Thanksgiving Week v. Christmas / New Years Week

[kes601]

We have an opportunity to visit Disneyland next year during the holidays. From the crowd calendars it appears that Thanksgiving week would be less crowded than Christmas into New Years, but in reality how much more crowded is it? We do WDW almost every year during both sets of those weeks, and while Thanksgiving is not as busy it is still busy enough where it doesn't really seem to make a difference.

If it matters, the Thanksgiving trip would be Saturday - Saturday. The Christmas trip would be Wed Dec 23 - Thurs Dec 31.

Logistically, Christmas is better for our work schedules, but we can make either one work.

Thanks!

 

[LKing]

Will this be your first visit to Disneyland? How many people and what ages?

Thanksgiving week may get busy in the afternoon, however you should be able to enjoy quieter mornings. I think Thanksgiving Day is usually relatively light.

Christmas week, on the other hand, is all tourists so it is busy from rope drop to park closing.

 

[kes601]

Will this be your first visit to Disneyland? How many people and what ages?

Thanksgiving week may get busy in the afternoon, however you should be able to enjoy quieter mornings. I think Thanksgiving Day is usually relatively light.

Christmas week, on the other hand, is all tourists so it is busy from rope drop to park closing.

It will be our third visit. We went the first time in Summer of '24 for 11 days and then this past summer for 7 days. We are 2 adults, both work in schools. No kids.

If we go Thanksgiving week my wife will have to work remotely for one of the days, but being from the east coast she would in theory be done by 12:30 or 1:00 pacific time. If we go the time during Christmas then neither one of us will have to work.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

if I were choosing I would pick the Thanksgiving week. I think the Thanksgiving week could end up being really pleasant overall, times of higher crowds balanced by times of moderate crowds, with the busiest days potentially being the Friday and Saturday at the end of the trip.

 

[China Expat]

As a former cast member, I can say both weeks are PACKED!

 

[kes601]

As a former cast member, I can say both weeks are PACKED!

We 100% expect that. We are leaning toward Christmas week just because of my wife not having to work at all and giving a couple of buffer days for travel. I was really just curious if there was a big difference in the 2 weeks....and sounds like you would say no.

 

[LKing]

Choose the time that works best for you. I disagree that both weeks are equally packed. Christmas week is one of busiest times of the year. It is so busy that all Magic Keys are blocked from making reservations. We're three weeks out from Thanksgiving 2025 and, as of today, there are MK reservations available everyday except for Sunday Nov 30.

 

[Pluto468]

I'd do the week before Thanksgiving if your schedule allows.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Generally, Dec.25-Jan. 1 are the busiest days for the park. The days after Christmas Day get full as in they have to stop letting people into the park because it's full. I don't think I've ever heard of that happening Thanksgiving week.

 

[kes601]

Thanks all. I think the consensus here is to try to go Thanksgiving week if we can swing it. It's also far fewer points on the VDH point chart (we own there)......

 

[KPeterso]

I am with others about choosing Thanksgiving week. Another thing during the week between the holidays is that there is a day that week that the 2 teams playing in the Rose Bowl will also be in the parks. It may not add a lot to the crowds that week since it is already super crowded but it does add something.