Walt Disney World is coming into the house stretch of the yr, with the height season crowds across the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve. This shares our greatest time-saving methods, and prime twelve suggestions & tips for beating 10/10 crowd ranges through the vacation season (and past) at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and even Animal Kingdom.
A number of notes earlier than we dig into the ideas & tips for beating peak season crowds. First, Magic Kingdom closes on a number of nights per week at 6 pm to day company for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. These separately-ticketed occasions start at 7 pm and runs till midnight and happen a number of nights per week. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration is sort of completely bought out for the rest of the vacation season, with just a few dates remaining.
However, Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Celebration has not bought out most dates. That vacation particular occasion at DHS is actually a good “comfort prize” different for those who didn’t purchase MVMCP tickets, however take into account that the 2 are very completely different experiences. Jollywood Nights is a low crowds occasion that’s quite a bit like Disney After Hours, making it a great way to beat the crowds.
Truthfully, Disney Jollywood Nights might be higher than something on this checklist…but additionally with a better value. Nonetheless, we’d sooner suggest DJN tickets than shopping for Lightning Lane Premier Move for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, because it ought to assist you to trip many headliners over the course of the occasion–and greater than as soon as, for those who so need. The Christmas celebration is best, cheaper, and presents leisure!
This isn’t to say Lightning Lane Premier Move is a foul possibility. On the contrary, it’s a good way to purchase your means out of traces and unpleasantness on the busiest days of the yr in case your price range permits. (Ditto a VIP tour, for that matter.) It’s simply that the majority budgets don’t enable. Additionally, this checklist isn’t precisely insightful if we simply level you to the priciest picks that needs to be givens for beating crowds.
On that observe, let’s dig into our favourite free or low-cost choices for beating the crowds…
Select the Proper Days Throughout Celebration Season – I don’t wish to beat a lifeless horse, however Celebration Season working hours trigger chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot greater on the dates that MVMCP shouldn’t be occurring and decrease on the dates it’s occurring. It is because Magic Kingdom closes to day company at 6 pm on occasion nights, so intuitively, many (many!) company keep away from Magic Kingdom on these shortened days and cram into the total days.
Lengthy story brief, we strongly suggest visiting Magic Kingdom through the day on MVMCP nights. That is one thing we’ve lined at size, time and again. Somewhat than belaboring the purpose, I’ll direct new readers to our checklist of the Greatest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in Late 2024 for a rundown of when crowds can be particularly good or dangerous.
This features a handful of ‘pink flag’ dates to keep away from in any respect prices the remainder of this month and December. These are non-party dates which might be sandwiched amongst a number of celebration dates. There are some 4-5 days stretches when Magic Kingdom is simply open till 10 pm or 11 pm as soon as. This creates main issues, as there are a number of days of crowds consolidated right into a single date by advantage of these concentrated 6 pm closings.
Suffice to say, it’s best to keep away from Magic Kingdom on the next dates: November 28, 2024; December 4, 7, 11, 14 & 18, 2024. (Word that this dynamic exists, besides in reverse, with Jollywood Nights. We suggest going on celebration days, even for those who received’t attend. Longer rationalization right here, in order for you it.)
Rope Drop Rounds 1-2: Rides – There are two rope drops in every park, even when unofficially. First is Early Entry, which supplies all on-site company a minimum of a 30 minute head-start. There’s additionally common rope drop, which is when (roughly) the entire park opens to everybody. This distinction is simply significant in Magic Kingdom, the place round half the park isn’t open till common rope drop.
Nonetheless, the total wave of crowds doesn’t hit all sights on the identical time, permitting you to benefit from Early Entry after which common rope drop. The optimum sights for every will differ, as you’ll wish to do the preferred rides throughout Early Entry, adopted by the highest second-tier rides at rope drop.
We’re enormous advocates of Early Entry in 3 of the 4 parks. Magic Kingdom is often the exception when the park opens at 9am. Nonetheless, it’s a special story completely when transferring that ahead by an hour to eight am–particularly for the households with babies to whom Magic Kingdom and its Fantasyland headliners most attraction.
