Week After Thanksgiving

[chickapin parterre]

My sister and I are planning to go Saturday, December 1st, and I'm feeling nervous about the crowd levels. We originally planned to do park hoppers, but now I'm thinking we might just do California Adventure. I'm not sure if we want to pay $100 more total (on already peak days) for a park hopper when DL is going to be a bit of a mess from Candlelight Processional. I haven't gone on a Saturday pretty much ever, and I'm just feeling a little anxious about it being completely packed! I went on a Monday of the same weekend (so the Monday after the week after Thanksgiving) last year, and it wasn't that bad, but I just don't know...

Well...that is a good visit expectation for you about the Monday after Thanksgiving...most folks who are there on that Monday, found it to be really crowded and bad in comparison to previous week visit. As for the CP, it will diminish your Main STreet expectations, but has no CP impact on ROA area. ROA will be impacted by the regular holiday visitors. The problem with Saturday, is that it will have already been open for an hour, so the major attractions in Fantasyland will require some waiting and fastpass for Tomorrowland may require walking back and forth to Fantasyland. And if you plan your night for the ROA area, the only problem you will have is the 2:00-6:00 block of time as frustrated folks who struggling thru Main street may just camp out in the other lands, congesting up walkways

Folks who participate in CP do a lot waiting around to accommodate themselves on Main STreet, so their focus is not on attractions.

 

[Jaina]

Well...that is a good visit expectation for you about the Monday after Thanksgiving...most folks who are there on that Monday, found it to be really crowded and bad in comparison to previous week visit. As for the CP, it will diminish your Main STreet expectations, but has no CP impact on ROA area. ROA will be impacted by the regular holiday visitors. The problem with Saturday, is that it will have already been open for an hour, so the major attractions in Fantasyland will require some waiting and fastpass for Tomorrowland may require walking back and forth to Fantasyland. And if you plan your night for the ROA area, the only problem you will have is the 2:00-6:00 block of time as frustrated folks who struggling thru Main street may just camp out in the other lands, congesting up walkways

Folks who participate in CP do a lot waiting around to accommodate themselves on Main STreet, so their focus is not on attractions.

I remember it -was- busy that Monday, but with just two adults (DH and I) using MaxPass, we were able to do everything we wanted in both parks, some twice. We will start the day in CA (it's our main focus, since my sister hasn't been to that park since going in 2001, 2003, and 2005) but if we hop, I was thinking about being in DL between 10/11 to 3-ish and then maybe 9-11/12. Since we don't have our kids with us, we don't have any expectations about getting on Fantasyland rides, unless we hit the tea cups and the carousel late that night.I'm just nervous since isitpacked . com calls that Saturday "Forget About It" while the Monday has a lower rating...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

My sister and I are planning to go Saturday, December 1st, and I'm feeling nervous about the crowd levels. We originally planned to do park hoppers, but now I'm thinking we might just do California Adventure. I'm not sure if we want to pay $100 more total (on already peak days) for a park hopper when DL is going to be a bit of a mess from Candlelight Processional...

CP really only affects the Town Square and lower third (?) area of Main Street. If you want to hop to DL later in the afternoon and onward as the crowds build in Town Square, just use the monorail from DTD to avoid the whole front part of DL. The back parts of DL are not affected by CP much, if at all.

 

[lindyv321]

So i was just checking the calendar and I see extended hours for everyday once the holiday season officially starts. Maybe it’s purely due to the holiday season rather than an expected hike in crowds. The crowd tracker I’ve used for years hasn’t let me down yet and I’m hoping it doesn’t this time either!

I also don’t see where Indy is down on the calendar.. where was this seen?

 

[sky13]

So i was just checking the calendar and I see extended hours for everyday once the holiday season officially starts. Maybe it’s purely due to the holiday season rather than an expected hike in crowds. The crowd tracker I’ve used for years hasn’t let me down yet and I’m hoping it doesn’t this time either!

Fingers crossed this is the case! Park closing at 11pm actually sounds pretty awesome to me right now - we have a Knott's day and with the current hours (9am-11pm at DL and 10am-6pm at Knott's) I might actually be able to do a day of EMH at DCA from 8-9am, then Knott's, then come back for the night at DL...

 

[Erin M]

So i was just checking the calendar and I see extended hours for everyday once the holiday season officially starts. Maybe it’s purely due to the holiday season rather than an expected hike in crowds. The crowd tracker I’ve used for years hasn’t let me down yet and I’m hoping it doesn’t this time either!

I also don’t see where Indy is down on the calendar.. where was this seen?

Do you mind if I ask which crowd tracker you use? I have one that I like to follow too and it was very accurate for our trip last February, but I'm always curious about other sites!

