The Best Days to Visit Each Disney Park 2024

The Best Days to Visit Each Disney Park 2024

If you’re wondering what sort of Big Bang Theory algorithm you’ll need to calculate the best days of the week to visit Disney world parks in 2024, we’ve got you covered.  Obviously, there are certain times when Walt Disney World is just busy. You can look at any basic Walt Disney World crowd calendar to get this info and some crazy detailed pins, so we won’t go into that detail here. If you’re looking for the Best Days to Visit Each Disney Park in 2024, we’ve narrowed that down for you. What we will share is what to expect. Planning a Walt Disney World Trip doesn’t have to be rocket science. In addition to the Best Time to Visit Walt Disney World, we’ll share the best days to visit Disney parks no matter when you vacation.

Disney Rides when its hot or raining

Best Time to Visit Disney World

Planning a great time to visit Walt Disney World doesn’t have to be confusing. While we try to answer a lot of questions in this post, here are the main things to remember. Disney World Parks are always the least crowded on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The best time to visit Walt Disney World is in January and September. If you’re traveling on a budget, and who isn’t, Disney World is the cheapest in January, and September. But, since your vacation is sure to include more than just two days, and may not be possible within those months, we’re sharing all the options in this post, to help you plan your best Disney Vacation. Whether you’re planning for an EPCOT Festival Vacation, or just need to see Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, here are all the things we could think of that may help you plan a better trip to Walt Disney World. 

What are the Best Days to Go to Disney World in 2024? UPDATED

The Best Days to visit Disney parks in 2024 are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The middle of the week sees fewer crowds, with typically cheaper ticket and hotel prices. For the BEST Disney vacation experience, we also recommend aiming for your most important Disney Must Dos before 4pm. As locals tend to visit the parks in the evenings, crowds naturally get higher. Take note of all the NEW TIPS for a 2024 Disney Vacation below. And scroll the post to see best weeks each month and your best days to visit each park at Disney World. 

AVOID Disney Good to Go Days for Annual Passholders

No matter when you’re vacationing be sure to double check the Disney Good to Go Days Calendar. This perk for Disney Annual Passholders allows access to any park, at any time throughout the day. While these days will be sporadically made available throughout the year, it’s important to check your vacation dates if you’re hoping to have lower crowds. From the My Disney Experience App you can click the plus sign at the bottom of the app page and then “Make or Modify Park Reservations” to get to the good to go days calendar on your phone. Here are a few things we noticed. 

  • Annual Passholder Good to Go Days at are Disney World are typically Tuesdays- Thursdays, with the random Sunday thrown in. As such, if you’re hoping for the lowest crowds, typically Tuesday- Thursday across all parks, be sure to AVOID Good to Go Days at Disney World.
  • Disney Good To Go Days are EXTRA CROWDED. The ability for locals and even out of state passholders to visit the parks without a reservation on Good to Go Days, means Disney has no idea how many people to expect each day. As such, staffing is too low and lines are too long. Avoid Disney Good To Go Days if you’re hoping for average crowds. 
  • Passholder Good to Go Days at Disney World means that Disney Genie+ COSTS MORE! Yes, you read that right. On a typical Tuesday in January, typically one of the best days to visit any park, Disney Genie+ will spike from $21 to $25 per day per person if it’s a Disney Good To Go Day. 
  •  Magic Kingdom is typically MORE CROWDED than the other parks, and will reach Disney Maximum Capacity Levels first. 

Plan to Purchase Disney Genie+ on your Magic Kingdom Days

With over 25 rides in Magic Kingdom and some of the best ones in all of Walt Disney World, you WILL NEED to get Disney Genie+ in order to allow yourself enough time to ride all the best rides. While you definitely can fall back on good Disney Ride Strategies at the other parks, and skip Genie+ to help save money, you won’t get far without Disney Genie+ at Magic Kingdom. Most rides are typically between 40- 90 minute waits, with the exception of rides like PeopleMover, the Carrousel, and Carousel of Progress which are typically lower waits, and less sought after. 

