Walt Disney World crowds are controversial. However then once more, isn’t all the things as of late?! Although wait instances at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are what they’re–60 minutes is objectively decrease than 2 hours–the subject is definitely extra sophisticated than that for a couple of causes.
One cause for that is that everybody has a distinct body of reference or tolerance for crowds. What feels busy to me might be very totally different than your expectations. Although wait instances are what they’re, some individuals could not assume points of interest–any of them–with hour-long waits qualifies as a day with low crowds. As a basic rule, we discover that first-timers are virtually at all times stunned by crowds (and prices!) being worse than anticipated except they’ve intensive expertise with standard regional amusement parks like Six Flags and Cedar Level.
For longtime Disney diehards, prior visits play an enormous function in perceptions. Walt Disney World has had a veritable attendance curler coaster, with numbers growing considerably by a number of million individuals over the course of the decade-plus culminating in 2019. Then attendance plummeted for a year-plus, spiked because of revenge journey for two years, and is now coming again to actuality on the bottom of pent-up demand.
Suffice to say, your particular person notion of crowds could fluctuate significantly primarily based on when your prior journeys occurred. It’s additionally doable that longtime Walt Disney World followers view the parks by way of the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. We’ll be the primary to confess that we personally do that! I might battle to call negatives from our journeys a decade in the past.
Not as a result of they had been good (I’ve journey experiences documenting the downsides), however as a result of my thoughts filters out the unhealthy and largely simply retains the nice. That’s most likely why so many people are lifelong followers within the first place–however that’s one other matter for an additional day.
Past this, there are additionally a number of different variables that may impression “appears like” crowds, together with however not restricted to festivals at EPCOT, climate, visitor demographics, trip breakdowns, operational effectivity, wait instances manipulation, youth sporting occasions, tour teams, and park working hours. That is only a partial listing, and all of these are vital variables proper now.
It’s completely doable that two households may go to throughout the identical timeframe and have dramatically totally different experiences–not simply differing perceptions of the identical factor. Let’s say this had been throughout Occasion Season, one selected park days poorly, had a extra laid again method, bought caught in strains behind youth sporting teams, and unfortunate with trip breakdowns. The opposite selected parks correctly, adopted savvy technique to beat crowds, and bought fortunate with all the things.
This may occasionally appear unlikely, however we see precisely this within the feedback or through social media reactions virtually each time we put up wait instances experiences. Two readers, roughly the identical dates, and radically totally different experiences. With out fail. It doesn’t even take “all the things” going fallacious. Go to throughout cheer season and find yourself in line for Haunted Mansion behind what appears like hundreds of under-supervised tweens and that will probably be indelibly etched into your reminiscence. (Okay, I lied concerning the negatives fading away–that is one I’ll always remember. We snort at it now, but it surely was like ultra-strength contraception when it occurred over a decade in the past!)
One other is that crowds have grow to be a heated problem as Disney has grow to be a polarizing firm. Some followers, former followers, or simply random individuals view Walt Disney World attendance by way of a political lens. If it’s down, it’s an indication that their “aspect” is successful and boycotts or no matter is working. And vice-versa for the opposite aspect and better crowds. To not point out followers who really feel a vested curiosity within the firm, and cheer on increased attendance and even costs in the identical approach followers have grow to be captivated with field workplace outcomes.
However we’re getting forward of ourselves. Extra on this and a bunch of different elements on the listing itself. Let’s dig into the methods Walt Disney World followers could be fallacious about crowds–within the type of particular quotes we’ve heard, adopted by our rebuttals…
“There’s No Off-Season Anymore…”
For the final decade-plus, some followers have been saying, “there’s no low season at Walt Disney World anymore.” They stated this when Magic Kingdom attendance was 18 million in 2013, in 2019 when it was 21 million, in 2021 when it was 13 million, and in 2023 when it was 18 million.
Regardless of the ups and downs – by a number of thousands and thousands of friends per yr (and even increased proportion modifications for the opposite parks) – “there’s no such factor as low season at Walt Disney World” has been a preferred chorus. That is largely as a result of crowds had been considerably decrease throughout the Nice Recession and working hours had been longer. (Keep in mind when Night Additional Magic Hours had been 3 hours?!)
Many longtime followers are coming at this from the attitude that ‘appears like’ crowds, throughout the board, are worse now than they had been throughout comparable timeframes in 2008 to 2010, post-9/11, or just about anytime within the Nineteen Nineties. However the common visitor doesn’t have a time machine, so historic crowd ranges are unhelpful. The operative query is whether or not there are at the moment significant variations in crowds and wait instances over the course of the yr. The reply is unequivocally sure.
