THANKSGIVING 2013 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Update October 23: New extended operating hours and 8a openings.
Thanksgiving week at Walt Disney World is busy–particularly Wednesday through Saturday.
While not as crowded as some other holiday weeks–Easter and Christmas, for example–it can be very challenging, and the material below gives some hints on how to deal with it.
WALT DISNEY WORLD 2013 THANKSGIVING WEEK ITINERARY AND DINING
Park schedules indicate that this site’s Autumn-Winter-Spring Itinerary works for Thanksgiving Week, but you will need to arrive at MK and AK an hour earlier than it indicates.
Moreover, a couple of other things are worth noting.
First, this itinerary has you largely off on Thanksgiving itself, and with the only formal meal a morning brunch. Your meals otherwise are in your hotel food court.
If you are looking for something both more formal but fun in your Thanksgiving dinner (not necessarily in menu, but in ambiance and waiters and such), then consider
- Reserving the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom Thursday, or
- Changing your Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort from lunch Tuesday to dinner Thursday, or
- Moving your Hoop Dee Doo Revue reservations from Tuesday evening to Thursday evening
The first option means both another table service meal and another day of park tickets; the other two don’t cost any more, as they are just moving items already in the Autumn-Winter-Spring Itinerary to another day, and are at resort hotels, not parks.
Note that to get a sit-down meal on Thanksgiving it’s critical that you make your dining reservations well in advance. See this for more.
DISNEY WORLD OPERATING HOURS DURING THE 2013 THANKSGIVING WEEK
Starting the day after Thanksgiving, Epcot is open thirty minutes later, and a special Christmas version of Illuminations is shown nightly at 9.30p rather than 9p. Adjust your Friday itinerary for this change in times.
The Candlelight Processional also begins the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Moreover, Disney has changed the operating hours of the parks to accommodate the crowds.
This includes 8a openings all week at the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. Disney may also add additional Extra Magic Hours and more 8a openings.
These changes mean that some of your days need to start one or even two hours earlier than the itinerary suggests.
You can get updated park operating hours when you arrive at Walt Disney World. If you want to know what’s up before then, check the park calendars a day or so before you depart for Florida, and then while you are there as well.
Click the links for park calendars
And Disney veterans–please feel free to add more suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner at Walt Disney World to the comment box below!
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125 Comments on "Thanksgiving 2013 at Walt Disney World"
Hi Glendaliz! I’d flip Epcot and AK, but the rest looks great!
Chinya, the first three days you’ve picked Extra Magic Hour days. These tend to be much more crowded than days the parks don’t have EMH–and the week will be wildly mobbed anyway. I’d keep AK the 28th, but do HS the 24th, Epcot the 25th, and MK the 26th.
For must sees, see this:http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/03/09/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-rides-and-attractions/
Not sure what to tell you on the anniversary front, as much will be all booked up, but see this http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-eat/dining-alternatives/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-dining/
Hi, I will be in Disney from november 24-30, 2013. We are a group of 18 and in that group there is 5 children 4 teenager the rest are adults. Our plan is
24- Epcot
25- Animal Kingdom
26- Hollywood Studios
27- Magic Kingdom
So what do you think of our schedule.
we are going to disney world first time during 24th thru 29th. We 2 and have a boy ( 16) and girl (11) and stay in carribean beach resort. plan is to go
MK -24
HS-25
EPCOT-26
WATER PARK/ DOWN TOWN 27 etc
AK – 28
Universal – 29
questions.
1. is this schedule looks ok or want me to change.
2. any suggestion for aniversary celebration idea
3. any things we must see
thanks a bunch
Well, Deena I’d go to MK Friday or Saturday…I dunno if MK will close or not on Thursday, but regardless it will be wildly mobbed…
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