It’s Thanksgiving, which means lots of delicious food, early Black Friday sales, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and (if you’re in Disney World)…CROWDS.

We’ve been sharing updates about just how many people are expected to travel to Orlando for Thanksgiving and what the crowds have looked like over the past few days. Now, we’ve got a look at what the crowds are like on Thanksgiving Day itself.

As we mentioned, over the past few days we’ve been watching the crowd levels throughout the parks and seeing just how packed things have (or haven’t been). We’ve found that some spots have been EXTREMELY crowded…

…while there were pockets of emptier spaces in other spots.

We’ve also been keeping an eye on those wait times and seeing just how long the lines have been at some popular rides.

Well, today we made our way over to Magic Kingdom to see how bad the crowds were on Thanksgiving Day, and things were just as you might have expected…busy!

Crowds pouring into Magic Kingdom for Thanksgiving Day! 🍂 pic.twitter.com/5aT1Z2YriW

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 25, 2021

On Main Street, U.S.A. the crowds were particularly large, with fans gathering all around to take photos and start their day in the Most Magical Place on Earth.

While the Main Street Vehicles were operating, we noticed that some of the drivers were having a particularly difficult time getting down the street due to the large crowds.

We also spotted some Thanksgiving photo opportunities available with special PhotoPass props!

In Fantasyland there were some pretty significant crowds too.

There were some areas with a bit more space though…

…like near the entrance to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Overall though, things were quite crowded!

Here’s a quick snapshot of the wait times on Thanksgiving Day (we looked at around 11:30AM ET). Some rides had 5-10 minute waits…

…and others were up to 15 minutes or so (not too bad).

But, of course, many (if not most) rides had longer waits.

Living with the Land was at about a 35 minute wait…

…”it’s a small world” and Dumbo were at 40 minutes…

…and Soarin’ Around the World was up to about 55 minutes.

Still, some rides had even LONGER waits.

Popular rides like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster had wait times over 60 minutes…

…and a few rides had waits of OVER 100 minutes!

And that’s a look at the crowds in Disney World during Thanksgiving. If you’re planning to visit Disney World during the upcoming holiday season, particularly as we get closer to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, come prepared to face some pretty substantial crowds.

A few tips for handling the larger crowds:

• Be sure to get those Mobile Orders in early
• Consider utilizing things like Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours if you’re staying at qualifying hotels
• Pack your patience!
• Bring phone chargers so you can stay connected
• Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app so you can get the latest information on ride closures, wait times, last minute reservations, and more

We’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates in Disney World throughout the holiday season, so check back with us for all the latest news!

Click here to see our ultimate guide to Black Friday sales!

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Are you planning to visit Disney World during the holiday season? Tell us in the comments!