Thanksgiving Week Crowds

[danjoan14]

What are the crowds like during Thanksgiving week? We might be planning a trip during that week next year. We just got back from WDW last week. We've been to three Halloween Parties, and thought that next year we might try Mickey's Christmas Party.

 

[cleo]

Busy! Did I say busy? I meant BUSY!!!

Not packed to the gills, but darned near. It's busy.

 

[slduck]

It was nice the weekend before Thanksgiving, but things got progessively more crowded as the week went on. Wednesday was VERY crowded!

 

[mickeymini]

We always go the week after and it is pretty good other than Monday some leftovers streching it one more day. Oh wait i just gave away our secret, ahhh i mean it is busy then too

 

[danjoan14]

OK, so maybe it's not such a good idea. Maybe we'll be better of the week before.

 

[AlecM]

We always go the week after and it is pretty good other than Monday some leftovers streching it one more day. Oh wait i just gave away our secret, ahhh i mean it is busy then too

We're thinking of mixing Epcot and MK over 3 days - Saturday, Sunday, Monday after Thanksgiving - thought Epcot on the Saturday (as largest capacity) - 1/2 and 1/2 on Sunday, and MK on Monday? Make sense given the circumstances?

Note - first-timer here. Finally got there at 42!

Alec in RI

 

[Fairy_Tale_Bride]

We're going to be there this year and I have a feeling it'll be the most PACKED I have ever seen it! All of the Value and Moderate Resorts were booked and I could barely get ADRS anywhere when we started planning a trip 2 months ago. I have to mentally prepare for the crowds!

 

[Frantasmic]

I went last year during Thanksgiving week (Sat - Fri afterwards). Sat, Sun, Mon are pretty light. We did A LOT during those three days. Crowds begin to pick up Tue and continue to build.

Thursday, TG Day, was VERY crowded at MK. We got there a little after opening and left at 7 p.m. for an evening ADR.

We did 5 attractions that Thanksgiving and had to use FP for most of them.

Compare that to our MK trip Sat, Nov 4, where the crowds were about 70 percent as much as last year, but surprisingly we were able to do 9 attractions in the same amount of time without using FP and eating a long lunch.

It is swamped with people on Thanksgiving, but you can still get some attractions in.

The other parks during TG week are busy, but a good plan and judicious use of FP early in the day will let you ride most of what you want.

 

[01Sweetpea]

We are going next week as well... we are hoping to get as much done on Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues before Thanksgiving as possible. I wasn't planning on going to MGM until Wed, but I may move that up to Monday. And my AK day is Thursday...I figure it's the better alternative to MK or Epcot.

See everyone who is going that time real soon!

 

[KittyKitty]

AlecM, you are picking one of the busiest seasons to visit for the 1st time.I think #2 right after Xmas. It can be wall to wall ppl.

So make sure you have meal adrs, and go early each day.

If you staying at WDW resort, take advantage of the EMH's,extra magic hour in the morning, to get in early. I hear the EMH's at night can be very busy.

If you don't have one, get a planning book to prepare you. Unofficial Guide to WDW, Passporter, online
TourGuideMike.

I don't want you to think it's always like this at WDW. Other times of the year will be slower.

Have a great time!!

 

[tink70]

We are going next week as well... we are hoping to get as much done on Sat, Sun, Mon & Tues before Thanksgiving as possible. I wasn't planning on going to MGM until Wed, but I may move that up to Monday. And my AK day is Thursday...I figure it's the better alternative to MK or Epcot.

See everyone who is going that time real soon!

We will be there friday! At CSR, I wish it was the poly!!!

have fun!!!

 

[danjoan14]

Everyone going during Thanksgiving week, have a great time. And don't forget to report back to us about the crowds.

 

[BamaFan121s]

They are generally VERY slow up until T'giving day and the day after. I'll let you know next week how they were this year....

 

[wilderness01]

Sun, Mon, Tues, were great. Wed started getting busy. Thanksgiving was packed at the MK. I would recommend doing another park. It will die down by Sun/Mon. Have a nice time.

 

[AlecM]

AlecM, you are picking one of the busiest seasons to visit for the 1st time.I think #2 right after Xmas. It can be wall to wall ppl.

So make sure you have meal adrs, and go early each day.

If you staying at WDW resort, take advantage of the EMH's,extra magic hour in the morning, to get in early. I hear the EMH's at night can be very busy.