It’s {a partially} completely different dynamic on 8am to 11pm days at Magic Kingdom. On party-shortened days when the park opens at 8am, it’s a visitor courtesy for the reason that park closes at 6pm. Total crowd ranges are 1/10 to three/10. Against this, throughout peak weeks when hours are 8am to 11pm, anticipate crowds to be greater.
This weblog focuses quite a bit on Early Entry and twine drop, so I’m not going to fixate on it right here since there’s plenty of floor to cowl and extra under-the-radar zig once they zag park touring suggestions. See our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World for more information & technique.
Rope Drop Spherical 3: Characters – Regardless of which park you’re doing, it’s sometimes the case that character meet & greets open an hour or 90 minutes after rope drop. That is particularly the case in Magic Kingdom, which has a half-dozen character spots with delayed opening.
It’s additionally a good way to knock out Purple Carpet Goals or Pixar Place at DHS, Adventurers Outpost in Animal Kingdom, and Royal Sommerhus or Mickey & Pals at EPCOT. Even meet & greets that open earlier often don’t begin getting busier till ~90 minutes after park opening. On the one hand, this is sensible–folks prioritize rides.
However, it may be sensible to get character photographs as early as potential whereas traces are brief and your loved ones continues to be wanting recent. Our basic rule is prioritizing princesses: Royal Sommerhus, Princess Fairytale Corridor, Ariel’s Grotto, and Mirabel.
Rope Drop Spherical 4: Eating places – I imply no disrespect to the senior residents on the market, who’re identified for having their meals a couple of hours sooner than the overall inhabitants. There’s a cause they are saying with age comes knowledge. I, too, eat early.
A part of it’s because my day begins early. I’m doing Early Entry each single day at Walt Disney World, which implies I’m out the door of my resort room earlier than 7 am most days. Consequently, I’ve a second rope drop every morning: when counter service eating places open and begin serving lunch.
That is actually good. Even the preferred counter service eating places are lifeless at this hour, and I not often have anybody wherever close to me. I usually don’t even hassle with Cellular Order, as a result of there’s at all times no line on the money registers.
Belief me, the period of time you’ll save–and stress you’ll keep away from–by consuming at or earlier than 11am is enormous. In my view, this is among the most underrated suggestions for coping with crowds at Walt Disney World. Since eating places don’t have wait instances, folks are likely to ignore this kind of recommendation…however they actually shouldn’t.
Noon Resting & Recharging – You can’t do all of it. Park hours are longer throughout peak weeks, and it’s nearly unattainable to reach early and keep late. That’s, after all, if your loved ones is filled with Energizer Bunnies and endurance isn’t any subject.
In case you’re mere mortals, you in all probability aren’t going to have the ability to preserve going and going and going (and so on.) the whole day. Nonetheless, you continue to shouldn’t select between arriving early and staying late. As a substitute, lower out noon portion. It’s essentially the most crowded and congested, with the longest wait instances and least fascinating climate.
The primary 2 hours the parks are open are going to be the best hours of your day. Getting up on the daybreak and being to the parks early doesn’t jive with the notion of stress-free and unwinding on trip, however the easy actuality is that you just’d be higher off exhibiting up for the primary 2 hours and final 2 hours and skipping the (roughly) 8 hours in between than you’d by exhibiting up 2 hours late, doing these 8 hours in the course of the day, and leaving 2 hours earlier than park closing.
Return to your resort to take a nap or benefit from the pool through the worst hours of the day. In case you’re staying off-site or simply don’t wish to head all the way in which house, decompress by visiting a monorail loop resort or making time for stage exhibits. No have to go go go between 11am and 3pm, although.
LLMP Maximization – In case you’re arriving early or staying late–nevermind arriving early and staying late–Lightning Lane Multi-Move shouldn’t be a strict necessity. On these longer days, you may accomplish most of every park with out Lightning Lanes. It’s just about a numbers sport–the additional time offsets the longer waits, and you’ll beat the crowds originally and finish of the day.
With that mentioned, Lightning Lane Multi-Move will assist you to accomplish way more when the hours are longer and the crowds are greater. Once more, this can be a math downside. Longer hours means extra time to make use of Lightning Lanes, and better standby wait instances means extra time saved. So though LLMP will undoubtedly attain peak season costs, its worth can be greater throughout weeks like this.
