This Is What Memorial Day Weekend Looked Like in Disney World Last Year — How to Prepare For The Crowds

If you’re traveling to Disney World for a holiday, we wish you the best of luck.

It’s pretty commonly known that days like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve are generally really busy…but what about the smaller holidays? Holiday weekends can be just as chaotic if you come unprepared, so today we’re here to give you the low-down on Memorial Day weekend in Disney World.

In the U.S., Memorial Day is often known as the kickoff of the summer travel season. The holiday falls on the last Monday of May, so many people may take off on vacation because they either have a long weekend off of work or their school year has just ended. And boy…the CROWDS can be wild.

In 2022, we prepped ourselves for some pretty wild travel numbers. It was predicted that 2.2 million Floridians would travel over the course of Memorial Day weekend, so we were hunkered down and ready to conquer the parks. But when it came down to it, the crowds were…confusing.

We encountered some congested areas around the parks, and long lines for popular new rides and stores, but for the most part, the Disney World parks weren’t as busy on Memorial Day as they were during Spring Break 2022.

So does this mean Memorial Day 2023 will be empty? Not necessarily. So far in 2023, we’ve seen some holiday weekends get incredibly busy. During Presidents’ Day weekend, there were multi-hour wait times early in the morning and Genie+ sold out for the first time in Disney World. The Spring Break/Easter season also brought some incredibly long lines to the parks, and Genie+ sold out (multiple times) in record-breaking time.

Memorial Day weekend could once again be full of multi-hour waits, big crowds in certain areas, and (perhaps most importantly) the chance of Genie+ selling out quickly.

So what can you do to prepare for Memorial Day weekend? To start, you’ll want to budget extra money for Genie+. Genie+ currently has date-based pricing. During the holidays and holiday weekends, we’ve seen the skip-the-line system hit its highest prices. The record so far is $35 per person, per day, but things could get more expensive in the future.

You’ll also want to be strategic and buy Genie+ as EARLY as possible so you don’t run the risk of the service selling out before you can buy it. Typically, it becomes available to purchase at midnight on the day of your trip. If you get it early, then you can “lock in” your ability to use the service.

You’ll also want to make a solid PLAN before you get to the parks. This means making a priority list of what you want to accomplish in terms of rides, food, entertainment, etc. Think about where you want to eat ahead of time and make those dining reservations ASAP if you haven’t already!

Our next piece of advice is to be early! This applies to so many things. Arrive early at the parks, before they officially open, so that you can be among the first in line for rides. This can help you skip some of the longer waits.

Also, make your Mobile Orders early in the day and schedule them for the times you want to eat so that you can get the best pick-up time for you before many of the time slots fill up.

And stake out your spots early for fireworks and parades so that you can get a good view! The early bird does INDEED get the worm.

Another tip? Stay late! Oftentimes, ride wait times can go down as the little kiddos head out for the night or other guests get tired and go back to their hotels. If you can stick it out until the end of the night, you may be able to get on some popular rides with much shorter waits.

Here are a few other tips to make your Memorial Day plans run as smoothly as possible:

Remember you can use the My Disney Experience app to see expected wait times, which might help you plan out your day
If you’ll be staying at a Disney World hotel (or select other hotels) take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry to get into the parks before the other crowds
If you’ll be at a Deluxe Disney World Hotel or Deluxe Villa, take advantage of Extended Evening Hours to stay in select parks a little late on days that apply
Come prepared for HEAT — that means bringing the right clothes and staying hydrated (don’t forget those water bottles and neck fans)
Come prepared for rain too with all your needed gear (ponchos, umbrellas, extra socks, etc.)
Pack your patience!

If you’re planning on visiting Disney World for Memorial Day weekend, start thinking ahead about your strategy, and be prepared to encounter some crowds.

We’ll keep you updated with more tips, so stay tuned to AllEars!