Historic Walt Disney World Attendance Levels

In the early 1990s you might have been able to walk into Walt Disney World’s Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning in late-January and not see another guest. Those days are long gone, and depending how you look at it, this could be part of the fun or a major annoyance.

Seeing Magic Kingdom’s Town Square with minimal crowds is just about a thing of the past.

But even though times have changed and it seems crowds do nothing but grow, there do remain some generally better times to go to Walt Disney World and some times to avoid when it comes to crowds.

Hollywood Studios

You want crowds? Go to Walt Disney World:

During Spring Break and other school vacations. Your kid is on break? Or you’re a teacher looking to get away? Guess who else is calling Florida home for a week: everyone else’s kids and teachers, too!
During special events and promotions. Holiday celebrations are perhaps the biggest draw of the year. If you’ve been in the World for the winter holidays, New Year’s Eve, or Thanksgiving week, you know it can be overwhelmingly busy, with crowds resulting in phased closures to maintain safety.

Magic Kingdom Christmas Crowds

We recommend TouringPlans.com to check on crowd level conditions!

United States holidays that may affect crowd levels can be found by clicking here.

Walt Disney World Seasons

Note that while Disney World seems to be busier than ever, Disney does still delineate low-, moderate-, and high-crowd seasons. Here’s what Disney says about its crowd seasons.

Lowest Attendance:

January (except New Year’s Day) until just prior to Presidents’ Week in February
The week following Labor Day until the week prior to Thanksgiving
The week following Thanksgiving until mid-December

Early morning in Animal Kingdom

Moderate Attendance:

After Presidents’ week in February through early March
Late April through early June (except around Easter and Memorial Day weekend)
Columbus Day Weekend (October)
The first part of Thanksgiving week

Liberty Square during a Halloween Party

Highest Attendance:

Presidents’ week in February
Mid March through Late April (Easter and “Spring Break”)
Memorial Day weekend
Mid-June through Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day and weekend
Christmas week through New Year’s Day

Magic Kingdom in the days after Christmas

Events You Should Check Before Booking Your Trip

Because there is always so much happening at Disney World, there are times when you might find large groups that you weren’t expecting. Before hitting ‘book’, make sure you’re checking that you aren’t going during these events:

- runDisney weekends
- Cheer or sports competitions at ESPN Wide World of Sports
- D23 events
- Opening days of EPCOT festivals
- Opening days of seasonal offerings (the first day Halloween decorations are up, etc.)

If you go opening day of an EPCOT festival, be prepared to wait for food!

Date-Based Pricing and Promotions

If you’re trying to get a better picture of what Disney expects for crowds on specific dates, you can consider the costs associated with date-based pricing.

Date-based pricing essentially results in lower per-day ticket prices on days when Disney anticipates lower crowds (and likewise higher prices when they anticipate higher crowds). Whether this is a deterrent to keep the crowds at bay during busy times or an appeal to get guests to come when crowds are lighter, it can be a useful tool if your plans are flexible.

Crowds for TRON

You can also gauge anticipated crowds in a more general way based on the dates assigned to certain promotions or discounts. Often Disney will release special promotions for periods when they might otherwise see thinner crowds. You can browse all of Disney’s discounts here to see what dates are included in particular promotions.