Planning a Disney World trip for 2020 or 2021??

You’ve come to the right place.

Now more than ever, if you’re thinking about visiting Walt Disney World advanced planning isn’t just necessary, with the new Disney Park Pass system it is required.

But even with the new systems and procedures in place, if you choose your dates wisely you can avoid peak crowd times which means you’ll spend less time in lines and more time having fun.

Our Disney World crowd calendar will help you do just that.

Let’s dive in…

Are crowd calendars a thing of the past?

If this was any other year, right now we’d be neck deep in data pouring over school schedules, holidays, special events, runDisney races, and cheer and dance competitions all with the sole purpose of predicting the days and weeks when we would likely see the highest number of guests making their way to Walt Disney World.

It was never an exact science, but years and years of near-monthly visits paired with giant spreadsheets and databases of wait times did help us, with at least a decent amount of accuracy, predict how we thought things would go.

But the truth is for people traveling between now and September 2021, things are going to look a little bit lot different.

Most of what we knew in the past isn’t going to help us now.

Many special events are being cancelled. School schedules are all over the place.

Choosing those “best dates” just got a lot more nuanced and things we’d never thought we’d have to consider (like park reservations) are a new reality.

So in our opinions, Crowd Calendars aren’t a thing of the past, but they are going to look different (just like all things Walt Disney World right now!).

Planning a Disney World vacation will look different

If you’re just starting to plan a trip between now and the end of September 2021, you should first read our free Walt Disney World Vacation Planner to make sure you don’t miss anything that could mess up your trip.

And, if you’re still on the fence about visiting, we have some thoughts that may help you decide when is the best time to visit for you and your family.

How it works

Simply put, crowd calendars are predictions for just how busy the Walt Disney World Resort will be on any given day.

Monthly crowd calendars & daily recommended parks

In addition to the yearly information below, we also publish monthly crowd calendars that include daily recommended parks, refurbishment and closure information, park and entertainment hours, plus the dates you’ll need to know for booking Advanced Dining Reservations.

These handy (& free!) calendars are easily customized to display the exact information you need, including daily recommendations for:

Magic Kingdom

Epcot

Hollywood Studios

Animal Kingdom

Plus operating information (hours, refurbishments & closures, etc.) for:

Disney Springs

Blizzard Beach

Typhoon Lagoon

A couple notes:

We are in the process of updating these calendars. For the time being, things are very fluid so please check back often.

For the time being, things are very fluid so please check back often. Disney has said that the FastPass+ reservation system has been suspended for the time being. Because of that, we have removed those reservation dates from our monthly calendars.

The Disney Park Pass System is open for all guests traveling between now and September 26, 2021.

We recommend you use the information on this page to guide you as you select your travel dates and then use the monthly crowd calendars linked below each month to help you plan your individual days.

Ready to book a trip for 2020 or 2021? The handpicked team of agents at Perfect Story Travel can help you navigate all the changes. Fill out the info below to get started.

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Important details to know:

Disney Park Pass reservations are required if you want to enter any theme park (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom). No reservation, no entry. Get caught up on how the Disney Park Pass Reservation system works.

All parks will have a maximum capacity, and once that capacity is reached no additional reservations will be available. (If people cancel their park pass reservations, others should be able to pick those up, but we can’t expect new reservations to become available.)

The further away you get from the opening, the more likely you will see crowds increase.

As we get further away from the opening and as the situation adjusts, Disney could increase the overall capacity. When that happens, expect to see overall crowd levels impacted.

And finally, probably the most important thing to know:

When looking at crowd levels below please keep in mind that you can’t compare this year to last year, or any other year for that matter. What we consider “heavy” crowds now will likely look nothing like the “heavy” crowds from years past. BUT, they are still heavy when compared to other days this year (and next).

