On the lookout for the very best and worst days of the week to go to every park at Walt Disney World? This technique information covers Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, providing information about when the wait instances are lowest and highest, plus commentary about weekdays vs. weekends, particular occasions, and extra. (Up to date October 12, 2024.)
Like lots of our planning sources, it is a ‘educate an individual to fish’ relatively than ‘giving an individual a fish’ publish. That is to say that we spend a number of time explaining the why of crowd patterns so you possibly can perceive what’s occurring, how dynamics would possibly differ throughout your dates, or if it’ll truly matter to you.
This may be overwhelming for some individuals, so we’ll begin with the 2 greatest classes up entrance. First, each single park at Walt Disney World is busiest on Mondays. If in any respect potential, you shouldn’t do any parks on Monday. If you happen to should, do Animal Kingdom on Monday because it’s the bottom stakes park.
Second, all of this issues much more from August via December than the remainder of the 12 months. This is because of Magic Kingdom closing early for particular occasions. Skip all the way down to the ‘Occasion Season’ part in direction of the underside when you’re visiting throughout this timeframe. The zig after they zag recommendation there may be actually vital!
In terms of selecting the very best and worst instances to go to Walt Disney World, there’s so much to think about. If you happen to’re singularly centered on avoiding lengthy strains, we suggest consulting our 2024-2025 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar to decide on journey dates. That will get up to date pretty usually, with every particular person month receiving a refresh proper earlier than it begins for optimum accuracy.
If you happen to’re extra involved with the standard of the general expertise, we even have one thing extra holistic and, frankly, sensible: our checklist of the 10 Finest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2024 to 2026. When you slim down the week you wish to go to Walt Disney World, it’s time to start out serious about which days of the week to do every park.
That’s the place this publish and its updates come into play…
For a lot of the final three years, standard day of the week recommendation for Walt Disney World was flawed. Capability constraints and park reservations have been huge components, Annual Go gross sales have been restricted to the bottom tier that blocked out weekends, and ticket offers have been irregular by historic requirements. All of this upended our regular suggestions up till 2024.
Fortunately, attendance and crowd dynamics have began to normalize. Park reservations went away for a lot of company, good-to-go dates have been added for Annual Passholders and Solid Members, extra Annual Go tiers at the moment are being offered, and ticket offers haven’t excluded weekends. Consequently, typical weekly attendance and crowds patterns among the many parks have additionally began to normalize.
The most important change that we’ve noticed all through 2024 is that the ‘wonky weekends’ phenomenon that we’d noticed for the final year-plus is now kind of a factor of the previous. Throughout this time, weekends have been the slowest days of the week at Walt Disney World and it was a night-and-day distinction between weekends and weekdays. Not solely was the wait instances unfold pronounced, however this additionally subverted expectations, because it was just about the other of historic norms.
In any case, ‘wonky weekends’ is now a factor of the previous. Sunday remains to be one of many higher days of the week to go to, however Saturday has develop into far worse. In reality, Saturday is presently the second-busiest day of the week on common throughout all of Walt Disney World after Monday. Sunday is tied for the very best, however that’s seasonal-dependent. Simply needed to share this replace to start out, because it’s a giant one–and a return to regular (for essentially the most half).
Accordingly, right here’s our new recommendation for finest days of the week at Walt Disney World in 2024…
Hollywood Studios
Okay, so we simply wrote that weekends are now not slower–however that’s throughout all of Walt Disney World. Fridays via Sundays stay good days to do Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That is very true when you do the weekends late or early.
Sunday nights are the best possible time to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you happen to’re arriving late (after 4 pm), you possibly can accomplish a shocking quantity in that half-day at DHS. Frankly, it’s tough to elucidate the ‘why’ of that at this level. One chance is that locals nonetheless do Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Sunday, however achieve this through the center of the day and depart early.
This causes a giant spike in noon wait instances, leading to each these company and others bouncing early…and shorter wait instances within the afternoon and night. It’s additionally potential that locals are much less inclined to do rides, particularly ones with greater wait instances.
DHS is a foul possibility on Mondays and Tuesdays. It is because it’s normally the #2 precedence park (after Magic Kingdom) for many company, so company find yourself doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier of their journey…which normally means Mondays or Tuesdays.
