Thanksgiving and week after, how bad is it?

[RichNKatHolly]

We are arriving the Sat after Thanksgiving and our land/sea starts the next day. Does anyone know how bad the crowds are from there and to Dec 1st? I was thinking of staying offsite Sat night and they we head to AKL on Sun and start the parks first thing in the AM (maybe AK that day). But, of course I'd love to book a value and start off on Sat - will it just be mayhem?

Thanks for any help!

 

[KLAIT]

Pretty much non-existant...we have picked this week for the last several years and it is very empty. Very seldom did we have a wait more than 10 minutes without a fastpass.

 

[jkmmah]

That Saturday right after Thanksgiving will be crazy busy! It will be packed since it's still the holiday weekend. Crowds will thin on Sunday but it will still be some busy. Then on Monday you'll see a huge difference and the whole week will be terrific! We've gone this time of year two years in a row and LOVE IT during the week AFTER Thanksgiving. You get the minimal crowds and the Christmas decorations arrive nearly overnight! It's gorgeous! ENJOY! But be prepared for the crowds on Saturday. Just an FYI.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

PHEWW. Thanks! I saw one post which said to stay away after Thanksgiving but maybe they meant closer to Christmas. I was worried. Any other advice would be great as I'm unfamiliar with the holiday festivities. Like, can I book the Merry xmas Party now or would they not have any dates yet? And, is it worth it? I've seen posts positive and neg on this one. My DD will be 2.5 and DS 5.5 (whoa, I just realized how old they are going to be!) Thanks again for the advice!

K

 

[KLAIT]

This is my absolute favorite time to visit Disney! Would go every year at this time if I could.

We all loved the Christmas Party..that early in December it is the only time ou can see the Christmas Parade and I do think it is worth seeing (and I am not a parade fan)....the deocrations at the parks and all the resorts are beautiful and worth touring...it gets dark early so you can see the parks all lit up...

Christmas Party tickets are not on sale yet, but will be ion the next month or 2 I would bet. We have always gone on the tuesday night after Thanksgiving and it has never been too crowded....

At MGM there are also the Osborne lights that are worth the trip over...my child was in awe of all the lights....

If you have the time, stop at the Grand Floridian and check out the giant gingerbread house...handmade and beautiful. It actually has a little store inside that sells gingerbread items.

I have found that I have gotten some excellent pictures this time of year to use as my christmas card. Most of the characters are in Christmas attire of some sort and make great photos...My all time favorite was when I had my son stand on the bench in front of the castle and I caught a pointsettia tree, my son and of course the castle in the background...it is high enough that there are no people in the background.

It is a beautiful time of year to go and I know you will lLOVE IT!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

OK- we will definatley hit GF for the gingerbread house/store.

Now, just to confirm, Mickey's Party has a fee and I should be able to book within the next 2 months. Osborne lights in MGM is free and part of the park? I see there is a singing/parade thing is Epcot. What about that - it has a dinner package with special seating?

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm so extra excited to go at this time of year now!

 

[Bev J]

We love this time of year, avoid the parks Thanksgiving weekend but after that, very small crowds, great weather and the parks are all decked out for Christmas- Beautiful!!

You will be glad you picked this time to go.

Bev

 

[EsmeraldaX]

OK- we will definatley hit GF for the gingerbread house/store.

Now, just to confirm, Mickey's Party has a fee and I should be able to book within the next 2 months. Osborne lights in MGM is free and part of the park? I see there is a singing/parade thing is Epcot. What about that - it has a dinner package with special seating?

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm so extra excited to go at this time of year now!

This is a GREAT week to go. We literally walked onto every ride, had great weather etc.

Mickeys Very Merry Christmas party does have a fee but IMO, it's worth it to see the parade and the snow on Main Street. Also, you get a free family photo and cookies and cocoa. Most of the rides are open and there are pretty much no lines. There are tons of activities for kids.

The Osbourne Lights at MGM is free but get in line early. We skipped it because the line to get into the area to view it was soooo long. It starts when the park closes.

The Candlelight Processional at Epcot is a beautiful show. You can book a dinner package for a fee which includes your meal and guaranteed seating. Or you can just wait in line to get in. Get there early, as seats go fast.

 

[KLAIT]

We have always seen the Lights at MGM...what we have done in the past is either go during Fantasmic or wait until right after. The park closing time is very close to the time that Fantasmic gets over..but, they will let you look at the lights and not chase you out. It is definately a must see. I love Christmas lights but thought it would be tacky, but it is truly amazing.

The dinner package with the Candlelight Processional is a pretty good deal if you are planning on a sit down meal sometime throughout the day. There are several 'Tiers" of dining packages available. Since we had our son who was 6, we chose the Garden Grill for the characters. Food was OK, but with the meal, character interaction and the preferred seating, it was worth the money. A hint if you do choose the package...you line up on one side of the theater while those who do not have the package line up on the other..when you get into the theater, go to the other side to get seats. The first time we did this, we sat on the same side as the line we entered through and when the performers came out, we realized that the view was obstructed by the lady who does the symbals and a few other things...

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Thanks all - truly great advice. We always do the dinner package whenever available. I really don't believe in lining up hours ahead of time - just not in me (or my kids). For that reason, it's worth the price and we probably would've eaten in most of those restaurants anyway.

I appreciate the help and can't wait to get there now!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

One Bump just to get more info on the dinner packages for Epcot and Fantasmic. Thanks!!!