WWYD? - Thanksgiving week planning

Walt Disney World
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Hello lovely experts. I have a host (eight to be precise) of WWYD questions to all the WDW experts on this forum!

I’m already so grateful. The thread on Advanced G+ (although I know it is going to change) and the one on convention tickets are seriously so helpful.

Context: I need to do some pre-planning before I create my budget / plan to book DVC using points this December for an 8-night trip (Sat-Sun of Thanksgiving week, 2025). When I sat down to outline the general plan (itinerary below), I was surprised a bit by looking at 2023 Thanksgiving week as a guide. SO MANY xmas parties at MK (!), and a ‘substitute’ Wednesday EEH night at AK (vs. the usual MK).

With all this said, we are a family of 4 with two boys (who will be 10 & 16), me and 79 year old active grandma.

Here are my WWYD questions:

  1. Split Stay? I’m now planning 6 nights in a DVC studio at BWV, with 2 nights in AKL Savannah view DVC studio. Is it silly to want to transfer for just 2 nights? Should I give up my obsession with staying at AKL at least once? Since it won’t be renovated, I don’t want to stick my kiddos on a pull out for too long (RDs plus sleepless nights is no bueno), and the regular AKL two queen rooms are just so pricey vs. DVC. I’d prefer 5 and 3 days, but don’t want to be in between resorts on Thanksgiving day, and the way the schedule is falling into place, it doesn’t make sense to do AKL on the front end.

  2. Uber Eats or B&C ADR?: After a long first full day at the park (Day 2, Sunday at MK), would you order in or just do a B&C ADR for dinner? I know we will be tired and not likely want to schlep to B&C for a sit down dinner, even though just a 10 minute walk. Any favorite local places that you recommend? I’d like to try Polite Pig, but they only do to take out, not delivery, and I’m not sure I want to Uber RT just to try it out.

  3. Would you recommend we watch Luminous during EP Monday EEH, or focus on rides?

  4. Is a Topolino’s ADR at 10.30am too late to get max value of character interactions? I’m balancing the need for family to sleep in, but wondering if this late breakfast ADR would be short-changing us on character interactions. I liked the idea of Topolino’s (combines riding the skyliner, alongside a cool hotel with views, good food) vs other places, but am thinking I should reconsider. Also, is it even possible to take skyliner from EP to Topolino’s, lol? I assumed there would be a way.

  5. Thanksgiving day ‘dinner’: I’m all over the place. We don’t need a traditional turkey spread, but I do want it to feel like a ‘special or different’ dinner than normal? WWYD? Boathouse (my original top choice), Homecoming, Raglan Road OR even Sanaa? Likely a late-ish lunch/early dinner around 2.45/3pm before we head out for late night MK.

  6. Int’l Festival of Holidays conundrum: Would you trade off festival food eating to go to candlelight processional w/dining pkg OR forego the candlelight processional to take advantage of all the food booths? If the former, I’m thinking Biergarten Dining Pkg for an early lunch to secure the 5pm processional (my rationale from a little advance research: Biergarten is holiday festive, my Mom has German heritage, the package is a decent value (relatively speaking) and a bit ‘fun’ for the kids, and it is in WS (we won’t be headed into FW, so Garden Grill is off the table). FWIW: My Mom loves all things xmas, but I decided against MVMCP b/c I know from prior theme park evening experience we will be overwhelmed with the crowds and won’t feel like the price/value is there.

  7. Any experience with WAT? I’m strongly leaning towards booking that (vs. a xmas party or HEA dessert package). Thoughts?

  8. Did anyone have any experience with EEH at AK last year? I think it was up and running during the entire run of MVMCP season. Is it even worth it to plan my schedule around it?

Sending gratitude in advance for any thoughts to my questions above!

If helpful, my working itinerary is below but likely TMI! Obviously, the ‘times’ will ebb and flow. I just based them on TP’s to see if the times put out would actually be doable, assuming some G+ success.

Day 1: Sat. Arrival Day | EPCOT Evening (CL6), FW only. Arrive MCO,1.30pm. Uber to BWV. In Epcot via IG 4pm-8pm-ish. Stacked LLs + Guardians ILL+6pm VQ. Dinner, Yorkshire Fish & Chips. Early to bed.

Day 2: Sun. note: Projected MK MVMCP
Rope drop MK (CL6). MK G+ (TL/FL/Liberty Sq). ILL Tron/SDMT. VQ Tron. In MK 7.30AM-4.30PMish. No return to parks. Bfast, Sleepy Hollow. Lunch, Columbia Harbor House. WWYD? Take-out dinner by pool (I’d love Polite Pig, but desire an Uber eats solution) or should we just make an ADR for B&C?

Day 2: Mon. note: Projected EP EEH (9-11pm) & HS Jollywood
HS Rope Drop (CL9) | EPCOT EEH (CL9). Multipark G+. ILL ROTR/Guardians. In HS 8am-2.00pm. Midday resort break 2.30-5.30pm. Lunch, Docking Bay. Dinner, Space 220 Lounge. In EP for EEH 5.45pm-11pm. WWYD? Luminous, should we watch or ride during?

Day 4: Tues: note: Projected MK MVMCP
Sleep in. Character Breakfast | late night HS (CL 9). HS G+. ILL ROTR. Skyliner to 10.30AM Topolinos ADR. Mid-day resort break (12-3). In HS 3.30pm-9.30pm w/stacked LLs & ILL. F! 50’s Primetime Café dining. Oga’s. Fantasmic. WWYD? Is this late breakfast time too risky vis a vis seeing enough characters, should we pivot? I’m balancing the need to sleep in.