Objectively, Wednesday or Thursday are the best possible choices–the bottom wait instances of the week at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If neither of these days work, Friday via Sundays are virtually nearly as good–probably higher when you arrive early or keep late. Mainly, crowd ranges begin out sturdy to start the week and drop considerably on Wednesday.
EPCOT
EPCOT is the worst choose on weekends as a result of it’s the largest “native’s park” at Walt Disney World, and EPCOT is extra common with Floridians than vacationers. Though the hole has closed somewhat with the debuts of Remy’s Ratatouille Journey and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it’s nonetheless true.
That is an instance of the place analyzing wait time information would get you into hassle, as you’ll (incorrectly) conclude that it doesn’t actually matter which day you do EPCOT. That couldn’t be farther from the reality, and there’s arguably no park the place choosing the proper day of the week is extra vital from a qualitative perspective, however not a quantitative one.
Wait instances don’t inform the total story–and even the primary one–in terms of EPCOT on weekends. Since locals are much less prone to do rides, they add to ‘seems like’ crowds and congestion with out making attraction wait instances noticeably worse. That is nonetheless a adverse, as strains for meals cubicles are longer and World Showcase is mostly much less nice on the weekends.
You’re additionally extra prone to encounter teams Consuming Across the World on Saturday and Sunday. For these of you who wish to relive your glory days by attending an open air frat get together, this would possibly sound interesting. We’re not teetotalers or something, however this typically could be a tad an excessive amount of for a family-friendly theme park. Even when it doesn’t cross the road (and it very effectively might not for you), World Showcase is considerably extra crowded and congested on Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Once more, that is is a qualitative evaluation, and never a quantitative one. Wait instances aren’t considerably worse at EPCOT on weekends. Since many of the aforementioned viewers is visiting to drink, they’ve minimal influence on the wait instances for rides. (Traces for meals cubicles are a very totally different story!)
As such, you would possibly be capable to “beat” the weekend crowds at EPCOT just by arriving early, doing World Showcase first, after which doubling-back into Future World (or no matter they’re calling these “neighborhoods” now) within the early afternoon. That’s a savvy technique, and one we suggest in our EPCOT 1-Day Itinerary.
Our precise recommendation is visiting EPCOT on a weekday. Wednesdays via Friday are all equally good. As EPCOT has added extra top-tier sights, it’s now additionally a high-priority park, and has the worst wait instances Mondays and Tuesdays. Keep away from these days.
Animal Kingdom
As a basic matter, Animal Kingdom is the park that requires the least technique and is the simplest place to beat the crowds in all of Walt Disney World. It doesn’t require shopping for Lightning Lanes, and is fairly simple to knock out every little thing–after which some–when you keep for a full day.
Objectively, the very best days to go to Animal Kingdom are weekdays. Common day by day wait instances are decrease Tuesday via Friday than they’re Saturday or Sunday. As soon as once more, Wednesday is the very best day of the week–however you possibly can’t do each park on Wednesday, so Animal Kingdom is an effective possibility on Monday or Tuesday, when each different park is considerably busier.
Weekend wait instances are solely “worse” at Animal Kingdom as a result of center of the day. If you happen to’re staying on-site and making the most of Early Entry (and even going within the first couple hours the park is open), it’s fairly simple to beat the crowds. Furthermore, there’s a fairly steep fall off in wait instances over the past couple hours Animal Kingdom is open. This one does fluctuate by season (through the holidays, it’s much less prone to be true) however is correct to some extent all through your complete 12 months.
That makes Animal Kingdom trickier than different parks at Walt Disney World when it comes to our suggestion. Statistically, it’s a “dangerous” park to do on Saturday or Sunday. Nonetheless, we don’t hesitate to go to it on both of these days as a result of it’s really easy to outsmart the crowds–simply arrive early and/or keep late, and do exhibits or animal reveals noon when crowds peak.
For this similar motive, Animal Kingdom is a high quality possibility on Monday or Tuesday when the opposite parks are busier. You may not be capable to keep away from each park as of late, by which case Animal Kingdom is your finest (or least-bad) choose. Even on crowded days, the technique for Animal Kingdom is comparatively easy, as lined in our 1-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary.
