The Best Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Orlando for 2023
Palm trees and perennial humidity may not provide the ideal backdrop for a traditional Thanksgiving celebration. But don’t let first impressions fool you.
Rosen Centre’s Thanksgiving turkey is a sight to behold. ROSEN CENTRE
Orlando offers a veritable cornucopia of celebratory options. So whether you’re looking to enjoy a traditional dinner, or just want to spend more time making memories than doing dishes, we’ve got you covered. Here’s some of the best ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in Orlando this year. | Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 23rd!
International Drive
Rosen Shingle Creek: A Land Remembered, Rosen Shingle Creeks’s flagship restaurant, is one of Orlando’s most impressive eateries, thematically evoking Florida’s early frontier history. This year, they’re offering an elevated Thanksgiving dinner with a prix-fixe menu including pumpkin soup, turkey roulade, and spiced apple mousse. rosenshinglecreek.com
Rosen Plaza: Thanksgiving is all about celebrating in abundance, so why not enjoy this bountiful buffet which includes pumpkin seed and pesto crusted turkey breast and Dijon and brown sugar glazed pork loin? The offerings sound so good, you may even want to go back for seconds, or thirds. We won’t judge. rosenplaza.com
Rosen Centre: Less traditional, but no less abundant is Rosen Centre’s Thanksgiving buffet, offering tons of global cuisine items including Thai coconut calamari salad and creamy pumpkin and mascarpone ravioli. rosencentre.com
Theme Park Resort Areas
Unfortunately, the major theme parks have never subscribed to the “turkey before tree” approach to the holiday season. Which is to say, as soon as Halloween is over, Christmas begins. However, those determined to demonstrate that the month of November still exists, have a few bastions at which to fortify against the coming tide of tinsel, holly, and Mariah.
Bull & Bear
Bull & Bear at Waldorf Astoria Orlando is one of OpenTables’s Top 100 restaurants in the United States. This Thanksgiving, they’re offering a luxurious and extensive dinner, perfect for those who don’t shy away from cost or calories. The menu includes an entrée dish marinated in decadence: turkey with foie gras, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato puree. bullandbearorlando.com
Parade of Bands (Magic Kingdom)
Every year, Disney welcomes hundreds of high school marching bands from across the country for the Thanksgiving Parade of Bands. The event is an excellent way to punctuate your trip to the theme parks- if you can get in. Thanksgiving is notoriously one of Magic Kingdom’s busiest days of the year. disneyworld.disney.go.com
Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom)
Luckily, the Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square offers traditional Thanksgiving fare – including roasted turkey, pot roast, and toffee cake – all year round. Still, you’ll want to make a reservation before you go. disneyworld.disney.go.com
Universal Orlando Resort brings out the big floats. Courtesy of UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s
This parade channels the pomp of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and is the tentpole attraction of Universal’s holiday offerings. While the exact dates of the parade were not available at the time of publication, you can usually expect it to begin in mid-November. universalorlando.com
OTHER OPTIONS
FusionFest
This annual multicultural celebration takes place over Thanksgiving weekend in downtown Orlando. Festivities include food, music, and vendors from hundreds of diverse nations. fusionfest.org
Sports Bars
Thanksgiving is also a day for sports- lots and lots of sports. This year, an NFL tripleheader makes a compelling case for spending your day in front of an egregiously large television. Here’s some options for doing just that:
City Works Eatery & Pour House
Located in Disney Springs, City Works positions itself as a “wonderland for score-crazy fans.” With over 90 local and craft brews on tap, and a menu of elevated bar favorites, it’s hard to disagree with that summation. cityworksrestaurant.com
Wreckers Sports Bar (Gaylord Palms)
This massive two-story sports bar forgoes any sort of pretention, offering a wall-to-wall television screen that is easily the largest in the area. The menu offerings are basically what you’d expect from a sports bar, because let’s be real – the main attraction speaks for itself. marriott.com
NBC Sports Grill & Brew (Universal Citywalk)
Unlike the other bars on this list, NBC Sports Grill & Brew presents as a restaurant first, and a sports bar second. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of televisions, but this is the sort of place that lends itself to a quick drink and a check-in on the score. universalorlando.com
Black Friday Shopping
If competitive shopping is more your bag, then welcome to the major leagues. Orlando’s shopping districts, including the Florida Mall, Mall at Millenia, Disney Springs, and the Premium Outlets are perfect arenas for testing your Black Friday mettle. Holiday opening times haven’t been officially announced, but expect it to be something totally reasonable, like 6 a.m.
