Hiya, Alfreda! Welcome to planDisney!
It sounds like you’re contemplating a visit to
The Most Magical Place on Earth this holiday season. In my opinion, this is the absolute best time of year to visit the parks! Walt Disney World Resort is magical year-round, but even more so when the resort is decked out with holiday decorations and festive fun!
To answer your question, Alfreda, it depends. Disney does not release crowd calendars or any details on expected crowd levels throughout the year, so anything that you’ll find online is usually based on previous year trends and personal experiences. What I can tell you from my personal experience is that the parks do tend to be more crowded on and around federal holidays. That said, some are less busy than others. I have visited during Labor Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day, and in my experience, these holidays are not as busy as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. I’m actually flying into Orlando International Airport on Veterans Day this year for a trip to Walt Disney World! While it may be crowded, I wouldn’t avoid the parks for that reason alone.
I do have some tips that you may find helpful during your visit, Alfreda!
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a great way to save time waiting in line. You can in turn use that time to take advantage of some of the other seasonal offerings in the parks! Also, if you’re staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, you will qualify for
Early Theme Park Entry. I highly recommend taking advantage of this benefit. You can certainly get a lot done in the first couple of hours of the day as Guests continue to trickle in throughout the morning. Midday breaks are also a great way to recharge! This could be a table-service reservation to get you off your feet for an hour or so, or even heading back to your resort for a swim. You can then head back into the parks afterwards for more fun and perhaps catch a nighttime spectacular, such as Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, Luminous The Symphony of Us at EPCOT, or Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
You’ll also be arriving just in time for the last few weeks of the
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. It features fantastic offerings, including the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and the Global Marketplaces across the park.
Disney Parks Blog routinely releases a Foodie Guide in the weeks leading up to the start of the festival. It’s a great way to get a sneak peek at all of the available eats and sips that will be on offer.
I hope this answers your question, Alfreda! If you have any other questions as you continue to plan your magical visit, please don’t hesitate to come back and see us here at
planDisney! My fellow panelists and I are always happy to help!
Happy planning!
Olivier