Truthfully, our greatest recommendation is to decide on your days for Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT first. No matter day is left over will be “assigned” to Animal Kingdom. Don’t fear an excessive amount of about this park.
Magic Kingdom
Traditionally, the worst day of the week at Magic Kingdom is Monday, and by a large margin. Keep away from Magic Kingdom on Mondays if in any respect potential.
Exterior of Occasion Season, Magic Kingdom is a good choose Wednesday via Thursday. The very best day of the week in Magic Kingdom from an goal perspective is Wednesday. That is true even with Prolonged Night Hours in Magic Kingdom, which don’t noticeably transfer the needle on daytime crowds.
Locals have a tendency to go to on weekends, with Saturday being extra probably than Fridays or Sundays. Then there are Southerners who take lengthy weekend journeys, impacting all three days (however once more, Saturday disproportionately). Nonetheless, these demos are all smaller than vacationers, so none of them are really horrible.
Lastly, vacationers most often begin their journeys on the weekend, and Monday is the most typical first day within the parks for them. In disproportionate numbers, out-of-state vacation-goers do the most well-liked or their favourite park first, and that’s normally Magic Kingdom. They’re much less prone to go to Magic Kingdom within the second half of the week.
This leaves Thursday and Friday because the least busy days of the week at Magic Kingdom throughout regular instances of the 12 months. Sunday has additionally emerged as a surprisingly uncrowded day at Magic Kingdom. We’re hesitant to suggest visiting on Sunday as a result of historic wait time information suggests it will change, but it surely has definitely been an excellent possibility currently.
Magic Kingdom will be tougher when it’s busy, but it surely’s nonetheless potential to have a satisfying and productive day within the park. We’d suggest shopping for Lightning Lane Multi-Go in Magic Kingdom, or at the least utilizing Early Entry. Observe our 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary if you wish to beat the crowds with out both.
Occasion Season
Occasion season in Magic Kingdom encompasses early August via late December–a fairly large chunk of the calendar–when the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion (MVMCP) particular occasions are held.
On days when the get together is held, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am or 9 am and closes to common ticket holders at 6 pm. On non-party days, Magic Kingdom opens at 9 am and closes at 10 pm or 11 pm. In different phrases, the park stays open 5 hours later to common company when MNSSHP and MVMCP aren’t held.
Most guests behave accordingly, making the intuitive alternative and visiting Magic Kingdom after they can spend 4-5 additional hours within the park. That looks as if the “apparent” determination, as extra time within the park–to not point out truly with the ability to see the fireworks and Magic Kingdom at night time–is the smarter technique.
Sadly, that isn’t true. Everybody making the intuitive determination throws a monkey wrench into attendance and crowd dynamics through the get together season. The consequence of that visitor habits ought to likewise be apparent: Magic Kingdom is considerably much less busy through the day time hours on dates when events are held within the night, and far more busy on non-party days.
To place this into context, Magic Kingdom usually has 9/10 or 10/10 crowd ranges on non-party days, with Mondays and Saturdays being the worst. In contrast, Magic Kingdom usually has 1/10 to 4/10 crowd ranges on get together days. That quantities to a median wait time differential of about 20 to half-hour per trip, which provides up over the course of the day to the purpose which you can accomplish extra within the party-shortened days when Magic Kingdom closes at 6 pm.
In consequence, we strongly suggest doing Magic Kingdom through the days shortened by the Halloween or Christmas, after which Park Hopping to a different park earlier than 4 pm. Friends of the occasions can begin getting into Magic Kingdom at 4 pm, and this ‘mix-in’ time with common day company is when the park goes from blissfully uncrowded to busier. (We normally goal to go away by 3 pm.)
Despite the fact that non-party days supply considerably longer hours, you’ll nonetheless come out forward by avoiding Saturdays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and different non-party days. Regardless of far few hours on a celebration day, you’ll virtually all the time come out forward because of the time saved ready in strains.