Lightning Lane Multi-Move is nice at Magic Kingdom on account of longer hours and the upper trip depend. It’s additionally glorious at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a result of distribution of “huge” rides which might be common. In case you’re solely going to buy LLMP at two parks, make it these two. EPCOT is extra borderline, and we often keep away from it at Animal Kingdom, except we’re not arriving early or staying late (which occurs roughly by no means).
Temperamental Temperatures – There are misconceptions about how the climate impacts attendance at Walt Disney World. A bit of rain doesn’t filter crowds, except it’s a veritable monsoon. If the parks weren’t busy each time it’s wet, they’d be uncrowded like one-quarter of the time! Vacationers and locals put together for moist climate with instruments comparable to umbrellas and ponchos, so it doesn’t ship them heading for the exits.
What does make a distinction is colder climate and, extra importantly, a wider vary of climate. If the daytime excessive is within the higher 70s or low 80s however the nighttime low is within the low 50s, that is the candy spot. It’s even higher if slightly little bit of precipitation, or higher but, wind, is thrown into the combination.
Plenty of guests will costume for no matter season it’s once they head out the door, and received’t be ready for a dramatic drop when the solar goes down. At that time, their choices are to purchase a sweatshirt (an costly proposition), bear the chilly climate, or head house. Individuals begin dropping like flies.
The easiest way to ‘forecast’ a decrease crowd stage within the night at Magic Kingdom through the winter is taking the distinction between the day’s excessive and low temperatures. The larger the unfold, the extra doubtless crowds can be decrease. That’s a greater predictor than day of week traits, crowd calendars, or the rest. I’m 100% severe.
Evening Occasions Two – We love Magic Kingdom. We’ve got spent many lengthy days right here, and all the suggestions listed below are talking from expertise throughout visits through the vacation season–and particularly the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve. However I’ll be sincere with you: we seldom do the total day in a single park, particularly when that one park is open from 8am till 11pm or later.
More often than not, we head elsewhere for the center of the day. I’m not an enormous napper and do have Energizer Bunny endurance, so it’s often not the resort, both. Our default is often EPCOT. It’s best on the monorail, we get pleasure from consuming on the competition cubicles, and EPCOT is our favourite place to be. However that’s not what we’d suggest to you. Or not the one park we’d suggest.
As a substitute, take into account Animal Kingdom. Sundown through the vacation season is ~5:30pm in Orlando, and for those who arrive at Animal Kingdom round 3pm, you may get pleasure from Merry Menagerie and knock out many of the park with minimal waits after the day crowd departs. When you’re carried out with rides, be sure you stick round and benefit from the brilliance of bioluminescence in Pandora at evening, the Tree of Life Awakenings, and Discovery Island Luminaries. You’ll virtually have the park to your self within the final hour of the day at DAK, and you’ll nonetheless make it again to Magic Kingdom in time for Fortunately Ever After.
Fantasyland Fireworks – Cinderella Citadel the centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and everybody ought to watch from Major Road as soon as. Nonetheless, it may be downright uncomfortable crowded and congested earlier than, throughout, and after the fireworks–particularly throughout peak weeks of the yr. On these dates, there are exponentially extra folks in Magic Kingdom than will safely match on Major Road.
Luckily, there’s one location within the park that’s outdoors of Major Road the place you will have nearly all the upside however not one of the draw back. Immediately behind Cinderella Citadel! It’s a very completely different perspective of the present, and far much less crowded again there. That is our favourite “secret spot” as a result of it feels such as you’re within the midst of the fireworks, with bursts each in entrance of and behind you.
You’ll additionally get pleasure from pyro over Beast’s Citadel above Be Our Visitor Restaurant, which is immersive and distinctive. Granted, I’ve seen the fireworks many instances, however on peak season dates, there’s no means on earth I’d attempt to watch Fortunately Ever After from Major Road. It simply shouldn’t be value enduring the chaos and crowds.
