I'll be spending 4 days in DisneyWorld parks- January 19, 20, 21 and 22. I want to spend one day in each park and I may purchase the lighting lane option if necessary. Which day would you recommend for each park to avoid Epcot festival and MLT crowds?

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Answer 1

Hey there Laura, it's wonderful to welcome you to planDisney all the way from Spain!

I love a good strategy, especially when it comes to doing your best to avoid some of the busiest days of the year - especially on days when kids may be out of school or folks may have the day off that also coincide with the debut of popular annual festivals at EPCOT! It sounds like you'd like to try to steer clear of the influx of families who tend to come for the weekend ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. which falls on January 20 in 2025, along with the legions of festival fans, locals and Disney influencers alike coming for the opening of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts that begins just a few days earlier on January 17, 2025. With both of these in mind, here are my personal recommendations over those four days coming from someone who's experienced these both recently over the past few years along with some insights based on the Hours & Events Calendar for that week:

Sunday, January 19: That first weekend will often bring flocks of folks looking to be the first to experience some of the newest Disney Eats and treats at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts' opening weekend, so Disney's Hollywood Studios may be a great option here! This is especially since many may be waiting to go later in the week for the first Disney After Hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios event of the year on Wednesday.

Monday, January 20: Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is my top choice for any holiday or significant date, and this date will be both Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as Inauguration Day for the president of the United States; in my personal experience this Monday typically brings many folks out to Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT will also be just as popular with the number of folks planning on being there for Extended Evening Theme Park hours.

Tuesday, January 21: Magic Kingdom Park would be my choice for Tuesday, in anticipation of folks choosing elsewhere to go after choosing to head here over the weekend. Since many families staying at select Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels or Deluxe Villas will be taking advantage of Extended Evening theme park hours here the next day, this could mean shorter waits - but it's still a good idea to consider purchasing Lightning Lane Passes just in case!

Wednesday, January 22: EPCOT is in my opinion, best experienced on weekdays as opposed to the very busy weekends and I'd very much prefer waiting for a shorter amount of time when it comes to standing in line to snag items from the various Food Studios.

I hope this helps, Laura! While these are just educated guesses on where the crowds may be, here's hoping you won't have to content with many on this trip!

Wishing you an amazing start to the year here!
Prince

I'll be spending 4 days in DisneyWorld parks- January 19, 20, 21 and 22. I want to spend one day in each park and I may purchase the lighting lane option if necessary. Which day would you recommend for each park to avoid Epcot festival and MLT crowds?

Meet the Panelist: Prince, Ontario

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I'll be spending 4 days in DisneyWorld parks- January 19, 20, 21 and 22. I want to spend one day in each park and I may purchase the lighting lane option if necessary. Which day would you recommend for each park to avoid Epcot festival and MLT crowds?”

Meet the Panelist: Prince, Ontario

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I'll be spending 4 days in DisneyWorld parks- January 19, 20, 21 and 22. I want to spend one day in each park and I may purchase the lighting lane option if necessary. Which day would you recommend for each park to avoid Epcot festival and MLT crowds?