Lots of people plan their Disney vacation arriving on a Thursday evening and staying until Sunday evening. Or they will arrive on Friday and stay in Orlando for a week. This means the first park day for many visitors is a Friday. Which leads us to the next question that probably pops up on people’s minds – Which Disney park is least crowded on Friday?
Epcot is a good park to visit on a Friday. You’re likely to find the thinnest crowds here on this day of the week. Another good choice would be Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which tends to be less crowded on Fridays.
To be honest, every day is a good day at Disney World – it’s Disney after all! But to avoid long lines and get the most out of your Disney vacation, you can do a little planning in terms of which Disney park to visit on what day of the week.
Keep reading to learn more about which Disney park is least crowded on Friday. Also find out the best and worst times of the year to plan your Disney vacation (assuming you have flexibility). We’ll also give you a sample itinerary for a week-long Disney World vacation that might help you avoid the crowds at each of the four Disney theme parks.
Which Disney park is best to visit on a Friday?
Right off the bat, we have to say Friday is when the crowds start picking up at Disney World. It’s almost the weekend and locals also tend to visit on this day of the week. With that said, Epcot usually sees lowish crowds on Friday, so it’s a good pick if you’re headed to a theme park on a Friday. Another option is Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Fridays tend to be good days crowd-wise to visit this park as well.
Is Epcot busy on Fridays?
Epcot is not as busy on Friday as it can get on Saturday. So, like we said, Epcot on a Friday is decent choice if you’re headed to a Disney theme park. Other days when Epcot tends to be least busy are Mondays and Wednesdays.
Which Disney park is the most crowded on Fridays?
Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Florida is the world’s most visited theme park. No surprise then that Fridays can get very busy at Magic Kingdom, more so during the holiday season or when school is out. Besides Magic Kingdom, we also try and steer clear of Disney’s Hollywood Studios on a Friday. This is especially true now that Hollywood Studios has been attracting record numbers of visitors after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened.
What are the best days to go to each Disney Park?
One of the things you should keep in mind when planning your itinerary at Walt Disney World is Extra Magic Hours. In general, guests make a beeline for the park that’s offering longer hours on that particular day. The trick to avoiding crowds is to avoid the park that offers Extra Magic Hours on a given day. See below for the best and worst days to visit Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom
Best day of the week to visit Magic Kingdom: Tuesday
Other good days to visit Magic Kingdom: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Days to avoid Magic Kingdom: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Extra Magic Hours at Magic Kingdom (avoid if you can): Wednesday evening, Friday morning
Epcot
Best day of the week to visit Epcot: Monday
Other good days to visit Epcot: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Days to avoid Epcot: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Extra Magic Hours at Epcot (avoid if you can): Tuesday evening, Thursday morning
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Best day of the week to visit Hollywood Studios: Thursday
Other good days to visit Hollywood Studios: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
Days to avoid Hollywood Studios: Monday, Friday, Sunday
Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios (avoid if you can): Sunday evening
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Best day of the week to visit Animal Kingdom: Sunday
Other good days to visit Animal Kingdom: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Days to avoid Animal Kingdom: Monday, Friday, Saturday
Extra Magic Hours at Animal Kingdom (avoid if you can): Monday morning, Saturday morning
Please double check Extra Magic Hours for each park during your vacation. Disney can switch the days around to accommodate crowds after a new attraction opens or during special events.
What’s the best plan for a week-long visit to Disney World?
Let’s say, you arrive in Orlando on a Saturday evening and are staying until the next Saturday. Here’s a sample itinerary that will help you avoid the crowds at the four Disney theme parks as much as possible. We’re assuming you have 5-day tickets without Park Hopper. Most people want to visit one park every day and visit to all the four Disney theme parks. (They’re so different and so much fun).
Sunday: Head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Sunday is typically the best day of the week to visit this park.
Monday: Epcot is a great park to visit on a Monday. In general, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are some of the least busy days at Epcot.
Tuesday: While it is always crowded at MK, Tuesday is a good day of the week to visit Magic Kingdom.
Wednesday: Spend the day relaxing at your resort or enjoy some of the other attractions in Orlando. You can even buy a day ticket for one of the two Disney water parks – Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. In our experience, back-to-back theme park days can get a bit too much. (You’ll walk an average of 18,000 steps or 8 miles in each park!)
Thursday: It’s time to hit the fourth Disney park today. Thursday is usually a good day to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Friday: Today’s the day you can re-visit the park you loved most. If avoiding crowds is your biggest objective, then Epcot is a good park to visit on a Friday.
What are the busiest and slowest times of year at Disney World?
Best Months to visit Disney World
The shoulder seasons (springtime and fall) are usually good months to visit Disney World. You get cool temps and low crowds. If you have flexibility, plan your trip for February, March, April, September, October, or November. Avoid any holiday weekends during these months. You might just find that wait times are very manageable even without Disney Genie.
Worst Months to visit Disney World
Steer clear of the summer months and any holidays and school breaks. This means June, July, and August are off the table if you want to avoid crowds. Not only are they the most crowded months at Disney World, but also the hottest. Keep in mind though that while holiday seasons at Disney World can get crowded, it’s also the time when the holiday decorations are up and that is magical.