Whatever happened to “over the river and through the woods?”
Seems like a whole lot of us are planning to venture a lot further afield than Grandmother’s house this Thanksgiving, according to the travel trackers at Google Flights — that is, unless Nana and Pop Pop happen to live at Disney World.
Orlando was ranked No. 1 on a list that claims to have revealed our innermost desires — and our travel plans — for the upcoming national day of gratefulness and gorging.
And the home of the House of Mouse wasn’t the only city on Google’s list that sounded a little bit too fun to be everyone heading off to spend a few restless nights on sofabeds with family.
For example, there’s the beach resort of Cancun, known for its all-inclusive resorts and sandy beaches, coming in right at No. 2 — though it is possible that everyone could be headed there to sample the turkey dishes the Yucatan Peninsula is known for.
The Mayans are said said to have revered the festively-attired Ocellated Turkey, unique to the region, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The bird winds up on local tables year-round, in various forms.
Google Flights said that the list was compiled based on frequency of queries for travel between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1 — here’s the complete list of the ten most-searched.
The Top 10 Destinations for Thanksgiving 2024
- #1 Orlando
- #2 Cancun
- #3 New York City
- #4 Tokyo
- #5 London
- #6 Miami
- #7 Paris
- #8 Los Angeles
- #9 Las Vegas
- #10 Honolulu
Thanksgiving week can be notoriously tough for travelers — and this year, the hordes are likely to be even horde-ier, as passenger numbers at U.S. airports have broken numerous records already in 2024.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is expected to once again be the busiest day in any airport of the entire year, according to Nerdwallet, which said that the number of travelers that day is expected to set a new record once again.
On the flip side, the Thanksgiving crush typically gives way to one of the most affordable times of the year to venture out — the first half of December.
The quiet time between the two major American holidays is sometimes talked up as one of the best travel periods to any place that isn’t a holiday shopping hotspot, at least — thanks to lower airfares, better hotel rates and plenty of elbow room.