If you don't have one, get a planning book to prepare you. Unofficial Guide to WDW, Passporter, online
TourGuideMike.

I don't want you to think it's always like this at WDW. Other times of the year will be slower.

Have a great time!!

I think our strategy of holding off on MK until Sunday/Monday will at least help. (Doing Discovery Cove on Tday)

Got the Unofficial Guide - and I'm goin w/ the plan (the niece and nephew have been there before - I haven't - so they can sleep in if they want - I'll be there at opening w/ prebought tix.

Will sure report - not that I have a basis for comparison.

Only have 3 Disney days - so just doing MK and Epcot.

Thanks all

Alec in RI

 

[tink70]

I just got back, and it was terribly busy. Not to mention cold!!!!
They even had flurries one night, and it was not the soap ones.
I enjoyed seeign the decorations, but the crowds were too much.
Wed thru friday was crowded, we did alot of things outside of the parks, to stay away. Like the bibbidy boutique, and a fishing excursion.
It was neat to eat thanksgiving in epcot, but I doubt I would do it again.
If it is your first trip, be careful, the long lines may discourage you.
Soaring at one point was a 2 and half hour wait.

 

[Partridge4ever]

Tuesday at MGM seemed pretty crowded. We left Wednesday morning after having breakfast at the Castle. We were like fish swimming in the wrong direction trying to exit the park as HUNDREDS of people swarmed in. Still I think it's a good time to go to since you can take the kids out of school for only 2 days and still have a week. Follow the advice to arrive early and be sure to get Fast Passes. The weather was our biggest disappointment...if it had been December or January I would've come prepared, but weather.com was showing low 70s for the high right up til the day before we left home. We still had a great time!

 

[stapply]

We were there from Nov. 16 to Nov. 24. We did Epcot on Friday with no crowds or waits on any attractions, even Mission Space, Soarin' & Test Track. Sunday was a different story at MK. It was very crowded with long lines, same with MGM on Wed. but we expected this on the day before the holiday. This was the 2nd time we went at Thanksgiving and I'm not so sure I'd do it again. But we still had a great time although the weather was cold.

 

[byoung]

Tooooooooo crowded for me.

 

[allicat1214]

The short answer is: weekend before crowds are light to moderate, then they build steadily toward Thursday. We did a lot even though the crowds were building by Tues & full blown on Wed. But we used FP and EMH strategies. However, our kids are older now, so our days of character autographs, Fantasy Land rides, & Toon town, etc. are over (sniff, sniff!). We focused mainly on the big thrill rides.

Edited to add: Many schools in Louisiana are off the whole week of Thanksgiving. We saw a lot of Saints & LSU hats, shirts, etc. around.

Here's the long answer listing what we were able to do:

We checked in the dolphin Sat evening late. Went to Boardwalk/ESPN club.

Sunday - We did epcot first then afternoon in MK for EMH. Got a FP for TT, then waited 1 hr for Soaring, then before doing TT, got another FP for MS! Got to MK @3:30ish, rode WDWRR to Frontierland, got FP for BTMRR, did POTC, JC, HM, then ate by 8 pm. then did IASW, race cars, COP, SM, TTA - done by 11.

Monday - AK early - Got EE FP (but had to wait until 12:15!) then did Dinosaur. Half did Kili.Safaris and Half did Lion King Show. Then on to EE! (Not much else we wanted to see, except for Nemo show, but line was horribly long!) Then MGM @ 2 for evening EMH - Did RR, got FP for TOT, did Backlot tour, Star Tours, Beauty & Beast Show, ate at Sci Fi, Movie Ride, walked thru Osborne Lights (beautiful!)

Tuesday - Epcot early - Walked onto Soarin', got a FP for TT, went back to MK for WDWRR, POTC, Pirate Tutorial (Which if you have pirate fans I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!), TTA, High School Musical show, Main St. shopping, Splash Mountain, lunch at pecos bill. then back to Epcot for Universe of Energy & TT, then Walked around WS: got FP for Maelstrom, then ate at San Angel cantina, did Maelstrom, then walked around countries. We didn't do the films. Watched Illuminations.

Wednesday - went to MGM walked into Stunt Show at 10:30, ate at Pizza Planet, then back to Epcot for Seas with Nemo & Turtle Talk with Crush (new & highly recommended!), ate dinner at French cafe (creme brulee' yummy!) left for home!