Hi Ana,
Welcome back to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by to ask a question about your upcoming Walt Disney World visit. Taking
little ones to Disney World is so magical. No matter how many times you’ve been to each theme park, you get to see the magic through their eyes when they visit and it really makes you fall in love with Disney World all over again. That’s one thing that you can be certain of. However, one thing you can’t predict with certainty is crowd levels by park. You really just never know for sure what the crowd cadence will be at Disney World, but it is safe to assume that any holiday where schools are closed might bump the attendance numbers up. You can also assume that all parks will be a little more crowded on weekends when Florida locals visit. Many locals have
Annual Passes, so they tend to visit on weekends, but especially on holiday weekends.
Ana, I say all this to say… pack your patience and expect crowds at both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom during the weekend days of your visit. There might be lower crowds at both locations on the 9th and 12th compared to the weekend days in between. However, all hope is not lost! I’ll share a few strategies you can employ to help with crowd management.
Purchase
Lightning Lane Passes. This service will help you skip the traditional standby queue for many attractions and you can preselect up to 3 experiences before your visit. Lightning Lane Passes can be purchased 7 days prior to your trip if you're staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel. On October 9, consider visiting Magic Kingdom. That evening, a sold out
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will be happening at Magic Kingdom. Historically, crowds have been lower during the day on party days because guests without party tickets must leave the park at 6 p.m. This means that attraction wait times might be shorter throughout the day as a result. During mealtimes, use the
My Disney Experience app to mobile order any quick service meals you’ll have. Mobile ordering is like having a Lightning Lane for lunch! You’ll skip the line and get your food much faster. My last suggestion is to be flexible. Head to your planned park early (use
Early Theme Park Entry if you can!), and give yourself the grace to leave the park midday if things get too crowded. That midday departure back to your Disney resort hotel will give you the opportunity to put your little Mouseketeer down for a nap or enjoy the resort pool. Then you can return to the theme park in the evening refreshed when many families start heading out or
park hopping to other parks.
Ana, I hope this information is helpful. If you need any additional help planning out your park days, please visit us again here at planDisney! Until then, TTFN… ta-ta for now!
Sakinah