We always try to give ample warnings before holiday weekends at Disney World. 

As much as we expect the bustling crowds and high wait times to hit hard during holiday weekends and the following days, sometimes it packs just as hard of a punch although we expect it. Sometimes, it happens when we LEAST expect it. This happened to us on Wednesday, February 21st. President’s Day was two days ago, and the parks were relatively empty. However, crowds slowly started entering the park throughout the week, probably due to the upcoming Princess Half Marathon Weekend. We were visiting Magic Kingdom on Wednesday, and we suspected that it would be a busy day long before we even entered the park. Let’s talk about it!

To start, we realized that Genie+ was sold out for Magic Kingdom and for the Multi-Park option. In case you don’t already know, Genie+ is Disney’s skip-the-line service that replaced the FastPass+ system. It operates based on surge pricing (supply and demand type of deal) and is available in Multi-Park and single park options. If one single park option sells out, the Multi-Park also sells out. (Pssstt… this almost NEVER happens.)

That’s not all, though. Every single ride that offers Individual Lightning Lanes (TRON Lightcycle Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Avatar: Flight of Passage, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) were also totally sold out.

What are Individual Lightning Lanes? Click here! 

Once again, this almost NEVER happens! So, it’s safe to say that we were bracing ourselves for the impact of some serious CROWDS. Sure enough, we were met with those crowds the moment we hopped aboard the tram at the Magic Kingdom parking lot.

The security lines at the Transportation and Ticket Center were also busy. You have to go through the Transportation and Ticket Center before you can get to Magic Kingdom. To see so many folks in such a large area before we even got to the much smaller entrance to the park was a bit disheartening. Luckily, the security guards are pros and got us all though the lines relatively quickly. If you’re ever in a position like this, make sure to take large, metal items out of your bag beforehand and hold them away from you. This can help prevent you from being searched.

When we arrived to Magic Kingdom, we could hardly see the ground it was so packed. Like, look at this sea of people!

Now, get ready, because what we’re about to show you might be triggering. Okay. Here goes:

YEP. That’s what Main Street, U.S.A. looked like on February 21st. It didn’t get much better as we walked around Magic Kingdom, though. Usually, the crowds disperse once we head into each of the lands, but that was not the case.

Here’s a look at Tomorrowland:

Over in Fantasyland, we saw some of the highest wait times in the park! Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was at 130 minutes. At this time of day, it’s usually around an hour.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is often a walk-on, but was at 55 minutes. Yikes.

In Liberty Square, we almost lost our breakfast. HELP. WE’RE LOST IN A SEA OF PEOPLE. Just stick to the right side of the walkway and keep on trucking, folks.

In Frontierland, things weren’t much better. There were definitely a lot of folks ready to ride Big Thunder Mountain.

Moving through Adventureland and back to the front of the park, we were pretty shellshocked by these crowds. If you’ll find yourself in Magic Kingdom on a day like this, just be patient, and stick to your highest priorities.

So… What should you do if you find yourself at Disney World during a particularly busy season? Well, you can buy Genie+ as early as MIDNIGHT. Yep, when the clock strikes 12AM, we recommend snagging Genie+ for you and your crew. This makes it so much easer to grab.

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