With milder temperatures and beautiful holiday decorations adorning Disney Parks across the world, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to visit The Happiest Place on Earth.

Check out our brief guide which tells you what you can expect from Disney at Thanksgiving, as well as providing tips on making Thanksgiving 2016 the best Thanksgiving yet!

Crowds

Many people think that since many families choose to stay home at Thanksgiving, the park will be less crowded, but the opposite is true. Though November is one of the quieter months to visit Disneyland, Thanksgiving always sees a significant spike in crowds and is one of the busiest times of the year for the Disney Parks, particularly in North America.

TIP:

Arrive at the park early and be waiting at the gate before it opens. Once the gate opens, hop on one of the Park’s transport options or walk briskly through to the furthest side of the park. Visitors will naturally start at the beginning of the park and make their way around. When you get to the other side it will be almost empty and the rides will have no queues. By experiencing this area of the park with no crowds, you could knock off up to three hours of your trip through the park.

Decorations

Thanksgiving is a fantastic time to visit Disney Parks as Disneyland and Walt Disney World will be decked out read for Christmas. However, there is some bad news. Disney Parks don’t decorate for Thanksgiving specifically, but rather decorate for Christmas directly after Halloween. The end of November is a beautiful time to visit as the parks are decked out in holiday décor, but if you were anticipating a park laden with turkeys, cornucopias and pilgrims then you might be disappointed.

TIP: 

Be sure to utilise Thanksgiving photo opportunities where you can. Many displays at this time of year, though based on Christmas and Halloween, use pumpkins and harvest type items as props. These areas can make fantastic Thanksgiving shots.

Dining

One of the advantages of taking a Disney trip on Turkey Day is the amazing menu’s that are available at the in-park restaurants. Many of the meals include all the traditional foods – turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, cranberry sauce and vegetables – so you can enjoy the comforts of home while you sit back and relax.

If you want to book a sit-down Thanksgiving Meal, be sure to check online for availability, or call in advance to make a booking.

Tip:

If you want to avoid busy crowds, aim to eat during off-peak times. This simply means taking your meal breaks slightly earlier or later than the popular lunch and dinner breaks. Having lunch at 11am or 2pm can mean less waiting times for food, and will also allow you to line up for rides with shorter lines, at times when many others will be eating.

With cooler weather and school being out, it’s not surprising that families would want to head away for a Disney-cation! Just be sure to follow our simple tips for dining, managing the crowds and making the most of the holiday decorations, and make this Thanksgiving, one to remember.

Be sure to look at our fantastic range of Thanksgiving Figurines and Ornaments!