2022 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
The chart lower on the page shows my current forecasts for 2022 crowds by week at Walt Disney World.
2022 will be an interesting year at Disney World, with Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebrations continuing, old attractions coming back–one hopes, new attractions opening, and what I expect to be severe pent-up demand for travel and family vacations.
THE 2022 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR
Dates in the 2022 Disney World Crowd Calendar are the beginning of the week.
Crowd levels are ranked by week from 1-11 in the following way:
1: Lowest of the year
2: Lower
3: Low
4: Low-plus
5: Moderate-minus
6: Moderate
7: Moderate-plus
8: High-minus
9: High
10: Higher
11: Highest
HOW TO INTERPRET THE 2022 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR
Dates are the beginning of the week.
As is the case in almost every good Disney World crowd calendar, the forecasts are about wait times for rides–not about how crowded the areas outside the rides might be.
The “low crowd” weeks–those colored green, and rated 1-4–represent the only crowd levels a family visiting for the first time, and unsure if it will ever return, should consider.
However, lower crowds, especially lowest crowds, do not always mean a better week. The lowest weeks are often best avoided by first timers who may never return because they are in the peak hurricane or the ride closure seasons.
The “moderate crowd” weeks–those in black and rated 5-7–have crowd levels I would not particularly recommend to first time visitors, though the crowds can be managed with good plans. However, I’d go during such weeks myself with no hesitation, and think these levels are totally OK for returning visitors who don’t need to see everything and already know how to work Walt Disney World.
The “high crowd” weeks–those in red, rated 8-11–should be avoided by everyone. They aren’t, which is why they are so high.
MY DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR GOES UP TO “11”
The influence of the Unofficial Guide and TouringPlans.com has led almost all Disney World crowd calendars to top out at 10.
However, I’ve always thought that the really nastiest weeks of the year deserved even more emphasis.
So, in homage to Spinal Tap, I assigned 11 to “highest.”
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Hi Dave – just wondering about early March 2023 – any predictions yet?
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Hi Carolyn, I am still in the middle of my work related to this, but I can absolutely note that I don’t see major spring break crowds starting until March 10, 2023.
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Hi i am considering a week long trip to WDW. This will be my 2nd trip to WDW and I am trying to travel when there are less crowds so I can enjoy my trip and soak up WDW.
I am debating between Dec 3-10 2022 or in Jan 2023
I am conflicted because the week in Dec 2022 is Pop Warner week and last year in Jan 2022 it was busy.
If you can reply when your best opinion on when to travel for less crowds, i would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your time,
Alyssa
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Any predictions for 2023 yet looking at the first week of January
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Hi, I have not yet done the work to confirm, but the vacation patterns in 2016/2017–with the same Saturday Christmas as in 2022–suggest that the first week of January 2023 will be very crowded.
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