Disney Ride Times are Often Lowest Between 2-4pm

Though this Disney tip for 2024, hasn’t been strictly tested, we’ve noticed that the 2-4 pm time period offers lower ride waits at Disney with fewer people in line. Mainly because it’s around this time that people take their afternoon breaks or change parks. Whether returning to their resorts for pool time, a late lunch or early dinner, or just getting out of the crowds once priority rides have been ridden, this afternoon break offers fewer people in lines across the parks. 

disney world 2024

Best Time to Visit Disney World For Low Crowds

The best days of the week to visit Disney world parks are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, for low crowds. But since vacations are typically longer than 3 days, it pays to know when is the least crowded time at Disney Parks. Whether you’re looking for the least crowded time to go to Disney World or even just the best time to visit Magic Kingdom, we’re going to break it all down in the post so you can make the best Disney itinerary for your trip. The Lowest Crowds at Walt Disney World are typically found on the following dates throughout the year. Note that these are typically off-season dates. We’ve added what Disney World Events are happening during each date range, so you can see what things may be happening during your trip. For LOWEST Crowds at Disney visit between these dates. 

  • January 22-25, 30-31 | Festival of the Arts
  • February 6-7 | Festival of the Arts
  • May 6-10, 13-17, 20-23 | Flower and Garden Festival
  • August 5-29| MNSSHP, Food and Wine Festival
  • September 3-19, 24-26 | Food and Wine Festival
  • November 12-22 | Food and Wine Festival, Holiday Resort Decorations

Overall Best Time to Visit Walt Disney World

What’s the Overall Best time to visit Walt Disney World? The overall best time to visit Walt Disney World is in January and September. Both months offer fewer crowds and lower costs. As such you’ll find fewer sports competitions, fewer traveling groups, fewer vacationers, and cheaper resort rates in January and September, than during any other time of year. 

Disney Art of Animation Resort

Worst Time to Visit Disney World

The worst time to visit Walt Disney World can be based on crowds, costs, and weather. Holiday Weeks and Spring Break months are the worst times to visit Walt Disney World. And every weekend is typically busy at Walt Disney World. While we always aim for a vacation including nice weather, Florida weather includes a hurricane season from June through November. As such experiencing Disney in the Rain is usually a necessary evil, unless you’re traveling outside of these times. Here is a list of the worst times to visit Disney World.

  • All Holidays: Including New Year, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, etc. 
  • Spring Break: Running from mid-March- April, spring break crowds are worse than you can imagine. Causing long lines at rides and restaurants as well as filling resorts to the brim with families, sports competitors, college kids, and more. 
  • October: A fun month to visit, it’s also becoming one of the busiest due to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party crowds and cooler weather. 
  • Christmas Week: While early December tends to remain mild, the week of Christmas at Disney World is busy, busy, busy. And gives guests the chance to see the Once Upon a Christmas Disney Parade without the cost of a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ticket. 
  • Weekends: All year long you can expect weekends at Walt Disney World to be busy simply because of the HUGE local fan base. Combining Disney Season Passholders and Disney Bloggers, Vloggers, and Influencers, added to regular vacationers, the parks are usually bursting. This means hard to get Disney dining reservations, long lines at rides, and crowds. 
  • Opening Days: Opening days are always busy. 2024 will see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the New Little Mermaid show, Country Bear Jamboree Reimagining and the Cake Bake Shop on the Disney Boardwalk mark significant openings that may increase crowds. Additionally, the days around opening day are usually busy as well. With soft openings and passholder previews, there are more people in the parks for the New Things Coming to Disney Parks. 

Overall Worst Time to Visit Walt Disney World

The Worst time to Visit Walt Disney World varies. The Worst Crowds at Disney World are in March, June, July, October, November and December. The Worst Heat at Disney World is in June, July and August. With last-minute summer vacationers, groups, and the arrival of Halloween events the parks are crowded and resort prices are higher than average. Other times of the year like Spring Break in March and April, the Weeks of Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Late December, and all major holidays are equally bad to visit. Strangely, even holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Columbus Day are also notably crowded and expensive. The Most Expensive Time to Visit Disney World is April and December. As you can see, the months with the best chance of being cheaper, with fewer crowds, and better weather, are January, February, and September.

