How's Thanksgiving week?

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Sorry, I know this has been asked before, but I couldn't find any recent threads. I'm going to work in the lunch room at my kids school this year, so I'm limited to when I can ask off. Thinking about going Thanksgiving week (I would only have to ask off for 2 days and DH doesn't think he can get off for Veteran's Day now). How crowded is it? I've been to WDW in Sept, and early May-both light crowds. Is it as crowded as Christmas or Easter?

 

[mickeyc]

We were at Disney last year at Thanksgiving and it was not crowded. It is nice because the weather is cooler and the xmas decorations are up in most locations.

We will be going again this year. I don't usually like to travel the holidays; however, my son was in the college program last year and it was nice to be with other CM. This year he is in dental school and we will be in Orlando again. Enjoy!!

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says................................Anyone that goes off season, that has also gone at Thanksgiving out there??

I say that as we have never stayed thru Thanksgiving, but have left on the Monday or Tuesday before it a couple times.
Both times Sunday started to get crowded, by our off season view, and was really crowded by Monday.
Peter Pan 90 minutes, Splash Mountain 120 minutes etc..., it seems it would just get worse the rest of the week.

We are used to doing all of fantasyland in 40 minutes, then going to Splash where the line is already up to 10 minutes. Or get a FP for RnRC, go on ToT, eat, go back to RnRC in less than an hour.

Anyone with some wait times latter in the week?

Just trying to help out these good folk. Ok, I'm a greedy SOB who just might have to go on Thanksgiving week on our next trip!!!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I have nothing recent to compare to, but when we went to WDW in 1999 I didn't think it was too crowded. We stayed from Saturday to Saturday encompassing Thanksgiving.
The most crowded I noticed was Thanksgiving afternoon at MK. We were at MK from 4pm until about 10:30 (the park was open until 11). Anyway we did Space Mt and waited an hour in standby (didn't get to use our fast passes earlier in the week so we waited), waited another 45 minutes for Buzz Lightyear (first year) and then tried to cross Main Street to go to Adventureland, the only land we still hadn't toured. The MSEP (1st of 2) was heading towards the castle. We waited it out and followed the parade to the path that leads to Adventureland. In hindsight (the moment we reached Main Street ) I wish I'd have been thinking and gone around through Fantasyland.
Once the parade and fireworks were over, the park really cleared out. We were in Adventureland with very few other guests. A plus is you get to see the holiday decorations by week's end. It gets your season off to a magical start.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Historically, it is crowded

 

[Hannahsmom]

Our Family went Thanksgiving 2001, Monday before through Sunday after. Monday and Tuesday were not too crowded, but crowds REALLY picked on Wed at MK, Thurs. A.M. was very light at MGM, but the afternoon and early evening were crowded. I can't remember exactly which parks we were at after that, but I did swear never to go at a Holiday again. We always go in Sept/Oct. so we are used to very light crowds, to give you an idea of our perspective.

 

[jerseydizdreamer]

I don't know if this will prove helpful or not. Over the past few years, I've taken to taking all of my trips during the tail-end of Thanksgiving week. In other words, I arrive on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and go home the following Saturday.

Generally, I've found that on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as I'm arriving, the parks are pretty packed. I usually try, after checking in, to find something that won't really involve getting in lines... whether it's hanging by the pool, or just wandering around a park sight-seeing as opposed to actually riding things. Or, since I'd rather spend my last day doing "one last ride" on my favorite attractions, I'll spend the first day, when it's crowded, at Downtown Disney, getting any shopping for the folks back home out of the way.

Anyway, Sunday, there's a big, noticible dropoff. Mass checkouts at the resort, big drop-off in crowds at the parks. By Tuesday, it's perfect... very rarely are there crowds, no matter where you go.

I guess what I"m saying is, if you can possibly take your trip AFTER thanksgiving, you might find the whole experience a little more tolerable crowd-wise. Unfortunately (um, not for me!), that's not possible for a lot of people, which explains why it remains a historically less-crowded week.

Richard

 

[LoDivaLoca]

Hi - I went a couple years ago (fell during my b-day that year). I left the Friday after T-day (I hate crowds). It was pretty good til then AND (I think this will be a good tip) I went to AK for T-day since it probably gets the least crowded out of all the 4 parks. (I have no doubt MK would be mobbed that day).