July 2020

July 11-14 – Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopen, bringing with it lots of excitement and crowds

– Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopen, bringing with it lots of excitement and crowds July 15-19 – after Epcot and Hollywood Studios opens up on the 15th, expect the crowds to more evenly disperse between all 4 parks, but we will likely also see an uptick in crowd levels as people that waited for all 4 parks to be open arrive

– after Epcot and Hollywood Studios opens up on the 15th, expect the crowds to more evenly disperse between all 4 parks, but we will likely also see an uptick in crowd levels as people that waited for all 4 parks to be open arrive July 20-24 – moderate crowds

– moderate crowds July 25-26 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week July 27-31 – mild crowds to finish out the month

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the July crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for July:

In these early opening weeks and months, everybody (including the hard-working Cast Members) will be busy learning and re-learning procedures, new and old. If you are considering traveling during this time, be sure to pack some extra patience and willingness to do things differently than you might have done in the past.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be held – at least on a smaller scale, and it will start as soon as Epcot opens. This event is popular with the locals and in the past, weekends (especially in the evenings) would often include plenty of guests having an extra-good time enjoying the adult beverages. You may want to consider avoiding Epcot on the weekends if that is a concern.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

August 2020

August 1-2 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week August 3-7 – summer crowds start to decrease as some districts return to school

– summer crowds start to decrease as some districts return to school August 8-9 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week August 10-14 – light crowds

– light crowds August 15-16 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week August 17-21 – light crowds

– light crowds August 22-23 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week August 24-28 – light crowds

– light crowds August 29-30 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week August 31 – light crowds

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the August crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for August:

In these early opening weeks and months, everybody (including the hard-working Cast Members) will be busy learning and re-learning procedures, new and old. If you are considering traveling during this time, be sure to pack some extra patience and willingness to do things differently than you might have done in the past.

After the initial onslaught of visitors eases up, our best guess is that we will see crowds slow down a bit before the holidays – at least over the weekdays.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be held – at least on a smaller scale, and it will start as soon as Epcot opens in July. This event is popular with the locals and in the past, weekends (especially in the evenings) would often include plenty of guests having an extra-good time enjoying the adult beverages. You may want to consider avoiding Epcot on the weekends if that is a concern.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been cancelled for 2020.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Hurricane season begins picking up by the end of August. Consider trip insurance if planning a vacation during this time.

September 2020

September 1-4 – light crowds remain before the Labor Day holiday

– light crowds remain before the Labor Day holiday September 5-7 – moderate crowds for the Labor Day holiday

moderate crowds for the Labor Day holiday September 8-11 – light crowds

– light crowds September 12-13 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week September 14-18 – light crowds return as many schools are now in session

– light crowds return as many schools are now in session September 19-20 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week September 21-25 – light crowds continue

– light crowds continue September 26-27 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week September 28-30 – light crowds continue to finish out the month

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the September crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for September:

After the initial onslaught of visitors eases up, our best guess is that we will see crowds slow down a bit before the holidays – at least over the weekdays.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been cancelled for 2020.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be held – at least on a smaller scale, and it will start as soon as Epcot opens in July. This event is popular with the locals and in the past, weekends (especially in the evenings) would often include plenty of guests having an extra-good time enjoying the adult beverages. You may want to consider avoiding Epcot on the weekends if that is a concern.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Hurricane season is typically at or near its peak in September. Consider trip insurance if planning a vacation during this time.

October 2020

October 1-2 – the first few days of October should be light crowds

– the first few days of October should be light crowds October 3-8 – moderate crowds slowly increasing as the holiday weekend approaches

– moderate crowds slowly increasing as the holiday weekend approaches October 9-13 – peak Columbus Day holiday crowd levels (keep in mind that “peak” for 2020 will still be far less than what we typically see this time of year)

– peak Columbus Day holiday crowd levels (keep in mind that “peak” for 2020 will still be far less than what we typically see this time of year) October 14-16 – expect to see crowds tapering back off

– expect to see crowds tapering back off October 17-18 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week October 19-23 – light to moderate crowds

– light to moderate crowds October 24-25 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week October 26-30 – light to moderate crowds

– light to moderate crowds October 31 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the October crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for October:

In years past, October has been one of the busiest month since there are so many schools that now have fall breaks. We do expect some families to keep their planned vacations this October so crowds will likely be heavier than what we saw in September.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be held – at least on a smaller scale, and it will start as soon as Epcot opens in July. This event is popular with the locals and in the past, weekends (especially in the evenings) would often include plenty of guests having an extra-good time enjoying the adult beverages. You may want to consider avoiding Epcot on the weekends if that is a concern.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been cancelled for 2020.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Hurricane season is typically at or near its peak in October. Consider trip insurance if planning a vacation during this time.

