In the Disney World crowd calendar below you'll see the crowd ratings for all four theme parks, notable dates that may impact crowds, and the calendar dates for Walt Disney World events. Click on the specific event or crowd rating below for more information.
Our Walt Disney World crowd calendar is different than others available. We are transparent about the data we use to make the crowd-level decisions that impact the ratings for each date on this Disney crowd calendar. These decisions are all detailed below the calendar.
Currently this Disney World crowd calendar is updated through April 2025. Information will be added for the remainder of 2025 dates as data becomes available.
We rated Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom crowd levels as Massive Crowds, Above Normal Crowds, Normal Crowds, Below Normal Crowds, and Very Low Crowds. Here are the color schemes to identify those levels on the calendar.
Remember that even though this Walt Disney World crowd calendar (and the others you’ll see out there) looks very official, the actual experience of crowds at the parks could be very different if we were off in the assumptions that we made. There are many factors that can influence crowds on any given day, and it is not always possible to predict these.
How Did We Rate Crowd Levels For Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar?
Forecasting a Walt Disney World crowd calendar has gotten far more difficult as the crowd patterns at Walt Disney World have shifted quite a bit in the years coming out of the pandemic closure. Many families work from home than ever before and with the expansion of remote learning opportunities it has become easier to travel during a typical school year. Because of this, our crowd calendar does not just rely on school break trends alone but takes into account a variety of factors such as ticket prices, annual passholder block out dates, weather, and historical wait times.
We combine this crowd data plus our own constant personal experience visiting Walt Disney World to provide the most informed theme park crowd calendar possible. Many Disney crowd calendars continue to rely on historic pre-2020 data alone to drive the crowd indicators for their calendars. We have worked to bring in the most relevant factors possible to keep our calendar up to date.
We determine the different ratings for the dates on our crowd calendar above by weighing the below factors.
- 1-Day Walt Disney World ticket prices
- Annual Passholder blockout dates
- Thrill-Data historical wait time data
- School calendars for key school districts in Florida
- Traditional weather trends like hurricane system, record high heat
- Parties like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Jollywood Nights, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
- EPCOT festivals that take place throughout the year
We analyze these shifting factors throughout the year to ensure that our crowd calendar remains up to date and shifts for any critical dates at the theme park. Rather than creating a crowd calendar that only gives one rating for all four theme parks at Walt Disney World, we have used this data to create crowd ratings for each theme park on an individual basis. This is because crowd levels can drastically vary from park to park especially when you have ticketed parties or EPCOT festivals that pull crowds to and from different parks.
For the 1-Day ticket prices that are visible for the year on the Walt Disney World calendar, we weigh these as a factor because they are priced based on date and often reflect expected crowd levels during certain times. Another important factor we weighed was wait time data from Thrill Data, which is a compilation of average historical data on wait times for each day of the year for all four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Walt Disney World annual passholder blockout dates do play a role in influencing crowd levels however it is far more minor than the passholder influence at Disneyland which has a large impact on our Disneyland crowd calendar. However, the impact is not insignificant as locals tend to frequent EPCOT festivals and other seasonal events especially towards the beginning and end of specific seasons. So we balance our own experiences along with the data provided from the blockout calendars.
As for school breaks, we still take those into account but they are not the only factor when creating a reliable crowd calendar. The school breaks that often create the larger impacts on crowds at Walt Disney World include spring break, winter break, and summer. As a general rule of thumb, most holidays and three-day weekends will draw larger crowds to the parks, so this was also a factor we considered.
Weather also can have a large impact on Walt Disney World primarily during hurricane season August through October when we see traditional high heat waves and storms. This data is much harder to predict so we look at past weather trends and how it has impacted crowds at Walt Disney World. For example, September is notorious for being a calm month largely due to guests avoiding the theme parks due to high heat.
Timing of ticketed events, seasonal celebrations and EPCOT festivals are also considerations for crowd levels we took into account. Starting dates of seasonal celebrations like Halloween, Christmas, and EPCOT festivals can all bring in larger than normal crowd levels. But we also considered how ticketed parties like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party can also decrease crowd levels for the regular park day before the party starts. You will see all these considerations reflected in our crowd level ratings.
