You Have to See the Thanksgiving Day CROWDS in Disney World!

Happy Turkey Day, DFB Readers!

Cinderella Castle

You might be wondering what our big plans are for the day. Well, we’re at Disney World because we just can’t get enough of those holiday decorations, holiday snacks, and that everyday Disney magic! But what are crowds like on Thanksgiving? Well, leading up to the holiday, things were getting busier in Disney World, AND we saw Genie+ sell out at a record-high price. So, let’s take a look at crowds on ACTUAL Thanksgiving.

Before we set out for the parks, though, we checked Disney World’s park pass availability. Surprisingly enough, ALL four parks are still open to theme park guests and those staying at Disney World hotels. Even Annual Passholders had wide-open reservations for all four parks on Thanksgiving.

©Disney

Note that the price of Genie+ is $35 for Magic Kingdom and multiple parks, $28 for EPCOT, $32 for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and $25 for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So this tells us Disney expects to have a busy day.

We headed to Magic Kingdom a little after 7AM. Here’s what the entrance crowds looked like — honestly, that’s not too bad at all.

Entrance

When we arrived on Main Street, U.S.A. at around 7:20AM, we noticed that the Early Entry crowds had arrived.

Early Entry crowds

We were in Liberty Square at around 8:20AM, after the park’s official opening time, but things still looked pretty quiet.

Not too many people around

Looking back down Main Street, U.S.A., at around 7:30PM, we saw a steady stream of people entering the park, but still not as many as we might have expected.

Happy Thanksgiving from Magic Kingdom! We’re thankful for everyone helping make magic happen today! ✨? pic.twitter.com/R9nrPH3TyX

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 23, 2023

We also checked wait times at 7:30PM, and they were lower than expected, although the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was already up to an 80-minute wait.

©Disney

However, about a half hour later, the line for rides started getting bigger. This is what Haunted Mansion looked like.

Lines are getting longer

At 9AM, Fantasyland still felt pretty quiet.

Not too bad in Fantasyland…yet

That did change a little while later, though.

Here’s a look at crowd levels in Fantasyland this morning! pic.twitter.com/zWwzqMZTKz

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 23, 2023

At 9:50AM, the Space Mountain line was getting longer and was at 75 minutes.

Space Mountain line

We looped back around the castle at 10:15AM, and things were certainly getting busier.

Getting busier

In Adventureland, Pirates of the Caribbean was up to a 50-minute wait.

Pirates line

We’ll continue to keep an eye on crowds throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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