As summer begins winding down, one trend keeps popping up across Disney fan sites and crowd trackers: Walt Disney World has been seeing lighter-than-expected crowds.
After spending several days at the parks ourselves just a few weeks ago, we’d have to agree.
Our trip happened right in the middle of all the excitement surrounding the FIFA Club World Cup, which added a fun atmosphere throughout the resort. Even so, the parks never felt overwhelmingly crowded.
Like many families, we used Lightning Lane for several of our must-do attractions, but what surprised us most was what happened afterward. Our family has a tradition we call a “re-ride”—jumping right back in line after using Lightning Lane to see if the standby wait is reasonable.
More often than not, it was.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest was an easy example. After riding with Lightning Lane, our 15-year-old convinced everyone to get back in line, and we were rewarded with a standby wait of around 20 minutes. We had a similar experience later in the day at Space Mountain, and TRON Lightcycle / Run quickly found its way onto our re-ride list as well.
The biggest surprise wasn’t just the wait times—it was how comfortable the parks felt. Animal Kingdom’s pathways never seemed packed, and EPCOT’s newly renovated, more spacious walkways made it easy to move around even during busier parts of the afternoon.
It certainly helped that afternoon thunderstorms briefly closed a few attractions and sent some guests looking for shelter—or even heading back to their resorts—but even during meal times, finding a table wasn’t much of a challenge.
Disney fans have also been optimistic following the appointment of Josh D’Amaro as the company’s new CEO. While it’s far too early to credit any operational changes to new leadership, many guests are hopeful the strong focus on the parks that defined his previous role will continue.
Of course, Florida in July is still Florida. It was hot, humid, and afternoon rain showers were part of the daily routine. But if you’ve been putting off a summer Disney vacation because you expected wall-to-wall crowds, this season may have been one of the better opportunities in recent years.
If current crowd trends continue, families squeezing in one last trip before schools are fully back in session may find themselves spending less time waiting in line—and more time making memories.
