Is Disneyland Busy On Thanksgiving Day?

“Is Disneyland open on Thanksgiving Day?” and “Is Disneyland busy on Thanksgiving Day?” I’m often asked those two questions. Yes, Disneyland is open on Thanksgiving Day! What about the other question, “Is Disneyland busy on Thanksgiving Day?” I’ve heard crazy stories about the Disneyland resort being over run with people during the Holiday season, especially on Thanksgiving day. The week of Thanksgiving is usually more crowded than a week in early November. It is peak season for the holidays, after all!

I wanted to see just how crowded the Disneyland park is on Thanksgiving Day for myself, so last Thanksgiving I booked a trip for our family!

Actually, if I’m being honest with you, this visit wasn’t just to research the best time to visit Disneyland over Thanksgiving weekend. I was curious to know the answer to my question, “Is Disneyland busy on Thanksgiving Day” But, it was actually a great time for our family because my kids were out of school and my daughter’s birthday just happened to be on Thanksgiving Day last year. So, it was a good time for us to check things out.

The Holidays at Disneyland(running from early November through early January) are one of the busiest stretches of the entire year at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. They are popular for a reason! The holiday magic is in full force and it’s such a fun time to visit. The best days to visit in terms of crowds are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

I’ve got a full guide to Disneyland in November here and Disneyland in December here. They include a Disneyland crowd calendar that will be helpful when you’re planning your Disneyland vacation. I’ve also got a full guide to Disneyland during the holidays here.

Keep in mind, park tickets AND a park reservation are required to enter the Disney parks. Please don’t pay full price for your Disney park tickets! My partners at Get Away Today have the very best deals on hotels and Disney tickets. Their prices are always discounted off the gate price. Plus, they have layaway plans and their customer service is top notch! I don’t buy my tickets anywhere else. You’re going to love them. Check them out here.

Is Disneyland Busy On Thanksgiving Day?

Crowds

When we visited Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day, I was prepared for long lines, long wait times and huge crowd levels. Disney theme parks are incredibly popular and even more so on holidays. So, I went into the day thinking this was probably one of the worst weeks that I could possibly visit the happiest place on earth.

I also went into the day with a really good attitude. No matter what, I was determined that our family would have a great Thanksgiving break and enjoy the holiday magic no matter what the crowds were like.

Believe it or not, I was actually incredibly(and pleasantly) surprised. We arrived to Disneyland 60 minutes before the official park opening time so that we were there in time for rope drop. If you’re not sure what rope drop is, you can find out more info here. Rope dropping is the best way to experience lower crowds, no matter what time of year you may be visiting.

We had low crowds throughout the morning and were able to get on 6 rides with very short wait times in the first hour and a half. As the day went on, crowd levels picked up.

The afternoon is always one of the most crowded times of the day. Walkways were crowded, but Disneyland was operating attractions at full capacity and wait times were not bad at all!

I am a bit of a nerd and time every single ride we go on. On average, we waited about 25 minutes for each ride on Thanksgiving Day. That’s an average, some rides were much shorter and some rides were a bit longer. Over all though, I thought wait times were very manageable.

With the addition of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, wait times for big ticket holiday attractions like “it’s a small world” and Haunted Mansion holiday are much more manageable. Lightning Lane Multi Pass was not available for our visit, so we did all the attractions using the standby line.

If you’re not familiar with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, it’s the new system that has replaced Maxpass/Fastpass at Disneyland. It is a great way to spend less time waiting in lines. Especially on days with larger crowds and over holiday weekends. You can find out more info about Lightning Lane Multi Pass here.

Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day Tips

Thanksgiving Day can be a more busy time to visit, but it is officially one of my favorite times to visit! I really had a nice time on our visit. Even with the big crowds, we were able to easily ride the most popular rides and many others. I do have a few tips that will be helpful for you.

• Arrive early. Be at the security gates at least 60 minutes before the park opens so you can enjoy lower crowds during the morning hours.
• If you’d like to have a sit down Thanksgiving meal, book yourself some dining reservations early. You can make dining reservations 60 days in advance on the Disneyland website. Many of the sit down restaurants offer a Thanksgiving dinner. We had a lovely meal holiday meal at River Belle Terrace.
• Don’t be discouraged if you can’t get dining reservations. There’s still lots of yummy Thanksgiving options available at many of the quick service dining options.
• Keep an eye on the weather. It can get chilly in November, especially in the evenings. Be prepared with jackets and hats!
• Have a good attitude. Your attitude is really what’s going to make your break your trip. Maybe it’s more crowded, but if you decide beforehand that you’re going to have a great time no matter what, you will! Trust me, I know this from personal experience.

I hope you found this information helpful! If you’re totally opposed to crowds, visiting over the Thanksgiving weekend is probably not your best bet. However, if you’d like to visit during the holidays to check out the Christmas tree and seasonal events without taking your kids out of school, it might be a great time for you to visit. You can find some of my best tips for dealing with crowds at Disneyland here.

Personally, I would not hesitate to visit on Thanksgiving Day in the future. We planned ahead and had a really great time! In fact, we decided that anytime my daughter’s birthday lands on Thanksgiving Day, we’re going to celebrate it at Disneyland. So, we’ll definitely be back for turkey and pumpkin pie in a few years!