Festival of fantasy parade at magic kingdom

Busiest Days at Disney World

The busiest days at Walt Disney World typically include weekend days, as well as evening hours when locals arrive at the parks. Sundays, Saturdays, Mondays, and Fridays are typically the busiest days at Disney World. You may see that these days are your typical Long Weekend at Disney World days, and for good reason. With people working around work and school and trying to extend the weekend days, these are always the busiest days at Disney, no matter what month you visit. 

What are Disney World Busiest Days of the Week?

Disney’s busiest days are Saturday and Sunday, across all four parks. Sunday is the busiest day at Walt Disney World, and Saturday is the second busiest.

  • Sunday is the busiest day at every Walt Disney World Park.
  • Saturday the second busiest.
  • Monday the third busiest.
  • Friday the fourth busiest.

What are the Best Days of the Week to Go to Disney World?

The best days of the week to visit Disney World are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. By avoiding weekends, Mondays and Fridays, you miss the crowds from long weekends, and family vacationers beginning or ending their vacations on the first and last days of the week. Tuesday remains the best day to visit any theme park. 

Is Disney Busy Labor Day Weekend?

Walt Disney World is busy on all holidays. Even ones you wouldn’t expect, like Columbus Day. The combination of both adults being off work, and kids being off school, draws not only locals to the parks but also out-of-state visitors taking advantage of the long weekend. If you’re looking to Avoid the Crowds at Disney World, we recommend you skip the holiday visits to the parks. 

Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars

If you want a day-by-historical look at crowds to get your vacation on a microcosm schedule, check out the crowd calendars. Know that Disney crowd levels have been changing a lot, so take these with a grain of salt. Undercover Tourist has an outlook calendar-style layout that will show you the exact days and levels to expect.

Peter Pan at Disney World Magic Kingdom

Cheapest Time to Visit Disney World

The best time and worst times to visit Walt Disney World are based on crowd levels AND costs. As some times of the year are simply cheaper than others. Here is a quick schedule repeated every year with slightly different dates for a quick look at the Peak/Off-Peak times at Walt Disney World.

Cheapest Times to Visit Disney | Off-Peak Time

If you’re looking to visit Walt Disney World on a Budget the Cheapest Time to visit Walt Disney World is during Adventure Season. 

    • Jan 1-31: January sees great weather at Disney and lower costs all around. 
    • Sept 1-30: Post summer vacation, and before Halloween, September is a cheap and lower-crowd month to visit Disney. 
    • Dec 1-14: Early December is much cheaper than you would think and offers the chance to experience the holidays at Disney World. 

One of our favorite new hacks we learned on our DVC tour was that there is actually a calendar that shows the cheapest times to visit Walt Disney World. And frankly, until there is an update to this pricing schedule we’re gonna treat it like the gospel it is. The cheapest season to book is Adventure Season and the most expensive is Premier Season. Here’s where the dates fall for each.

Adventure Season ( cheapest)

  • Jan 1-31
  • Sept 1-30
  • Dec 1-14

Choice Season ( next cheapest)

  • Oct 1-Nov 26
  • Nov 30
  • Dec 15-23

Dream Season  (average prices)

  • Feb 1- 15
  • May 1- Jun 10
  • Aug 16- 31

Disney's Contemporary Resort 4th floor

Most Expensive Time to Visit Disney World

The most expensive times to visit Disney World are unfortunately when it’s the most convenient. Spring Break, Christmas Vacation, Memorial Day Weekend, and Summer Vacation are at the top of the list of the most expensive times to visit Disney World. As such, we always recommend checking the Disney Special Offers page for Disney Vacation Discounts that can help you save money at Disney World. 

Most Expensive Times to Visit Disney | Peak Time

    • Winter Break: 3rd weekend in January/ MLK three-day weekend
    • Spring/Easter Break: 1st week of March through 3rd week in April
    • Memorial Day: Last 2 weeks of May
    • Summer Vacation Last week in May through 2nd Week in August
    • Thanksgiving: Day and Weekend after
    • Christmas: 2nd week in December through 1st Week in January

The busiest times at Disney World are always around holidays, especially when kids are off school, and on weekends. Check out the EXACT DATES of when Disney is the Least Expensive with lower crowds every year. 

