Thanksgiving 2024 Tips

[Cleocatra]

We are planning a trip to Disney World over Thanksgiving of 2024 after our first Disney Cruise. I have a few questions that I'm hoping you experts can answer.

1. Is there a particular park that is typically more busy on Thanksgiving day?
2. If we want to stay in one of the parks on Thanksgiving for dinner does anyone have recommendations for places that serve a thanksgiving themed meal? How early are you able to book reservations and where do you do it?
3. I cannot see the park hours, events or early entry this far out when buying tickets. Any recommendations on when this info would be viewable or strategies?
4. Is there a particular amount of days before thanksgiving that they decorate the parks for Christmas?

Thanks!

 

[Best Aunt]

Re decorating for Xmas: I have been told that Magic Kingdom is always decorated before the other parks - but it can't be decorated until after the last Halloween Party. This year there was a Halloween Party on Nov 1. I believe the Xmas decorations went up a few days later, but I was not there so I can't speak from firsthand experience.

 

[teawar]

Our family has been to WDW for the past 6 thanksgiving holidays and always enjoy it.

1. Magic Kingdom is usually busiest the Weds. and Thursday of thanksgiving. There are groups of cheerleaders that perform in a parade, which makes it crowded on Main Street.

2. Liberty Tree Tavern has all of the traditional thanksgiving foods. You can book meals 60 days ahead online or calling in.

3. Early Entry is currently 30 minutes before posted park opening. This is only for WDW resort guests and other select hotels that are posted online. Park hours vary and change frequently, so it’s hard to say when it’s posted. Special events are often posted in the spring/summertime. Check the WDW website.

4. The Christmas decorations go up when the Halloween decorations go down. Normally the first week of November in preparation for the first Christmas Party.

 

[beccasmom]

We visited the first week of November in 2023 and the MK was decorated, but somewhat sparingly (wreaths on Main Street and some decorations on the park’s outside perimeter). So we were no doubt there just before it had been totally completed.

 

[TLC371]

we went Thanksgiving 2022 and spent Thanksgiving day at Hollywood Studios and the crowds were surprisingly manageable. We stayed at Pop and ended up taking the Skyliner back to the hotel to have dinner, then went back to hte park.

We are doing Thanksgiving again this year, but haven't gotten that far into planning yet.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

We have been to Disney world quite a few times for Thanksgiving. I would avoid MK on thanksgiving day and Epcot on Black Friday. Epcot starts the festival of the holidays on Friday so most who are leaving on Saturday go to Epcot to experience it.

For traditional thanksgiving meal, you could eat at Liberty Tree if at MK or 50s Prime Time in DHS.

 

[Newsies]

Teawar and other posters have some great information, but also want to chime in to say that a lot of table-service restaurants will offer some form of special turkey dinner on Thanksgiving proper. Every Signature restaurant will offer a Thanksgiving dish, many table-service restaurants in the park will modify an existing dish or offer a new Thanksgiving dish, and even some of the QS locations at the resorts and parks will offer some form of Thanksgiving meal. This is something Disney keeps relatively quiet and unfortunately, there isn't going to be a lot of information online before your trip on which exact restaurants will offer what, but Disney makes a pointed effort to offer some form of Turkey dinner at as many locations as possible.

Sometimes it's as simple as Beaches & Cream offering an open-faced Turkey sandwich, sometimes buffets like Boma will add turkey/stuffing/cranberry sauce to their buffet line. It really varies by location.

FWIW we ate at California Grill for Thanksgiving dinner in 2018. This was when the dining window was at 180 days, and when I booked the meal at the 180 day mark, the reservation came up specifically in MDE as "California Grill Thanksgiving Dinner." We didn't know what (if any) special meal they would be serving, but we were offered a delightful plate with turkey breast meat, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

 

[dez1978]

commenting to bump and hopefully get some more advice bc we are going that week too and I have no idea how I want to plan that week.