When Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity: 5 Tips to Remember

It may seem strange that Walt Disney World closes when it reaches maximum capacity, but keep in mind that, without the magic, it’s still just a theme park and has to adhere to fire code regulations. With everything happening at Walt Disney World, 50th Anniversary Celebrations, and holiday plans, there will likely be times that the parks hit capacity and turn away guests. And now that Disney Parks have capacity limits due to safety and health regulations, we’ll see more of this. So, if you’re visiting Walt Disney World anytime in the next few years, here are 5 tips to make sure you DON’T GET LOCKED OUT!

Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity?

Yes, Walt Disney World does close when it gets too full. Contrary to popular belief, you actually have some control here. Unlike the hours before the hard-ticketed party events, Disney Cast Members will not go through the parks and kick you out. Whether it’s about adjusting how you plan your vacation or altering your plans for the day you do have a say and some actions you can take to make sure you’re on the right side of the gate when the park reaches capacity.

Note: Capacity issues usually happen at Magic Kingdom FIRST.

What are the Capacity Limits at Walt Disney World?

We cover who is allowed into the parks in each Disney Capacity phase below. So if you’re looking for something specific to your situation, scroll down. Keep in mind that these 5 tips are foolproof. It won’t matter if you’re a Disney resort guest if you didn’t get there early enough to get in before they closed for the maximum capacity. See Tip #1. It really is sort of a first-come, first-serve situation. Before we get started, here are the capacity limits for each Disney World Park. Note: The acreage limits do not correlate with the fire capacity at Disney World parks, as physical space, ride space, restaurant seating, etc. for the public is what determines capacity. The capacity shown here is Guests Per Day.

Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney World’s smallest park, Magic Kingdom is 142 acres and accommodates 90,000 people.
EPCOT: At 300 acres, the second biggest park, EPCOT accommodates 110,000 people
Animal Kingdom: Animal Kingdom park is the biggest Disney Park at 500 acres and accommodates 60,000 people
Hollywood Studios: One of the smaller parks, Hollywood Studios is 154 acres and can accommodate 60,000 people

5 Tips to Remember when Disney World hits Maximum Capacity

Withstanding the Park Pass required reservation system in place these 5 tips are the MOST IMPORTANT to remember. Tips #1 and #2 are very HIGH PRIORITY. If you do nothing else to plan your vacation these are the big ones. High Capacity times are typical during holidays, starting around Thanksgiving, and new attraction openings.

TIP #1: GET THERE EARLY

When Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity this tip is the most common sense. And the most in your control. And the absolute easiest!!! So you’ve booked a vacation at Walt Disney World around busy times? The best way to make sure you don’t get turned away at the gate is to get there right when the gate opens. The monorail starts running at 6:30 am and the parking lots tend to open 1.5 hours before the park opens that day. So if there are early magic hours at 8 am the lots are usually open by 6:30 am. Keep in mind though that if the park doesn’t open until 9 am, you won’t be able to get in the parking lot until 7:30 am. So check out park hours ahead of time. Animal Kingdom usually has later opening hours so the lots may open closer to 8:30 am there.

Ways to maximize this early morning time with the new rope drop ceremony is to book an early breakfast at Crystal Palace or Cinderella’s Royal Table. That way it will still feel fun, you won’t “waste” precious time and you’ll beat the crowds. Check out the app for park hours or the calendar on the Disney website for daily times.

Note: Keep in mind most everyone on the planet shows up at Disney between 10-11 am, so getting there before then is key.

TIP #2: DON’T LEAVE

This second common sense tip for when Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity helps you out even if you ignore all the rest of our tips. True, we always condone visiting the resorts for everything from relaxation time to dining to shopping. BUT, physically leaving the park to go somewhere else is not in your best interest on days that may get busy. The exception to this is IF you have the park hopper ticket. They will let you in again to re-enter the park all the way through the phase 2 closing process. But after that, you would be out of luck. So our advice is to just stay.

TIP #3: BOOK SOMETHING, ANYTHING

Through Phase 3 both dining and special appointment reservations are honored. This is a major plus! If you’re traveling with a Make Your Way package you already have a multi-day ticket, are staying at a Disney resort, and most likely using Disney transportation. So you’re already in the clear and most likely won’t be turned away. If you however don’t have any of those things, a dining reservation, which can be made at any time, may be your saving grace! When Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity having a restaurant reservation, a boutique reservation, or any special experience tours booked will get you access to the park through phase 3.

