Hey, Beth! I am so glad to see you were able to get a Thanksgiving Day dining reservation! The first tip I want to share with you is more of an encouragement. Keep checking back on the Disney Dining page or with your My Disney Experience mobile app to try to get a later reservation time. Guests change their plans often, so you never know when one may pop up for you.
You are working with a limited timeframe that day, as I suspect you have the Epcot After 4 pass. In my experience visiting with friends who have this ticket, the system will restrict you from entering the park until right at 4:00. Dining reservations will usually be held 15-20 minutes before being canceled. That gives you a bit of a buffer, but not by much. I really want to recommend that you enter Epcot through the
International Gateway entrance as this puts you very close to
Rose & Crown Dining Room in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Guests staying at any of the Disney Resort Hotels just outside of Epcot can easily enter this way. You could also park at Disney's Hollywood Studios that day and use the
Disney Skyliner to ride over to the International Gateway entrance. My husband and I took this route this past weekend and it was such a pleasant way to go between the two theme parks!
If you prefer to not take the Disney Skyliner, then there is a water ferry and also a great one-mile walking path that goes between these two parks. No matter the method you use to make this International Gateway entrance happen, just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive at that entrance so you do not delay getting into the park! Once you enter Epcot, you may want to send the fastest member of your party ahead to the restaurant to check-in at the podium. If by chance you do get delayed, you can still check-in for your reservation but they will just have to seat you as available.
Thanks so much for stopping by and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Brandy