Whats disney like during Tthanksgiving?

[mytymomma]

Hi all! My first post but have been reading these forums for a couple of months now. Everyone seems great and full of info. We took our first trip to disney world this April.LLLLOOOVVEEDD IIITTT!! We can't wait to go back. Thinking maybe over Thanksgiving break with some family. Is it crazy during this time? Would we be better off waiting for spring? Let me hear what cha think

 

[disneyjulie]

I love going at this time of year!!! All the christmas decorations are up!! The week after holiday is not crowded. Been there 4 times best time to go!!!! It will be crowded around holiday but by Sunday will die down.

 

[rileyroosmom]

We were there last Thanksgiving. Kept hearing how packed it was going to be. We did not find it unbearable or anything. Arrive early, use fastpass. It's a great time of year to go. The Christmas decorations are up, so is Osbourne Lights, the weather is very comfortable, high 70s to low 80s (the kids even swam). Just remember to make your Thanksgiving PS (or whatever they call them now) because you won't be able to just walk in to a restauraunt.

 

[Kirby]

We were there Thanksgiving week three years ago. We stayed away from MK on Thanksgiving Day and chose to go to Epcot instead. The crowds were fine. We stayed at POR and had a PS at Boatwrights for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was great! We went to Epcot on Friday also. Even though you could tell that it was more crowded, it was manageable.

 

[luvmy2sams]

We were there for Thanksgiving 2002. We arrived that afternoon and had dinner at Chef Mickey's before daring to enter the Magic Kingdom. We'd heard horror stories about the high crowds, but we didn't experience that at all. We rode everything we wanted without waiting more than 10 minutes and viewed Spectromagic from Liberty Square without anyone around us. It was fabulous!

It actually seemed much more crowded to us after the Thanksgiving weekend was over. Utilize extra magic hours and use fast pass if the crowds are an issue. It's a wonderful time of year to go!

 

[Laura_Lewis]

This is our favorite time of year to go! We don't do the parks on Thanksgiving day, but we set up PS for a nice sit down dinner. Normally we fly in Thanksgiving morning. Thanksgiving also falls in right around our anniversary.

We are going again this year, only this time driving down in our motor home. Staying November 22 - Dec 9th This will be our longest trip ever and I can't wait. If you can stay beyond the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the parks will empty out as everyone is going home. In our experience it was like a ghost town on Sunday. The Friday after Thanksgiving all the Christmas decorations are up. Enjoy!

 

[mytymomma]

Thanks for your thoughts I hope we can save up enough dough to go by then. I also have to get my family to all agree to go.My sister swears she isn't the disney type. Thats what I thought and I can't wait to go back

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm spending my first Thanksgiving with the Mouse this year, too, and have a few questions: First, how crowded is the Osborne Lights display on Thanksgiving night? Also, is there a time to go shopping at DTD that isn't too crowded-we were thinking of Wednesday or Friday? Or is Friday as crazy a shopping day as the malls at home? Also, anyone with any suggestions on places to eat Thanksgiving dinner?

 

[disneyjulie]

Crowds around the the two day before and after will be crowded. But not as bad as summer crowds. Any day for Downtown Disney I always like to save for last to pick up last minute things. Lights at MGM are not too bad crowded but manageable LOVE IT!!! For Thanksgiving make PS early or you wont get what you want. We ate at Fultons Crab house I had seafood and my DML had a tradional turkey meal. We weren't going in parks that day so it was great food prices not tooo pad

 

[ImMarcik]

This is our favorite time of year to go! We don't do the parks on Thanksgiving day, but we set up PS for a nice sit down dinner. Normally we fly in Thanksgiving morning. Thanksgiving also falls in right around our anniversary.

We are going again this year, only this time driving down in our motor home. Staying November 22 - Dec 9th This will be our longest trip ever and I can't wait. If you can stay beyond the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the parks will empty out as everyone is going home. In our experience it was like a ghost town on Sunday. The Friday after Thanksgiving all the Christmas decorations are up. Enjoy!

Our anniversary is then too. Actually it's the day after Thanksgiving this year!

 

[sugermouse]

Lots of Turkeys running around with their faces to the sky..........

 

[GeorgiaTiggerGirl]

I'm also in the planning mode for Thanksgiving week. It will be my first trip during this time, and I can't wait! Regarding the Osborne lights, is Thanksgiving day opening night for the lights? Seems like I remember seeing in the past where they open Wednesday for AP holders. I figure we'll have plenty of time to see the parks, so I'm trying to work in that DTD shopping time also. I'll be staying at the VWL, so I think I'll go with the Whispering Canyon Thanksgiving dinner. I look forward to seeing hours when they're released in a few months.

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

My boyfriend and I visited this past Thanksgiving...the decorations were beautiful..but the parks are crowded...

 

[Kirby]

I remember when we were there almost three years ago we saw the Osborn Lights on Wednesday night. It was open for everyone. It was a little crowded then but it seems like I remember when I was researching our trip that someone recommended going during Fantasmic. I wish I had taken their advice.

Also, anyone with any suggestions on places to eat Thanksgiving dinner?

Boatwright's was great when we were there. Had the traditional dinner with plenty to eat. Desert was included in the price and we got our choice between pumpkin or apple pie. The kid's didn't want turkey so they ate something else. Their food was good also. We went with an early dinner time of 2:00, right when the restaurant opened for dinner.

Christmas decorations were up already when we arrived the Sunday before Thanksgiving. They were still putting them out though, all week.

 

[Magalex]

I am glad to hear positive reviews about Thanksgiving week. I am actually planning for 2007. My DS will be in 1st grade so I don't want him to miss many school days. We don't enjoy hot weather so trying to avoid June. The positive thing about waiting is able to save more money

Magalex
POP 4/22-4/30 2005

 

[leighmidd]

My family and I are arriving the Sunday after Thanksgiving and staying for a week. Tell me about this time of the year? Weather, crowds, etc.? We're so excited, thanks for the input!

 

[Laura_Lewis]

My family and I are arriving the Sunday after Thanksgiving and staying for a week. Tell me about this time of the year? Weather, crowds, etc.? We're so excited, thanks for the input!

We've been twice at this time of year. Of all of our trips, this time of year has been our favorite. My husband swears that this is the only time of year to go. We find the crowds quite manageable. The only crowds we've encountered were at Spectromagic parade. The weather can be variable. We left in the mornings with jackets (mid 40s) and by the afternoon it was in the upper 70s/lower 80s. Thats fine with us though. Hope this helps.

Laura

 

[Laura_Lewis]

Our anniversary is then too. Actually it's the day after Thanksgiving this year!

We are spending our anniversary driving down to Disney this year! Happy anniversary!

 

[ImMarcik]

We are spending our anniversary driving down to Disney this year! Happy anniversary!

Happy anniversary to you too!

 

[leighmidd]

We've been twice at this time of year. Of all of our trips, this time of year has been our favorite. My husband swears that this is the only time of year to go. We find the crowds quite manageable. The only crowds we've encountered were at Spectromagic parade. The weather can be variable. We left in the mornings with jackets (mid 40s) and by the afternoon it was in the upper 70s/lower 80s. Thats fine with us though. Hope this helps.

Laura

Thanks Laura...we are so excited to go! We've been the past two years the week before and a couple of days through Christmas. While we've thought this time was quite manageable and the weather was lovely, we've never gotten to experience a time with such low attendance. I cannot WAIT!!! That weather sounds wonderful, even better than around Christmas -- which can get very, very cold!