Tell me about your plans for Thanksgiving

[paperstarfish]

We'll be there from the Sunday before to Friday after Thanksgiving this year and are staying at AKL. We may be a little different than many on the boards because we don't try to go for a traditional Thanksgiving meal while we're at Disney. That would be one thing to decide before your ADR window opens up. We're doing things with huge crowds (FOP) earlier in our stay when the crowds are projected to be slightly lower than later in the week. EMH from 7-8am should help with that too!

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

We did Disney thanksgiving last year, arriving the Friday before and leaving the Friday after.
The crowds built up with the busiest days wed, thurs, and fri. I imagine the weekend was insane. The early part of our trip had manageable crowd sizes.
We had t-day dinner at Be Our Guest and they had their normal menu plus a special traditional turkey dinner.
MK is very crowded that day so if you have a favorite restaurant elsewhere it would probably be a good idea to do a different park on Thursday.
I used Touring Plans to help figure out which days to go to which park and avoided days with extra magic hours. Also keep in mind if the Christmas party is running at the MK that night they will close very early.

 

[fairestoneofall]

We'll be there from Nov 18-25. We won't be going to a park on Thanksgiving day. We'll maybe do some resort-hopping and shopping. Our plans are pretty flexible for that day.

 

[SFMommy]

OP here. Thanks so much for sharing your plans! It is making me very excited about planning our Thanksgiving Trip for 2018.

If we are going to do Candlelight Processional with dinner package...which night is better...Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving? I was thinking of spending Friday after Thanksgiving at Discovery Cove and Saturday after Thanksgiving at Epcot with a Candlelight Processional lunch or dinner package.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

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?

The weather can be warm or cold depending on the year. The best bet is to bring layers with the usual high around 78 during the day and nighttime lows around 55-60. I have been there (in 2015) when there were a few days when the temperature got above 55 for a few days with rain. I will be going over Christmas and plan on bringing in layers.

 

[DisneyFive]

Our plans for Thanksgiving? We're having a bunch of family over to our house, cooking a turkey with all the fixings, drinking some beer, watching some football, napping...

Dan

 

[disneygolfer1985]

OP here. Thanks so much for sharing your plans! It is making me very excited about planning our Thanksgiving Trip for 2018.

If we are going to do Candlelight Processional with dinner package...which night is better...Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving? I was thinking of spending Friday after Thanksgiving at Discovery Cove and Saturday after Thanksgiving at Epcot with a Candlelight Processional lunch or dinner package.

Probably Saturday would be better because everyone will be at Epcot on Friday for the Candlelight Processional; however, I don't know how crowds would be now since they are starting the marketplaces and the storytellers the Sunday before. I have been before on Friday and it was packed. We went last year on Friday with the thought that we may not be able to get much done at Epcot on Friday, so we decided to do the dinner package and loved it.

 

[Bethislucy]

We are going this year but thanksgiving day is our travel day we will leave SC around 7am stop for a picnic lunch then drive on to Disney check in to our hotel and then head over to AKL for dinner at Sanaa.

 

[Okinawanchick]

We are going during Thanksgiving week this year. This is our 3rd time going during Thanksgiving week. The parks are busy but the weather is nice! We went during the summer once but it was just way too hot for us. This is my nephew's first time visiting Disney Parks so we are doing lots of Character dinings.

11/17 travel
11/18 MK dinner @ The Crystal Palace
11/19 HS lunch @ Hollywood&Vine
11/20 AK lunch @ Tusker House
11/21 EP dinner @ Garden Grill
11/22 MK/EP lunch @BOG &dinner @ Chef Mickey
11/23 AK/MK dinner @ BOG
11/24 MK/AK breakfast @ Ohana

It's been 5 years since our last trip so we are excited to see/experience the new attractions. Cannot wait!

 

[DisneyDork1969]

Thanksgiving Day 11/23- arrive at MCO, spend a couple days in Orlando...maybe Thanksgiving dinner with my cousin and his family...
Fri 11/24 - Seaworld
Sat 11/25 - Busch Gardens
Sun 11/26 - AoA check-in, Epcot, dinner at San Angel Inn
Mon 11/27 - DHS, dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe
Tues 11/28 - AK AM just to use my 3 FPs (EE, NRJ, Dinosaur) / MK at 4pm, 5:30pm dinner at Skipper Canteen, MVMCP at 7pm...
Weds 11/29 - celebrate my Birthday at MK, dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
Thurs 11/30 - Epcot, dinner at Nine Dragons
Fri 12/01 - AK day, leave park by 4pm, shopping at DS, dinner at Bongo's Cafe
Sat 12/02 - check-out of AoA, MK day, lunch at Be Our Guest, leave park by 5pm, head back to MCO for our 8:30pm flight back home

John

 

[IanDLBZF from MCMagic]

I'm doing three parks in one day (Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) with a main emphasis on thrill-rides on November 21!

 

[heart]

** 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

Sorry you had to cancel.

 

[JFox]

Went Thanksgiving week 2016 and planning for the same week 2018. Assuming I can book our home DVC resort. It's a busy time of year but fun. QS is fine for us when we travel with our kids.

 

[kangamangus]

Love this thread!! We are going down next year, arriving on Thanksgiving and staying for 11 days!! I'm not entirely sure of our plans but I know we want to try MVMCP, have 9 day park hoppers and am really hoping to stay on property in a grand villa. There will be 11 of us traveling again. I don't think we will have a traditional dinner, probably just grab something on Disney springs on arrival day (which will be Thanksgiving).

 

[sapdaddy2]

We are arriving the day after Thanksgiving. First just us two vacation in 20+ years

11/25 Disney springs and resort hop to look at the decorations
11/26 AK morning HS afternoon
11/27 MK all day
11/28 Epcot all day
11/29 MK to finish off what we didn't get to see then Epcot to close
11/30 whatever we missed at HS if not pick that day.
12/1 go home

 

[tinkerhon]

We are heading to WDW for our annual Thanksgiving trip - 11/23-11/30 this year --- Thanksgiving day arrival at around noon --- heading to DS for Thanksgiving -- getting a quick bite and then heading to see "La Nouba" at
6pm - had to see it one last time before it closes and got a great deal with Disney Visa

Saturday heading to SeaWorld --- dinner with Rudolph ! Christmas at SW is amazing !

 

[dlavender]

I'm hoping this year isn't too crazy crowd wise, but here goes:

11/24 - MK arrival 11AM - 3 FP's, some anytime rides, see castle lights, peace out
11/25 - EPCOT Rope drop FEA, two or three other rides, Holiday around World til 2, break for naps, return in evening to HS for FP's and Jingle Bam
11/26 - AK Rope Drop Pandora - 3 FP's after that, then head home

I'm sure it will be nuts, but we'll make it through and we are really excited for the Christmas decorations/shows

 

[SaintsManiac]

I snagged a Garden Grill dinner on Thanksgiving Day, so we'll be at Epcot instead of HS now. I'm so ready to go!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

We are not-quite-locals (~1 hr drive) but don't have family nearby so we're headed down for the day.

Lunch at 50's PT (seemed fitting to eat in mom's kitchen on Thanksgiving!), few FP rides at HS and we'll hop someplace else if it's crazy crowded, and then dinner at 'Ohana with some friends that also don't have family nearby. I felt like I hit the lottery when I snagged that reservation a few weeks ago