November 2020

November 1-6 – light to moderate crowds as we head towards the previously scheduled Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon (note: this race has been cancelled but guests with previously scheduled trips may still decide to visit WDW even without the race)

– light to moderate crowds as we head towards the previously scheduled Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon (note: this race has been cancelled but guests with previously scheduled trips may still decide to visit WDW even without the race) November 7-15 – moderate to heavy crowds for the Veterans Day holiday

– moderate to heavy crowds for the Veterans Day holiday November 16-19 – light crowds return

– light crowds return November 20-21 – Thanksgiving crowds begin to arrive

– Thanksgiving crowds begin to arrive November 22-27 – heavy Thanksgiving crowd levels

– heavy Thanksgiving crowd levels November 28-29 – Thanksgiving crowds begin to let up

– Thanksgiving crowds begin to let up November 30 – moderate crowds to close out the month

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the November crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for November:

While Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving this year will likely see far fewer crowds than last year, these dates will still see heavier crowds when compared to other days.

We saw Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party cancelled, but no word yet on whether or not the traditional holiday offerings (including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Candlelight Processional) will be held.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be held – at least on a smaller scale. This event is popular with the locals and in the past, weekends (especially in the evenings) would often include plenty of guests having an extra-good time enjoying the adult beverages. You may want to consider avoiding Epcot on the weekends if that is a concern.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

November brings the end to hurricane season. Consider trip insurance if planning a vacation during this time.

December 2020

December 1-4 – light crowds for the beginning of the month

– light crowds for the beginning of the month December 5-6 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week December 7-11 – light crowds

– light crowds December 12-13 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week December 14-18 – light crowds slowly starting to build to more moderate levels

– light crowds slowly starting to build to more moderate levels December 19-31 – very busy time as people use their days off of work/school to vacation at Disney World for the holidays

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the December crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for December:

While Christmas this year will likely see far fewer crowds than last year, these dates will still see heavier crowds when compared to other days.

We saw Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party cancelled, but no word yet on whether or not the traditional holiday offerings (including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Candlelight Processional) will be held.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The weather in December is definitely better than what you see in the summer, but it still a good idea to test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

January 2021

January 1-3 – very busy time as people use their days off of work/school to vacation at Disney World for the holidays

– very busy time as people use their days off of work/school to vacation at Disney World for the holidays January 4-11 – heavy crowds for the WDW Marathon (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race)

– heavy crowds for the WDW Marathon (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race) January 12-15 – moderate crowds before the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

– moderate crowds before the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday January 16-19 – heavy crowds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

– heavy crowds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday January 20-22 – moderate crowds as holiday breaks wind up

– moderate crowds as holiday breaks wind up January 23-24 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week January 25-29 – light crowds

– light crowds January 30-31 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the January crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for January:

There are a few holidays and special events sprinkled throughout this month that have historically drawn large crowds. The further away we get from that July 2020 re-opening day, the higher the likelihood more people will be traveling, meaning that while we don’t expect the crowds from years past we do still anticipate these holidays will probably cause a boost to the overall crowds.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The weather in January is definitely better than what you see in the summer, but it still a good idea to test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

February 2021

February 1-5 -light to moderate crowds

-light to moderate crowds February 6-7 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week February 8-12 – moderate crowds as we head into the Presidents Day holiday

– moderate crowds as we head into the Presidents Day holiday February 13-21 – potential for heavy to moderate crowds as we see a combination of Presidents Day, Mardi Gras, and the Princess Half Marathon all converging within a week of one another (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race)

– potential for heavy to moderate crowds as we see a combination of Presidents Day, Mardi Gras, and the Princess Half Marathon all converging within a week of one another (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race) February 22-28 – moderate crowds remain

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the February crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for February:

