Black Friday at EPCOT delivered one of the most intense crowd surges of the entire year, overwhelming even the most experienced Walt Disney World Resort fans. Guests arriving for the kickoff of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays on November 28 found themselves navigating shoulder-to-shoulder traffic, long entry lines, and jam-packed festival walkways as Thanksgiving week crowds reached their peak.
Black Friday Crowds Trigger Gridlock at EPCOT Entry
As families poured into the Central Florida Disney parks for the long holiday weekend, EPCOT became the epicenter of Black Friday tourism. Minutes before the park opened, @WDWNT posted an image on X (formerly Twitter) showing hundreds of guests stretching throughout the entrance plaza, with security lines backed up and tapstiles struggling to keep up with demand.
LOOOOOOOOOOOONG lines to enter EPCOT right now…
LOOOOOOOOOOOONG lines to enter EPCOT right now… pic.twitter.com/pAm8bPrgzS
— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) November 28, 2025
Disney Food Blog, reporting live from the scene, admitted they “were not expecting” the overwhelming turnout, while the team at AllEars described the entrance choke point as “SHOCKING” and “wall-to-wall.” Get a glimpse at the chaos in this livestream from the YouTube channel Ear To Ear Magic:
Packed Walkways and Soaring Wait Times
Once inside EPCOT, guests found little relief. Footpaths around World Showcase quickly clogged with festivalgoers chasing holiday food booths and entertainment offerings. The My Disney Experience app reflected the surge immediately, with popular attractions posting lengthy midday wait times:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: 85 minutes
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: 80 minutes
- Frozen Ever After: 65 minutes
- Soarin’ Around the World: 50 minutes
One of the Busiest Days at Walt Disney World Resort
Thanksgiving week routinely delivers some of the highest crowd levels at Walt Disney World Resort, second only to the week between Christmas and New Year’s. For those planning to visit in the coming weeks, expect heavy crowds, long waits, and high demand for festival offerings. And if you were among the Disney Park guests caught in the holiday crush this year, you certainly earned your place in EPCOT’s unofficial Black Friday survival club.
When is the least-crowded time to visit EPCOT during the International Festival of the Holidays? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!