Magic Season ( expensive)

  • Feb 16- Apr 13
  • Apr 28- 30
  • Jun 11- Aug 15
  • Nov 27- 29

Premier Season ( most expensive)

  • Apr 14- 27
  • Dec 24- 31

Festival of the Holidays 2021

Disney Annual Events and Holidays

Planning a Disney Vacation for the perfect time is tough. As a result, it’s important to know the best times to visit to give yourself your best chance. We’ve pulled together a list of all the Disney Festivals and Parties that happen annually so you can choose the best time to visit. Here are also the major holidays and runDisney events causing the busiest times to visit Walt Disney World.

January: runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend 
February: Valentine’s Day/President’s Day Weekend, runDisney Princess Half Marathon, and Mardi Gras Week 
March: Spring Break
April: Easter, runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend
May: Dapper Day, Memorial Day Weekend
July: Fourth of July Week
September: Labor Day Weekend
October: Columbus Day Weekend
November: Wine and Dine Half Marathon,  Thanksgiving Week, Destination D23
December: Christmas Week

Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT Park

Walt Disney World Events by Month

Now, since there’s a good chance you planned your vacation because you had time off at work or were working around a child’s school schedule, the crowd-level info in these guides can only get you so far. To get a glimpse as to what you’ll be seeing at Disney while you’re there, regardless of when you go, here’s the rundown of yearly Disney festivals and activities. Check out our Walt Disney World Events Calendar for a List of ALL THE EVENTS at Walt Disney World throughout the year. 

Best and Worst Months to Visit Disney World

We won’t pretend this is black and white, some weeks in certain months are simply busier due to certain events. But if you’re looking at costs, crowds and weather here is a quick snapshot of the Best and Worst Months to visit Walt Disney World. We’ll go into the events in each month below and which days each week are best per park. 

  • Best Months to Visit Disney: January, September, November
  • Worst Months to Visit Disney: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October, December

Best Weeks to Visit Disney World Each Month

If you’re tied to a certain month when you’re planning a Disney Vacation, take a look at the events in each month and the Best Weeks to Visit Disney World for your best chance at lower crowds, and costs. Check our Disney World 2024 Event Calendar for your chosen vacation dates. 

January 2024 Disney Crowds

January at Walt Disney World is one of the best times of year to visit. With the weather mild and prices and crowds low, overall, you will find this to be a great time to visit. The second week of January through mid-February is usually best. Best Week to Visit: 3rd and 4th Week

January 1: New Years Holiday, Heaviest Crowds
January 2-7: runDisney Marathon. Heavy Crowds
January 8-11: Moderate Crowds
January 12-15: Cheer/ Dance Competitions, MLK Day. Moderate to Somewhat Heavy Crowds
January 16-21: Moderate Crowds
January 22-25: Somewhat Low Crowds
January 26-29: Moderate Crowds
January 30-31: Somewhat Low Crowds

Disney Vacation Time Line

February 2024 Disney Crowds

February hosts a variety of highschool, college and national competitions at Disney World, making it busier than years past. In addition, the runDisney Princess Marathon, Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras all bring additional crowds on the cusp of Spring Break. Best Week to Visit: 1st and 2nd Weeks

  • Festival of the Arts
  • Princess runDisney Half Marathon
  • Valentines Day 
  • Mardi Gras Week
  • Cheerleading and Dance Competitions

February 1-5: Dance Competitions, Moderate Crowds
February 6-7: Low Crowds
February 8-15: Cheer Competitions, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, Somewhat Heavy Crowds
February 16-20: Cheer/ Dance Competitions, President’s Day, Heavy Crowds
February 21-25: runDisney Princess Half Marathon, Somewhat Heavy Crowds
February 26-29: Moderate Crowds

March 2024 Disney Crowds

Expect Spring Break Crowds to be heavy starting the 3rd week in March through the 2nd week in April. The beginning of the Flower and Garden Festival tends to have moderate crowds, which are the lowest all month. Best Weeks to Visit: 1st or 2nd Week

