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Credit: DisneyWait times and crowds ballooned yesterday at Walt Disney World — and will likely continue to do so until the New Year.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is infamously crowded at Disney’s theme parks across the globe. This year, it seems like more people are determined to get into the festive spirit with Mickey Mouse and friends than ever as wait times have stretched beyond two hours for multiple attractions.
Yesterday (December 28), over a dozen attractions across Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios had lines over two hours long.
This lineup included Tower of Terror, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, all of which proved popular with Disney World crowds.
Unsurprisingly, the longest line could be found at Animal Kingdom’s Avatar Flight of Passage. The popular simulator hit a wait time of nearly five and a half hours, according to Thrill Data.
While we are still in the early hours of operation today (December 29), it seems like lines are shaping up to be just as long — if not longer. As of 11 a.m., the My Disney Experience app says that guests can expect to wait at least 330 minutes for Flight of Passage.
It’s also proven tough to secure Genie+ to skip these lengthy lines. For the first time ever, it sold out for Animal Kingdom and two parks at the same time. Prices have hit an all-time high of $39 per person for Magic Kingdom and a multi-park Genie+ service, while reservations are officially full until 2024.
These lines aren’t entirely unexpected. With so many people off work and looking to spend time with family over the holidays, Disney World tends to fill up at a rapid rate.
What is surprising is that this bucks the trend of Disney World crowds for the rest of 2023. Over holidays such as July 4 and Memorial Day, the parks were considerably more empty than in previous years.
Have you visited Disney World over the holidays this year? Tell us about your experience in the comments!