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Wait Times Skyrocket as Crowds Descend Upon Disney World

Disney World spring break crowds
Credit: My Disney Experience/Michael A. Disney Dining

Every year, more than 50 million people visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Tens of thousands of people visit the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom every single day. Then, there are the two water parks — Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach — and the massive shopping and dining area of Disney Springs.

wdw crowds

Credit: Darren Gundling on Unsplash

While Disney World theme parks are pretty much always crowded, there are certain times of the year when they seem worse. This includes the holidays, summer, and school vacations.

Right now, we are getting into Spring Break season, meaning the parks are overrun with families and younger children. Heavy crowds mean LONG wait times. And we are seeing some wait times really skyrocket, as more and more families make their way to the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Disney World wait times

Credit: My Disney Experience

As you can see, ride and attraction wait times are huge — even for rides like Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Rarely does Smuggler’s Run have a wait time of more than an hour, but this morning, it was well over two!

And you won’t find relief in other parts of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Slinky Dog Dash had a nearly three-hour wait, while Toy Story Mania was sitting at an hour and a half, and Alien Swirling Saucers was an hour.

And these crazy wait times were not limited to Hollywood Studios.

Disney World wait times

Credit: My Disney Experience

Related: Disney Silences Critics After Avatar Flight of Passage Ride Experiences Unbelievable Wait Time

Over at Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage had a two-hour wait and Na’vi River Journey was more than an hour and a half. Dinosaur was an hour, and Expedition Everest was an astonishing 100-minute wait!

Of course, many Magic Kingdom attractions had long waits, and that make sense, since it is the most popular theme park at the Resort, especially for families with young children.

Disney World wait times

Credit: My Disney Experience

If guests at EPCOT wanted to enjoy some popular attractions like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After, then they need to be prepared to spend some long hours in line.

On January 9, Disney World got rid of theme park reservation requirements for guests with date-based tickets. So, you’ll never be able to guess just how crowded a park will be at any given time.

Disney World Spring Break crowds

Credit: Michael A. Disney Dining

Related: Genie+: the Good , the Bad, and the Ugly

If you and your party only have a limited amount of time in the theme parks, then you may want to consider purchasing Disney Genie+. Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows guests to get to the front of the line much faster. The price fluctuates daily, and each member of your party must purchase Genie+, it can be very helpful in getting you on more rides.

Do you like to visit Disney World during Spring Break? Or do you like to do during the off-season? Let us know in the comments!

About Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!