March 1-3: Flower and Garden Festival, Spring Break, National Competitions/ Cheer Competitions, Somewhat Heavy Crowds
March 4-8: National Competitions/ Cheer Competitions, Moderate Crowds
March 9-10: National Competitions/ Cheer Competitions, Somewhat Heavy Crowds
March 11-22: St. Patrick’s Day, Somewhat Heavy Crowds 
March 23-31: Easter, Heavy Crowds

Mothers Day

April 2024 Disney Crowds

Disney in the springtime brings spring breakers, events for Earth Day, and competitions. While typically a moderate crowd month, the first week of April sees heavy crowds as a result of Easter Vacationers. Best Week to Visit: 3rd or 4th Week

April 1-7: Spring Break, Somewhat Heavy Crowds
April 8-17: Moderate Crowds
April 18-21: Moderate Crowds
April 22-30: Earth Day, Halfway to Halloween, Cheer Competitions, Dapper Day, Moderate Crowds

May 2024 Disney Crowds

The first three weeks of May are typically the last chance you have with non-sweltering weather and manageable crowds. While prices and crowds are moderate this time of year, they get noticeably worse at the end of the month. Plan to visit early in the month for your best vacation. Expect high school Senior Trip Crowds the 3rd and 4th weeks of May. Best Weeks to Visit: 1st- 3rd Weeks

  • Flower and Garden Festival
  • Star Wars Day 
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios 35th Anniversary
  • Memorial Day
  • Mother’s Day
  • Cinco de Mayo

May 1-5: Hollywood Studios 35th Anniversary, Star Wars Day, Cinco de Mayo, Moderate Crowds. 
May 6-10: Low Crowds
May 11-12: Mother’s Day, Moderate Crowds
May 13-17: Low Crowds
May 18-19: Moderate Crowds
May 20-23: Low Crowds
May 24-31: Memorial Day, Moderate Crowds

grand floridian to the polynesian walking path walt disney world

June 2024 Disney Crowds

The summer at Walt Disney World is probably the worst idea ever. BUT, we respect that people have schedules, and school to work around. That said, expect June through Early August to be extremely hot and very crowded. Plan to be in the park early, take a break from 12- 4 pm when the heat and crowds are heaviest, and then head back to the parks for the evening. Expect lots of summer heat at the start of Hurricane Season at Disney World. It’s pretty much the reason why we’d recommend visiting any other time of year.  Best Week to Visit: 1st Week 

June 1-30: Moderate to Heavy Crowds

July 2024 Disney Crowds

Summer Vacation at Disney World overflows with vacationers, annual passholders, and traveling groups. All of which can make lines longer, costs higher and transportation slow. If you’re traveling this month, aim for weekdays in the parks. Avoid weekends, and instead use that time to explore your resort, have pool time, or play mini golf. Best Week to Visit: 3rd Week

July 1-7: Fourth of July, Heavy Crowds
July 8-31: Moderate Crowds weekdays, Heavy Crowds on the weekends.

Port Orleans French Quarter

August 2024 Disney Crowds

Walt Disney World in the fall is extra fun with special events, snacks, and decorations. Plan on visiting from late August through September for good prices and decent crowds. It’s still very hot in August and September in Florida, but if you can stand it, it’s worth it. Best Week to Visit: 2nd- 4th Weeks

August 1-4: Moderate  Crowds
August 5-9: Low Crowds
August 10-11: Lowest Crowds
August 12-29: Lowest Crowds
August 30-31: Moderate Crowds

disney epcot food and wine festival polkadotsandpixiedust.com

September 2024 Disney Crowds

September is one of the Cheapest Times to Visit Disney World, offering up fall decorations, MNSSHP, and better weather in Florida. Best Weeks to Visit: All weeks are fairly good:)

