What's it like the week AFTER Thanksgiving?

[Zippa D Doodah]

Are the crowds very low? Are the hours very short? Are the Christmas decorations at parks and resorts up by then? Anything else you can tell me. Discuss.

TIA for info.

 

[MelanieC]

It's my favorite time in the whole world at WDW. We usually go from Thanksgving day and stay the following week. This year we are going for two weeks (the week of Thanksgiving and the week after).

Decorations are up on Thanksgiving.

The crowds are really low starting on about Sunday after Thanksgiving (even Saturday is not too bad). It's a great time to be in WDW.

 

[mrsltg]

It's DEAD!!! It's a fabulous week to go because MVMCP has begun, the whole place is in full Christmas mode, and the hours don't matter because you can basically walk onto everything. It is my favorite time of year to go.

Enjoy!

Erin

 

[ktglads]

Epcot was open until 9 every night. MGM would close at 7 or 8. MK was open until 9 or 6, if there was a MVMCP. AK closed at 5. Despite the fact that the hours were shortened, the lack of people allowed you to do the same amount of rides or more than average attendance and hours would allow. Be prepared to spend a lot of time at DTD after the parks close or at your resort itself. With the decorations and the low crowds, it is an awesome time to visit!

 

[Poohs Pal]

Another vote for week after Thanksgiving. Last year I arrived the day Thanksgiving and stayed for 8 days. Enjoyed MVMCP and all the decorations at the resorts and parks. The weather was great during the day. A couple evenings required sweaters or sweatshirts. PI at night was very manageable. Susan

 

[Misty89]

we are going the same time frame.....11/29 ( monday after thanksgiving) and coming home saturday dec 4th.
i am really llooking forward to everything evryone has mentioned, comfortable temps, low crowds and the christmas decorations - and of course MVMCP!




Tina

 

[Bete]

the best week to go. The crowds are lighter and the parks and resorts are gorgeous.

If you don't do MVMCP then you will miss out on the Holiday parade at MK; otherwise, it's wonderful.

 

[Spartan]

It great for park touring, decorations, low crowds, and MVMCP. The weather is a bit hit or miss. Last year I thought it was too cold (and I'm a guy and from Michigan!), and it actually took away some of the enjoyment. We went previously in 2001 during the same week, and the weather was much warmer. We're moving up the time frame a bit this year in hopes of more pool weather and to try the Halloween party, but if you've never been to experience the Xmas season, I can't think of a better possible week.

 

[Autumngirl]

I swear.... I must have been in the Alternate Disney Park last year.

We went from Nov 28th (Day after Thanksgiving) to December 6th, 2003

It was hardly "dead", I wouldn't even consider it low crowds. Every attraction had a wait. Some were obscene (sorry, I won't wait 115 minutes for Test Track), we wait over 20 minutes in the FASTPASS lane. On the 5th the MK was so crowded that we left after 20 minutes because it was too crowded to walk around.

It was cold at night. One night they even issued a frost warning (under 32 degrees), the warmest it was was the day we got there... it was in the 80's. Other than that....low 70's. EXCEPT the night we went to MVMCP... it was actually WARM! During the parades it was a nightmare getting around. And I've been there in July, May, June and October and on some days...it was far more crowded than anything I'd seen before. All week long we kept saying "THIS is what they consider "DEAD"....We were lied to"

On the plus side... everything is decorated for christmas, all the additional attractions are great....Candlelight Processional, Holidays around the world, MVMCP.... it's great!

But please don't go thinking the parks will be a ghost town and you'll ride things over and over with no wait. We went there with that in mind after being told over and over and it just wasn't like that.

Next time, we'll probably wait until the second week of December for the Holiday trip.

Don't get me wrong, it was a great trip and we all had a blast, but is wasn't dead, a ghost town nor did we just walk onto any ride .... But hey, I'd rather wait in line at SM than I287 in NJ

 

[Princess Michelle]

I've gone during this time for probably the last 10 years and it's always been the best experience I've had in the parks. While I wouldn't call it dead it's definitely not packed. The weather is usually wonderful, sometimes it's pretty cold but as a Floridian who hates the sun that's wonderful to me! Maybe I've been lucky hitting the right park (sometimes multiple parks) on the right day but I've never encountered overwhelming crowds the week after Thanksgiving.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Originally posted by Autumngirl
I Don't get me wrong, it was a great trip and we all had a blast, but is wasn't dead, a ghost town nor did we just walk onto any ride .... But hey, I'd rather wait in line at SM than I287 in NJ

Hee! Hee!! Another "Jersey" here!!! LOL I hear ya! Just got off 287 to pick up one of my DD's from tumbling!!! I hate that highway!!

Anyway!! I have been to WDW at the beginning of December, NO lines, HOT weather in 2000 and 2001, 2003 much cooler, girls only got to swim one day! Hopefully we'll see you there this December, Go MX PW Cheer!!!

 

[WaltD4Me]

My whole family (12 of us!) are going this year December 5th-11th.

I had heard it is a very slow time...hardly any lines...which I'm hoping is true since the parks close so much earlier.

But now Autumngirl's post really surprised me! Is it really crowded then? And is it really that cold?! I'm the one who pushed to go this week, everyone else wanted to go early October. Now I'm worried! I'll get blamed if it's really crowded and everyone is freezing! LOL!

Lisa

 

[Micca]

If "the week after Thanksgiving" means the Monday(or later) after the holiday, I say "Idyllic". The weekend after Thanksgiving....NO WAY

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by Autumngirl
I swear.... I must have been in the Alternate Disney Park last year.

we have gone most times around the first week-2nd week( leave home the first sat and get there the first sun so start touring that Monday )and it has always been empty so i really think this was a fluke. maybe they were running some kind of special or something. I decided i like it better than Jan for 2 reasons, the weather and the weather. both times we have gone the first of jan we have hit really cold weather( 30 or 40s ) which we had only for 1 night once in the 5 others times we went in Dec (early ). we usually need a sweatshirt in the early morning and evening but in Jan we actually wore our winter coats! this time we are probably going to try Nov and hope we arent' sorry since to us a 15 min wait is way to long( spoiled I know)

the only time it was busy this trip was Sat when MK was open late