PHOTOS: Disney World is At Capacity This Weekend — What Are the Crowds Like?

Once upon a time, we believed there was a slow season at Disney World.

Of course, we can usually expect it to get busy around Spring Break or during the holidays, but things at Disney World haven’t slowed down in the new year. It’s been an uncharacteristically busy February in the parks, and President’s Day weekend is not helping. So what does it actually look like when Disney World is at capacity?

Magic Kingdom

Let’s start over in the Magic Kingdom to check out those crowds! When we were walking down Main Street, U.S.A. it was already pretty packed. That’s to be expected for this area of the park, but it definitely got us ready for what we were about to see next.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad recently reopened after being closed for a quick refurbishment, which probably contributed to how busy it was over in Frontierland.

Things were pretty packed around this attraction all weekend!

It was pretty much a sea of people if you were trying to get to the wildest ride in the wilderness.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has one of the most consistently long lines in Magic Kingdom, and this weekend’s crowds did not help! Here, the wait time was listed as 120 minutes, and the line was wrapping back around to Storybook Circus.

Tomorrowland also had some very long lines, with the PeopleMover queue stretching way further than it usually does.

The standby queue for Space Mountain was also getting pretty out of hand.

Fantasyland was also super crowded this weekend!

Let’s park hop over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom can seem more relaxed than the other parks, but since it doesn’t have as many big attractions and Expedition Everest is temporarily closed, we could definitely see the holiday weekend’s impact on the wait times. The line for Dinosaur was packed way outside the show building.

The crowds were pretty solid throughout the rest of the park as well. Even walking around we could definitely feel that there were a ton of people.

The queue for Kilimanjaro Safaris stretched out all the way to A Celebration of The Festival of the Lion King. 

Animal Kingdom was definitely packed this weekend.

Next, we’re checking out Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a lot of popular attractions, so on weekends like this one, the crowds can get pretty overwhelming. Here’s what the line was looking like at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Getting into the park was no small feat. The entrance was loaded with people.

There was a little more space on the outskirts of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

The area surrounding the ABC Commissary was packed as well.

Wow! Was EPCOT any different?

EPCOT

Lastly, EPCOT was not spared from these huge crowds. Especially with the final few days of Festival of the Arts going on right now, EPCOT has been a super popular destination.

It’s difficult to know what to do when these huge crowds are pretty unprecedented for this time of year. Our advice would, of course, be to try and plan your trip around a “slow season,” but that’s not really useful right now. Even if it’s busy, there are still ways to get the most out of your Disney World trip.

If you’re staying at a Deluxe Disney World Resort, you can qualify for Extended Evening Hours. If you’re staying at any Disney World hotel, you can get in 30 minutes early to each park with Early Theme Park Entry. These options give you more time in the parks before other guests arrive or after other guests leave. This can be very beneficial for knocking out attractions on a day where the lines are extending far into the park.

If you still haven’t bought your theme park ticket and your dates are flexible, keep an eye on the price of the tickets on that particular day. Ticket prices range throughout the week, and oftentimes, busier days will have higher price points, and slower ones will be cheaper. It’s one of Disney’s ways of trying to control capacity and it can also help you avoid crowds.

If you already have your tickets and reservations booked, start getting your dining reservations in ASAP! Those can fill up super quickly when you’re least expecting it. Also, plan meals ahead because there were also some incredibly long food lines this weekend!

If you know it’s going to be busy at Disney World when you go, and you want to ride as many things as possible, make sure you have a plan of attack with Disney Genie+. Familiarize yourself with the platform so you can use it to your fullest advantage in the parks.

Click here to Learn More about Genie+

Ultimately, the Disney Parks are going to get busy no matter what. It’s in their nature. Crowds are a pretty unavoidable part of the experience, but if you go in prepared and with a positive attitude, there is nothing that can stop you from having the best possible time at Disney World! Stay tuned to AllEars for more theme park updates!

Click here to see what Disney World’s Wait Times Look Like when all of the parks are at capacity! 

Are you planning a Disney World trip soon? Let us know in the comments! 

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