Thanksgiving Day at Disneyland - What's It Like?

[puddingspoon]

I'm planning on going to Disneyland the few days leading up to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day this year. I can't seem to find any info anywhere about what the crowds are like that day. If there is anyone out there with experience, I would love to hear it! I just want to know what to expect

Thanks!

[JangoFett]

The week following is light in the crowds dept. but I'm not sure what Turkey Day itself is like.

[Boingonut]

We spent Thanksgiving in the park last year, even ate Turkey in the Blue Bayou! The crowds were pretty tame I thought, about like a summer weekday at the park, maybe a little more, but not much. I don't remember any stand-by lines being over an hour and a half, even for Splash. We were able to get on 12 or so rides and were able to get a good spot for Fantasmic! There are a lot of different options for Thanksgiving dinner too, The best is at the Disneyland Hotel I think. We wanted to eat atthe Blue Bayou though and they had a thanksgiving dish so it was pretty neat. Although we had to get our resevations for dinner about a month in advance. Good luck!

[Lore]

Wouldn't everyone be home eating turkey on Thanksgiving? If you go, in the spirit of the holiday, you could think of the park right next to Disneyland as a turkey.

[Dustysage]

I go every year with my sister. We have Thanksgiving dinner at Catal and then go to the park for the holiday rides and parade. Regardless of the crowds, it is a wonderful way to start the Christmas season.

[Gigan]

I went the day after T-day 2 years ago. It was my worst DL experiance. I only was able to ride 4 rides two of which were in fantasyland. Was way crowded..

[sediment]

I've gathered, from foreigners not accustomed to the Thanksgiving tradition, that it's probably the lightest holiday crowd of the year. (This guarantees it to be busier from now on.)

Friday After Thanksgiving is blocked out of CM Silver passes, so it's a lot busier.

[wolfy]

I let my Hubby put up the Christmas lights on the house, and the Wolfette and I head to DLR for the Thanksgiving weekend. We do dinner before we leave ( so Hubby can survive on his own with leftovers ). This year we are staying at the GCH for 2 nights, made reservations about 6 months ago. Very crowded at this time, we tend to hang out at the pool and DTD...only go into the Park on Sunday when the crowds tend to be leaving.

[Malcon10t]

Originally Posted by puddingspoon

I'm planning on going to Disneyland the few days leading up to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day this year. I can't seem to find any info anywhere about what the crowds are like that day. If there is anyone out there with experience, I would love to hear it! I just want to know what to expect

Thanks!

We used to go every year, but quit due to the crowds. The Wed night before is usually very crowded. The morning and early afternoon of Thanksgiving day are slow, but around 3, its like everyone says "Send the
kids to Disneyland", and the park is full. The Friday after is impossible. And we go every year between Christmas and New Years, but the 2 crowds are totaly different.

[msgmg68]

I am going at the same time,puddingspoon. We are arriving on Monday and leaving Saturday. I haven't been to DL on Thanksgiving since I was a child, but I have been told that crowds on Mon and Tues shouldn't be too bad, Wed. gets a bit heavier, Thursday gets heavy in the PM and then the weekend is PACKED! We are planning to go to Universal Studios (my kids are making me take them there! ) on Friday...hopefully they won't be as crowded as DL.

I am hoping that by arriving Monday, we will have two days of lesser crowds, but we are have prepared ourselves for the fact that it might be really crowded.

Have a great time on your trip!

[poohnpiglet]

We went Sunday-Thursday and it was CROWDED. Although we went in 2001 and some of the CM's told us that it seemed more crowded than usual. Remeber 2001 when not a lot of people wanted to fly. So apperantly we all went to Disneyland instead. We now have gone back to our regular feb/March visit so that we do not have to deal with as many crowds.
I must say that was my first visit ever seeing the park decorated for Christmas. It is so beautiful and seems to have extra magic. Have a great trip

[Larxene1959]

Thanksgiving is a big no no (from what I experienced) it was CROWDED like sardines in a can!

The days right AFTER Thanksgiving however is a completly different story, there are almost no crowds (my friend Stormy said that the day after is great since it's the biggest shopping day of the year and no one will be at the park)

[chickyb]

I can not speak about the crowds on Thanksgiving day, but let me tell ya, the day after is Heck! Was there a couple years back the day after Thanksgiving, and it was the worst time I've ever had at DL. The crowds were thick, wait times were long, and it seemed like people were cranky.

I actually had the only two Disney "fights" I've ever had, that day. The first was people cutting in front of us to get Mickey Pretzles (one or two people is not so bad, but this was like 5 or 6 different customers, I finally spoke up and insisted that I be next, as I had been waiting and the CM had ignored me). The second was this miserable, horrible woman with a stroller kept hitting my sister in the ankle with a stroller. The crowds were so thick, it was impossible to move quickly. I finally asked the woman to be more careful, as she was hitting my sister with her stroller. The woman actually had the NERVE to tell us to "walk faster, then". It was literally impossible to go any faster. I don't mind strollers in the park, but the people who are pushing them really need to get over the attitude that they are in charge of the walkways.

Woah, getting off topic, so very sorry. You may bump me with a stroller if you want, I deserve it this time.

Originally Posted by puddingspoon

I'm planning on going to Disneyland the few days leading up to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day this year. I can't seem to find any info anywhere about what the crowds are like that day. If there is anyone out there with experience, I would love to hear it! I just want to know what to expect

Thanks!

[daddyb]

I CAN speak about the crowds on Thanksgiving day. It is NOT fun. It's very, very crowded. It's like every local thinks that Disneyland is going to be dead because of football games and such... and they all show up!

It's an Urban Legend.

I do NOT recommend visiting on Thanksgiving if you can get away with it... if you're in town and this is your chance, then go for it as long as you know what to expect. If you're somewhat local anyway, pick another day. Like Superbowl Sunday... (kidding! that's ANOTHER urban legend "Disneyland is dead" day)

[Giant Panda]

Actually, the "Urban Legend" of Super Bowl Sunday used to be true ...... it was likely destroyed by the rise of the Internet and too many people reading that DL is uncrowded on that day ....... so that now it is crowded .......plus 11 years of no pro football in town has probably had an effect ....

Back on topic ..... I will also be there from the Sunday before T-day through Wednesday .... no doubt leaving early if the crowds get ugly Wednesday night ......