Which week is better?

Which week is better?

  • Week before Thanksgiving (11/11-11/19)

    Votes: 8 28.6%
  • Week after Thanksgiving (11/25-12/3)

    Votes: 20 71.4%

  • Total voters
    28

Jobie

Earned Me Ears
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
I am getting ready to book a kind of last minute trip to WDW, and I am trying to decide which week would be better to go: the week before Thanksgiving (Nov 11-19) or the week after (Nov 25 - Dec 3)? Which one do you think is better and why?

Thank you for your feedback!!
 
Having gone for both weeks over the years (this year we are week before), I'd say you can't go wrong with either and it's all personal preference. We are doing the week before Thanksgiving this year b/c there are a lot of Christmas activities early in December (on the 1st and 2nd) that we wanted to attend at home. I do prefer the week after Thanksgiving a little more though. With the parks all done up for the holidays it feels a little more "Chistmasy" that week. But both weeks are awesome and you can't go wrong with either.
 
I am getting ready to book a kind of last minute trip to WDW, and I am trying to decide which week would be better to go: the week before Thanksgiving (Nov 11-19) or the week after (Nov 25 - Dec 3)? Which one do you think is better and why?

Thank you for your feedback!!

Crowd wise, you're probably even. Weather wise, I'd give a nod to the week before.

The biggest difference is what is available Holiday themed. Before Thanksgiving, MK and most of the other parks will be completely decorated. HS will already being doing it's Holiday nighttime shows (and there's something new over on Sunset Blvd this year). Some of the resorts MAY be decorated, but the bulk of them will still be in decoration mode. Gingerbread house in GF may not be done.

After Thanksgiving, EVERYTHING is done and ALL Christmas shows are in place. This is mainly at EP with Candlelight Processional, Holiday Storytellers, and the tag on Illuminations.
 
I voted for the week after Thanksgiving because that's when we're going and I'm biased! My FP+ window opened today (arrive 11/24) and I had no trouble at all getting what I wanted. I saw FOP FP+ available at AK for 11/26, 11/27, and 11/28. I also saw 7DMT, FEA, and every other "hard to get" FP available multiple times over the 5 days we'll be there. In fact, I totally forgot about my FP+ this morning and logged in late, and still had no trouble. I just checked a few minutes ago (7:15pm) and it remains wide open. So, based on that, I'm happy with our decision to travel that week. Last year, we went 12/9-12/13 and it was just too close to the craziness of Christmas for my liking. I'm glad we're going 2 weeks sooner this year, but yet still getting the advantage of the decorations and the theming. Before Thanksgiving, I'm just not ready to be hit over the head with Christmas atmosphere.
 


My biggest concern are crowds. The Christmas decorations would be nice, but I do not see myself going around the resorts to see them all. From my understanding is that most of the parks will have their decorations up, except for Epcot. Is that correct?
 
My biggest concern are crowds. The Christmas decorations would be nice, but I do not see myself going around the resorts to see them all. From my understanding is that most of the parks will have their decorations up, except for Epcot. Is that correct?
yes that's right. i wouldn't worry about missing any holiday offerings. almost everything is up and it still feels the same as it would later in the month.
 


We go after Thanksgiving. We spend Thanksgiving at home with family and friends and Coast Guard recruits. That's our tradition.
 
From what I have read everywhere the week after Thanksgiving is supposed to be significantly less crowded. I have not experienced that so I can only go by research. Good luck
 
Caliope report that FP are wide open is a good sign. I have only been the week before Thanksgiving and that was 2015. It was noticeably busier the Wednesday before Thanksgiving but we then left. It was manageable. Are you there right up to the weekend before Thanksgiving? If so is that Wednesday-Friday before busier than the Monday-Wednesday after? I bet yes but have no personal experience. Those would be the days I would be worried about more than the other days around that time.
 
From what I have heard, the festivities at Epcot (minus the Candlelight Processional) will start a week earlier than usual, so you will be able to enjoy the marketplaces and the storytellers if you go the week before.
 
From what I have heard, the festivities at Epcot (minus the Candlelight Processional) will start a week earlier than usual, so you will be able to enjoy the marketplaces and the storytellers if you go the week before.

Where did you hear that? In the past, nothing at EP starts until the day after Thanksgiving. Would love a source, so we can inform others.
 
The week before Thanksgiving can come on the heels of Jersey Week, Veterans Day, and F&W, so the average crowd size for the entire week can be skewed a bit by the busy weekends.
 
I'm hoping that the week after the holiday is best as it's our trip dates this year as well. Our FP window opens tomorrow morning so I'll be able to give another report to everyone tomorrow afternoon.
 
We are going 11/12-11/19. We have been this week before but not the week after thanksgiving. Last year we went 11/5-11/12 and it was too busy for us with a lot of things all going on - Veteran's Day, marathon, jersey week, etc. I am hopeful this week will be quieter!
 
Thank you all for replying. Due to other Thanksgiving happenings, we will be going the week before Thanksgiving. Here's hoping to low crowds!
 
My biggest concern are crowds. The Christmas decorations would be nice, but I do not see myself going around the resorts to see them all. From my understanding is that most of the parks will have their decorations up, except for Epcot. Is that correct?

I would give the slight edge to week #1, crowd wise. I have a friend who swears by that week.
 

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