There are a few holidays and special events sprinkled throughout this month that have historically drawn large crowds. The further away we get from that July 2020 re-opening day, the higher the likelihood more people will be traveling, meaning that while we don’t expect the crowds from years past we do still anticipate these holidays will probably cause a boost to the overall crowds.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

The weather in February is definitely better than what you see in the summer, but it still a good idea to test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

March 2021

March 1-5 – light crowds

– light crowds March 6-7 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week March 8-12 – light to moderate crowds

– light to moderate crowds March 13-31 – moderate Spring Break crowds that continue to build as we get later into the month

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the March crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for March:

Spring Break typically begins this month, and historically that also meant heavy crowds at Walt Disney World. The further away we get from that July 2020 re-opening day, the higher the likelihood more people will be traveling, meaning that while we don’t expect the crowds from years past we do still anticipate these holidays will probably cause a boost to the overall crowds.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

April 2021

April 1-11 – Peak Easter crowds

– Peak Easter crowds April 12-14 – light crowds

– light crowds April 15-18 – moderate crowds for the Star Wars Rival Run race (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race)

– moderate crowds for the Star Wars Rival Run race (be sure to check the official runDisney website for updates on the race) April 19-23 – light crowds

– light crowds April 24-25 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week April 26-30 – light crowds

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the April crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for April:

The Easter holiday happens this month, and historically that also meant heavy crowds at Walt Disney World. The further away we get from that July 2020 re-opening day, the higher the likelihood more people will be traveling, meaning that while we don’t expect the crowds from years past we do still anticipate these holidays will probably cause a boost to the overall crowds.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

May 2021

May 1-2 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week May 3-7 – light crowds

– light crowds May 8-9 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week May 10-14 – light crowds

– light crowds May 15-16 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week May 17-21 – light crowds

– light crowds May 22-23 – weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week

– weekends will likely remain busier than weekdays as Annual Passholders plan their visits around the work week May 24-28 – moderate crowds

– moderate crowds May 29-31 – peak Memorial Day Weekend crowds

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the May crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for May:

The further away we get from that July 2020 re-opening day, the higher the likelihood more people will be traveling, meaning that overall crowd levels will continue to rise.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

June 2021

June 1-31 – moderate crowds

Things to keep in mind for June:

Many families that delayed 2020 vacations may feel safe to travel this year, meaning overall crowd levels will likely increase.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the June crowd calendar.

July 2021

July 1-6 – peak 4th of July crowds

– peak 4th of July crowds July 7-31 – moderate crowds

Things to keep in mind for July:

Many families that delayed 2020 vacations may feel safe to travel this year, meaning overall crowd levels will likely increase.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the July crowd calendar.

August 2021

August 1-22 – moderate crowds

– moderate crowds August 23-31 – moderate crowds that begin to taper off as more schools go back into session

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the August crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for August:

Many families that delayed 2020 vacations may feel safe to travel this year, meaning overall crowd levels will likely increase.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

September 2021

September 1-2 – light crowds

– light crowds September 3-6 – peak Labor Day crowds

– peak Labor Day crowds September 7-26 – light to moderate crowds

– light to moderate crowds September 27-31 – crowds begin to build for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World

Find out which parks are recommended each day (plus lots more info) on the September crowd calendar.

Things to keep in mind for September:

We do expect to see the Food and Wine Festival return, we just aren’t sure what that will look like.

The 50th Anniversary for Walt Disney World occurs on October 1 which means we could see crowds build in the final days of the month.

Hollywood Studios will still remain popular, but the decrease in available attractions (since their shows will not be operating) means their capacity will be far less than the other parks. The same is true to a lesser extent for Animal Kingdom. If these parks are important to you, double check their availability before booking.

Weather has always been a factor when planning Disney World trips, but the heat is especially something to consider now that masks will be required. Be sure you test your endurance wearing masks in situations as close as possible to what you’ll find if visiting during this time of the year.

Storms (especially mid-day storms) will also likely be a factor so we highly recommend you plan mid-day breaks from the sun and rain during your trip.

Hurricane season is typically at or near its peak in September. Consider trip insurance if planning a vacation during this time.

