Ever felt trapped in a sea of people at Disney World? It’s not a fun experience! In some places, it can feel like no matter where you turn, there is a PERSON in your way; that’s a scarier feeling than being on the Haunted Mansion!
“Everywhere the light touches…is crowded with people”
These insane crowds signal that Disney World is still drawing in TONS of guests, even during the slow season! But is this a good thing, or a bad thing? If you happen to find yourself in Disney World during a holiday weekend, you might encounter some gnarly crowds. What can you do about it? Let’s discuss!Â
What are we talking about?
The mysterious nature of park capacity
Disney’s new park pass reservation system requires guests to make a reservation in each park before they visit Disney World. This means that Disney knows exactly how many people will be in each park, every day of the year.
©Disney
This also means that the Disney parks can fill up and reach park capacity. We usually see this happen during a major holiday or extended school break. As guests, we don’t know exactly how many people it takes to reach the max. capacity, but Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently noted that the parks are currently under “self-imposed capacity restraints.”
Holiday weekends
Speaking of holidays, holiday weekends also tend to bring larger-than-usual amounts of people to Disney World. During President’s Day weekend, for example, all four Disney parks reached capacity.
©Disney
This results in longer lines and higher wait times pretty much all over Disney World.
Click here to see the average wait times during the week before President’s Day weekend!
What can we do about it?
Crowd tips
Here’s the thing: no one likes crowds, but they’re kind of a necessary evil. Without a little crowd control, the parks would be almost impossible to navigate! Of course, looking ahead and seeing a mass of people can feel intimidating, but not all areas of the parks will be that bad. It’s all about location!
This was just the line to get IN!
Sure, it’s easy to tell you, “just don’t let the crowds overwhelm you!“, but we know that’s easier said than done. Instead, our biggest piece of advice is to zig where everyone else zags, and ditch the herd as soon as you can!
Yikes!
In some cases, this advice might not work for you. If you want to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, go for it! But if the crowds start to feel unbearable, look for a quiet place to relax for a moment. Tom Sawyer Island has lots of quiet places to sit and recharge.
That’s a SEA of people!
Disney World can still be lots of fun during a busy holiday weekend, but you might have to go into the parks with a different frame of mind. If you go in prepared to take the paths less traveled and don’t mind visiting the less popular attractions, you can beat the crowds and still enjoy yourself.
12 Disney World LIFE Hacks for the Busiest Days
What about the wait times?
Ah, the inevitable issue of wait times. There’s always the option to purchase Disney Genie+ to avoid long lines, but there are a few other ways to bypass long lines in the parks.
We’re not surprised!
If you are willing to wake up early, Disney resort guests can visit the parks early for lower wait times at park opening. The same idea applies in the evening; stick around as late as possible to hop in line for one more ride before the parks close. Hop tip: don’t let the wait times scare you away! Sometimes, (especially at night) the posted wait times are higher than the actual wait time.
Click here to learn more about early entry!
Should you rope-drop?
Yes, we know we just told you that you’ll find lower wait times in the morning, but some may argue that waking up early just to fit a few rides in isn’t worth it. The idea of rope-dropping the parks is a hotly debated subject, and everyone has their own ideas!
In highly unsurprising President’s Day Weekend news… pic.twitter.com/rhN6YKT9bw
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 20, 2022
If the idea of rushing to the parks at the crack of dawn doesn’t appeal to you, sleep in instead! In some cases, guests can only fit in one ride before the wait times skyrocket, anyway.
Whoa
If you decide not to rope-drop the parks, keep your eyes on the wait times on the My Disney Experience app throughout the day. The standby wait times fluctuate all day, so hop in line when the wait time looks low!
Hollywood Studios was busy!
We hope these little tips and tricks help you navigate the busy times of year in Disney World! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news!
Is Disney’s Memory Maker Photo Add-On Actually WORTH IT?
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Have you ever visited the parks during a holiday? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Clearly, park guest capacity means nothing and never has based on crowd pictures and news articles. Disney has never limited park capacity, even during the pandemic. It is all based on money, and the more parks guests that Disney encourages the more revenue they make. There are no political controls on park capacity. People who go to Disney parks during the holidays are the main contributors to the crowds.
Yup, tried to get in to Animal Kingdom Sunday night (02/20) for a quick Dinosaur ride, but the reservation system (at least for we Annual Passholders) was spewing an error everytime we tried to make a park reservation, ALL. DAY.
We ended-up going to Disney Springs, which was jam-packed too. But we did manage to get into Cookes of Dublin for a fish & chips dinner (only 5 minute wait to order) and Sprinkles for dessert.
Not ever doing Presidents Day at Disney again. The beaches are calling!
It’s nice that so many people are happy with the way Disney is these days. Less magic = more money.
Let me tell you from experience, an overcrowded Disney Park is Not Fun, No Way, No How.
We were at Hollywood Studios on Friday of President’s Weekend, and Disney made the over-crowding much much worse in a couple of ways: 1) Genie + was on the fritz in the morning, so we were forced to stand in the stand-by lines even though we had bought Genie +; and 2) the estimated wait times for stand-by lines had nothing to do with reality. We got in line for Slinky Dog Dash when the signs and app said the wait was 80 min–we waited 2 hrs, 45 minutes. We did SDD and left–we spent the rest of the day doing things at the resorts.
What a nightmare….on so many levels. Insane crowds, waking up at 6:45 daily to book rides, hoping app works at 6:45 to book said rides, paying $30-$60 extra (family of 4) for multiple rides so that we don’t have to wait in 2+ hour standby lines (on top of already ridiculous ticket prices), waiting 20-30 minutes to pick up mobile order meals, rides down, pool closed unexpectedly, no “welcome home” at all, park tickets “lost in cyberspace” requiring waiting in yet another line to figure out the problem, etc. etc. etc. Disney is no longer worth the hassle or cost. What a bummer….