September 1-2: Labor Day, Moderate Crowds
September 3-19: Lowest Crowds
September 20-23: Moderate Crowds
September 24-26: Low Crowds
September 27-30: Moderate Crowds

halloween at disney

October 2024 Disney Crowds

Oddly, October is very crowded and pretty pricey! With Fall at Walt Disney World being a favorite of many and a great time for an annual trip as the weather starts to cool, we recommend going early in the month for your best vacation. Best Week to Visit: 1st Week

October 1-3: Rosh Hashanah, Moderate Crowds
October 4-9: Moderate Crowds, Heavy Crowds on weekends
October 10-14: Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Heaviest Crowds
October 15-31: Halloween, Moderate crowds, Heavy Crowds on weekends

Hollywood Studios Holiday Snacks In Holiday Fashion

November 2024 Disney Crowds

Christmas Decorations at Disney World go up the week of Thanksgiving. And it’s one of the best times to visit Disney World for the holidays. Best Week to Visit: 3rd Week

November 1-3: runDisney Wine and Dine Marathon, Heavy Crowds
November 4-6: Moderate Crowds
November 7-11: Veterans Day, Heavy Crowds
November 12-22: Moderate Crowds
November 23-24: Heavy Crowds
November 25-30: Thanksgiving, Heaviest Crowds

December 2024 Disney Crowds

Christmas at Disney World takes over the parks, resorts and Disney Springs in December with Gingerbread Displays, Decorations and holiday events. Crowds throughout the month remain high, but the early part of December offers fewer crowds. Best Week to Visit: 1st Week

December 1-20: Heavy Crowds
December 21-31: Heaviest Crowds

Best Days to Visit Each Disney World Park

While the best days to visit Each Walt Disney World Park may vary slightly throughout the year if you’re wondering which Disney Park you should visit on which day, then here’s a quick list. 

  • Magic Kingdom – Tuesday
  • EPCOT – Monday
  • Hollywood Studios – Wednesday
  • Animal Kingdom – Friday

Thankfully, even if you don’t pick a vacation during the best time to visit Disney World, you still have control over which days you go to which park. THIS is just as important. If you’ve made your dining and Lightning Lane reservations already some of these decisions may have already been decided for you. These are your best days to be in the parks with minimal crowds and minimal waits. Note that the BEST DAYS to visit EVERY PARK at Walt Disney World are always Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But for practical purposes, we’re covering all the days here so you can plan out your week or two of vacation. Covering all the Disney parks; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. If you need a few days to choose from these days at Disney World have the lowest crowds. 

Festival of fantasy parade at magic kingdom

Best Day to Visit Magic Kingdom

The best days to go to Magic Kingdom is Tuesday. But due to the high publication of this fact, we’ve begun to see more and more people in the parks. Still, we’re giving you several days here to consider Magic Kingdom throughout your vacation. Know that the worst day to visit Magic Kingdom is Monday, so avoid that at all costs. 

  • Magic Kingdom (MK): Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Hollywood Studios Park Disney World

Best Day to Visit Hollywood Studios

If heading to Hollywood Studios during your Disney Vacation, you have some options. The best days to go to Hollywood Studios are Wednesdays. Though sometimes Saturdays and Sundays work well too. While we typically recommend you avoid parks on the weekends, Hollywood Studios is often your best shot. Even as a smaller park, a Saturday and Sunday may feel a little crowded, but not nearly as bad as Magic Kingdom, or EPCOT. Wednesday is our top pick for Hollywood Studios for lower crowds. 

  • Hollywood Studios(HS): Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays

Animal Kingdom Park Disney World

Best Day to Visit Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is Disney’s largest park and therefore has the most room to spread out. As a result, even when it’s crowded you don’t totally feel it. The best days to go to Animal Kingdom is Wednesdays through Fridays. And due to other parks being so crowded certain days, we typically recommend Friday at Animal Kingdom. Mainly because in addition to Animal Kingdom having lower crowds on Fridays, they sometimes also have extended hours, for evening shows at Disney World. This means you may get to experience the Tree of Life Awakenings show which is such a treat. 