October – December 2021

While we don’t have enough information right now to compile predictions, there are some things you should keep in mind:

October 1, 2021, is the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. As of right now, we don’t have any details on what is planned; however, it is probably safe to expect large crowds to descend on the parks.

As of right now, Park Pass reservations only go through September 26, 2021. No word yet if that will continue.

The further out from July 2020 we get, the stronger the likelihood that overall crowds will increase.

Important Disney World crowd calendar notes

What about changes to the way things operate (queues, shows, etc.)?

This is a biggie in addition to the overall capacity being reduced – the way people move and are disbursed through the parks will change.

The queues and attractions and shows were all designed to hold lots (and LOTS) of guests.

Because we have all witnessed the parks utilizing that capacity to the fullest, adapting to these changes will take all of us time to get used to and basically, all those changes will mean we will need to re-learn what “busy” looks like, at least for now.

Remember: The crowd calendar information above isn’t a comparison to how busy things are compared to LAST year. Instead, they are a reference for you to figure out the best (or least-busiest) times to travel compared to dates moving forward.

What about the 50th Anniversary?

For several years we have been highly anticipating the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World.

Typically, these celebrations bring new entertainment, enhanced experiences, and weeks (if not months) worth of fun extras.

However, while we are confident that something will happen for this major event, we aren’t quite sure what to expect.

Keep in mind that dates around October 1 could be extremely busy, regardless of the level of celebration that is planned.

How opening and closings affect crowds

Note: openings have all been temporarily delayed. We will update this section with more information and adjust above crowd predictions as soon as it becomes available.

As you can imagine, anytime something major opens or something popular closes the crowds in the parks are heavily impacted.

In general, the parks where the attraction or show is located will see the largest impact, but it isn’t unusual for all the parks to see a temporary surge in crowds.

So, keep this in mind when noting the crowd levels below.

Crowd levels are fluid from year to year. What was considered “moderate” in years past is not the same thing that is considered “moderate” now; it is simply “moderate” when compared to the rest of the year (going forward).

Here are the openings and closures we think will have an impact on the overall crowds in the months ahead:

Ratatouille (Epcot)

Summer 2020 (opening has been delayed)

Epcot is playing host to lots of new stuff over the upcoming years and this brand new attraction will definitely invite a surge of crowds.

We are still awaiting an official opening date but look for crowds to be heavy at Epcot if traveling during that time.

Epcot Forever final performance and HarmonioUS begins

2020 (opening has been delayed)

We are still anxiously awaiting the premier date for this new nighttime show but much like when Illuminations: Reflections of Earth wrapped up, once the dates are announced you should plan for higher-than-anticipated crowds at Epcot if traveling during that time.

What about competitions and runDisney races?

Note: competitions at Disney World have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, and the status on runDisney races is currently up in the air. We will update this section with more information as it becomes available.

During the slower times of the year you’ll often find that Disney World hosts lots of competitions. While it is true that the competitions can bring the crowds, because the visitors are spending part of their time competing the majority of the impact is typically felt at the host resorts and not necessarily in the theme parks.

If you are planning to visit during the time of the year that a cheer, dance, or other sporting event competition is taking place, we recommend trying to avoid booking a room at one of the host resorts. The primary host resorts are typically all 3 of the All-Star Resorts (All-Star Sports, All-Star Movies, and All-Star Music).

There is also sometimes some overflow into the moderates, primarily Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs, however, the main impacts (like crowded buses and busy food courts) are guaranteed to be felt at the 3 All-Star Resorts.

Does that mean you will never find competitors in the other resorts? No. But you’ll definitely find them in the ones listed above.

runDisney races, on the other hand, tend to bring in far greater crowds that stay at all levels of resorts and since the competitions occur outside of the normal park operating hours, the impact is more wide-spread. That doesn’t mean a trip will be ruined if a race is occurring while you are there, it is just something to be aware of.

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When do you plan to visit? Any questions about our Disney World crowd calendar?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, but please don’t ask us to compare to crowd calendars from other sites. We’ve explained the reasoning behind our calendar here and won’t be commenting on how other sites do things.