Disney World Crowds in 2023
By Dave Shute
2023 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
The chart lower on the page shows my current forecasts for 2023 crowds by week at Walt Disney World.
I’m forecasting another busy summer in particular, as pent-up demand remains from the pandemic at the same time as parents are more resistant than ever to taking their kids out of school.
THE 2023 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR
Dates in the 2023 Disney World Crowd Calendar are the Saturday at the beginning of the week, and cover that Saturday through the following Sunday, as that nine-day period matches my suggested itineraries.
Crowd levels are ranked by week from 1-11 in the following way:
1: Lowest of the year
2: Low-minus
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 2023 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 best crowd levels for a family visiting for the first time and unsure if it will ever return.
However, lower crowds do not always mean a better week to visit. Some low-crowd weeks best avoided by first timers who may never return because they are in the mid-August to mid-October peak hurricane or the early January-early February 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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4 comments
Thank you! In general, do you have recommendations on which parks to go to on which days? I am traveling Feb 29-March 7, 2023.
Carolyn, I am so sorry–something is weird about my spam filter, and its putting too many comments–including yours, and tons of spam–into “pending comments.”
Other than during the party seasons, the old issues around which parks on which days are much diminished. A big part of that was the impact one or twice a week EMH had on the parks. With early entry now every day at every park, which park which day is no longer as material a decision.
In general, Friday-Monday is busier than other days, and HS is busy every day.
Please do ping me back in late December to see if anything changes!
Hi Dave! Thanks for this!
I am traveling 2/28/23-3/7/23 and was wondering if you have thoughts on which parks on which days?
Hi Dave,
I am traveling Feb 28-March 7 and will be in the parks 5 days (not on the 28th). 2 MK days and one each for the others. Any recommendations of which parks which days?
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