TIP #4: STAY AT A WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT OR THE SWAN AND DOLPHIN

This is a no-brainer if you’re traveling to Disney during busy times. Mainly because the Orlando traffic alone may kill you. So you will want to be as close to the action as possible and not on the Orlando roads. That said, know that Disney transportation will be packed to the max! While you can take the Disney Skyliner, monorail, and buses, you can’t guarantee timely arrival on busy days. So, you may want to spring for Lyft or Uber to drive you into the parks to avoid waiting in lines at the bus stop. Being a guest at the Disney Resorts will also ensure you’re still able to get in the parks through Phase 3. This does include the Swan and Dolphin which is definitely one of the best options if you’re looking for a nearby resort without the transportation nightmares.

TIP #5: HAVE A MULTI-DAY TICKET WITH A PARK HOPPER

We wouldn’t recommend park hopping during busy times at Disney. Mainly, because tips #1 and #2 are absolutely our best advice. But a park hopper ticket may be your only chance to get into the parks through Phase 1 and 2 when Walt Disney World Closes at Maximum Capacity. Especially if you’ve ignored tips 1-4.

Maximum Capacity Closing Phases at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Closes in phases. Disney has everyone’s best interest at heart. They do put vacationing guests first and assume these folks have booked a make-your-way package, are staying on-site, and are using Disney transportation… hence the ability for these folks to get into the park through closing phases. If you however are playing it cheap, not staying on-site, and just want a day ticket, you will be the first to get turned away.

People in the biggest trouble as the park starts getting close to capacity are Guests:

With One Day, Single Park Tickets
Using Cast Member Passes
Staying Off-site
Without Reservations
Without Park Hopper

Note: If you’ve driven in you will be turned away at the gate, as you will be unable to park. If the parks get full after you park, you’ll be turned away at security.

In Phase 1 you CAN enter the park IF you…

Have a Premium or Annual passholder or carrying a WDW premier passport.
Have a multi-park or multi-day ticket.
Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, The Four Seasons, The Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, or staying at any of the Disney Springs Resorts arriving by bus: Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton.
Are re-entering the park that day.
Arrived via Disney Transportation (busses, Minnie van)
Are a Golden Oak resident with registered guests.
Are Park Hopping
Have an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for a restaurant in the park.
Schedule an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Pirates League or the Harmony Barber Shop.
Purchase Memory Maker.

Note: The only change between Phase 1 and Phase 2 is that it won’t matter if you have a memory maker.

In Phase 2 you CAN enter the park IF you…

Have a Premium or Annual passholder or carrying a WDW premier passport.
Have a multi-park or multi-day ticket.
Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, The Four Seasons, The Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, or staying at any of the Disney Springs Resorts arriving by bus: Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton.
Are re-entering the park that day.
Arrived via Disney Transportation (busses, Minnie van)
Are a Golden Oak resident with registered guests.
Are Park Hopping
Get an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for a restaurant in the park.
Have an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Pirates League, or the Harmony Barber Shop.

In Phase 3 you CAN enter the park IF you…

Are a Premium or Annual Passholder
Are staying at a Disney Resort including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
Book an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for a restaurant in the park.
Make an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Pirates League or the Harmony Barber Shop.

In Phase 4 the Parks Are CLOSED to All Guests

In Phase 4 Disney enacts the one-to-one rule. The 1:1 Rule means when one person leaves the park, one person is allowed to enter. This is usually at their discretion and definitely doesn’t happen immediately. As they need to build a little cushion regarding the capacity levels which will mean you can get split up from your party if you’re adamant about getting in.

Why is Walt Disney World so busy?

Disney has been losing its off-season for a few years by adding deals to get more guests to come during slower times. This, as a result, just makes all times busy. Remember that while Walt Disney World closings are somewhat rare, the activities and openings over the next few years are so vast that many many people are planning to book their vacations during these times to get the most bang for their buck. Vacation packages open up to be booked in June the year prior to when you plan to visit. We’re not expecting the momentum to slow down anytime soon, so if you’re visiting be prepared for the crowds. Check out our Best Tips to Handle the Crowds at Walt Disney World.

What Else Do I Need to know?

For a quick education on when the parks have closed and prevented guests from entering check-out touring plans. To know at the moment if the parks are open and allow guests to double-check the My Experience App. The info usually updates there first. Checking Disney social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter would also have the up-to-date info if you need it.

Hopefully, this post has given you a good foundation for understanding the closing phases that Disney goes through during their busiest times. Know that you do have some power over the situation if you plan and prepare ahead of time.