The 2 busiest days of the final yr had been December 29-30, each of which averaged a 70 minute wait time throughout all points of interest at Walt Disney World. That’s an astronomical quantity (keep in mind, it counts all the things that posts a wait time) that simply clears the bar for a ten/10 crowd stage. A wait time quarter-hour decrease would nonetheless be a ten/10! Zooming out a bit, the week between Christmas and New Yr’s averaged a 61 minute wait time.
Against this, the slowest two day stretch of the yr was August 28-29, which had common wait instances of 19 and 20 minutes, barely registering a 1/10 crowd stage. That total week was the slowest of the yr, with a 23 minute common and 1/10 wait time. I don’t find out about you, however I see a huge distinction between 23 minutes and 61 minutes.
Let’s say we throw out the extremes, and evaluate mid-September to mid-October of final yr. We’re nonetheless taking a look at a ~20 minute distinction in averages. And that’s throughout the board, that means that multiplied out by a half-dozen points of interest all through the day, you’re taking a look at 2 hours extra (or much less) spent ready in line.
Look, I get why longtime followers grumble about present crowds and say there’s no low season anymore. It’s irritating that crowds are worse right this moment than they had been a decade or extra in the past. However on the similar time, it’s inconsistent with actuality to assert that there’s no such factor as an low season when peak wait instances could be double or triple the gradual season.
“Wait Occasions Had been Above an Hour…”
On the threat of belaboring the purpose, the numbers above are averages. The perpetual no or low wait points of interest like Swiss Household Treehouse, Carousel of Progress, MuppetVision 3D, Trip Enjoyable, Nation Bear Musical Jamboree–in addition to different exhibits or movies–are dragging down the numbers.
Because of this in case you’re doing solely the “large” rides, your common wait time again on December 29-30 wouldn’t have been 70 minutes–it will’ve been nicely over 2 hours. The truth is, the common wait time vary for headliners on a 8/10 to 9/10 day is in that neighborhood: 90 to 120 minutes. It’s even worse on 10/10 days, nevermind 10+/10 days.
Against this, the headliner common on 2/10 to three/10 days is 65 to 75 minutes. That’s even because the resort-wide common is round half-hour. The underside line is that below-average or low crowd ranges don’t imply each trip is a walk-on! You’ll nonetheless encounter lengthy strains at TRON Lightcycle Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, Peter Pan’s Flight, Slinky Canine Sprint, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Avatar Flight of Passage, and so on–they simply received’t be almost as unhealthy as throughout peak season. One hour is loads lower than two hours!
“We Had been Packed Like Sardines for Fireworks…”
Sadly, uncomfortable congestion is the not-so-new regular for fireworks at Magic Kingdom. It was already unhealthy with Disney Enchantment, and has solely gotten worse because the good fireworks got here again.
For the sake of illustration, let’s say that there are–on common–40,000 individuals in Magic Kingdom in direction of the top of a busy evening. On a slower day, let’s say the quantity is 20,000 individuals–half the variety of a busy day. Now let’s assume that 10,000 individuals match on or round Primary Avenue USA.
These are hypothetical numbers…however do you see the issue? Whether or not it’s a gradual or busy evening, the variety of individuals desirous to see Fortunately Ever After exceeds the capability of the viewing areas on and round Primary Avenue. One is much above capability and the opposite is “solely” barely above it. However, when a excessive proportion of friends within the park are concentrated right into a small space of Magic Kingdom, that’s going to create crowding, no matter whether or not it’s a gradual or busy day as a complete.
For those who go to from August by way of December, it’s even worse as a result of Halloween and Christmas Events lowering the variety of “free” fireworks per week. It’s nonetheless a math drawback, however now you’re additionally introducing Park Hopping and a number of other days’ value of demand right into a single evening. There already isn’t sufficient capability on a daily day, now think about doubling it.
“30 Minutes of Early Entry is Ineffective…”
That is one other a kind of “burden of data” eventualities. Too many Walt Disney World followers underestimate Early Entry, and are irritated that it’s shorter than the defunct morning Additional Magic Hours. Many don’t use it in any respect, dismissing it as “solely” half-hour and thus not well worth the time.
To make sure, Early Entry is just not that nice at Magic Kingdom–no less than, not till TRON Lightcycle Run (inevitably) joins the trip roster. That’s the one park the place Lightning Lane Multi Cross makes probably the most sense and common rope drop is simply nearly as good as Early Entry (possibly higher). Nevertheless, at 2 of the 4 parks, Early Entry is superb. (At EPCOT, it’s solely okay till Check Monitor reopens or Cosmic Rewind ditches the VQ.)
Between it and common rope drop, you may typically accomplish and save extra time than a whole day with Lightning Lanes, and with out spending any extra cash. Now we have step-by-step methods for Early Entry and park opening in our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
“Magic Kingdom Was Nuts on… [Insert Day, Most Likely Monday]”
Followers underestimate simply how a lot day of the week issues at Walt Disney World. A part of the rationale the low season is gradual is as a result of not everybody can go to when faculty is in session, or needs to go to when the climate is less-than-desirable.
