Thanksgiving or New Years Eve time???

[jcf]

Me and my son (8) enjoyed Pirate party event so I was leaning toward Thanksgiving which will have Mickey Christmas party event and less crowds
New Years Eve trip (12/27-1/3) might be too much for him with the crowds but probably never forgot it either

 

[Deb & Bill]

There isn't any MVMCP during Thanksgiving week. There is one the Friday before, but none until maybe Sunday or Monday after.

Do you already have a reservation for Thanksgiving or NYE? It could be difficult to get those times this late. NYE used to have a lottery because it was such a popular time.

 

[jcf]

12/27-1/3 booked at Poly. No points left.
When is Thanksgiving this year. It looks like there is a Christmas Party
http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/mvmcp.htm

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanksgiving is Nov 27.

 

[jcf]

While we could stay 11/26-12/1. Will the crowds be better at Thanksgiving or week after Christmas?
Have you done the Christmas party?

I heard there is a party at Poly Concierge on New Years Eve. But, my son would love to walk on rides with little or no wait like we did during the Pirate party.

 

[dianeschlicht]

While we could stay 11/26-12/1. Will the crowds be better at Thanksgiving or week after Christmas?
Have you done the Christmas party?

I heard there is a party at Poly Concierge on New Years Eve. But, my son would love to walk on rides with little or no wait like we did during the Pirate party.

Don't plan on walking on rides on New Year's EVE!!!! It will be jammed! It's the single busiest day and night of the year at WDW. Parks are open into the wee hours. Thanksgiving is better crowd wise, but we were there last year for the whole week of Thanksgiving plus most of the week after, and crowds were certainly higher than other times we have been there, but not packed either. I know there was a MVMCP going on at some point during our trip, but I don't believe it was that first week.

 

[drusba]

As far as crowds go, Thanksgiving is very crowded, particularly the Wednesday through Saturday. If you usually go off-season, you will consider it stifling, huge, packed to the gills, and you will witness long stand-by lines.

As to the time right after Christmas and likely through about Jan 3 next year, the crowd size will make Thanksgiving look like a slow off-season time. Just take total Thanksgiving crowd and multiply by at least 2. You enter MK at 11 and stand at the base of Main Street. You will not see the street, you will not see the sidewalks. All you will see is bobbing heads all stacked next to each other moving slowly en masse.

 

[ADP]

Last New Year's Eve at EPCOT
Tip board wait times! Forget about it!

The crowd in and around World Showcase. Forget about it!

I learned my lesson. I'll never go to a Disney Park on a holiday again. Not that I won't go to Disney World we just won't go to the parks. You'd be better off staying at your resort and enjoying your resort amenities and holiday activites.

 

[Starr W.]

As far as crowds go, Thanksgiving is very crowded, particularly the Wednesday through Saturday. If you usually go off-season, you will consider it stifling, huge, packed to the gills, and you will witness long stand-by lines.

As to the time right after Christmas and likely through about Jan 3 next year, the crowd size will make Thanksgiving look like a slow off-season time. Just take total Thanksgiving crowd and multiply by at least 2. You enter MK at 11 and stand at the base of Main Street. You will not see the street, you will not see the sidewalks. All you will see is bobbing heads all stacked next to each other moving slowly en masse.

We go at Thanksgiving and usually quit going to the parks on Wed pm(we usually arrive the weekend before and head home on Friday). Did AK on Thanksgiving morning once, crowded but managable, with proper FP planning.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Interesting. We were in WDW for the week of Thanksgiving through the whole next week, and while we thought the crowds were certainly more than we usually prefer, it also was nowhere near as bad as NYE was. The most crowded I have ever seen any park was NYE 1999/2000. It was wall to wall people in Epcot, and after the midnight Illuminations, the entire crowd moved in baby steps to the exits. We did NYE again 2006/2007, and the crowds were very manageable in comparison.

 

[Starr W.]

Interesting. We were in WDW for the week of Thanksgiving through the whole next week, and while we thought the crowds were certainly more than we usually prefer, it also was nowhere near as bad as NYE was. The most crowded I have ever seen any park was NYE 1999/2000. It was wall to wall people in Epcot, and after the midnight Illuminations, the entire crowd moved in baby steps to the exits. We did NYE again 2006/2007, and the crowds were very manageable in comparison.

Should qualify that the AK visit was in 2006. The crowds were noticably bigger last year, even on the weekend before.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Should qualify that the AK visit was in 2006. The crowds were noticably bigger last year, even on the weekend before.

We were there from the weekend before through the whole week after in '07, and it wasn't nearly as bad as we expected.

 

[PamOKW]

WDW at Christmas/NYE is something to be experienced at least once. Then you can decide whether or not it's for you. (Okay, I kinda love it!) But Diane is not kidding -- the NYE crowds can be staggering. It can be best enjoyed by "going with the flow" and taking in all the special shows, hotel decorations etc. vs. trying to hit the rides. Another thing to consider is that NYE can be cold -- not chilly -- cold. Some years you hit it right and it can be 70-80 but other years it could be as low as the 40's in the daytime. That is less likely to happen at Thanksgiving.

 

[Starr W.]

We were there from the weekend before through the whole week after in '07, and it wasn't nearly as bad as we expected.

There was a definate jump in the crowds from 06 to 07. Someone I talked to at SSR told me this was the first year their schools got the full week off for Thanksgiving. I think this year is shaping up to be a hoot(developer points ).

I think on the one thread for the 7 month Thanksgiving Jig, even SSR is already booked up on Turkey night. Obviously the developer point people booked day by day.

 

[jcf]

When do you suggest going to park? I don't want to be locked out or standing by just inside the gates.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When do you suggest going to park? I don't want to be locked out or standing by just inside the gates.

You need to be at the park when it opens and prepare to stay until closing if you plan to go on NYE. If you are going to the MK or Epcot. AK doesn't stay open late and DHS usually has a bit smaller crowd (but it is still wall to wall people). We have arrived at DHS later in the afternoon and were able to get into the park.

All week between Christmas and New Years, you can expect the parks (especially MK or Epcot)to close sporatically during the day - usually around 10 AM and again at about 2PM. If you have an ADR in the parks for that time and the parks close before you arrive, you will not be allowed to enter the park. You will miss your ADR.