Thanksgiving Crowd

[sediment]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

They don't print the blockout dates on those CM passes? They just make the CM's show up and hope that it's not a blockout day?

Ah. It was the year that it was first blocked out. It hadn't been in years past, and my "sponsor" hadn't checked, since he had gone on that day in years past.

[PirateMickey]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

See my post #26.

Enjoy!

[BFJen]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

So do the crowds start to filter out by the Sunday after Thanksgiving? That's what I'm thinking of doing - Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

[doombuggy driver]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

I think spending Turkey Day at Disneyland is a GREAT idea!!! When my family goes to Disneyland we spend more quality time together than any other time of the year. We spend 5 hours in the car each way, close quarters in the hotel, we eat EVERY meal together as a family at the same table, we stand in line together, ride the rides together and sit on a blanket for fireworks and Fantasmic snuggling up together. We have the best time together as a family when we are at Disneyland.

Plus for Turkey Day you can even get a Turkey Leg at Disneyland!!!!! So turkey and quality family time, you can't go wrong!!!!!!!!

[TP2000]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

The day after is blocked out of CM Silver Pass holders. Yeah, we found that out the hard way.

They don't print the blockout dates on those CM passes? They just make the CM's show up and hope that it's not a blockout day?

[Coheteboy]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Back in 1997 I worked Thanksgiving Night. I was on a popcorn wagon in Fantasyland and it was actually kinda dead. Lucky for me, I had a gal working the cart with me so we had a swell time chatting and just laughing it up. Most everyone who bought popcorn from us thanked us for working that night and that was really great.

In retrospect, I regret not helping the gal wash the popcorn cart at the end of the shift. (i wasn't a popcorn vendor! i was on loan!) hee hee

[JangoFett]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

We finally decided on a loose agenda. We will be getting to DLR Sunday morning, spending Monday at Knott's and then Tues, Weds and Thurs at DLR. We would have done Knott's on Sunday, because of the potentialy heavy crowds at Disney, but we want to see Fantasmic. Gotta see Fantasmic.

[PirateMickey]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Monday will be better, but not a ghost town. It's certainly do-able. We'll be there.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the best.

We're heading home Thursday.

[BFJen]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Okay, so my family is proposing that we go to Disneyland for Thanksgiving. I'm thinking that we'll go meet them on the weekend (like Sunday or Saturday) and then stay thru Monday. Will Monday be bad? I'm assuming the weekend will be awful. But, if I have one decent day, I wouldn't mind.

[fkurucz]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Why are so many people at Disneyland on Thanksgiving. I ADORE the park as much as the next nut, but Thanksgiving is a time for FAMILY, not rides...

I suspect that its because many have out of town visitors, so they take then to DL!

[Dustysage]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

I got to Disneyland every Thanksgiving with my sister. We have Thanksgiving dinner (early) at Catal or the Disneyland Hotel Ballroom. Then we go to the park and watch the Christmas Fantasy Parade and Fireworks. We don't worry about the rides. We eat gingerbread cookies and have a latte and stroll around the park and try to get ourselves into the spirit of the season.

While I know that it is crowded, we have yet to have a bad time. Unless you have an agenda (Lots of rides, a specific parade spot, etc), busy days don't have to be bad days.

I'll see you all there.

-Dusty

[JangoFett]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

If it was me, I'd do DL on sunday (for Fantasmic) and Knott's on monday.

That's the way I was leaning. We've never seen Fantasmic and this will be our third trip since our daughter was born (she turned 6 last month).

According to the Disneyland online schedule Fantasmic will have two showings on that Sunday. Is there a difference in the crowds between the 9:00 and 10:30 showings, or is it just as crowded either time?

Any other tips for the week after Turkey day? This will be our first NON-spring/summer trip ever to DLR.

[PirateMickey]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Yes, that sunday will be crowded in the morning, but will noticeably lighten up as the day goes by. By nightfall, the rides are "walk-on".

Monday will seem some stragglers, but you'll own the place come tues and wed.

That's been our experience for many years now. Sunday through thursday. The past three years, we arrive on the wednesday before T-Day and stay through wednesday (a week).

The week after the holiday used to be a secret, but the word has gotten out some lately. But that's OK, there is plenty of the Park to go around.

If it was me, I'd do DL on sunday (for Fantasmic) and Knott's on monday.

Enjoy!

[JangoFett]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Ok these pictures are bad, there from webcam so.

OK, so by the looks of the chart, once Thanksgiving has passed it gets relatively quiet for a week or two. True? We have our trip booked for the week AFTER Thanksgiving, with our first day at DLR on that Sunday at the end of the 4-day weekend. Will it be a zoo in the parks on that Sunday? I ask because as part of our package we are going to spend one day, of our choosing, at Knotts. I know if we skip DLR for Knotts on Sunday we will have no chance at seeing Fantasmic (according to the Disneyland web site schedule) but will that be a good trade off to avoid huge crowds?

[sediment]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Well, though I see no reason to defend our newfound "family" tradition of staying at the Resort for the Thanksgiving Holiday (three years now and counting), the basic reason that we have started a "new" tradition is that the last of my family members passed away. Is that a good enough reason???