There’s one other upside to visiting Magic Kingdom through the day when a celebration is held at night time: earlier opening instances on many/most dates. It is a large benefit, as lined in Picture Report & Technique: Magic Kingdom Early Entry at 7:30 am. Suffice to say, there’s a giant distinction in crowds for Early Entry on a day when Magic Kingdom opens to the general public at 8 am v. 9 am.
The large draw back to attending Magic Kingdom on a celebration day is having to go away by 6 pm. This implies lacking the fireworks and normally night within the park. The upside is which you can see fireworks from exterior the park–or you possibly can Park Hop again to Magic Kingdom on a non-party night time. Simply brace your self for considerably greater crowds than what you skilled on the get together day, as many individuals could have the identical thought!
There’s additionally a flip aspect to all of this, which is that the opposite 3 parks are barely much less crowded on non-party days and extra crowded on get together days. If you consider it, this is sensible–Magic Kingdom crowds don’t exist in a vacuum. If much less or extra individuals are in a single park, the other is true within the others.
In consequence, all three different parks develop into higher choices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays throughout Occasion Season. We nonetheless don’t actively suggest doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios on a Monday–since that’s its busiest day of the week (see above), but it surely’s not as dangerous on a Monday throughout Occasion Season as it’s the remainder of the 12 months.
The converse can be true: EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are worse choices on days when the events are held in Magic Kingdom. None of that is as pronounced as it’s with the curler coaster crowds in Magic Kingdom, although. With 3 different parks to soak up the displaced company, the influence is decrease on every of them than on Magic Kingdom itself.
Throughout Occasion Season, we’d suggest Animal Kingdom on Monday, EPCOT on Wednesday, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Saturday. That’s actually the cleanest recommendation for navigating the complicated crowd dynamics of Occasion Season. This supersedes all the park-by-park suggestions above.
If you happen to don’t thoughts extra congestion or a extra ‘full of life’ environment, do DHS on Wednesday and EPCOT on Saturday. That’s technically the marginally higher recommendation from an goal perspective, however we actually don’t like EPCOT on weekends, particularly throughout Meals & Wine (which is the very same time of 12 months).
In case you have Park Hopper tickets, essentially the most easy possibility is bouncing to Magic Kingdom on Monday night time after tackling Animal Kingdom. Once more, simply be warned that crowds will probably be heavier, particularly for fireworks viewing.
Apologies for this prolonged rationalization, however that is the most vital consideration in selecting your day to go to every park throughout Occasion Season. Greater than anything, the gang patterns this time of 12 months are essentially the most constant and predictable–this similar dynamic has performed out with MNSSHP and MVMCP for years.
It’s additionally the place most company ‘goof up’ and select the intuitive-but-incorrect method. Whereas it doesn’t embody your complete calendar, it does apply to five months of the 12 months–when you’re visiting throughout this stretch, we’d extremely suggest shopping for Park Hopper tickets and following this recommendation!
Finest & Worst Days at WDW Recap
We’ve lined a number of floor and it may be overwhelming, so let’s attempt to break down the very best and worst days to go to every park at Walt Disney World in a extra concise method:
Go to on These Days:
- Wednesday and Thursday do Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Sunday can be good at Disney’s Hollywood Studios if staying late
- Thursday or Friday do Magic Kingdom
- Wednesday via Friday do EPCOT
- Any weekday do Animal Kingdom–when you should do a park on Monday, make it DAK
- Occasion Days do Magic Kingdom if capable of Park Hop elsewhere
Okay to Good Days:
- Fridays and Saturdays are high quality at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Sunday is nice at Magic Kingdom, with nights being finest
- Weekends are high quality at EPCOT if arriving and leaving early
- Saturday and Sunday do Animal Kingdom if arriving early or staying late
Keep away from These Days:
- Saturday, Monday and Tuesday don’t do Magic Kingdom
- Monday and Tuesday don’t do Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Saturdays and Sundays don’t do EPCOT if staying all-day
- Saturdays and Sundays don’t do Animal Kingdom if arriving late and leaving early
With it laid out like this, you must see that some days are persistently the very best and worst for a number of parks. Which means through the course of a median trip, you may need no alternative however to do sure parks on days that aren’t objectively nearly as good. Don’t fear about that, as defined within the closing part…
How A lot Does Day of the Week Matter?