However nearly anybody can alter their park days inside the week they’re already planning on doing Walt Disney World. And few issues make as a lot of a distinction as merely shifting Magic Kingdom from a Monday to a Sunday. That alone will prevent 5 minutes per attraction on common!
That will not look like a lot given the above gradual versus peak season distinction, however right here we’re speaking about sooner or later to the subsequent, each single week. We’re pretty assured that anybody embracing savvy technique–like we espouse right here–can simply knock out a dozen points of interest a day at Magic Kingdom, that means that 5 minutes is an hour much less/extra ready in line!
Oh, and that’s additionally the common Sunday vs. Monday unfold over your entire yr. Throughout Occasion Season, that unfold is roughly 7-10 minutes. One of many greatest strategic blunders you can also make is doing Magic Kingdom on a non-party Monday (or Wednesday and Saturday, for that matter) in November or December. (See Finest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom Throughout Occasion Season.)
“EPCOT Was Wild on the Weekend…”
EPCOT is the most important “native’s park” at Walt Disney World, and Floridians are extra inclined to go to on Saturdays and Sundays once they’re off work or faculty. That is truly one state of affairs the place followers are each fallacious and proper. EPCOT is wild on the weekends, or no less than, it may be.
This can be a state of affairs the place analyzing wait time information can get you into hassle, as you may (incorrectly) conclude that EPCOT isn’t any worse on the weekends. That’s true from a quantitative perspective, however not from a qualitative one. Wait instances don’t inform the complete story–and even the principle one–in relation to EPCOT on weekends.
Since locals are much less prone to do rides, they add to ‘appears like’ crowds and congestion at EPCOT on weekends with out making attraction wait instances noticeably worse. That is nonetheless a unfavorable, as strains for meals cubicles are longer and World Showcase is mostly much less nice on the weekends.
You’re additionally extra prone to encounter teams Consuming Across the World on Saturday and Sunday, particularly when UCF has away video games within the fall. Like our Haunted Mansion cheerleader instance above, now we have vivid (unfavorable) recollections about World Showcase feeling like an open air frat occasion (fortunately, this isn’t as unhealthy because it was once). If that is your measure of wildness, EPCOT is 100% extra wild on weekends. If wild is slang for ‘excessive wait instances’ then EPCOT is definitely wildest on Monday or Tuesday and least-wild on Thursday or Friday.
“Resorts Are Bought Out, So the Parks Should Be Crowded…”
Each time Walt Disney World pronounces a brand new lodge or DVC resort, there’s a typical grievance amongst followers that the parks are already too crowded. This shouldn’t trouble me, as I agree with the animating concept that Disney ought to focus its assets on points of interest and the issues that make these motels viable within the first place.
But I simply can’t assist myself, and sometimes level out that most friends to the parks come from off-site. That Walt Disney World doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and that total lodge stock in Central Florida dictates crowds greater than the on-site room depend. That if demand for extra lodging is there, somebody goes to fill it. At the least Disney constructing it offers the corporate with cashflow and an incentive to enhance the parks (nicely, in idea).
An identical thought applies with Walt Disney World lodge occupancy numbers. Bought out motels can be an indication of upper attendance, or simply as simply is usually a signal that there are main conventions or youth sporting occasions at or round Walt Disney World. These demographics are much less prone to go to the parks, so conventions or sporting occasions ‘blocking’ out rooms can arguably be a web optimistic for crowds.
All of that is mentioned in larger element in Why Are Walt Disney World Resorts Bought Out?, however the backside line is that lodge occupancy is just not an excellent proxy for crowds. (By its very nature, Disney Trip Membership is designed to function at near 100% occupancy–so no DVC resort availability is totally meaningless.)
“ADRs Are All Gone…”
Very related thought right here as with bought out motels. The important thing distinction is that restaurant capability is commonly even decrease than lodge capability and demand is commonly increased. Which means {that a} lack of availability for House 220 Lounge or Storybook Eating at Artist Level, which might be able to serve hourly visitor counts measured within the dozens, is pretty meaningless.
The instance we at all times used to offer right here is ADRs throughout the Free Eating ‘season’ of August and September. Reservations for even reasonably standard eating places could be scarce, as friends profiting from the low cost wolfed up the entire ADRs. In flip, WDW planners would see this lack of availability and fear that crowds could be catastrophic. However they weren’t–these dates continued to be solidly low season regardless of ADR availability (or fairly, lack thereof).
