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Looking for a comparison....planning stages for next WDW vacation and needed some info. Have been during Spring break many times, and 4th of July week, and Memorial Day week, but we have not been during the week leading up to Thanksgiving in a long time (25 years). Is it as busy as Spring break or other holidays?
It's been years since I've gone Thanksgiving week so I can only go on what I remember from that visit. I'm sure others that have visited more recently can provide additional information.
When we went, we found the beginning of the week to be relatively uncrowded but crowds definitely picked up right around the holiday and remained in place for the holiday weekend.
I've never been during the busiest spring break weeks and never over 4th of July so can't make the comparison you request I'm sure others will be along soon!l!!
Just there for Thanksgiving 2017. It is now one of the buisest weeks of the year. Unlike 25 years ago most school districts have the entire week off.
For example of how busy it was in Animal Kingdom on the Monday before thanksgiving, the wait for Flight of Passage at 8:05 am was 300 minutes. That is not a typo it was a 5 hour wait just five minutes after the park opened to the general public. The park did have EMH at 7 am that morning though. Durning that day I never saw a wait for FOP less than 250 minutes, Na'vi River journey less than 120 minutes or Dinosaur less than 50 minutes. (I had FP+ for everest and Kilimajaro Safaris so I was not paying attention to those wait times).
On Wednesday when I went to EPCOT at 9:30 am there was a 45 minute wait for Journey into the Imagination. Seriously Journey into the Imgination, I haven't had a wait that long, in that pavilion since the original version of the attraction first opened in 1982.
On the plus side alot of the Christmas shows start that week for example we saw the Candle light Processional and the Holiday version of Illuminations in Epcot, and in DHS was saw Jingle Bing Jingle Bam!.
Also forgot to mention the lines at the Counter Service restuarants were insane. The only saving grace was the new mobile ordering service, which let us skip the lines at several restuarants.
Second that! It is now a very busy week
I guess it sounds like manage FP and ADRs as if it were like Spring Break crowds. Probably a good idea to do a non-park day on Thanksgiving Day and dine at one of the resorts. I am guessing the beginning part of the week would be the best bet for park days.
Thanks for your help.
I was there this year and agree with others who have said it was very busy. The primary purpose of my visit was to setup my new vacation home, so I didn't go to the parks everyday. Thus my observations probably aren't as good as others, but I'd probably say comparing the week to Spring Break crowds is accurate. It certainly wasn't Christmas week crowd level.
One indicator, for me, that it was really busy was that on Thanksgiving Day I went to Disney Springs around 5pm and had to park in the top level of the garage.
I went to Epcot in the evening on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday afterwards. Both days were busy, but definitely less than Food & Wine weekend crowds. There were minimal lines for the holiday kitchens and I had no problem securing at good spot at 8:59 for Illuminations.