In partnership with
Greetings fellow Rope Droppers,
Hard to believe we’re a week away from Thanksgiving now. Even harder to believe it seems like the Black Friday sales have been going on for weeks now…
Speaking of which, we’re talking crowds, more holiday changes, and some refurb updates: one that finished early, and a second that got extended. It’s all in this week’s 4-minute read that we boiled down from 441 stories.
Gabe
Disney Parks Blog
If you have six different crowd calendars open in tabs right now, you are in good company.
Thanksgiving through New Year’s is when every site has an opinion about the “best” day to visit Walt Disney World. Undercover Tourist has color coded scores. Thrill Data charts historical wait times for every day. WDW Prep School turns it all into friendly month guides.
They’re all good, and there are a lot more than that. Instead of picking one favorite, I stacked them together and asked a simple question. Where do they agree? Where do they disagree? And what should you actually do with that?
Think of this as a crowd calendar of crowd calendars…
🔴 All three tools line up on the same big picture. Thanksgiving week, November 23 through 30, is solidly packed. So is the stretch from December 20 through New Year’s Day. Those dates are not broken. They are just the weeks when most of the country is off work and school… and Disney feels like it.
🟢 They also agree on a genuine sweet spot. November 20 and 21 live in a little pre-holiday bubble. The first half of December, especially weekdays from December 1 through 5 and 8 through 12, shows holiday decor and full event schedules without the same crush you see once schools let out for winter break. If you have a flexible calendar and want Christmas at Disney without maximum stress, that is the window to circle.
🌕 Then there are the grey days. Weekends like December 6 and 7, and the build into Christmas from the 13th through the 19th, where one calendar leans “heavy” and another still looks more moderate. Those are your choose-your-own-adventure dates. If your kids can only miss a day or two of school, or if work is only kind in certain weeks, these are dates you can still win with careful park choices.
Is WDW during the holidays a must-do or skip for you?
‘Tis the season for lots of weekly holiday changes around the parks, so we’re rounding up a few of the highlights from the past week:
Special Event Sellouts: All Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates for the season are now sold out as of this week. (WDWNT) Extra note: Jollywood Nights availability still looks solid for the remaining dates if you’re looking for a special event.
Candlelight Narrator Swap: Susan Egan (aka Meg from Hercules) will narrate EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional Dec 3–4, replacing Jennifer Garner. (WDWNT)
Free Tree Stroll: Free and festive, the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll is now running, with 19 themed trees and nightly snoap. Grab a map at City Works, Crystal Arts, Havaianas, House of Blues, the LEGO Store, or The Polite Pig, then trade it in for a 2025 ornament while supplies last (and yes, some trees ping your MagicBand+). (AllEars)
Holiday Streetmosphere: Echo Lake’s got new daytime sets… Hollygroove Swingin’ with Chip ‘n’ Dale and The Record Setters with Donald—playing between Center Stage and Dockside Diner, with shows roughly 10a–4p. Running daily through Dec 21 (Hollygroove) and Dec 22 (Record Setters); check the app for exact times. (WDWNT)
Treat Tracker: A seasonal Gingerbread Churro is at both Sunshine Churros carts in Disney Springs now through Dec 31… $7.99 gets you two to share, and DFB says it’s one of the best they’ve had. Rolled in gingerbread sugar with buttercream drizzle and cookie crumb sparkle, it’s a holiday win. (Disney Food Blog)
Trusted by millions. Actually enjoyed by them too.
Morning Brew makes business news something you’ll actually look forward to — which is why over 4 million people read it every day.
Sure, the Brew’s take on the news is witty and sharp. But the games? Addictive. You might come for the crosswords and quizzes, but you’ll leave knowing the stories shaping your career and life.
Try Morning Brew’s newsletter for free — and join millions who keep up with the news because they want to, not because they have to.
Disney
Disney Destiny sets sail on her maiden voyage today from Fort Lauderdale. The latest Disney Cruise Line ship sports a number of new bars and lounges, a Lion King-themed dinner show, and a Broadway-style production of Hercules.
Refurb Radar: Wilderness Lodge’s boat dock will be under routine maintenance Jan 12 through early April 2026. Boat transportation is paused Jan 12–30 only—plan on buses and check MDE day-of (WDWNT)
Refurb Radar: Port Orleans Riverside’s refurbishment has been extended… again. Back in August we told you it was pushed into February; now Disney lists the project as running all the way through August 2027. The best guess is that the scope has grown and more rooms are included.(Disney Tourist Blog)
Countdown Set: NYE fireworks are returning to Hollywood Studios for the second year in a row. (Blog Mickey)
ADR Alert: Coral Reef at EPCOT is showing dinner-only (4–9pm) starting early January, with last lunch appearing as Jan 3 or Jan 11 depending on the page. (BlogMickey)
Back Early: Mickey’s PhilharMagic is already back from its quick refurb (open Nov 18 instead of Nov 23) with no major show changes. Add it back to your Fantasyland plan. (Disney Food Blog)
And finally this week, in case you missed it John Stamos joined The Beach Boys to close out this year’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series (part of Food & Wine). The lineup drew some of the biggest Epcot concert crowds we’ve seen!
How'd we do?
Was this email forwarded to you?
Join us for all the weekly updates. Subscribe here.