Credit: Inside the Magic Visiting the Walt Disney World Resort during the holidays can be both a magical and tricky vacation.
During Thanksgiving, Guests will have the chance to experience all of the holiday decor and attend the Disney Very Merriest After Hours event. Plus, celebrating anything at the Most Magical Place on Earth is always a treat, so it instantly elevates the Thanksgiving holiday with all of the surrounding details and delicious food options wherever you go. That all being said, Thanksgiving is a long weekend, which is a major incentive for many Guests to travel since they have to take less time off.
During any holiday, Disney World is typically a lot busier, and now that capacity is higher than ever since the pandemic shut down, we are seeing massive crowds roll in! After visiting Walt Disney World yesterday, days before Thanksgiving, certain areas of the Park reminded us of a pre-pandemic state with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Even the lesser busy areas still had us surrounded by others.
Of course, this meant that wait times were much higher. Seven Dwarves Mine Train in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom had a consistent 120-minute wait, and even attractions like Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, which typically boasts a lower wait, was 60 minutes when we passed by!
Considering Disney Park Pass reservations are nearly sold out for everyone (except certain Annual Passholders) this week, we expected to see these crowds. Still, it has been a few months since we have seen multiple days sold out of Disney Park Pass reservations at every Park. After seeing the recent demand of Guests wanting to visit Disney, it is not surprising to understand why Disney had to pause ticket sales. Considering there are no Disney Park Passes for Ticketed Guests or Resort Guests, there is no point in selling tickets if Guests cannot enter any Park.Â
This influx of Guests has also caused a pause in certain Annual Pass sales, which is the more shocking of the two, as there are still Park Pass reservations for Annual Passes.
At the moment, we do not know when the passes will return to sale, but considering the holidays are the busiest time of year at Disney World, if the demand keeps up, it could be weeks. Of course, Disney will be the only ones to know the answer to that question, and that is purely speculative on our end, based on the demand and crowds we are seeing. Since Annual Passes are a big Christmas present item for many, we do hope that they are able to return to sale before the end of December!
What do you think of the Disney World crowds? Let us know in the comments below!
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!