 

[lindyv321]

Do you mind if I ask which crowd tracker you use? I have one that I like to follow too and it was very accurate for our trip last February, but I'm always curious about other sites!

I use Touring Plans. We used them for wait times back before the DL app too! Which do you use?

 

[Erin M]

I use RMH Travel. I've used Touring Plans too, I'm just not always willing to pay to see their calendars far out

 

[lindyv321]

So we will have a 5th person joining us and I just called to have my ADR’s updated. We had a Blue Bayou ADR on Wednesday at like 2:00 and they were able to accommodate our new party size at 3:40. This gives me hope that crowds won’t be INSANE if there are still ADR’s available

 

[Erin M]

So we will have a 5th person joining us and I just called to have my ADR’s updated. We had a Blue Bayou ADR on Wednesday at like 2:00 and they were able to accommodate our new party size at 3:40. This gives me hope that crowds won’t be INSANE if there are still ADR’s available

Similarly I was able to change out Hungry Bear F! reservation for Friday night from 5 to 6:30. I was surprised there were still lots of options. However, for funsies I just looked at BB and RBT for the same date and they are all booked.

So much to think about and predict and guess about!

 

[Jaina]

Similarly I was able to change out Hungry Bear F! reservation for Friday night from 5 to 6:30. I was surprised there were still lots of options. However, for funsies I just looked at BB and RBT for the same date and they are all booked.

So much to think about and predict and guess about!

Right? It's like a complicated math equation with a few too many unknown variables. But I always drive myself crazy trying to "solve" it!

 

[chickapin parterre]

Similarly I was able to change out Hungry Bear F! reservation for Friday night from 5 to 6:30. I was surprised there were still lots of options. However, for funsies I just looked at BB and RBT for the same date and they are all booked.

So much to think about and predict and guess about!

The surprise could be that there is little tradition to hanging out at the Hungry Bear....whereas the other two choices make or break an entire trip!!!

 

[Erin M]

The surprise could be that there is little tradition to hanging out at the Hungry Bear....whereas the other two choices make or break an entire trip!!!

Certainly HB is less awesome than BB or RBT, but with those being completely booked I was thinking the HB would start to fill up too. I mean we are 40 some days out, but still. Anyway, it's fun to speculate.

 

[lindyv321]

I speculate that we will all have an awesome time the week after Thanksgiving!!!

 

[Erin M]

I speculate that we will all have an awesome time the week after Thanksgiving!!!

I concur with this speculation!

 

[Erin M]

The calendar plot thickens! Thursday the 29th hours are listed as 9am-9pm. I'd have thought they'd continue to 11pm like the other days. What will Friday reveal?!?!

Calendar Watch 2018 Continues!

 

[sky13]

What's amazing too is that there are fireworks (believe in holiday magic) scheduled for every night... well, for Mon 26-Thurs 29 so far! https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/day/2018-11-26/ But no Fantasmic on the weekdays though.

But it's great that I won't need to absolutely make sure I see the fireworks at the weekend before (will be there 23-28) since they'll be running on the weekdays too!

 

[katyringo]

What's amazing too is that there are fireworks (believe in holiday magic) scheduled for every night... well, for Mon 26-Thurs 29 so far! https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/day/2018-11-26/ But no Fantasmic on the weekdays though.

But it's great that I won't need to absolutely make sure I see the fireworks at the weekend before (will be there 23-28) since they'll be running on the weekdays too!

I’m digging that. In case they are canceled like they often are we have 4 chances to catch them!

 

[mommyslp]

We go this year every year and it’s never been opened to 11 as far as I remember. Last year was until 10 on a Wednesday I think. It seems so weird that Thursday is only open until 9! Typically the weeks get busier the closer to the weekend. I also called to make a BBB appointment and they said they’re not scheduling anymore appointments before 3pm that week, even if there was a cancellation. The case member says she has no idea why that is happening. Hopefully nothing crazy is going on!

 

[Erin M]

We go this year every year and it’s never been opened to 11 as far as I remember. Last year was until 10 on a Wednesday I think. It seems so weird that Thursday is only open until 9! Typically the weeks get busier the closer to the weekend. I also called to make a BBB appointment and they said they’re not scheduling anymore appointments before 3pm that week, even if there was a cancellation. The case member says she has no idea why that is happening. Hopefully nothing crazy is going on!

Wow, I'm glad I called in our BBB early! We have an appt on Thursday at 10:10. What indeed is going on?

I mean it's probably just gonna be busy (which we can handle because we're planners) but it's still fun to sleuth it out with fellow DL fans.