No, you don't have to defend it. What your family does is its own business, and no one should think that any one tradition is more more respectful of the meaning of the holiday than any other.
I'd be the first to be rebelling against:
1. Protesting with black people on MLK Day.
2. Reading the biographies of Presidents (or going to a Presidential Library) on Presidents' Day.
3. Going to church on Easter (too crowded with the two-a-years).
4. Going to a National Cemetary on Memorial Day.
5. Writing a stern letter to the British on 4-July.
6. Working on Labor Day, er, NOT working on Labor Day.
7. Discovering a whole new hemisphere on Columbus Day.
8. Birthing a baby on Christmas.

Because, I really don't like people telling me what to do on my days off.

[minnietoo]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Well, though I see no reason to defend our newfound "family" tradition of staying at the Resort for the Thanksgiving Holiday (three years now and counting), the basic reason that we have started a "new" tradition is that the last of my family members passed away. Is that a good enough reason???

It's just us and the kids now. We tried one year at home with just us. It didn't work. Sure, we had the food, watched the games, etc.. But it just wasn't the same. I wanted a fresh change in our "tradition".

So we decided to try the DL Resort for the Holiday.

I've mentioned all of the details on another thread (DL Hotel Buffet), so I won't bore you with all of that here.

It has worked out wonderfully. And until we tire of it or decide to try something else, we'll stick with it.

How you spend your holidays is your concern. No one else's. No one can be wrong or should be criticized for what they do. It's your life, enjoy it the way that YOU want to.

Enjoy!

I think starting a new tradition after a family loss or reconfiguration is nice. I'm sure you found that with the loss of your extended family members some things will never be the same - and especially holidays. And that is very painful. To ease that pain - you did something great - you started a new tradition that celebrates what you have and doesn't dwell on who is missing. When my father died - we did the same thing. My mother could not celebrate Christmas the same way anymore - and neither could I - it wasn't the same and going through the motions would have made his absence more painful. So we changed our traditions - and she is happier - and so are we.

[minnietoo]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

I guess I just don't understand. Sure, you can be with your family at Disneyland, but it's another way to "avoid" actually Being with your family. I mean, you can manipulate it so it works, and I'm not saying there is a "traditional" way to do it and that's it, but it seems disrespectful to the concept of the holiday. (yes, I realize that I am defending a holiday founded on killing Indians. If we went down that road, we'd have no holidays at all)

I just feel like it's ignoring family duties on a special occasion...

Every family is different - and not every family even celebrates Thanksgiving. You can have quality time with your family - and even a turkey dinner at DL - so I don't understand why you think it is disrespectul to the concept of the holiday - the orginal intent of this American holiday was to give thanks to God for our abundance. That can be done anywhere. If you don't believe in God and/or are not Americanized or from this country - this may not be a holiday you even celebrate. For you it may just be four or more days off. And if your intent is to enjoy your family - you can do that anywhere also.

Just because people are at a home/house doesn't mean there is family interaction - and when someone is off in another room cooking all day - they certainly are being left our of "family time" all together. You can manipulate a day with the relatives to avoid interaction also.

Open your mind to the possiblities that there are different ways to the same destination; people travel the road of life to different desitinations; all people are not the same ; all people do not demonstrate their faith the same way; all people are not of the same faith and cultural background; all people do not celebrate the same holidays.

I suppose, based on your reponse that you wouldn't think it appropriate to spend Christmas at DL either.

[PirateMickey]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

Well, though I see no reason to defend our newfound "family" tradition of staying at the Resort for the Thanksgiving Holiday (three years now and counting), the basic reason that we have started a "new" tradition is that the last of my family members passed away. Is that a good enough reason???

It's just us and the kids now. We tried one year at home with just us. It didn't work. Sure, we had the food, watched the games, etc.. But it just wasn't the same. I wanted a fresh change in our "tradition".

So we decided to try the DL Resort for the Holiday.

I've mentioned all of the details on another thread (DL Hotel Buffet), so I won't bore you with all of that here.

It has worked out wonderfully. And until we tire of it or decide to try something else, we'll stick with it.

How you spend your holidays is your concern. No one else's. No one can be wrong or should be criticized for what they do. It's your life, enjoy it the way that YOU want to.

Enjoy!

[sorceress1986]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

I guess I just don't understand. Sure, you can be with your family at Disneyland, but it's another way to "avoid" actually Being with your family. I mean, you can manipulate it so it works, and I'm not saying there is a "traditional" way to do it and that's it, but it seems disrespectful to the concept of the holiday. (yes, I realize that I am defending a holiday founded on killing Indians. If we went down that road, we'd have no holidays at all)

I just feel like it's ignoring family duties on a special occasion...

[sediment]

Re: Thanksgiving Crowd

The day after is blocked out of CM Silver Pass holders. Yeah, we gound that out the hard way.
That tells me that DL thinks it is busy enough that they don't need CM's from Burbank/Glendale on their day off flooding the place.