Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
al. The number of runners and their “cheer squads”—combined with the guests who
descend upon Epcot for the food festival alone—blows up the crowd levels like an
agitated pufferfish. Again, vehicular and pedestrian traffic is disturbed by the running
courses throughout Disney property.
There are no special Thanksgiving events or decorations in the parks, so if you're
looking for the equivalent of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, you're out of luck, al-
though many of the Christmas decorations are normally in place the day after Thanks-
giving. But the kids are out of school, and this is the busiest travel weekend of the
year. Your best bet for the least-crowded park will be Epcot.
Remember to make your dining arrangements long before your visit, especially if
you want a traditional Thanksgiving meal. While there is plenty of food at the World,
note that not all restaurants offer turkey with all the trimmings. Some that do include
Liberty Tree Tavern
at the Magic Kingdom;
50's Prime Time Cafe
at Disney's
Hollywood Studios;
Citricos
at the Grand Floridian;
Artist Point
at the Wilderness
Lodge; and '
Ohana
(which means “family” in Hawaiian) at the Polynesian Resort,
which is perfect for families with small children. For information and reservations,
call 407-
WDW
-
DINE
.
The annual
Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade
, televised on December 25, is
usually taped at the Magic Kingdom on the weekend that falls nine days after Thanks-
giving, roughly the last weekend in November or first week of December. The parade
ties up pedestrian traffic on Main Street, U.S.A. all day.
DECEMBER
If you're visiting during Christmas week, don't expect to see all the at-
tractions in a single day of touring at any park. All parks, especially the Magic King-
dom, will be filled to capacity, and Disney will stop admitting visitors as early as 10
a.m. (Not to mention that women will have to wait up to 20 minutes to use the re-
strooms in the Magic Kingdom during Christmas week.) As you might have guessed
by now, your only way in is getting there early. Be at the gates with admission passes
in hand at least 1 hour before scheduled opening time. Most of all, bring along a
humongous dose of patience and humor. The daily tree-lighting ceremonies and the
parades are wonderful. Again, most parks will reach full capacity by 10 a.m., and no
advance reservations will get you into the park once it is closed. So
pick your park
and be prepared to stay there all day.
