food IS a theme park
Well, today is the day. The last day we’ll sing along to “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and enjoy the antics of Br’er Rabbit.
Splash Mountain
That’s right — today is the day that Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain closes forever. We’ve already seen quite a few crowds in Disney World this weekend headed to ride the attraction one last time before it closes to be reimagined as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But we’re live at Magic Kingdom RIGHT NOW on Splash Mountain’s final day.
We’ve officially entered a slower season in Disney World, but it doesn’t always feel like it!
TRON Construction
Although this time of year is typically not as busy as the holidays or spring break time, there are plenty of things happening in the parks to draw people in. The Festival of the Arts is happening over in EPCOT right now, a popular Princess meet and greet is reopening, TRON Lightcycle / Run is getting closer to its opening (which means previews are coming soon), and so much more. So how is all of this impacting the wait times?
It’s been a pretty wild week for Disney news!
Magic Kingdom
We found out when Happily Ever After and EPCOT Forever would return to Disney World, free parking is now available for hotel guests, Genie+ is getting a new perk, Park Pass Reservations are changing for Annual Passholders, and more. Also, the Festival of the Arts officially kicked off in EPCOT! Even though Disney news has been busy, the parks seemed to have mellowed out when it comes to wait times.
Have you ever dreamed of having Disney World all to yourself? No lines for rides and room to roam around without bumping into a bunch of strangers?
Empty Main Street U.S.A.
Well, that can be a reality — Disney World After Hours events are back! We recently attended the After Hours event in Disney’s Hollywood Studios where we ate iconic snacks and walked on several rides. But just how empty is Magic Kingdom? We’re at the event to find out!
If you’re headed to Disney World soon, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Crowds
The crowds have been wild this holiday season in Disney World and we’ve seen some pretty long wait times. On top of that the wait times will soon be affected by several upcoming ride closures and refurbishments. But what can you expect from the wait times in Disney World right now? That’s what we’re here to investigate!
The time has FINALLY come — After Hours events are BACK in Disney World!
After Hours Event
When Disney World reopened after the park closures, not all entertainment offerings came back at once. Disney announced that After Hours Events would be returning to the parks in January 2023, and that day is officially here! It has all kicked off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so come with us as we see what crowds and wait times are like at the very FIRST returning After Hours Event!
Disney World is unfortunately no stranger to high ride wait times.
Magic Kingdom
The parks have been incredibly busy lately, even though the holiday season is wrapping up. In fact, it feels like the parks are busier now than they were over the holiday break! Today Disney has been extra busy in the crowd department, and these wait times are the proof.
You’ve probably heard us mention that your Disney World experience can vary wildly depending on what time of year you visit.
Magic Kingdom
Weekends and holidays tend to be the busiest, and we often see crowds start to dissipate come January and early September. But, it doesn’t look like that’s the case just yet. The crowds are still out in Disney World — and we think we might just know why!
So it’s probably no secret that the holiday season brings serious crowds to Disney World. That also means some seriously high wait times.
Cinderella Castle with holiday crowds
Granted, we haven’t seen as many crowds as we expected recently, but we have seen high wait times. And today, the EPCOT crowds are HEFTY!! On the flip side of that, things are a little…different in Magic Kingdom. The park that generally has the HIGHEST wait times has some relatively low wait times today!
If you’ve got a little one sitting next to you, cover their eyes…because we’re about to show something SCARY.
*screams*
Did anyone else scream?! Yep, those are the crowds in Disney World today, specifically EPCOT. The parks typically get pretty busy in the week between Christmas and New Year, but what we’re seeing today is unlike any other crowds we’ve seen this year. Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling to see the proof.
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