thinking about going durning Thanksgiving... how crazy is it?

[ctosh]

We had two increadible trips in 2013...
Our 2 week June trip was so much fun as was the December trip right before Christmas. ( It seemed there were fewer people in December)
That being said I am ready to go back!!! The only time we have in 2014 will be over Thanksgiving.
I have seen the crowd predictions but I know you can't really go by that.. Our december trip for example.
Please give me your input... how are the crowds? Are much of the Christmas decorations up? Whats your favorite Thanksgiving meal at the parks? How many of you will be there at this time?

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[Figgy1]

It will be crazy crowded, but all the decorations will be up. Just plan like crazy use fp+ and take mid=day off to rest or shop and you'll be fine. Sometimes crowds can be fun.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

it will be crazy. we went on black friday one year and did nothing but people watch. that was really fun for us as pass holders at the time, but i would have been p*ssed if i'd paid full price for a ticket that day. i've always believed epcot is the best park to go to on really crowded days.

 

[RedDad]

We've been twice during the week of Thanksgiving, although not in the last couple of years. If you can get down there the weekend before Thanksgiving, the crowds seemed to be much more manageable then. The closer you get to Thursday and the weekend, the worse they get. Thurs thru Sun will be pretty crazy, but you can still enjoy it. I'd recommend trying to get down there the Friday before and do MVMCP.

 

[ryguy]

From the Monday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after the crowds are intense. But if you go the weekend before its not to bad.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Thanksgiving week is very busy. My daughter worked in the Magic Kingdom from last August until the beginning of January and she said the crowds were bad. I would go either the week before or after. You will still have the Christmas decorations and the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. The party starts the second week of November.

Pam

 

[bigorangeandy]

It can be manageable, the crowds will grow the week till the weekend and the Christmas decorations will be up. The only Christmas decoration that will not be in its final resting place is the tree at MK, due to taping the Christmas Day parade. One thing to keep in mind is that if you want a traditional Thanksgiving meal, make sure that you get your ADRs well in advance. We had wanted to eat Liberty Tree, but they were booked solid at 180 days so we had to make other arrangements. We ended up eating at our Thanksgiving dinner at Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. The dinner was great by the way. It is a short boat ride from the MK, and was a good chance to the lodge. Have fun and enjoy the trip!

 

[DWLhometous]

We have been many times during Thanksgiving. Probably my favorite time to visit. As others have said the crowds get worse as you approach Thanksgiving Day. In my opinion though the crowds are nowhere near as bad as Christmas week, New Years Eve, Easter, & some of the spring break weeks that we have been there. Decorations are up & just a fun time. Lots of places to get a traditional Thanksgiving meal as well if you want that. Liberty Tree & Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge have been my 2 favorite Thanksgiving meals there.

 

[ctosh]

Thanks so much for all the information! We are still trying to deside what to do but it looks like a safe bet.. We will plan on taking our time and go with the flow

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We went just before Thanksgiving in 2012. We checked out the day before Thanksgiving, so we didn't get the full brunt of the crowds; however, you could really feel a change by that Wednesday. Still, we were able to manage pretty well.

As for the decorations, the park decorations (minus the MK tree) were up and the resort decorations went up between the 16th-17th...minus a few things, like the Mickey ears on the Contemporary.

 

[jlsHouston]

We have had Thanksgiving at WDW the past 2 years and I find it less crowded than summer...or maybe it's just not swealtering unbearably suffocating hot so it seems like the crowds are less. I personally love Thanksgiving. I love the Christmas decor, it seems the past two years we had very cool temps that week and so you kind of felt the Christmassy feeling the cold gives you too. I don't spend alot of time in the parks but the kids didn't complain about not getting to ride what they wanted...of course we had FP+ and the old FP last year so....
I hope to be there again this year for Thanksgiving.