Is Thanksgiving Day Complete Insanity at the MK?

[Mista C]

Being that I've been going to the World since the mid-70's as a kid (and have never stopped going) I should know better than to even ask this. Our holiday trip is typically the first weekend in December, so I have never actually been there on Thanksgiving Day. We do not have a holiday trip planned this year and the wife was asking me the chances of possibly throwing together a last-minute Thanksgiving Day trip since we only live 2-1/2 hours away. To me this sounds like bad news, but at the same time, having never been at any WDW park on a major holiday, it is also a bit intriguing. Thoughts? Run the other way? Go for it if I can even get a room anywhere?

 

[luv]

Never been there on the day itself and will miss it again this year, but reports are that it gets crowded.

 

[hellowonderland]

From when I worked there in 2006, in a word, yes.

I expect it's even more crowded now.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Been there multiple time over the Thanksgiving week and it is busy. Thanksgiving day itself and Black Friday are both over the top. I did enjoy being in the parks on those days, but it was more people watching than going on rides. Wait times will be insane and even grabbing lunch @ a CS restaurant you will be waiting in long lines.

If you go, then go with an open mind and do not expect to hit a bunch of rides. It will definitely be an experience.

 

[G8rchamps]

Park will be slammed. (but we are going anyway as passholders and just get in what we can)

 

[Sphinx610]

Yes.
I went to AK thanksgiving bc it wasn't even worth the fight. And even that was insanity.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

When I was there in 2011 we went early to the MK and it wasn't too bad, but we left around noon for lunch and didn't return until around 5. I would compare it to a busy summer day.

 

[coachwnh]

We have gone 3 of last 4 years and decided just last week to go again. If you get there early it's not bad! We leave as it fills up. We do the same every holiday we are there. It's crowded but still very manageable.

 

[jlsHouston]

Spent last Thanksgiving there, mostly at Epcot which was not too busy...Planning on spending this Thanksgiving probably at DtD....I always go when it is crowded, never been too WDW during a slow season..I think the crowds are manageable if you don't have expectations of doing too much during the day...

 

[wogwog]

Only opening until about 11:00 is tolerable. Then wall to wall. Usually they stop admitting day guests around 11 or 12 and do not "open" again until after a bunch of folks leave after the day parade. Enjoy some place else after noon.

 

[MissingDisney]

Crazy busy, as are Friday and Saturday following as well. We opt to do non-park things on the actual holiday. If you go, go with a good dose of patience and no expectations so whatever you fit in is a bonus.

 

[James122]

We went to WDW Thanksgiving week about 5 years ago and I can tell you that the MK was an absolute madhouse Thanksgiving day. If you go, be prepared to not be able to do all the attractions you would normally do. The wait times for the three mountains were especially outrageous - the park go so crowded that we ended up leaving around 2 and spent the rest of the day at downtown disney and our hotel.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Crazy busy, as are Friday and Saturday following as well. We opt to do non-park things on the actual holiday. If you go, go with a good dose of patience and no expectations so whatever you fit in is a bonus.

After the MK in the morning we did mini golf at WinterSummerland and it was nice, there weren't a lot of people.

 

[75disney]

Been to the World Thanksgiving week for the last 5 years, yet I have never gone to the MK on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. I recommend Epcot before the holiday shows start on Fri. We do HS on Thanksgiving a Day; crowds are manageable. Then we do AK on Fri. with no problems. Saturday we visit family in the area. Sun. we go to Epcot when the crowds are starting to go back home. We do MK earlier Thanksgiving week and then the week after again when the crowds are not as large. Good luck with your decision.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Been there the last few years , yes it is crowded, but we still rode everything we wanted, it has never been that bad.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

I wouldn't waste a day on my passes. The crowds are so unmanageable. Even in the magic kingdom, it's so crowded its miserable. Go to DTD or disney quest. Or, maybe go to spirit of aloha or hoop dee doo. Parks are ridiculous.

 

[Gabe1]

I'd go. But then again I did the NYE Millennium at Epcot. The last time I did Thanksgiving was 2007. The hardest part was dining. The best we could do was Liberty early afternoon.

It was crowded. Depending on weather you could also do a water park and I like the other suggestion of Hoop Dee, we did that for Christmas dinner one year. AK is open until 8pm that night if I am reading the calendar right, that could be a pleasant place to be on Thanksgiving.

 

[bebert]

We were there a few years ago and it was ok, worse in the afternoon and then opens back up after 6:00. We have reservations this year @ Beirgarten on Thursday so we may do MK in the morning and then head over to Epcot once the crowd builds. Since we are staying at Baylake the monorail will make it easy to go back and forth between the parks.

 

[rsoxguy]

I'm planning on going the day after Thanksgiving. Quite frankly, I don't care about the crowds. We'll do what we can, eat where we can, and enjoy what we can. As long as my mind is in the right place, I can have fun in an empty room.

 

[Occasional Guest]

We went the week of Thanksgiving in 2011. It was was busy but not over the top madhouse. I've been during the summer months when it was just as bad or worse. My niece threw up in front of Pirates OTC and the Pirate out front kept making jokes and carrying on about her being a land lover and not being able to handle the high seas. We were all dying laughing. That has nothing to do with the crowd levels but if made for a memorable Thanksgiving Day.