  • Animal Kingdom(AK): Wednesday- Friday, Sunday

EPCOT Spaceship Earth Ride

Best Day to Visit EPCOT Park

The best day to visit EPCOT is almost always Monday through Wednesday. These days are tied at the moment. And even then that’s with the understanding that it naturally gets more crowded around 4 p.m. when the locals get out of work. For this reason, we sometimes lean more towards Epcot on Monday, since the start of the work week is typically busy for everyone. 

  • Epcot (EP): Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays

winter summerland c/o disneyworld.disney.go

Best Time to Visit Disney Water Parks

Disney Water Parks include Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, which are open on rotating schedules, due to maintenance and rarely open together at the same time. As such, depending on your visit the Disney Water Park you get to visit, may already be chosen for you. Weekdays are the best times to visit Disney Water Parks, and any times outside of the hot summer months. Note, that Parking is Free at Disney Water Parks, making it an easy visit for locals too. 

  • Disney Water Parks, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon are the least busy during the late spring and early fall on weekdays.

Best Days to Visit Disney Springs

Disney Springs is the Disney World shopping center in Orlando, Florida, and draws crowds every day for the shopping. However, just like anywhere else the best days to visit Disney Springs are during the day, Monday- Thursday, when most people are at work. Parking is Free at Disney Springs, and also allows a great opportunity to park your car and visit the Disney Boardwalk, via the use of the Disney BoardWalk Inn Bus at the Disney Springs bus station. 

  • Disney Springs is the least busy M- Th mornings and afternoons.

Which Disney Park Takes the Least Time?

Hollywood Studios typically takes the Least Time of any Walt Disney World park. As one of Disney’s smaller parks, this park is broken up into several areas. Get to know the Hollywood Studios map before you go, because while it has the least things to do, see, and eat, it also has a rather confusing layout. Our best advice here if you’re trying to save time at Walt Disney World is to head to the major rides first, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rise of the Resistance, and Slinky Dog Dash.

What is the Best Disney Park to Visit on a Monday?

In our experience, EPCOT Park is the best Disney Park to Visit on a Monday. Simply because while everyone else is starting their Disney vacation seeing Cinderella’s Castle over in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT tends to have fewer crowds as a result. Even during the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, you can typically find Mondays to be slower than days later in the week. And as EPCOT is a favorite of locals it’s no surprise that Mondays would most likely call people away for work obligations, as opposed to later in the week when they begin to show up after their work shifts. As such, Tuesday and Wednesday at EPCOT are also great days to visit. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind

Worst Days to Visit Each Disney World Park

The Worst Days to Visit Magic Kingdom are Mondays and Saturdays. For many, this is the first park they visit, and most vacations begin on Mondays, so it is the busiest day to visit. And for many, Saturday is their last full day in the parks, before heading home on Sunday, which means Magic Kingdom is the park they give a second day to, and it’s usually their last day before leaving, Saturday. Additionally, the longer hours at Magic Kingdom on Saturday, means many park hop there as their second park, making it even more crowded. 

The Worst Days to Visit Hollywood Studios are on Monday and Tuesday. Hollywood Studios is a small park, so feels crowds more often than the other parks. That said, It’s also one people skip on the weekends in favor of EPCOT or Magic Kingdom. As such, while a weekday is always better here, Saturdays and Sundays aren’t that bad. However, we’d recommend skipping Monday at Hollywood Studios if possible. 

The Worst Day to Visit Animal Kingdom is on Saturday. Animal Kingdom is the biggest park and can accommodate crowds more than any other park. That said, we’d still recommend weekdays unless you can strategize an early morning or late evening during the weekends when Animal Kingdom has longer hours. 

The Worst Days to Visit EPCOT are on Friday Nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. This is due to EPCOT  being a hotspot for locals and a drinking playground. 

disney boardwalk

Disney World Itinerary For One Week

If you’ve already booked your vacation for a busy time of year, here’s what you can control- What days to Visit Each Disney World Park. We’ll assume for convenience that you are tackling one park each day of your vacation. Keep in mind that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are the smallest parks, so fill up faster, so the weekend will feel extra crowded at these parks. 