Overview of Walt Disney World Crowds During the Year
As you will see on the Walt Disney World crowd calendar, there is a typical pattern of crowds you can expect throughout the year. We also break down the best dates to visit Disney World here.
Some of the slower months at Walt Disney World include parts of January, February, August, September, and November. You'll see that there is a fair amount of green during each of these months indicating “below normal” crowds. There is also a fair amount of special events that you can enjoy during these months like the start of the Halloween celebration, and the start and tail end of Christmas at Walt Disney World .
Spring break at Walt Disney World is hard to predict on many crowd calendars as schools across the countries have different breaks during the months of March and April. The common trends we see take place at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World is that crowds increase from the beginning of March until mid-March with a lull after St. Patrick's Day. During the most recent Walt Disney World spring break season, we saw peak crowds begin to pick up at the end of March and continue through the first week of April. But we do not just rely on school breaks for our ratings during this time, we look at the other factors we detailed above to help us generate accurate ratings.
Summer break is consistently a popular time at Walt Disney World with many schools out for summer break but these crowds are often not nearly as intense as you may see during holiday weeks, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with some three day holiday weekends. You will see a mix of crowd levels throughout summer as we bring in the additional data we've collected to predict which days in summer tend to have consistently large crowds.
As for massive crowd days, this is most often taking place when impacted by a combination of past trends, prices, and holidays throughout the year. For example, you'll see the last week of December (marked on the Walt Disney World crowd calendar) marked as red “massive crowds” which is a consistent pattern we see every year Christmas week including New Year's Eve.
Crowd Calendar Differences at the Four Disney World Theme Parks
Our crowd calendar also includes different ratings for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Our reasoning for giving each park its own unique crowd calendar rating is due to the special events that impact each theme park separately.
Crowd calendars at Disney World shift depending on the special events that are taking place at the theme parks. Halloween and Christmas both bring different ticketed events that also coordinate with EPCOT festivals which can create fluctuations in crowd levels. This is especially true for Christmas with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights taking place at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
If there is a ticketed event taking place at Magic Kingdom, the parks often close early to those without a ticket, so many guests steer clear of Magic Kingdom for the day making the daytime hours reasonably slow. Our crowd calendar for Walt Disney World rates party ticket days at Magic Kingdom based on those pre-party crowd levels which often are some of the lowest crowds you'll see in a holiday season.
EPCOT festivals also create larger crowd differences at this one park vs. the other three Walt Disney World parks. You will notice higher crowd ratings on the Walt Disney World crowd calendar for certain dates of the festivals especially if they coordinate with lower block out dates for local passholders. EPCOT is a favorite park amongst locals and will often be the most popular park amongst passholders.
When offering different crowd calendar ratings for the four Walt Disney World theme parks, special events in the parks are our biggest consideration of this decision.
Three-Day Holiday Weekends at Walt Disney World Impact Disney Crowd Calendar
One of the biggest contributors to Walt Disney World crowds are three-day holiday weekends. Three-day holiday weekends draw large crowds for a Walt Disney World vacation along with locals taking advantage of the longer weekend.
But not all three-day weekends will create massive crowds levels so we evaluate each holiday by also bringing in the additional data we have collected to predict crowds. One of the slowest three day weekends at Walt Disney World is actually Labor Day weekend as this holiday coordinates both with many schools resuming session and traditional heat waves in Orlando. This is one holiday that will receive lower crowd ratings and can be a good one to take advantage of.
On the flip side of that, one of the busiest three day weekends at Walt Disney World tends to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day which often provides the first big spike of peak crowds after the holiday season. All of this data is reflected in our Walt Disney World crowd calendar.
Not all three day weekends are created equal so we do not automatically raise crowd levels when we see a holiday on the calendar. In most cases, we will see above normal crowd levels but then we have those outlining days like Labor Day and Memorial Day that tend not to draw the same peak crowd levels we'll see happen other months in the year.
Events at Walt Disney World
There are a variety of events at Walt Disney World that take place throughout the year which all can impact the crowd levels at the theme parks.
runDisney will hosts two marathon weekend events in both January and February that will cause a moderate crowd level increase. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend takes place in January and the Disney Princess Half Marathon takes place in February. runDisney draws local crowds and tourists from all over that love to participate in these popular marathons.
