I think everyone’s had the experience of paying money (a good chunk of money) to attend a theme park and then spending the entire day waiting in line. It’s a frustrating experience. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this experience by applying just a little planning.
Theme parks tend to be the most crowded on weekends, when local residents visit. This is especially true for Downtown Disney and the water parks. The Magic Kingdom tends to be busiest on Mondays.
Guests who stay in a Disney Hotel have a perk called the “Extra Magic Hour” where a certain park opens an hour early exclusively for Disney hotel guests. The park of the day tends to be especially crowded, so if you’re not staying in a Disney hotel, avoid that park. If you are staying in a Disney hotel and want to take advantage of the extra hour, it’s best to hop to another park soon after the extra hour park opens to the general public.
Of course, the best way to avoid the crowds is to visit during the “off season”, when not as many people visit. Here’s a list of seasonal shifts in attendance.
Least Crowded
The second week of January through the first week of February
The week after Labor Day until Thanksgiving
The Week after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas
Average Attendance
The first week of January
The second week of February until Presidents’ week
The end of February through the second week of March
The last week of April through May
Thanksgiving week
Most Crowded
Presidents’ week
the third week of March through the third week of April
June through Labor Day
Christmas through New Year’s Day
If the only time you have to visit Disneyworld is during a crowded season, then go: Just realize that you’ll need to do some extra planning to make the most of your vacation.