Week before OR after Thanksgiving?

[Cbarr]

If you had the choice, would you pick the full week before or after Thanksgiving week?

We've been the week after and have found it to be a great time to go, but each year seems to get busier. I've never been the week before.

 

[Desnik]

The week before! It is the best time to go. Low crowds, great weather, holiday decrations, just perfect! We have gone that week a bunch of times and it is our favorite time to go.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

The week before will be less crowded.

 

[hebbynan]

We're going the week after. I'm a little concerned, because although it used to be a value/less crowded week, everything I'm reading is saying the opposite!

 

[klmall]

Back in the dark ages (1990s) we always went the last full week before Thanksgiving and found the parks uncrowded and weather nice enough to swim. The closer to Thanksgiving we got, the busier it got and by the Monday of Thanksgiving week we headed for non-Disney stuff. We watched the hotels start to decorate and have pictures of the cranes in the MK doing the same. We may go back at the same time again in 2012.

 

[Buttercup2009]

I went the week after Thanksgiving in 2009 and the week before in 2010 and the week before was definitely less crowded, we loved it. The only thing I liked better about the week after Thanksgiving was that it felt more Christmasy since it was closer to Christmas and the weather was a little cooler and we loved watching the special Christmas ending to Illuminations.

 

[dolphindan1]

here is a great link...I have been at both times and I prefer the week before...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2746369

Link to my 2009 crowd pics...Nov 13th to 22nd I believe

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/showgallery.php?cat=1031

 

[walkdmc]

Dolphindan! A blast from Disboard discussions past! For two years in a row, we also went the week before T-giving and we plan on doing the same this year. Are you going this year too?

(Not to be creepy/stalker-ish but I remember you b/c our trips paralelled each others, down to some of the park days you had planned. Also, I really appreciated the pics you posted of the crowds, made us so excited to be visiting the week before Tgiving.)

 

[dolphindan1]

Dolphindan! A blast from Disboard discussions past! For two years in a row, we also went the week before T-giving and we plan on doing the same this year. Are you going this year too?

(Not to be creepy/stalker-ish but I remember you b/c our trips paralelled each others, down to some of the park days you had planned. Also, I really appreciated the pics you posted of the crowds, made us so excited to be visiting the week before Tgiving.)

Yeah I remember those...We are actually going in September this year to take advantage of the Halloween Party....We are actually making it more of a Universal trip but will go to the Party and I think Epcot....

I will say 2010 crowds were alot higher than 2009...wait times were not bad at all...Did you enjoy your trips?

 

[walkdmc]

We did. I don't recall really high crowd numbers. I followed the Touringplan recs and did fine. The only crowds I remember were at the Osborne lights one night when the Photopass stations had lines at least 10 people long.

I took another WDW trip in June and while it was nice, it was a completely different experience. I would pick November any time over June.

Universal will be fun. We've been wanting to make the trip to see HP for a year and still don't know when we'll go. Have fun!

BTW, we're also going to WDW in Sept. LOL, we're doing the family 5K in the AK on Oct. 1. We're checking in Sept. 30 and leaving Oct 2 but plan on attending the Halloween Parade one night.

 

[dolphindan1]

We did. I don't recall really high crowd numbers. I followed the Touringplan recs and did fine. The only crowds I remember were at the Osborne lights one night when the Photopass stations had lines at least 10 people long.

I took another WDW trip in June and while it was nice, it was a completely different experience. I would pick November any time over June.

Universal will be fun. We've been wanting to make the trip to see HP for a year and still don't know when we'll go. Have fun!

BTW, we're also going to WDW in Sept. LOL, we're doing the family 5K in the AK on Oct. 1. We're checking in Sept. 30 and leaving Oct 2 but plan on attending the Halloween Parade one night.

Great minds think alike...LOL...

I am no runner...at least not since track in High School....

We are gonna attend the Halloween Party...I really want to see the Headless Horseman in the parade...I watched it on Youtube and its looks great....We are also looking forward to Harry Potter...I am the real fan in my family but my kids, mainly my oldest enjoys HP too....My oldest is a rising Fresh in HS so we are not taking the week long trip we usually do...Taking a 4 day trip so he will only miss a day or 2...he is in honors classes and I really dont want him to get behind in his first year in HS...He was taken out for a week every year since K-5 but I just cant bring myself to do it this time....I told him we would take a long trip after graduation...Hopefully he will survive...I think its a bit unfair to my youngest but really dont know what to do about it...

 

[walkdmc]

We're doing the same with my oldest son. He's 10, going into 5th grade. We think this November will be the last time we pull him out for a week of vacation.

We're not runners either but I used that as an excuse to get my DH down there. I'm hoping it's not a serious run, or that "fun run" won't be so fun.

Take care and have a good trip.

 

[snookiedoodles]

I have been there the week after, perfect weather, no lines......priceless!

 

[Magalex]

If we could visit WDW the full week before T-day every year we would. We went Nov. 2010 & it was so wonderful

 

[lpizzuro123]

I would think the week before would be less crowded but if you want to catch any of the holiday stuff at Epcot it does not start until the day after Thanksgiving. The Holiday storytellers, the special ending to IllumiNations and the Candlelight Processional doe not start until Friday.

Linda

 

[walkdmc]

I really don't like spreading the word (b/c we LOVE visiting the week before T-giving and if word gets out about how awesome it is....) but there are a lot of Christmas decorations up the week before Thanksgiving. The monorail resorts have their lobby trees up and the Christmas Parade/Party is well underway by that time of year, if you need more Christmas stuff. Miki's camp in AK has the characters decked out for Christmas for some great greeting card photos.