Magic Kingdom is typically a very busy park! With tons of hot ticket attractions, delicious eats, and a classic atmosphere, there are usually plenty of people enjoying the park alongside you!
Magic Kingdom
However, today we noticed something strange at Magic Kingdom… .
This morning, a TON of Magic Kingdom rides had little to no wait! Take, for example, Splash Mountain. It was a 5-minute wait to get on this usually hot ticket!
Splash Mountain
Rides big and small were seeing low wait times, with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh only clocking in at 5 minutes!
Winnie the Pooh
Another ride that can get long lines is Dumbo, which was also only 5 minutes!
Dumbo
Jungle Cruise, which has been seeing long lines lately, was a walk-on attraction despite the 10-minute posted wait time!
Jungle Cruise
Even Peter Pan’s Flight, a ride that usually has people lined up all around Fantasyland, had only a 15-minute wait!
Peter Pan
And this wasn’t just at rope drop! TWO hours after the park opened, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train only had a 40-minute wait time. This is MUCH lower than usual!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
It seems like the summer crowds are starting to go away, or maybe everyone is enjoying a morning at the other Disney World parks, but we haven’t seen wait times like this in a while! Something to note is that Magic Kingdom closes at 6PM today, so that could be why guests avoided the park today. We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more!
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What do you think is causing this drop in wait times? Let us know in the comments!
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Delta Varient!
Yes — Florida accounts for 25% of the nation’s COVID cases and hospitals there are overwhelmed. We cancelled our long-awaited WDW vacation for September because of the situation there.
We were there and got to ride Splash twice without getting off! The CM said if you’d like to ride again, just pull your lap bar back down. It was amazing!!
Perhaps it’s because Florida has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations? Maybe people are taking heed and being cautious? Then again it could be that summer vacations are over .
I truly believe it’s due to school being back in session, but also the lack of fastpass. I’m sure the Delta Variant has a big play in this, too.
I truly believe lines would stay lower if fastpass stayed away. The reasons they were so high during the summer is that so many families booked their vacations and the parks were packed.
We are used to going in October and lines where we didn’t have a fastpass averaged 45 minutes to an hour. So it’s no shock that standyby lines with no fast pass are moving much quicker.
I’m thinking a combo of the current state of the pandemic and school’s back in so weekends aren’t as available for trips? Unless you’re local.
Covid certainly has nothing to do with it. Was just in the parks last week and crowd levels were very high in all four parks. Couldn’t believe how many people were there, not wearing masks outside and in very close proximity to each other. About 10 minutes prior to the fireworks show in MK, the cast members had everyone squeeze in ON TOP OF EACH OTHER so everyone could be in front of the castle! I was pissed that there wasn’t ANY social distancing and no one wearing a mask especially since my family and I staked out our spot 3 hours prior to the start of the show. Didn’t matter. People were so close I could feel them brushing against me. I also noticed throughout the entire time we were in the parks that many people have zero respect for even your personal space while waiting in lines. Covid or not there is no reason anyone needs to be on top of me waiting in a line. If I can’t shift or maneuver my backpack while I’m standing in line without it touching someone else, YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO ME Covid or no Covid!!! There’s a reason why Orlando and Florida is in a Covid crisis and Disney is leading the way! Ridiculous considering how rampant they are saying the delta variant is. Also, hand sanitizer was scarce even after getting off high touch rides like Toy Story Mania. Couldn’t find dispensers or if we did they were empty! Also didn’t see cast members cleaning anything the way they were last year when they reopened. Way to go Disney! Very disappointed in what you are doing (and not doing but should be) to contribute to the nightmare we’ve had to endure the last 18mo. One of my family members left there with Covid and was fully vaccinated earlier this year. The rest of us managed to miraculously dodge that bullet. I felt pretty safe when they reopened the parks last summer, but not now. Low crowds? I chalk it up to kids returning to school. Again Covid has NOT deterred the masses in the slightest.
Lots of schools back in session, some earlier than typical. WDW will likely be slower than normal now through Mid-late Sept. Most visitors staying on property have likely held off until they can be a part of 50th Anniversary celebrations. My family and I will be there for 12 days in October and are unable to change floors where we’re staying (Polynesian), being told that they’re fully booked and are struggling to make special requests at this time. Glad I booked Lagoon side when I did.
Not only because of the Delta Variant, but also because of the 90+ degree heat, rain, wearing a mask all day in the heat, and the high prices of tickets, hotels, food, transportation etc.
It seems like Disney is more worried about the amount of money each guest spends, then having more guests in the parks. Exhibit A of my thesis is the price of staying at the new Star Wars hotel
Local schools have started the school year. Weekends are usually busier than the week days.
Delta Variant ,plus people are fed up of the rising cost of tickets to WDW and the lack of value for money.
Oh, and also, did you see how many flights Southwest cancelled this weekend! A ton!
I agree with Holly as part of the crowd reduction. When I look at the rope drop pictures, then add the delta variant, I feel nervous just looking at the pics. Add in the mandatory masks indoors, and a significant percentage of people aren’t going to go there.
Then add in the number of families not available due to school.
Then add in price increases, along with a lot of negative publicity for other Disney changes, and you have more drops in attendance.
I don’t know if I would have predicted it, but it doesn’t surprise me at all.
School is back in session in Florida.
Exactly maybe people are using their heads and avoiding a state with thousands of cases everyday
Epcot is EMPTY today! Shortest wait times, everything is a walk on!
Hi AJ
Could be that all us Brits are not there 🤷♀️
C’on Mr Biden wave your wand and allow us back 🇬🇧
# love WDW 🇺🇸.
Perhaps people are starting to realize that Florida’s viral infection rate is one of the highest in the country and they have not been making new reservations in conjunction with the reopening of schools across the country. It seems logical.
Definitely that back to school sweet spot!!
The only time that Disney offered VERY SPECIAL PRICES was the year after September 11. Buy 4 days in the hotel and get 7days in the hotel. This was done because people were afraid to fly. The PANDEMIC IS MUCH WORSE yet Disney HAS NOT offered special incentives to book a room in 2022. Why not ?
Many people like my husband and I are finally fed up with the mask mandates. We just decided that if masks are required we aren’t playing the game anymore. The masks don’t do anything. WE have had the virus and the vaccine and we are just fed up with the stupid masks. (By the way, the shots made us sicker than the virus did).
This is when my family usually goes to Disney world. Historically, this is when the crowds start to thin out. We aren’t because: #1- the steep rise in Florida covid cases. #2- having to wear a mask at anytime (we are all vaccinated) in the hot Florida sun. And #3- no fastpass+.
Once those 3 issues are resolved we will return. Although we don’t like the fact that magical express is going away, that’s not a deal breaker by itself.
Almost guaranteed, it was the early closure plus schools in. The folks that buy a non hopper ticket are NOT going to waste it on an early close park.
School reopening thins crowds every year at this time but the DELTA VARIANT has got to be a factor for anyone not in denial about the threat (especially to individuals not fully vaccinated). Florida hospitals are filling up and some have been Code Red for weeks. The “Sunshine State” is effectively a war zone with two fronts…one against COVID and the other against those who don’t want to do their part in getting it under control. At least Disney has been very responsible through the measures they’ve taken at their theme parks and DCL.
It’s not COVID, it’s the fact mask are required again, no dining plan, no fastpass+, no unrestricted park hopper, and all tours and many events still closed. If WDW opened up 100% and brought all of the above back they would be at 100% capacity immediately!! I know over 20 families that have canceled their upcoming trip just for those reasons, I have canceled twice in last 2 years, will cancel a third in 2022 if not 100% open.