Oh, identical recommendation applies to watching Luminous from deep within the Japan pavilion (strive the steps to the eating places) or from close to EPCOT’s Christmas tree. Ditto seeing the second exhibiting of Fantasmic as a substitute of the primary. Recreation-changers.
Beat the Publish-Fireworks Experience Rush – The opposite upside to watching the fireworks from Fantasyland is which you could beat the frenzy to Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare or Peter Pan’s Flight. Each time we watch from the situation above, we inch our means in direction of a kind of two sights through the grand finale, after which leap in line the prompt the fireworks are over.
The “prompt” half is vital. You solely beat the frenzy as long as you’re not half of the frenzy, and 1000’s of your closest buddies may have the very same concept. You wish to be forward of that tidal wave, not a part of it or, worse but, behind the wave. That’s actually the worst case situation.
You’ll know whether or not you’ve beat the group, however what you received’t know is the precise wait time. It’s often inaccurate–massively inflated. It’s usually the case there that the posted wait time can be 60+ minutes, and the precise wait round then can be 15-20 minutes–generally much less!
Alternatively, the plaza round TRON Lightcycle Run is a enjoyable and immersive location for fireworks viewing. That is not so good as the center of Fantasyland, but it surely’s new and distinctive, with TRON’s lightcycles whizz by overhead and the dancing lights of the Add Conduit cover. Whereas we don’t suggest it on your first or solely viewing, it’s certainly one of our favourite “secret” or “low-stress” places for fireworks viewing in Magic Kingdom. In any case, now you can do the very same factor there and race to the TRON standby line as quickly because the fireworks finish.
Rope Drop Spherical 5: Reverse – There’s the tried and true strategy for any headliner attraction: 1 minute earlier than park closing. That is just like the reverse rope drop, or ‘rope rise’ possibility. All you’ve gotta do is leap in line earlier than the clock strikes the highest of the hour at park closing.
Disney doesn’t lower traces for sights till park closing, which implies you may queue up proper till the clock strikes midnight or each time the parks shut. This successfully extends your day and is when the precise wait time is lowest for all headliners in all 4 parks at Walt Disney World.
Ignore the posted wait time. Disney intentionally inflates wait instances on the finish of the evening to discourage company from getting in a single final trip. The extra individuals who leap in line for the thrill beater strategy, the longer it takes to clear the park, which implies extra $$$ for Disney in staffing.
We’ve got carried out the ‘buzzer-beater’ strategy to Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare, TRON Lightcycle Run, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Avatar Flight of Passage, Slinky Canine Sprint, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, and different top-tier sights dozens and dozens of instances. Nearly each single evening, in reality. The overwhelming majority of the time, our precise wait time for any of those sights has been between 10 and quarter-hour. There have been instances once they’ve been walk-ons!
Keep & Store Late – I hate buying. Each in actual life and at Walt Disney World. An enormous a part of that is navigating claustrophobic aisles and shops not designed for the degrees of crowds through the vacation season. I additionally suppose merchandise is mostly overpriced, however that’s probably not germane to this submit.
I’m nonetheless a sucker for espresso mugs (not overpriced) and I like to examine these out on the finish of the night. A lot of the marquee present retailers in every park keep open a minimum of half-hour or extra after the park closes. The optimum strategy is doing a trip one minute earlier than closing after which buying. Hitting up shops proper on the park closing exodus is a recipe for chaos and crowds. Give it one other ~29 to 45 minutes, and searching is a breeze!
In truth, that is my good option to finish the night at Magic Kingdom. Do TRON or Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare on the final second, exit into an empty Tomorrowland or Fantasyland, absorb the colourful lighting, clear background music, and brisk air earlier than heading onto Major Road to see the nice and cozy glow of the popcorn lights and nostalgic music filling the air–and possibly do a little bit of buying. I’m reminded of why I fell in love with Walt Disney World within the first place, and really feel that magic as soon as extra. Even on a ten/10 crowd day, you’re 100% assured to depart Magic Kingdom with a smile in your face!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Resorts Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things you want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever carried out a busy days at Walt Disney World through the vacation season? Had been you capable of accomplish quite a bit with savvy technique? Planning on being within the parks between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve this yr? In case you’ve carried out it previously, what do you consider our suggestions? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
