What is the best time to enter Disney parks?

It's always a great time to visit Disney theme parks! However, when planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, expect lower crowds from mid-September through mid-November (before the Thanksgiving break). Mid-January through mid-March is another time when potentially lower crowds are expected.



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More than 52 million guests visit each year; there is no “dead” time at Disney. However, there are still times of the year that are better than others as far as crowd size. We tend to find that the slowest times at Disney World are in the early fall, like September and the late winter, like February.

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It is a good idea to get to the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning before the park opens. If you arrive at the theme park before the rope drop, you are more likely to avoid long queues of people waiting to get into the park.

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In general the best days of the week to visit the Disney World parks are Tuesday and Wednesday. The reason being is many families find that you need an entire week for a Disney vacation and typically arrive on Saturday or Sunday. We find weekends and Monday to be the busiest days at Walt Disney World.

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So when should you visit for the lowest crowds, generally? Go on a Wednesday! Fewer guests head to EPCOT mid-week and you can hopefully then walk up to the festival booths without having to wait in long lines. As a bonus tip — make sure to visit the festival booths early in the day.

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A Magic Kingdom itinerary is simply a must if your family only has one day at Disney World. The main reason being the Magic Kingdom Park is by far the most-visited theme park in the world.

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Historically, the worst days of the week at Magic Kingdom are Saturday , Monday and Tuesday.

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Magic Kingdom Sometimes, Fridays are even busier than Saturdays! But if you want that lower-crowd experience, just swap your Magic Kingdom park day to a Tuesday. Since it's toward the middle of the week, it tends to be less busy and you might be able to hop on your favorite rides with shorter wait times.

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Magic Kingdom Least Busy Days in Order:
  • Tuesday (best day to go to Magic Kingdom)
  • Thursday.
  • Wednesday.
  • Sunday.
  • Friday.
  • Saturday.
  • Monday (busiest day at Magic Kingdom)


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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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The Top 9 Ways to Avoid Crowds At Walt Disney World
  1. Be choosy (if you can) about what time of year you go. ...
  2. Plan to Arrive Early to the Parks. ...
  3. Take a Break in the Afternoon. ...
  4. Take Some Time to Visit Resorts. ...
  5. Stay Late in the Parks. ...
  6. Leave Do Not Linger at the End of the Nighttime Show. ...
  7. Take Advantage of the Weather.


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Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.

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Expect it to open at 8 a.m. daily, and possibly earlier during holidays and other times of peak attendance. On-site guests eligible for Early Theme Park Entry should arrive at the entrance 60 minutes before official opening (30 minutes before Early Entry) on all days.

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What time should I get to Epcot? We recommend arriving at Epcot 30 minutes before you're allowed in the park. That's an hour before the scheduled open if you have Early Entry or 30 minutes before scheduled entry if you don't have Early Entry.

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Magic Kingdom and Epcot are the top priorities for shorter trips. But to get the full Disney World experience, you must visit for at least 5-7 days and spend one full day at each theme park.

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How many days do you need for each Disney park?
  • Magic Kingdom: Two Days.
  • EPCOT: Two Days (Festival included)
  • Hollywood Studios: One Day.
  • Animal Kingdom: One Day.


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Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

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However, most people can also go and take a nap and then come back and enjoy the extra magic hours at night. So you're more likely to have more people during the nighttime extended hours than daytime. However, it is still less crowded at night, and the weather is better once the sun goes down.

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As a general matter, Animal Kingdom is the park that requires the least strategy and is the easiest place to beat the crowds in all of Walt Disney World. It doesn't require Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, and is pretty easy to knock out everything–and then some–if you stay for a full day.

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This Magic Kingdom itinerary does include a midday break, and it is best suited for families with older children and young teens. We recommend at least two days at the Magic Kingdom to truly take advantage of everything the park has to offer.

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Even though Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party doesn't officially start until 7 pm, you can enter the park as early as 4 pm with your event ticket. You will not need a park reservation since it is a special event. Just a heads up–this event sells out pretty quickly and last year, we saw a huge demand.

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In the parks, bottled water runs about $3.50-$4, or if you're using the Disney Dining Plan you can pay with a snack credit. There are two places to get water for free: water fountains and Quick Service restaurants.

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The fast pass version isn't as good as the regular version. Be sure to try both. So yes, it's entirely possible to visit four Disney parks in one day, even with kids in tow.

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