How to Deal With CROWDS at Walt Disney World

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Mickey, looking confused, in a large crowd of people at the Magic Kingdom

Credit: Disney

It’s Spring Break, which means it’s time for one of the busiest seasons of the year at Walt Disney World. Any major holiday is going to bring a massive amount of Guests to the Parks, but Spring Break is a unique beast. Between schools having different weeks off, the Easter holiday hopping around the calendar, and college breaks, Guests can expect very large crowds for almost the entirety of April.

Crowds at EPCOT's International Food and Wine Festival
Credit: Inside the Magic

Many travel blogs and influencers will tell you to avoid Walt Disney World during this peak time, and if you’re able to travel at a different time of year, it’s good advice. However, not everybody can take off work or school during the less busy seasons – that’s why these times are so crowded in the first place! So if you’re traveling to Walt Disney World this month or during another busy season like summer or Christmas, how do you manage crowds?

Even in its most crowded state, Walt Disney World can still be enjoyed by all Guests – if you know how to do it! Here are our best tips on how to manage those peak week crowds.

Manage Your Expectations

If you’re traveling to Walt Disney World during the busy season, the most important thing to do is remember that it will be crowded. In fact, it may be VERY crowded. Don’t expect to walk onto rides, leisurely stroll around an empty park, or dine at popular restaurants by joining the walkup list. Make sure you plan your trip days with a lot of wiggle room in mind; you’ll wait longer for attractions, food, and merchandise – even walking around the Park will take longer than you expect. Be flexible, as more people in the Park means merchandise and specialty food are more likely to sell out, rides are more likely to go down, and you may wait a few extra minutes for your reservations.

Plan, Plan, Plan!

One of the worst mistakes you can make during a busy Walt Disney World week is walking in with no game plan. You’ll find yourself not being able to do anything without dining or park reservations, or confused walking around a Park you’ve never seen before. Make sure you make all of your dining reservations as soon as you can, which is 60 days out from the first day of your trip if you’re staying on the property. Take a look at the Park map and have a vague idea of your must-sees and your plan of action. If you plan on utilizing Genie+ or Lightning Lane during your trip, remember that you can only purchase them on the day you’re visiting, but have an idea of what you’d like to purchase in the morning in the event that Genie+ sells out. And don’t forget the park reservations!

A couple of Guests using Disney Genie+ in front of Cinderella Castle at Disney World
Credit: Disney

Get to Know My Disney Experience

Pretty much everything there is to do at Walt Disney World is on their app, My Disney Experience. If you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy, it’s worth spending a little time exploring the app and familiarizing yourself with its features before your trip. You can use it to make dining reservations, mobile order food (which will be important during the busy season), reserve Genie+ and Lightning Lane reservations, check wait times, check show times, and more. You’re going to want to know how to use it!

Arrive Early

The first few hours of a Park’s opening are the best times to tour it. A large bulk of the crowds will usually arrive later in the morning (it’s difficult to wrangle a family of 6 to make it to the Park at 8 a.m.), meaning the morning will have the lowest crowds and the lowest heat. Use these crucial morning hours to ride the biggest and most popular attractions – you’ll be surprised at how many you can get done in a short amount of time! And remember to account for travel time, whether you’re using Disney transportation or driving. If you park at the Magic Kingdom at 8:45 a.m., you’re likely not going to be inside the Park until at least 9:15, if not later, and for maximum success, you’ll want to be inside before those ropes drop!

Astro Orbiter at the Magic Kingdom at night
Credit: Disney

Take a Break & Stay Late

If you’ve started your day in the Park when the gates opened, you’ll find that by the afternoon, you’ve gotten a lot of attractions done – and the crowds have doubled. Consider taking a midday break away from the Park for an hour or two to escape the most crowded and hottest part of the day. You can go back to your resort for some pool time, or if you don’t want to travel all the way, head to a resort close to the Park for some lunch or to explore. It’ll give your brain and body a break from the crowds!

Once you head back to the Park, stay until closing. Crowds will begin trickling out shortly before dinner time, and just like the beginning of the day, the very end of the day can see some of the shortest wait times. Remember that as long as you’re in line for an attraction before the Park closes, you’ll get to ride it. So if you couldn’t hit Space Mountain in the morning, try riding it during or just before the fireworks!

Eat at Off-Peak Times

Besides attraction wait times, one of the biggest places you’ll see crowds at a Disney Park is food lines. Don’t stroll into Cosmic Ray’s at 12:30 p.m. expecting to walk right up to the counter. Even if you’re utilizing mobile order, which we definitely recommend to avoid waiting in line, it can be a while before your pickup window arrives and your food is ready. To avoid this, plan your day to eat at less popular times – early or late lunches and dinners. Not only will quick-service restaurants be far less crowded, but you’ll have a much easier time getting table service reservations at these times. Not to mention, if you book a late reservation that has you eating past park closing, you’ll be able to walk out into an empty park! You won’t be able to ride anything, of course, but it’s really cool to walk around the Park at night with no one else there.

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