Are Disney World crowds decreasing?

Looking forward, our expectation is that crowds continue falling. As discussed in our list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2023 to 2025, September is the best month of the year to visit from a wait times perspective. Literally the entire month sees below average attendance.



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According to InsideTheMagic.com, “Disney's attendance has dropped substantially,” with some attendees reporting impacts at Disneyland and other parks, with Disney World appearing more like a “ghost town” than a thriving tourist destination.

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Nevertheless, wait times are an imperfect measure of Walt Disney World's crowds, especially if you're comparing current conditions to prior years. Walt Disney World attendance has increased by several million people over the course of the last decade-plus, so the vast majority of days in 2023 will be more crowded than ...

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The evidence currently suggests slightly lower-than-normal crowds at Disney this summer compared to the last few years and a return to a more pre-pandemic level of busy.

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It's likely due to several variables. One factor is that people may be less interested in theme parks. From what we're seeing with our bookings, that pent-up demand has somewhat transitioned to cruises and Europe, Greg Antonelle, the co-owner of Florida travel agency MickeyTravels, told the Journal.

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Traveling to Walt Disney World® is overstimulating enough without sensory differences; but, for those children and adults with sensory processing disorder, it can cause one to become angry (fight), run away (flight), or completely shut down (freeze).

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Off-peak times fall around January, February, September, and early November. Discounts on vacation packages booked directly through Disney (which combine park tickets and hotel stays) can be found year-round, though they're most common at these less-crowded times.

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Highest Crowd Level When Visiting Walt Disney World The week before Christmas through the first two weekends of January, with the weeks including Christmas Day and New Year's Eve bringing in the historically highest crowd level each year.

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Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Closing down on September 30, 2023, this is a sad one because it's not coming back. The final Voyage is slated for September 28-30. Bookings are on hold, and the Disney Theme Park is offering those with reservations a 50% discount to move to an earlier date.

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A trip at this time of year also has the added bonus of cooler temperatures — or, to superfans, Spirit Jersey weather. Disney World's least busy month, though, is almost always September.

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The worst times to visit Disney World in 2023 are: March 17 – April 16 (Spring Break & Easter) May 26 – August 13. November 17-26 (Avoid Thanksgiving Week) December 15 -31 (Avoid Christmas and New Year's Weeks)

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This makes the September/October 2023 a good time to visit. Even once Moana is open, we're actually expecting Walt Disney World to be relatively stable until “late 2024” when Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens. We expect TRON to keeps its virtual queue at least through the end of 2023.

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Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022 In 2022, the United States' Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World) was visited by over 17 million people, making it the most visited amusement park worldwide.

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Disney does not release capacity limitations, but most estimates put Magic Kingdom capacity anywhere from 85,000 up to 100,000 guests at a time before the park is closed to all new guests. If you've been inside the Disney World theme parks when they've reached full, pre-pandemic capacity, you know how busy it can be.

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What is the least busy time of year at Walt Disney World?”
  • The middle of January to the middle of February.
  • The last few days in February and the first week of March.
  • The last week of April.
  • Weekdays in the first half of May.
  • The second half of August.
  • September is pretty great to visit (except avoid Labor Day).


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Worst Times to Visit Disney World Despite this, prices and crowd size both hit a peak in June, July, and August — so if you want to save money and avoid unpleasantly long lines, you may want to plan your trip for another season.

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What is the least busy time of year at Walt Disney World?”
  • The middle of January to the middle of February.
  • The last few days in February and the first week of March.
  • The last week of April.
  • Weekdays in the first half of May.
  • The second half of August.
  • September is pretty great to visit (except avoid Labor Day).


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Parents often wonder if their kids are too young (or too old) to go to Disney World. The best age for Disney World is between 3 and 12 years old, but people of all ages will enjoy the park.

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Step 1: Use our Crowd Calendar to find the least busy times to visit.
  1. Step 2: Use a touring plan. Avoiding crowds is key to maximizing your vacation time at Walt Disney World. ...
  2. Step 3: Arrive early. ...
  3. Step 4: Use FastPass+


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And as a general rule of thumb, the best time to go to Disney World, Florida is from January to early February, as well as the late February to early March range. Then later on in the year, most days in August, and September, as well as most weekdays in October are generally the cheapest times to visit.

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