Orlando Theme Parks Crowd Calendars
Plan your holiday smarter with my Orlando theme parks crowd calendars along with information on how to use them. Please bear with me while I build out this page as quick as I can. Seaworld’s crowd calendar is now live, Busch Gardens will be up very soon then I will work on Universal Orlando and Disney World.
Getting Started
What Is A Crowd Calendar?
A crowd calendar is a prediction of how busy a theme park will be based on historical data and educated guessing taking into account known busy periods such as school and public holidays.
Orlando Theme Parks
Why Use A Crowd Calendar?
In your initial planning stage a crowd calendar is a good guide to illustrate visually how busy you should expect a park to be on a given date. Crowd calendars can help you save money by picking quieter days when premium queue options won’t be needed as well as managing everybody’s expectations if you have to visit during busier times.
Orlando Theme Parks
Understanding & Using A Crowd Calendar
Its important to understand that crowd calendars are not an exact science. Theme park operators do not disclose exact visitor numbers, or even projections of crowd levels.
There are 2 general rules to obide by if you want the quietest day possible inside the theme parks. US school holidays are always busier than non US school holidays and Weekends are usually always busier than a weekday.
My crowd calendar uses a scale of 1-10 to predict how bust any given week is in the theme parks; 1 being the quietest while 10 is reserved for the busiest period around Christmas. Remember that the rating is based on the average wait time and will likely be quieter at the starrt and end of the day. The busiest period in any theme park is generally late morning once people have got out of bed and made it to the parks through to mid afternoon when people start to think about eating after standing in queues and doing a lot of walking.
Crowd calendars are fluid and will be updated as and when required when theme park operators release new information such as new attraction openings or upcharge event date announcements so always keep checking back before you leave.
Levels 1 to 3 – Quiet
The quietest time in the parks. this is usually outside of school holidays and in the cooler shoulder months of the year making for a pleasant visit except for water parks which may be shut.
Levels 4 to 6 – Low to Moderate
Still mainly shoulder season when some attractions my not be operating due to yearly maintenance but pleasant temperatures and humidity make for a great trip.
Levels 7 to 9 – Moderate to High
Holiday seasons including Christmas, Spring Break, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and traditional school holiday periods.
Level 10 – Very High
Reserved almost exclusively for the busiest period of the year from Christmas to New Year with a couple of other dates throughout the year. Expect multi-hour long waits for popular attractions and some parks may temporarily close close due to capacity restrictions.
Pick Your Disney Park
Disney Crowd Calendars
To view your park crowd calendar please click the park logo to be taken to the article.
Pick Your Universal Park
Universal Crowd Calendars
To view your park crowd calendar please click the park logo to be taken to the article.
Pick Your Seaworld Or Legoland Park
Other Crowd Calendars
To view your park crowd calendar please click the park logo to be taken to the article.
Orlando Theme Parks Crowd Calendars
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Cheapest Month To Visit Also The Quietest?
February is typically the cheapest month to visit orlando and is also the quietest for a couple of important reasons.
WEATHER – The weather is still cool by Florida standards and that may help some of us that aren’t used to the oppressive humidity of the summer months. Walking the parks is very pleasant but it can be a bit cool for water parks and you may find some of them still shut for annual maintenance.
ATTRACTIONS – Park operators also use the quieter months for maintenance of big E-Ticket attractions so, while the price for your trip may be cheaper you may find that not all attractions are available.
HOURS – Park hours are also shorter and entertainment budgets are constrained with less footfall so not all shows will be playing or will be restricted to busier weekends.
Visitng in the quieter months is a great way to manage your budget but make sure you know what will not be available to avoid disappointment.
I've Been Before, I Know How Busy The Parks Get
Crowd levels have been increasing steadilty. Beofre COVID put a halt to travel plans for everyone, 2019 was the busiest year ever recorded in Dinsey World history.
Crowd calendars do play a role in pertinent planning but it is all relative. A low attendance day now in Magic Kingdom, or any park for that matter, will feel like a moderate day in the same park just a decade ago.
If it has been more than a couple of years since your last visit you need to stop comparing your visits because the parks and dynamics within them have altered sometimes beyond recognition from even a few years ago.
Does A High Crowd Score Convert To Long Wait Times?
No, the purpose of a crowd calendar is to predict crowds for the park as a whole. That usually is a good indicator of how busy some attractions will be but it’s not always the case.
Posted attraction wait times can be easily manipulated to spread guests throughout the park (something Dinsey is notorious for in particularly busy periods).
Using a crowd calendar as part of your holiday planning is to manage your expectations. Having a strategy, no matter how sketchy, is more important than choosing your holiday dates based on the predictions of a crowd calendar.
