Week Before Thanksgiving vs Week After Thanksgiving

[notrub98]

Now that 2014 has passed by, I am really starting to plan our November 2015 trip! Yahoo! Crowds are more important than anything else in our decision, and we have it narrowed down to the week before Thanksgiving or the week after Thanksgiving. I realize crowds have increased, no real slow times anymore, yada yada but anyone want to weigh in who was there either week this year? Yes, crystal ball is not going to predict what happens next year, but just trying to get a sense of this year. I have looked at TP actual crowd levels (I have a subscription) so I can see it was more crowded than expected the week prior to Thanksgiving but trying to get a sense from boots on the ground!

 

[puffkin]

I was there Sat-Sat Thanksgiving week. The only bad crowds we found were MK on Thanksgiving day, and that was partly our fault as we didn't get to the park until about 9:30 (8am rope drop) so we missed that golden hour. We pretty much used our 3 FP's then left. The rest of the week was extremely manageable and not bad at all. We were in MK Black Friday at rope drop and it was so dead on the left side of the park. Epcot was pretty empty that night too.

This year, we had really bad rain (7 inches!) for a day and the half of the trip. It was almost record hot the beginning, then after the rain it got really cold then warmed up to seasonable. I know the week after us (we had relatives that went that week) had near perfect December weather. But you really can't predict that.

Some of the negatives with Thanksgiving week are that there are no MVCMP's (to us this was a positive), and Epcot doesn't start the Holiday stuff in World Showcase until that Friday. Also, not all the resorts had their gingerbread displays finished earlier in the week. All the holiday stuff was up and running by Thanksgiving weekend though. Also some restaurants were blacked out of Tables in Wonderland that week.

We would definitely go again Thanksgiving week. It was great only missing 3 days of work/school and I didn't find it to be to bad crowd wise. I liked the longer park hours of a holiday week. Would definitely do it again.

 

[LSUfan4444]

The only way to get real "boots on the ground" feedback from other than places like touringplans or easy wdw would be from those who were there both...the week before and the week after.

I was there the week of and full week after and can say the crowds really diminished the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I think between the two weeks it is much more important as to what days you visit each park and what time you arrive and depart rather than what week you choose.

 

[disneyseniors]

We were at WDW from Nov 18th to the 26th, the day before Thanksgiving. The 18th and 19th were great, not too much of a crowd. I think it was rated as a 2 on easydisney. I'd say more like 4 or so. Then that weekend before TG, it got crowded!!! It stayed crowded up until we left day before TG. I know another poster said it was not crowded according to relatives? but for us it was definitely crowded. What does that mean? We thought the MK was horrible. We had to leave one night by the Crystal Palace 2 hours before the parade started as you could Not get through Main Street. We were led behind the scenes to exit the park. I've never seen it like that 2 hours before the parade before.
We usually go to WDW in slower times, but had to go when the grandkids were out of school this time though. WE WILL NEVER go that time again. Too crowded; a lot of breakdowns of major attractions at ALL the parks, not just the MK. We've never been immediately after TG, but think that would be a great time to go. Like I said, never again. I think it is all in what you are used to! My daughter and family thought it was okay BUT they always go when it is crowded. My hubby and I thought it was terrible! Good luck

 

[Laketravis]

We were just there the partial week before, the full week of Thanksgiving, and the full week after.

The week before seemed much, much "less crowded" than the other time periods.

 

[disneyseniors]

It's all subjective, I guess. You'll just have to give the week you want a try and see what happens It's all good, it's Disney

 

[skylizard]

This year we were there the week after Thanksgiving. Last year we did the week before thanksgiving. Crowd level wise, it was about the same.

 

[chalee94]

I have looked at TP actual crowd levels (I have a subscription) so I can see it was more crowded than expected the week prior to Thanksgiving but trying to get a sense from boots on the ground!

i typically go either the week before or after thanksgiving. it's a great time to go either way.

for crowd levels, i generally see both as reasonable but the week before thanksgiving as a little better than the week after thanksgiving.

otherwise, the week before is usually warmer - slightly better odds for using the pools. the resort decorations are usually up by the weekend before thanksgiving...but that didn't pan out this year. a lot of the holiday songs and decorations are up, though, if you like that.

the week after:

*resort decorations are fully up
*christmas candlelight processional and epcot storytellers
*bring a jacket, just in case