Thanksgiving Week

[kbuck]

Has anyone been to Disney just prior to Thanksgiving. How is the crowds and the weather. What about park hours.

Tell me everything. I have two rooms on hold until August 26th at the All Star Sports for $388 for seven nights. What a deal.

Also we have never stayed the the All Star Sports. How is the bus tranportation? We stayed at the Pop Century in Dec and the busses ran frequetly and did not stop any place else. Does the All Star Sports bus make stops at the other All Star resorts?

Thanks for the help.

 

[kbuck]

That is $388 for each room for seven days.

 

[Bronte]

How did you get such a low rate per night ... I tried going through their site and came up with a little over 500 for the week before Thanksgiving ... just wondering.
We have gone down to Disney during the first week of November and always had a wonderfull time ...
Lisa

 

[kbuck]

Since we go to Disney at least once a year, I'm on their email list. I received last week with a really great offer that I have been thinking about. So today I called and I was given a price of $388 for Nov 19 - Nov 26. It was a rate of $49 a night.

 

[Bronte]

How did you get on the email list ... we have gone down a few times ... fall 2001, 2002, 2003, spring 2004 and we are going back this fall for Halloween. I have a package for the fall trip but I am thinking now that it was not such a great deal.
Lisa

 

[kbuck]

It was from Walt Disney World Resort. I get several emails a week from Disney. I'm registered with the Disney website, I have a Disney credit card and receive other types of email from Disney.

 

[M&J's Mom]

We went last year from the Friday before to the Sat. after Thanksgiving. The Friday and Saturday before were great. We tried EE at MK on Sunday. By 8:30, the waits for Pooh, Peter Pan, were 35-45 min. already. We changed our plans after that day and decided not to do any more EE days. Though the parks were crowded, we were there before opening and used fastpass and did everything we wanted to do -which was just about everything! I would recommend avoiding the EE parks that week. We stayed at the All Star Movies. We only rode the buses a couple of times but found them to be efficient. I'd definitely plan on crowds and go with a strategy. We had a wonderful time and were very prepared. We thought we'd try the week before this November in hopes of lighter crowds. It'll be great no matter what! I hope you have a great trip!

 

[bexareaglecheryl]

Wow kbuck that is a great rate. We're going from Nov. 18-26 with AAA discount that I booked in Aug 2003 and got a preferred room for $77 (including tax). That's $10 more per night per room for the preferred. We're at the AsMovies. I know that we've been twice before and got lower rates at the AsSports and AsMusic. The Movies never had the lower discounted rates available (maybe they don't offer that many rooms at the discounted rates?).

We're planning our trips with every contigency noted. We won't be using EMH and will be utilizing TourGuideMike's touring plans at his website http://www.tourguidemike.com for his best advice. We're hoping to get park touring done on Frid/Sat/Sun/Mon and then heading to the parks at Univ/IOA. We've got our THanksgiving meal PS at WCC.

I am hoping that since last year was crowded this year will be a little lighter.
Cheryl

 

[bexareaglecheryl]

I'm also registered with WDW's online site and the Disney Insider, and every Disney/WDW official site I can find for the last 4 years and have never received an email about discount codes. In 2001 I once received a postcard, but nothing since then. Maybe they only target certain markets/states. Lucky son of a gun you!

 

[AimeeM]

Staying at Sports is pretty good for the buses. You get picked up first on the way to the parks and dropped off first on your way back from the parks. Yes, the bus does stop at all All Stars. ( In 99, it wasnt like that. I remember being at movies, and it only went to movies) We will probably be staying at All Stars again in January and we really like Sports, but my 2 year old DS loves Buzz & Woody! Im half tempted to stay at Movies for him.. I think he would love that. But those darn buses! lol

 

[JenniferW]

We are also going before Tday and during this year. We have been in past and the earlier to Tday the better. I would avoid MK on Tday. We went to AK and Epcot that day and it wasn't bad. Saturday was pretty busy also, but by Sunday it was much more pleasant and on the couple days before T day it was great!

Jenn

 

[kbuck]

Thanks for all your posts.

As for the email I received. I could have recieved it because we have been visiting Disney every year for the past four years. I do not know if they know that sort of informtion. Last year was the first time we stayed at a Disney Resort (PoP).

I'm just glad a I got the offer it helped me convince the family to go.

I was also able to book my parents a room at that rate.

Looking forward to being in Disney for Thanksgiving.

 

[G's mommy]

I was able to get $49 per night at Music for 11/19 - 11/28 with my AP discount. I have found it difficult to get the deep discounted rooms at Movies, even more than Pop Century. We were at MK last year the Saturday before T'day and it was not bad at all. I think the crowds will pick-up by Tuesday and be heavy from Wed on.

As far as bus service, we have had good luck for the most part with reliable service. At off times, the busses will stop at all 3 allstar resorts, but at peak times, each resort will have it's own bus, especially for MK.

 

[JandT'smom]

We have gone twice at that time of year weather is great and I think the crowds are better than they were in early Aug. Just get to the park at opening and you should have a great time

 

[TXMommy]

We were there for Thanksgiving Week 2002, and we were in MK on Thanksgiving Day! It was quite crowded - the most crowded that *I* have ever experienced, but I've never been at Christmas or Easter or summertime. I did hear that MK reaches capacity around lunchtime on Thanksgiving Day and no one else is allowed in. We used our own car rather than the buses because the buses seemed overcrowded and slow for us - we were at POR. At the time I said, "never again at Thanksgiving" but now that it's been a couple of years, I'd probably consider it again!

The Osbourne Lights are a must-see at that time of year - absolutely amazing!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I just wanted to say that we got a room at the AS Music for the same rate (from same email) that kbuck is referring to. $49 a night for 6 nights makes our room (tax included) $332 . That was enough to make us go ahead and plan a T-day trip this year.

We have never been in November before either. This will be our 5th family trip. We arrive the Saturday before T-day and will spend 5 days in the parks, driving home to NC on Friday after T-day. I am figuring on huge crowds, but I think we'll be patient enough and savvy enough to handle thinsg pretty well.

 

[kbuck]

Kbuck here - I'm just looking at the park hours for that week and I'm really not sure what to do. Should we try to EE or not? At first I was planning not to do this and now I second guessing myself.

My parents will be traveling with us and want to see and do everything. They are early risers. Maybe we will give it a try.


This was my plan

Sat - MK
Sun - AK (smaller park that I wanted to get done before the bigger crowds arrived closer to Thanksgiving) AK closed at 5 so take Disney transportation to closed park MGM??
Mon - MGM
Tues - Epcot
Wed - Do what ever we missed or wanted to ride again.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

If your parents are early risers then I would definately do EE.

Lori