All of that is previous tense as a result of Free Eating season this yr was not unhealthy in any respect. Eerily so. As a basic matter, ADRs have gotten simpler throughout the board, excluding scorching tickets just like the Candlelight Processional Eating Package deal. However once more, that’s extra a matter of restricted provide than sky-high demand.
“I’ve Gone This Week Each Yr for a Decade…”
“…And I’ve by no means seen Walt Disney World this busy!” Admittedly, this one is hard to clarify away. Giving individuals the advantage of the doubt with statements like this (that are fairly widespread on social media), I feel there are a couple of elements at play.
One is that now versus 2019 or earlier is just not an apples to apples comparability. Perhaps they had been FastPass+ energy customers who refuse to purchase Lightning Lanes on precept (kudos to them–struggle the nice struggle!). Perhaps they bought actually unfortunate, choosing to go to every park on its busiest day, getting caught behind large teams, encountering extreme trip breakdowns, and so on. Perhaps they’re viewing the previous by way of the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, remembering the nice and forgetting the unhealthy. (Do these similar individuals say the identical factor, with out understanding it, virtually each single yr?)
Truthfully, I don’t know learn how to totally clarify away this. I don’t prefer to be dismissive, particularly to followers with a long time of expertise, however the actuality is that the numbers often don’t help them–neither the general attendance stats nor the year-over-year wait instances. Typically they do, however historic crowd ranges don’t solely go within the upward course!
This isn’t only a declare on our half. Throughout earnings calls, CEO Bob Iger and the CFO Hugh Johnston have acknowledged overtly that Walt Disney World attendance is down, and that development will proceed into no less than early 2025 (most likely longer given Epic Universe, however that’s us editorializing). They began saying the identical factor final yr, as quickly because the fiftieth Anniversary was over. Suffice to say, 2024 is much less busy than 2023, and 2023 was much less busy than 2022. There are exceptions to that for sure days and weeks, but it surely’s true as an across-the-board generalization.
“Walt Disney World Isn’t Busy As a result of [Insert Personal Politics]”
There’s no denying that we dwell in politically polarized instances. Or that Disney and Florida have discovered themselves on the epicenter (no, not EPCOT Heart) of the tradition wars. Consequently, everybody needs to challenge their very own private politics as the reason for decrease or increased attendance.
Really, no, not everybody needs to do that. The common visitor is just not an activist. They don’t a lot care or received’t alter their trip plans resulting from politics. There’s quite a lot of bluster, but it surely’s coming from a vocal minority and possibly even that group’s personal habits doesn’t match their phrases.
There are simply a half-dozen higher explanations for Walt Disney World crowd dynamics than politics, particularly since attendance developments have had ups and downs within the final couple of years. “Politics” doesn’t clarify low crowds in September, however excessive ones come December. Until everybody has a change of coronary heart and will get into the spirit of the vacation season?
I’m not suggesting that politics have had zero impression on Walt Disney World attendance. I don’t doubt that some households have cancelled journeys because of the perceived politics of Florida or Disney. We’ve heard from many who’ve! However conversely, I additionally suspect others have been enticed to go to because of Disney’s and/or Florida’s perceived politics. To this extent that is taking place, it’s occurring on the margins or is a web zero, or near it.
Frankly, there have been instances after I’ve needed attendance to take successful following a few of Walt Disney World’s most controversial modifications. However even after they began charging for resort lodge parking, the top of Disney’s Magical Categorical, changing free FastPass with paid Lightning Lanes, and so on., enterprise continued booming.
I want some followers would’ve voted with their wallets to offer Disney pause about these modifications and reverse course, however I received’t confuse what I might’ve appreciated to see occur with what truly did. (Additionally, I’ll readily admit to being a hypocrite on this regard, since I did no such voting with my very own pockets. Maybe one other lesson to be realized from the political controversies.)
There’s additionally the truth that we are able to look past Walt Disney World to see different developments taking place (or not). For instance, Orlando Worldwide Airport visitors has been by way of the roof setting report after report within the final year-plus. This implies persons are not avoiding Florida as a complete.
Furthermore, Common Orlando has seen an attendance slowdown that just about precisely mirrors that of Walt Disney World. (The truth is, Comcast has acknowledged the decline is bigger throughout current earnings calls.) In the meantime, Disneyland attendance remained elevated for a full yr after Walt Disney World began to decelerate, whereas California’s tourism numbers additionally outperformed. You can’t reconcile all of that through politics with out Simone Biles-caliber (psychological) gymnastics.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Resorts Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things it is advisable to know!
Your Ideas
Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation of Walt Disney World crowds? Suppose that we are literally those within the ‘fallacious’ right here, and followers who say any of the above are literally appropriate? Do you disagree completely, and assume Walt Disney World has been busier or much less busy throughout the board than regular? Some other observations or explanations? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions under within the feedback!
