How to Celebrate Thanksgiving at Disney World
As you make your grocery store list and check it twice (or okay, five times), field text messages from your siblings, parents and in-laws, and attempt to keep your children from wreaking havoc on your decorations or tablescapes, you might dream of a year when you aren’t responsible for the annual Thanksgiving gathering.
While welcoming guests from every corner of the country (or the globe) is a festive time of celebration, reflection and laughter, it’s also a stressful event to plan, execute and manage. Depending on how married to tradition your clan is, one alternative to the homebase fanfare is taking your Thanksgiving elsewhere. And by elsewhere, of course, we mean Walt Disney World!
With cool, comfortable weather, less crowds and plenty of top tier lunch or dinner options that put in all the elbow grease for you, you can actually digest your meal and savor it. Once you convince grandma and your sister to hop onboard, give a ring to your specialized Disney Travel Agent who will go the extra mile to ensure your holiday is one-of-a-kind and memorable for decades to come. After all, if all goes well this year, why not create a new family tradition that takes you to Florida, instead of the supermarket?
Here, what to expect if you’re celebrating Thanksgiving at the happiest place on Earth:
You’ll want to make reservations in advance.
Though your specialized Disney Travel Agent can definitely take care of this for you – it’s important to think ahead before booking your plane tickets. Here’s the deal: even though Thanksgiving itself is a slower time of year to visit the park (more on that later), there are only so many seats that restaurants can fill on a single day, so having reservations are not only highly-recommended by basically mandatory.
You’ll want to taste every menu
Depending on if you’d rather venture into Epcot or Magic Kingdom for your feast or stay at a resort, certain culinary establishments offer varying menus. Each year Disney shakes up the recipe, so ask your travel agent about what’s cookin’ up in the kitchens this go ‘round. For 2017, you can enjoy an Asian-inspired take on Thanksgiving noms with poppy seed lavash, homemade naan and apple cranberry achar at Sanaa. Or, if you want to go classic with a twist, try the Norwegian meatballs and pan-seared salmon at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
You can eat at these places for Thanksgiving.
Want the inside scoop on where you can dine for the year’s most gracious holiday? Here’s what restaurants usually host Thanksgiving-day diners:
Disney World Resort Hotels
- Mickey’s Backyard Thanksgiving Feast and Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Kidani Village Resort
- The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
- Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Flying Fish Cafe and Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Fresh Mediterranean Market at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Garden Grove and Il Mulino at Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- California Grill, Chef Mickey and The Wave … of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Grand Floridian Cafe, Narcoossee’s and Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Epcot
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- Rose & Crown Dining Room
- Biergarten Restaurant
- Coral Reef Restaurant
Magic Kingdom
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Liberty Tree Tavern
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Rainforest Cafe
- Tusker House Restaurant
You’ll find less crowds – most of the week, anyway.
If you want to extend your vacation beyond Thanksgiving, it’s a smart idea to fly out a week before, instead of staying a week after. Leading up to Thanksgiving Day, you will find the park less crowded and chaotic, while the Friday and Saturday after the holiday are some of the busiest days all year. This way you can experience all of the magic, without fighting your way through endless lines and Main Street traffic jams.
You can’t leave without eating a turkey leg
You probably don’t need us to tell you about the delicious turkey legs Walt Disney World is infamous for. But hey, guess what? You have an even bigger excuse now to chow down on one – or three – of them if you visit during Thanksgiving. You can find these mouthwatering snacks at Liberty Square Market in Magic Kingdom or Fife & Drum at Epcot in the American Pavilion. Bottoms – or ahem, legs – up!