One event in particular that draws large crowds and often catches families off guard are the cheer competition events that take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the month of April. This is the largest event that takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with teams and their families filling up the value hotels, most often the All Star Sports hotel, and the theme parks.
Those aren't the only events we take into consideration for spring with the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts taking place January through February and drawing larger than usual crowds in EPCOT. This event features food, performances, and art from all around the world and from all different cultures.
Following shortly behind this EPCOT festival is the which typically runs March through May. This annual event fills EPCOT with themed topiaries, gardening themed events, concerts, and food marketplace booths. Since this festival takes place for a longer duration, crowds tend to be more evenly spaced with the exception of dates that coordinate with holidays and weekends.
The main impact on crowds in June are from an unofficial event that takes place at all four Walt Disney World theme parks to celebrate the month of Pride. Gay Days typically takes place across a five day time period in the first week of June and brings 180,000 guests from around the world to the Orlando area.
Halloween starts early at Walt Disney World with Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party dates often beginning mid-August at Magic Kingdom. You will notice a pattern of below normal crowd levels on party dates as we are primarily looking at crowds in the park before the party begins. Since Magic Kingdom is the main host of Halloween events at Walt Disney World, you may see a general bump in crowds on other days as guests visit to enjoy the decorations,
Thealso begins in August and runs through November. This festival tends to have a larger impact on crowds, especially amongst locals, as this is a fan favorite festival. When this festival coordinates with holidays the crowds at EPCOT will rise significantly.
November will see an increase in crowd levels as it also coordinates with popular events and holidays like Thanksgiving, the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend plus Jersey Week. Jersey Week refers to the school break thats given to students during the first week of November with many making their way to Walt Disney World.
November is also the start of the holiday season at Walt Disney World with the two holiday parties, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights, taking place at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Crowds will begin to build throughout the month of November at all four theme parks.
Crowds at EPCOT will see its largest spike of the year during theInternational Festival of the Holidays which is one of EPCOT's most popular festivals and its shortest. This holiday festival kicks off right after Thanksgiving and ends by Christmas. Since this festival coordinates with the Christmas season and offers such a limited run, the crowds at EPCOT will increase dramatically during this time as guests come out to enjoy the holiday storytellers, food booths, and the Candlelight Processional.
All of these events are monitored and included in our Walt Disney World crowd calendar to give the most accurate ratings and help guests plan for these popular events.
What If I Want to Visit When Walt Disney World Is Crowded?
If your trip dates to visit Walt Disney World align with high crowd levels it's no need to panic as you can still have a magical vacation especially with so much to see and do at Walt Disney World.
While most Walt Disney World crowd calendars will warn against visiting during high crowds, some of these crowded times on our 2024 Walt Disney World crowd calendar also take place during some of the best events of the year. Christmas at Walt Disney World is one of the best times to visit and the EPCOT International Festival of Holidays is one of EPCOT's most special events. Despite the higher crowds, it's still worth enjoying these events.
Walt Disney World will increase park hours during peak times of the year, increase staff, and offer a large variety of entertainment to disperse crowd levels. These are often the longest hours at Walt Disney World you see all year, especially with the parks that tend to close earliest like Animal Kingdom.The early morning and late evening park hours are helpful to manage Walt Disney World crowds as most wait times will be short during this time of day.
We frequent Walt Disney World often on days our crowd calendar warns of higher than normal crowds. The special events that take place throughout the year are balanced with longer hours which makes a visit enjoyable regardless of the higher crowd levels.
Avoiding Walt Disney World Crowds Can Save Money
If your top goal is to avoid crowds at Walt Disney World and you have the flexibility to pick your dates then you can also save money! Walt Disney World offers their deepest discounts during slow times of the year which offers the perks of both lower crowds and cheaper hotel rates. These slower times of the year also coordinate often with cheaper air travel which is helpful if you are flying from far to Orlando.
The Walt Disney World crowd calendar will highlight times of the year that have a lower chance of massive crowds. This is also highlighted by the discounts Walt Disney World proactively releases to encourage guests to visit the theme parks. If you plan your trip with these discounts in mind, you can effectively avoid crowds while enjoying cheaper travel expenses.
Regardless of when you plan to visit Walt Disney World, a busy day at Walt Disney World is better than a busy day at work!
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