There’s a reason we warn you about holiday weekends in Disney World.

Folks are often eager to spend time off in the parks, which means you could find yourself surrounded by thousands of your “closest friends” in the parks. But lately, holiday crowds have been surprising us in Disney World. Memorial Day didn’t see quite the uptick in wait times we usually expect, so what’s going on with the Fourth of July? Well, we found out…

You might have expected the Fourth of July to be absolutely PACKED everywhere in Disney World…but that wasn’t quite the case.

Magic Kingdom

Over in the Magic Kingdom parking lot — the Transportation and Ticket Center — we noticed that crowds seemed fairly heavy over by the parking trams.

However, once we got to the Monorail, the crowds weren’t as bad. We did arrive slightly after park open, so it’s possible that we missed those heavier rope-dropping crowds earlier in the morning.

At the front of Magic Kingdom, we really started to notice the crowds…

Hi from Magic Kingdom! 👋🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tsG7gVRZa7

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 4, 2023

…and once we walked into the park we saw where everyone was — right on Main Street U.S.A.!

That makes sense as many were likely claiming their spot early for the unique flyover that took place around 10:30AM. Following the flyover, it seemed like a lot of guests made their way into the stores on Main Street, U.S.A. to escape the heat, so things were quite packed in there!

Happy 4th of July from Magic Kingdom and the U.S. Air Force! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/FVtWkVwot7

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 4, 2023

But what do these crowds mean in terms of wait times? Well, we’re pleasantly surprised — the highest wait time in the park around 10AM was Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 65 minutes, which isn’t all that bad for a holiday.

Note that Magic Kingdom Park Passes did fill up for the 4th of July, so Disney does appear to be regulating the crowd levels there which could also impact things. And wait times could get much higher as the day goes on — so be warned!

EPCOT

Over in EPCOT, the crowds were surprising!

Good morning from EPCOT on this 4th of July! pic.twitter.com/xwrTpNhPd9

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 4, 2023

 

At the front of the park, things were busy with heavy crowds…

The crowds are here for opening! pic.twitter.com/e4BxYtlJcI

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 4, 2023

…but when we made our way over to The Land Pavilion, things were looking pretty calm. Soarin’ only had a 25-minute wait when we walked past it earlier in the day!

Getting coffee, however, seemed to be a priority for many guests and there was a pretty big line at Connections Cafe, but it wasn’t too bad.

Need Starbucks this morning? Pack your patience in EPCOT. 👀 pic.twitter.com/s2VSaA9bf5

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 4, 2023

As for wait times, we were pleasantly surprised. Around 10AM, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was only 25 minutes(!!!) and the highest wait time in the park was Test Track at 65 minutes.

More!

Overall, things weren’t all that bad this morning. As of around 11:10AM ET, the longest wait times were 105 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 75 minutes for Test Track, 75 minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight, and 70 minutes for Avatar Flight of Passage.

Things at Animal Kingdom were pretty quiet with Na’vi River Journey at only a 30-minute wait at the time, and Kilimanjaro Safaris at a 15-minute wait. Hollywood Studios also wasn’t bad with Rise of the Resistance having just a 45-minute wait and Slinky Dog Dash at 55 minutes.

Again, things could pick up later in the day, particularly as the time for fireworks approaches, but for the most part, it seems like things were busier (but not too terrible) at Magic Kingdom and fairly quiet at the other parks — at least earlier in the day. Is that what you expected from the holiday crowds or does it come as a surprise? Tell us in the comments!

We know that planning a Disney World trip is A LOT – which is why we bring you all the latest info! But we’ve also put together a complete guide in ebook format that gives you all of the info you need, all in one place! Use code WDW2023 for 25% off our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World.

Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney World news!

See ALL the Eats and Treats at Disney World for the Fourth of July

 

What’s your secret for avoiding crowds in Disney World? Tell us in the comments.