Thanksgiving at WDW and DVC??

[ebenmax]

We may have a change of plans and would like to come to WDW for Thanksgiving. Since we have never been there at T-giving nor stayed with DVC, what should we expect?

Are the parks crazy?

Is it impossible to book DVC at this point?

Who serves a great Thanksgiving dinner?

TIA

Ellen

 

[hidisney]

I am going this year too at that time. I would also be interested in knowing.

 

[bmoncher]

Hi
We went Tday last year.. My sister stayed DVC, We stayed in our offsite timeshare.
We avoided the parks on Wed and Thursday... they are very very busy - but we did other things instead - We hit some offsite place. (and so did my sister and her family) Also they went swimming and spent the day at OKW (their resort) on Tday... Basically all the restaurants serve a Tday meal - I don't think any one was better then another...
But you have to get your ressies 180 days out or you will have trouble getting them!

Good luck!
Beth

 

[DMKEDM]

We go to WDW every T-giving (we love it)...

1. Last year was our first as DVC members...we bought June 19; I called MS for T-giving reservations 6/20 (five months out)...had to use the W/L...all but Wed-Thurs (the day before and T-giving itself) were available right away...what I did was probably more complicated (new owner!) than it needed to be...but it all worked out. What I wanted was a studio at SSR for Tues before T-giving til Monday after...I took the Fri-Mon reservation (studio at SSR right away), and then I W/L'ed for any studio or any 1-BR at any resort for Tues-Fri...figured we'd be ok moving if we had to...I wound up clearing the W/L a couple of times (got a 1-BR before I got the studio), but wound up w/exactly what we wanted, by mid-August...I also made a cash reservation at the ASMu as "back up"...once my W/L came thru, I canceled that reservation...

2. I also made our T-giving dinner reservations right away (but it was still way less than 180 days out...about 4 1/2 months out is when I called for dinner reservations)...we got CA Grill (and had lots of choices, since we weren't at all "picky" about time)...then, in October, 4 people joined our party (staying at ASMu) and I had to expand our dinner reservation from 2 to 6...plus, one of the now-six person party didn't have park tix...our choices were VERY limited...we wound up choosing Shula's Steak House at the Swan, where they assured me they'd be serving a traditional Tgiving dinner. When we got there, they only had their regular menu (principally steaks)...my family was thrilled (the food was excellent), but I was disappointed...I really wanted my roast turkey & stuffing and sweet potatoes! But when I got back to SSR, I discovered that Artist's Palette was serving a lovely traditional roast turkey dinner (real turkey, not that pressed kind)! So I got my traditional dinner and I was a happy camper. Moral of the story: even if you wind up having to use a food court/counter service type place, the T-giving meal is very good...

3. Crowds. Yup, it's very crowded T-giving week...especially Wed-Sun afternoon...but it's manageable if you get to your park of choice early (opening or close to it), make use of fast passes, and plan to leave (or don't mind very crowded walking around) by lunch time...night time at Epcot was wonderful, and we saw Fantasmic (at MGM) on T-giving night and it was, well, fantasmic! It was a last minute decision...finished at Shula's around 6:15 and "beat feet" over to MGM...got seats and everything (altho it was indeed crowded)...it was after Fantasmic and returning to SSR that I discovered my "real" (and second) T-giving meal!

SSR was phenomenal at T-giving...sold out but didn't give any "feel" of being crowded or busy at all...and being able to stroll over to DTD at night was great...especially since DTD was uncomfortably crowded...it was nice to "get the taste" of it we were looking for, and then have very easy access back "home" when the crowds got to be too much for us...

SSR was also wonderful for accessing my family at ASMu and the restaurants at the BC/YC/BW (we ate at Beaches 'n Cream, Cape May & Shula's)...just a lovely five-minute stroll (we were in Congress Park) over to the MarketPlace bus stop where we could get the resort busses, instead of having to bus to Epcot or MGM and walk over...

In short, we loved it...of course, we were back in Janary (we arrived in time for the marathon--which was awesome to watch! and stayed a week) and the much lighter crowds were wondrous! But the holiday decorations during the T-giving trip were also awesome...so, we loved both trips...for different reasons and at different paces.

Hope this helps you decide...and that you love it as much as we did...

 

[CarolMN]

If you mean Thanksgiving 2007, call to make your DVC reservation ASAP - that's a popular week and at least the smaller WDW DVC resorts may already have waitlist for some of the days that week. Thanksgiving Day itself could be a problem. The sooner you get on the waitlist (if you have to), the better!

 

[edk35]

We are new to DVC so I can't help you there but we have been twice arriving about 6 days before Thanksgiving. The crowds are pretty good til about Wed. and then after that....VERY CROWDED but at that point we had seen and done a lot so we left EC the day after Thanksgiving and headed back to CS to hit the pool.So if you can arrive several days before then you can take advantage of the parks then when crowds are lower. Then there are "other things you can do once the crowds hit". It is a great time to go....the decorations are up and it is just a nice way to kick off the holiday season. We ate at Whispering Canyon the first trip....not my favorite meal. It was served family style and I would have preferred a buffet better. It was very loud and rowdy which is the theme of that restaurant so for us...it was just okay. Most every TS will have a Thanksgiving Dinner. I would book it now though. Have fun.

 

[SimbaCub]

I have been going for Thanksgiving since 2004 staying at VWL. I would book your stay ASAP to secure the exact dates you desire. I actually arrive on Thanksgiving Day--I drive down so the traffic is much nicer and I don't have to deal with any airports. I have been to the parks on Thanksgiving Day and found it to be moderately crowded to be honest. I was surprised because I thought it would be wall-to-wall people. Friday and Saturday are more crowded but I avoid Magic Kingdom on those days if possible so maybe I am not seeing all the crowds.

I do have 1 big issue about Thanksgiving. I arrive on that day so when I call 180 days out to book my priority seating everybody who arrives earlier that week already booked for Thanksgiving Day so I normally get what's left over. I would prefer for holidays they make everybody call 180 days out to make it fair because of arrival date.

If you have any questions PM me and I'll be glad to answer. It's a great time of year to visit. By Sunday it's definitely quieter and the week after is great.

SimbaCub
OKW April 2007
VWL Thanksgiving 2007
VWL Week before Christmas 2007

 

[Coach Rick]

We went from Friday after t-day to the following Tuesday the year before last. I don't really remember the crowds being too large, but we usually go in August, so in comparison I guess it's about the same, but starting on the Monday after we found it very nice indeed. We are planning on going this year with all 11 of our usual travel family. We were going to stay in SSR, but having recently purchased AKV I really want to stay there this time. To me the most magical time at WDW is at Christmas time!

 

[ebenmax]

Thanks so much for all of your input. As teachers we truly are locked into the school calendar unless we want a pay deduct (NO WAY!) so no matter what we will be there on the heavy days. However, we are usually summer travellers and I am assuming the crowds are comparable.

The way it sounds we need to decide ASAP on our ressies!

Thanks again!!

Ellen

 

[crys5]

Thanks so much for all of your input. As teachers we truly are locked into the school calendar unless we want a pay deduct (NO WAY!) so no matter what we will be there on the heavy days. However, we are usually summer travellers and I am assuming the crowds are comparable.

The way it sounds we need to decide ASAP on our ressies!

Thanks again!!

Ellen

We are going for the first time at DVC and Thanksgiving week. We are renting points and i know for sure there is a waitlist at Boardwalk villa...for Thanksgiving day there are no available rooms there , my daughter has the whole week except that day, she is on waitlist. We went in June when it was hot and rainy and lots and lots of people ....hope it is not like that.....lol