Credit: ITMWalt Disney World consists of four major Parks, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. While each Park is often busy in its own way, Magic Kingdom is consistently the busiest and most popular.
It’s the most iconic Park, between the castle, the attractions, entertainment, and character meet and greets. So the question is, when should you try to go if you’re planning a vacation?
While the answer overall depends on your schedule and what you want to do, hopefully this breakdown of Magic Kingdom will help you plan.
January and February are, for the most part, a pretty good time of year to visit this Park. Be aware that during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January and the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend in February, crowds are a lot bigger and wait times are longer due to the number of people at the Parks. However, the weather is decent and with the holidays having just ended, it’s relatively quiet.
March, April, and May can be busy between spring break, the runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend in April, and the start of the summer. While for many people, this is the only time of year they can come due to school schedules, keep in mind that crowds and wait times are likely to be higher, along with ticket prices.
June, July, and August are some of the worst months to visit Magic Kingdom. Florida summers are hot and rainy, with a guaranteed hour-long rainstorm in the middle of every day. (If you’re willing to wait out the rain, the weather does send many people back to their resorts to dry off and recoup, so it’s easy to hop on a ride or two immediately after.) Summer break brings in a ton of kids and large family reunions, and the Fourth of July has often seen the Park reach capacity. Ticket prices are also higher due to the “premium” time of year.
Late August to early September is decent, with lower crowds due to kids going back to school. However, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts during this time and lasts through October. Although this is a separately ticketed event, it does affect daytime crowds and closes the Park a few hours early on event nights.
The holidays are the busiest time of year for Magic Kingdom, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party also cuts into Park hours, making the daytime crowds larger due to the shortened days. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are probably the busiest days for the Park and have the worst crowds and ticket prices are usually very high during this time.
If you’re going during a busy time, be sure to utilize the Genie+ and Lightning Lane options and take advantage of indoor attractions versus rides. Country Bear Jamboree, the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Carousel of Progress are some great options that normally have little to no wait times and provide a relaxing break from the heat and rain during the warmer months.