Hiya Colleen,
Welcome to planDisney! A turkey day in the theme parks has been on my bucket list for such a long time, so I am so excited that you are planning one. A little bit of Magic and the holidays always make for a perfect day for me.
I’m so glad you brought this question up now, and Colleen and you have started thinking about dining reservations for Thanksgiving Day. While I’ve never spent Thanksgiving at Walt Disney World Resort (at least not yet), I imagine it is pretty popular, so you will want to make sure to get your reservations made as soon as possible. Your
dining reservation window opens up 60 days before your dates. If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, that means you can make reservations for your trip beginning this upcoming Tuesday, September 23rd (they can be made for the entire length of your stay up to 10 days, which would include Thanksgiving day). If you are not staying on site, the earliest date you can make dining reservations will be Sunday, September 28th. As far as what dining locations will be offering a special meal for Thanksgiving, we are still awaiting official details (be sure to keep an eye out on
Disney Parks Blog for official announcements). That said, typically we see limited-time menus at
Liberty Tree Tavern (which offers year-round Thanksgiving feasts),
Garden Grill Restaurant,
Hollywood & Vine, and
Whispering Canyon Café. Sometimes you also see Thanksgiving-themed menus at The Diamond Horseshoe, Ale & Compass, and one of my favorites, Tusker House. Since we haven’t heard of any official menu announcements yet, I recommend you take a look at the current menus at these locations and pick the one you like the best in anticipation of their holiday menu. That way, at least you have a dining reservation while you wait.
I hope this was helpful, Colleen, and gives you a good starting point. Before I let you go, I did want to remind you that even if you make a reservation for one of these places and later decide you want to eat somewhere else, you can always change your reservation, pending availability. Dining reservations often become available closer to trip dates as Guests change their plans. I’ve always had amazing dining experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, so I’m sure that no matter where you choose to dine, it will be a great choice! Please come back and see us if you need anything else.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.