Day 5: Wed. note: projected AK EEH (8-10pm) and MK MVMCP
Rope Drop-‘ish*’ MK (CL6) | late night AK (CL8). No G+. *RD-ing non EE Big Thunder, JC & Pirates. Tron & Tiana VQ. ILL Tron (or SDMT) & FOP. In MK, 7.45am-2pm. Midday resort break, 2.30-6pm. AK: 6.30-10pm. Pandora at night, Tree of Life, EE x3. Lunch, Skippers. Dinner, Satuli.

Day 6: Thur: Thanksgiving
Sleep in. Resort AM | MK late night, 5.30-11pm (CL6). MK G+ stacking. Pool (weather permitting) or GF/Poly monorail resort hopping for xmas decorations. WWYD? 3pm-ish “thanksgiving’ dinner at Sanaa, Boathouse, Homecoming or Raglan Road?

Day 7: Fri. note: likely 1st day of EP Int’l Festival of Holidays
Sleep in. Late arrival EP World Showcase (CL9) + Festival. No G+. Check out BWV 10am, leave bags w/concierge. In EP from 10.30-5.30pm. Leave after 5pm candlelight processional. Uber to AKL from BWV. No return to parks. WWYD? Trade off festival food eating to go to candlelight processional w/dining pkg OR forego going to candlelight processional?

Day 8: Sat.
Rope Drop AK (CL6) | Wild Africa Trek, 11.45AM-2.45PM. No G+. In AK from 7.30am-4.30pm (leave after 4pm Finding Nemo show). No return to parks. Breakfast, Kusafari, lunch at WAT, Nomad lounge. Evening resort pool time. Dinner, TBD.

Day 9: Sun.
Sleep in. Departure day. Check-out. Luggage with concierge. Early lunch at Sanaa at 11 (if didn’t go on Thanksgiving). TBD: 12-5pm. Leave for MCO at 5pm.

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I wouldn’t use the word silly, but I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. I’d stay the full 8 nights at BWV.

Yes, it’s awesome. I think your kids are great ages for it. I would choose WAT over the HAE desert party. As for WAT vs the MVMCP … that is a tougher call. Have you been to the Christmas party before?

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I would do the deli or pizza window at Boardwalk. Fast and easy.

YMMV but on Jan 1, we missed the fireworks because we were on Guardians and did test track, frozen, and Remy during EEH. I think it depends on what you want to do during that time. Your bigger challenge will be the size of the park. I would watch the fireworks close to whatever ride you want to go on first.

No. I’ve done the 12:15 and didn’t feel shorted at all.

You can take the skyliner there.

You can also take the skyliner from Epcot to Hollywood. It’s all about the same amount of time: boat, skyliner, or walking. My kids preferred the sky liner so we did that instead of the boats.

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It’s fantastic.

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I had an 11:30 ADR and the characters were just as perky and fun as they would have been earlier. They even came to our table twice since the restaurant was not very crowded.

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On your Day 7, use that whole day for Storytellers and the food booths and cookie stroll. If you want a seat for the CP, do the dining package but the three times I’ve watched the CP I stood in the back and was perfectly satisfied with that.

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Thanks all.

Any faves for Thanksgiving dinner (not needing a traditional dinner). Maybe Boathouse is better in sumner? We went to WDW thanksgiving week of 2015, and it was cool but pleasant, def not shorts weather.

Re: split stay: I have decided you are right - not worth the juice, it’s better to stay all 8 nights and avoid the hassle of transferring! I am now though nervous reading a report that not all BWV units have murphy beds due to some shortage. Murphy’s law (pun intended!). That would negate my rationale for not staying longer at AKL Kidani in the first place, lol.

Re: WS EP Festival and candlelight processional - how easy is it to stand in back? The reports I read suggested that people line up as early as 5 hours ahead of time since only 25% of capacity is for stand by. Obviously that doesn’t work for us non local tourists. I planned my day on the earlier side already just to thread needle on the shows and story tellers. I originally had us getting there closer to noon but we’d miss too much of the mid day festival programming.

Btw: The TP program is so amazing when you are trying to be somewhere at a certain time for different shows! One thought: since we now won’t be switching to AKL, we could leave the park for a break (and not be so focused on that first 5pm show) and come back for a later show. Although not sure I can rally my boys, I know my Mom would be all in. Maybe we should stay at Beach Club instead given how much we will be popping in and out of EP (although I think this forum said it’s very hard to get BC).

Re: Xmas party vs WAT. I’d love more opinions. I so love the IDEA of the Xmas party!!! There just seems to be so many disappointed party goers. I don’t want to go and save seats for hours just to have good parade watching seats but also don’t want to miss the parade either. We aren’t a huge character family. The whole 8 night trip my TP has us going to a character meet and greet just once (at WDW)- and if my budget gets out of whack the first thing to go will likely be topolinos. Across 4 DLR/WDW trips we’ve only done a character bfast once!

So then it’s treats, atmosphere, and rides? With stacking I can get a whole lotta rides in at WDW from 5-12am. My Mom is literally a CRAZY Xmas person but Disney nighttime FW crowds easily overwhelm her so i am thinking the EP int’l festival and monorail resort hopping / gingerbread house stuff will scratch that itch.

However, I can totally be persuaded as this will be our really big WDW trip and not likely to be back anytime soon.

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Very. When I stand in the back it is along the fence line and not inside the theater. I get there 5 to 10 minutes before the show. I’ll try to find a picture and come back to post it.

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I only had video so here’s a screen shot from it