You will find that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are by far the best days to be in the parks. Still, chances are your vacation will be longer than 3 days, so you will be venturing into the parks Friday through Monday as well. These are our recommendations if you want a little more elbow room and a little less line waiting. We’ve added the Disney Monorail Resorts and the Disney BoardWalk Resorts as honorary fifth and sixth locations you can spend your time close to the parks because they are convenient and a nice change of pace. AK= Animal Kingdom, MK= Magic Kingdom, HS = Hollywood Studios, EP= EPCOT Park

  • Monday: AK, EP
  • Tuesday: MK, EP
  • Wednesday: HS, EP, AK, MK
  • Thursday: EP, MK, AK
  • Friday: AK or Disney Springs
  • Saturday: HS
  • Sunday: HS, AK or Disney Monorail Resorts, Disney BoardWalk Resorts. 

Disney Water Parks, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon are the least busy during the late spring and early fall on weekdays.

Disney Springs is the least busy M- Th mornings and afternoons.

Early Entry into the Parks

Days with Early Theme Park Entry are for Disney Resort Guests ONLY and allow you to enter the park 30 minutes before it opens. This offers opportunities to maximize your time! Morning magic hours are still pretty light when it comes to crowds so we definitely recommend, if you’re a morning family, to get up early and take advantage of the extra hours. Early theme park entry is now available every day.

Extended Evening Hours

Reserved specifically for Disney Deluxe Resort Guests, the Extended Evening Hours are offered on select nights at Disney World Parks and can give you extra time in the parks with fewer crowds. If you’re staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, be sure to check the 5-day Disney  Calendar for the days that you may be able to stay later. 

Sample Itinerary for a Disney Vacation

We primarily make the choice to leave for vacation mid-week because flight costs are cheaper. If you’re driving these aren’t requirements for your algorithm.

  • Wednesday: EPCOT (arrive morning, 1/2 day in the park)
  • Thursday: Up early, MK (access early hours) first full day in parks
  • Friday: Up early, AK stay up late 
  • Saturday: sleep in, HS (access early hours)
  • Sunday: sleep in and head to brunch at Disney Boardwalk or Disney Springs
  • Monday: AK or EP
  • Tuesday: MK (depart evening, 1/2 day in the park)

The opportunity to take advantage of early morning hours any day of your vacation is a good one. Additionally, we always like to build in a day to get tea at the Grand Floridian, dole whip at The Polynesian, and time on The Boardwalk. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a ticket to anywhere to have fun on the Boardwalk. Just access it from the secret path at the entrance of Hollywood Studios. This plan is for your typical 7-day/6-night and 6-day park ticket ( assuming that either your arriving or departing day you will not be in the parks).

disney world fab 50 golden statues

Planning Tips for Picking Your Disney Park Days

When we’re planning for a Walt Disney World vacation, the first thing we do is assess what we want our Disney Park Days to look like. Here’s the planning algorithm we use when planning our trips to WDW.

  1. Pick One Park Per Day
  2. If staying at a Disney Resort, plan to be there early to take advantage of your 30 minutes extra on weekday mornings.
  3. Stay away from Epcot and Magic Kingdom on Saturday if you can help it. While lots of vacationers are beginning vacations on the weekend and usually head straight to Magic Kingdom, the locals head to Epcot.
  4. Stay away from Epcot in the evenings on Thursday and Friday.
  5. Stay away from Magic Kingdom on Mondays. 
  6. Magic Kingdom requires 2 days
  7. EPCOT requires 2 days if visiting for a festival
  8. HS and AK are 1 day each
  9. Start vacation on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
  10. End vacation on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

grand floridian resort at walt disney world

The Best Time to Visit Disney World 2024

While it may seem like there’s a lot to consider here, know that Disney is magical, no matter when you go. We hope this gives you a little more information than you had before and some good tips to make sure you make the most of your Disney vacation. And be sure to check out our Disney World Event Calendar for specific things happening this year!

Everything you need to know about which days are the best for each of Walt Disney World's four parks. Visit during lower crowds, different parts of the week and time of year can affect this. But no matter when your vacation read our tried and true rules. #disneytips #waltdisneyworld #polkadotpixies

Co-Founder and Director at Polka Dot Pixie Co LLC | Website | + posts

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.


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