Navigating Disney's Thanksgiving Week: Hotel Price Surge Analysis & 3 Tips to Beat the Turkey Tax

As schools break for the Thanksgiving holiday, more time with family can be shared as many families decide to vacation. However, this turkey week comes with a significant downside: soaring hotel prices and heavy park crowds. Let's delve into the price disparities between the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and the holiday week itself, and explore strategies to navigate this challenging period.

Understanding the Price Difference

During Thanksgiving week, hotel prices at Disney World experience a noticeable spike, or the "Turkey Tax”. Be afraid. This surge is particularly pronounced the night before Thanksgiving, affecting deluxe, moderate, and value resorts alike.

Value Resorts: Pop Century, a moderate-tier value resort, sees rates skyrocket from $208 per night earlier in the prior week to $276 during Thanksgiving week – a staggering 32.69% increase. Similarly, All-Star Resorts are all the same price and they all witness a substantial jump from $159 to $214 per night, marking a 34.59% rise. This is the largest jump of any hotel on property but still the cheapest. Here are all the value resort prices for the week before Thanksgiving and the week of Thanksgiving. Sunday-Saturday 11/17-11/24 and 11/24-12/1 respectively.

Moderate Resorts: Coronado Springs has been the cheapest moderate hotel when I look through the pricing out different weeks. This time, it does not earn this distinction as it jumps from $312 to $400 per night, reflecting a significant 28.21% increase. However, both sections of Port Orleans maintain a more modest price increase, rising from $317 to $362 per night, a 14.20% uptick. This is the lowest percentage increase for most hotels. Here are all the prices for the last two weeks and you can see just how big of a jump it is. Sunday-Saturday

Deluxe Resorts: The Turkey Tax hits deluxe resorts as well, with Animal Kingdom Lodge and Grand Floridian experiencing notable price hikes. Animal Kingdom Lodge is once again the cheapest deluxe hotel even as it sees rates escalate from $511 to $625 per night, a 22.31% increase. Meanwhile, the Grand Floridian, Disney's most expensive and overrated offering, jumps from $862 to $1019 per night, representing an 18.21% rise. I remember fondly when I got a Cast member discount from one of my family members and stayed here for $200 one night. Those days are long gone now. Here are all pricing for the two weeks for Deluxe hotels.

DVC hotels share similar pricing. Sunday-Saturday

 Planning Ahead to Beat the Surge

Given the substantial price increases and the anticipated crowd levels, strategic planning is essential to maximize your Disney experience while minimizing costs and wait times.

1.    Explore Alternative Accommodations: Consider staying off-site or exploring alternative lodging options near Disney World to find more budget-friendly accommodations.

2.     Plan Park Visits Strategically:  Plan your park visits during less crowded times of the day. This really does make a huge difference. Stay late, and arrive early. Leave during the middle of the day. Let the other people deal with the crazy amount of crowds.

3.    Bring your Own food: The food expense at Disney World can be almost as large as hotel accommodations and park tickets. Eat within your budget and consider bringing snacks into the parks with you. Walmart chicken is much cheaper than Disney chicken.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving trip to Disney World but just be aware of the price hikes and be prepared for the crowds. Be smart and have fun!