Day after Memorial Day?

Edited: May 1, 2019, 8:33 AM

Any insight into anticipated crowds for the day after Memorial Day? Any relief? Thanks!

Replies (6)

Edited: April 30, 2019, 10:07 AM

I'm not sure what specific day you're talking about (Memorial Day is in the title, but Labor Day is in the post).

The day after Memorial Day at WDW is likely to be a typical summer weekday with moderate to heavy crowds. I would expect at least 90+ minute waits for the top attractions (FoP, Soarin', Frozen, SDD, and 7DMT) and moderate waits (30+ minutes) for the second tier rides. Since you're already inside the 30-day window for FP+ reservations, you're probably not going to get anything good at this point. However, if you log onto MDE, you should be able to tell the crowd levels based on the FP+ availability. I would recommend grabbing whatever early morning reservations are available and then routinely check the system to see if FP+ reservations pop up for more coveted attractions as you approach the date of your visit.

The day after Labor Day is shaping up to be a zoo at WDW. Disney has announced that Galaxy's Edge will open on August 29, 2019, which makes Labor Day Weekend the first operational days for the highly anticipated addition. While you may see some crowds subside on September 3, 2019 at MK, EPCOT, and DAK, I would still anticipate a crush of guests at DHS. Disney has not specifically announced how they will manage guests for Galaxy's Edge at DHS, but if Disneyland is any indication, expect to find it difficult to secure entry into the land if you don't already have a room reservation. Disney has already indicated that the attractions will not be part of FP+ when it opens (and ROtR is probably not even going to be running), so pack your patience if the impetus for your visit is to see Galaxy's Edge.

Edited: May 1, 2019, 8:34 AM

Thank you for the response!!!! Considering a visit this month after Memorial Day.=)(edited my error).

Edited: May 1, 2019, 9:02 AM

OK...If that's the case, then the My Disney Experience (MDE) App will be the best gauge for crowd levels in the parks for that day. Even on slow days attractions like FoP, Soarin', 7DMT, Frozen, and SDD will be out of FP+ reservations inside the 30-day window, which is where you're at right now. However, if you have a hard time finding morning FP+ reservations for second tier attractions like ToT, TSM, TestTrack, Space Mountain, Everest, and Big Thunder Mountain, you can expect the park to be busy.

The Catch-22 is that you need to have a purchased admission (which is assigned to a day, unless you purchase the most expensive admission) before you can access the FP+ reservation system. I'm not sure if you're visiting on already-purchased tickets or planned on buying tickets between now and your visit. In either case, I highly recommend creating an MDE account and link an admission to that account ASAP so you can determine what the actual crowd levels will be for that day. Don't just show up and buy a ticket at the gate, because it will lead to a very disappointing experience with lots of time spent in standby lines. Based on a quick scan of the FP+ availability (I have some old non-expiring admissions that are assigned to my MDE account so I can look through the system), May 28th looks like a pretty busy day (but not crushingly crowded). There are still some mid-day and afternoon FP+s available for the second tier attractions (including Peter Pan and Frozen), but the top attractions (FoP, 7DMT, ToT, and SDD) are all gone, and will probably have 90-120+ minute standby lines throughout much of the day.

Edited: May 1, 2019, 9:39 AM

A lot depends on what park you are planning to visit and then which ride(s) you want to get on? Epcot will be the quietest, followed by DHS, DAK and then MK.

May 1, 2019, 1:23 PM

WOW...more to take into account than I imagined. Thank you for your explanation and info!

Edited: May 1, 2019, 2:36 PM

Do you know what park(s) you want to visit on that day? Will you have an entire day to spend there?

Sadly, WDW is no longer a place that you can simply walk up, buy a ticket, and enjoy a nice theme park day. It has become a very complicated (and expensive) place with lots of moving parts that requires some level of pre-planning and consideration before arriving at the gate. If you only have just one day to visit, I might recommend looking at one of the non-Disney theme parks in the Orlando area, unless you think this might be the only day in your life where you will have a chance to visit WDW.

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