Common wait instances can fluctuate by 3 to 10 minutes on the very best versus worst days of the week at every park. That won’t look like a lot, however a ten minute distinction is definitely large. Over the course of the day, that may means spending an hour (or extra) much less time ready in line when you select accurately.
Nonetheless, it’s not normally a ten minute distinction–that’s an excessive instance. You additionally in all probability wouldn’t select the worst days if choosing at random, nor would you by accident go at solely the time of day when crowds are heaviest and the hole is highest. So in apply, you possibly can in all probability anticipate to avoid wasting only some minutes per trip by making good selections with the day of the week you go to every park. That’s not a ton of time, but it surely does add up over the course of a visit.
Throughout Occasion Season, selecting the very best days and avoiding the worst issues much more than all different instances of the 12 months. Particularly when you’re visiting through the closing three months of the 12 months, choosing the right day will be make-or-break in your notion of crowds. Even then, there’s usually far more of a distinction in crowds between weeks relatively than inside them.
Accordingly, selecting an excellent time to go to Walt Disney World is considerably extra vital than the way you allocate your days throughout the week. Much more vital is arriving early and/or staying late, which is the best strategy to beat crowds at Walt Disney World. Late morning to mid-afternoon is the busiest time of day at each single park, and when wait instances are the worst.
Simply as essential is having savvy technique. Selecting an ideal day or week to go to could make touring the parks considerably simpler, however so can also having an excellent itinerary that zigs when others zag. Then there’s the choice of shopping for your manner out of crowds with Lightning Lanes, which is one other good fail secure possibility. Talking of which, we’ve got a complete Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for many who wish to completely grasp the most recent technology of paid FastPass.
Selecting the very best days of the week–and avoiding the worst ones–at every Walt Disney World theme park comes in any case of these issues. To make certain, it’s an excellent apply and value conserving in thoughts that Magic Kingdom is finest on Thursday or Friday, or that EPCOT must be averted on weekends.
It’s additionally helpful for these boxed into lower than best journey dates because of college or work schedules. Similar goes for anybody who realistically received’t have the choice to reach early or keep late (there’s a motive these instances are most advantageous–as a result of it’s merely not possible for a lot of households with babies). Ditto anybody who doesn’t wish to pay additional for Lightning Lanes on precept, or as a result of it’s not of their trip price range. For anybody this describes, rigorously selecting days of the week for every park can relieve some stress and end in shorter wait instances.
With that mentioned, we wouldn’t upend our previously-planned schedules to account for this. Previously, we’ve provided day of week suggestions and have obtained frantic questions from readers who have already got their Advance Eating Reservations set, and have made meticulous plans for every park, questioning if they need to throw all of it away and begin from scratch.
The reply, with out exception, is a convincing “no.” Day of the week issues, however not that a lot. Furthermore, day of the weeke suggestions are fairly simple to disrupt. All it actually takes is inclimate climate (comparatively commonplace in Florida) or inordinate attraction downtime. Both of these issues will be sufficient to show a “dangerous” day right into a “good” one when it comes to wait instances, or vice-versa.
Finally, just by advantage of researching and studying a publish about the very best and worst days of the week to go to each park at Walt Disney World, you’re higher geared up to keep away from crowds than 95% of company–however since you’re virtually definitely not studying simply this technique. Whereas the recommendation right here is theoretically helpful, it’s fairly removed from make or break.
You’re a lot better off utilizing the different sources on this weblog to decide on good months or weeks to go to. If that’s not an possibility (and even whether it is), bear in mind to reach early or keep late. Failing that, use our itineraries to prioritize sights in the very best order. Don’t wish to do this for some odd motive, spend the cash on Lightning Lane Multi-Go and purchase your manner out of strains. If you happen to’d relatively not spend cash and float throughout a midday-only go to…I assume that is the very best recommendation for you!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Resorts Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every little thing it’s worthwhile to know!
Your Ideas
Which days are your favorites for every of the parks? Assume it’s good recommendation to keep away from EPCOT on weekends, even when it’s not supported by wait instances? What about weekends at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Every other finest or worst days at every of the Walt Disney World theme parks? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
