 11/26

 

[PPFlight75]

We will be there for Thanksgiving (Sunday through Saturday)!! This is our third time I think but second staying through Thanksgiving.
I always find the pools chilly, more so when you get out but the kids always swim.

Sunday-HS
Monday-AK then Frozen Dessert Party at EP plus some of the holiday stuff
Tuesday-MK
Wednesday-sleep in and Disney Springs for Christmas shopping then MK just for our 3 FP and watching HEA which is a must!!!!
Thursday-This is where I have to make sure I do what my husband really wants because Thanksgiving is his favorite and he misses the things we would normally do at home. We will sleep in and have BF in the room and watch the Macy's parade. At some point we will go to Grand Floridian and see the gingerbread house and then come back in time for dinner at Cape May. Last time we ate at Captain's grille and it was great great!! I did score a FOP FP so we may do that or just hang out.
Friday-EP all day and more holiday stuff
Saturday home

Hope you have a great time. Thanksgiving time is always fun and festive!

 

[mrsR123]

My DS's music department is performing, so our park days match theirs. Wednesday DS for orchestra performance then DHS
Thursday Epcot for marching band performance
Friday marching band is pre parade at MK
Saturday DAK

This year they have an event dinner and Illuminations dessert party for Thanksgiving. When we went four years ago, my family ate at H&V for Thanksgiving. It was tasty but expensive.

Four years ago we found it too close led to swim, but I have been down for marathon weekends that were in the 80's. You just have to wait until about a week out, plan the best you can, and pack layers.

Have fun!

 

[foohpah]

We went for the first time at Thanksgiving two years ago and had so much fun we decided to return this year. The parks are crowded but we just try to go with the flow, enjoy some down time and enjoy some of the less popular attractions. We had been going in the summer and it was so hot and pretty crowded. We find that even though Thanksgiving may be a little more crowded the weather is so much nicer that we do not mind as much. The only downside is the lack of pool time - my kids will still swim some but usually too cold for the adults and we skip the water parks. However, we don't need to take those midday park breaks back at the resort as much either since we are not melting by noon.

Sunday, 11/19 - HS EMH/EP/AK (going to be a busy park hopping kind of day)
Monday, 11/20 - EP/MK
Tuesday, 11/21 - MK including HEA Dessert Party
Wednesday, 11/22 - sleep in - maybe go to Disney Springs - MK EMH hours
Thursday, 11/23 - sleep in - late Thanksgiving lunch at 50's PT - HS in the evening
Friday, 11/24 - AK/EP

 

[ELSA711]

We went last year for the first time Thanksgiving week and loved it. Booked again this year with the following plans

11/21 DHS (PM)
11/22 MK
11/23 AK
11/24 MK/EP

11/25 AK/Universal
11/26 Universal

We were successful in getting all our FP+ but I really only booked a BOG lunch and a Candlelight Dinner Package. I think I have a 50s Prime Time too but we just haven't eaten the way we used to with the kids anymore wanting to be on the go and moving away from character meals.
We will definitely book again for next Thanksgiving (I loved going that week)

Sadly we may have to cancel this year. Seems like a short trip to do a 18hr drive for

 

[sassy2000]

We went thanksgiving week 3 yrs ago and had fun. Ate at Cape May for thanksgiving dinner and really enjoyed it. Our plan was to use our three fast passes at Hollywood studios that morning and then go back to the resort because I figured it would be very busy. We ended up staying until dinner at Hollywood studios on Thanksgiving. It was busy but fun. We are going again this year Nov 17-24.
17- AK lunch at Tusker House
18- HS lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
19- MK dinner at Libert Tree Tavern
20- Epcot breakfast at Akershus Dinner at Chefs de France
21- MK dinner at Ohana
22- AK dinner at 1900 Park Fare
23- HS dinner at Cape May
My suggestion is to arrive at opening each day to take advantage of lower crowd levels.
Regarding temperatures, you never know. It was warm enough to swim half of the time we were there in 2014 but it could just as easily be cooler. I would just pack your bathing suits and hope for warm days.

 

[ELSA711]

We went last year for the first time Thanksgiving week and loved it. Booked again this year with the following plans

11/21 DHS (PM)
11/22 MK
11/23 AK
11/24 MK/EP

11/25 AK/Universal
11/26 Universal

We were successful in getting all our FP+ but I really only booked a BOG lunch and a Candlelight Dinner Package. I think I have a 50s Prime Time too but we just haven't eaten the way we used to with the kids anymore wanting to be on the go and moving away from character meals.
We will definitely book again for next Thanksgiving (I loved going that week)

Sadly we may have to cancel this year. Seems like a short trip to do a 18hr drive for

** So we are definitely cancelling our trip **
For anyone looking for FOP FP+ on Thanksgiving Day 11/23 and 11/25 @ AK you can try to search, I know it doesn't always work when FP+ are released but I'm cancelling mine today.

Will post my ADRs on the November ADR Cancellation Thread

 

[FSU Girl]

We are doing a short trip, going up Thanksgiving Day and leaving on Saturday. We are staying at the Swan and may or may not go into the parks, undecided on this. I did make fast passes in case we do and got everything I wanted.

11/23 - Arrive early morning and go into Epcot. Have 4pm dinner reservations at Garden Grove at the Swan. It serves a traditional Thanksgiving meal
11/24 - Hollywood Studios/pool day. Dinner at Il Munio (probably misspelled that. The Italian restaurant in the Swan)
11/25 - Possibly Epcot in the morning quick service lunch and then driving home. Playing this day by ear and may pick up a last minute reservation.

We are trying to avoid driving much since it'll probably be crowded so everything is in either walking or boat distance from the hotel.