Get together Season is now underway for 2024 at Walt Disney World, with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together now by means of the top of October and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together virtually instantly thereafter till December 20, 2024! This covers rising crowds throughout Magic Kingdom, why that is taking place (and can solely worsen), and methods to keep away from it.
Particularly, this covers my expertise with mix-in in the course of the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween (MNSSHP). Clearly, because it’s nonetheless spook season and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together (MVMCP) doesn’t start till November. Regardless, the thought is strictly the identical. These crowds have been a rising downside for the final two years at each MNSSHP and MVMCP.
This doesn’t cowl the occasion in any respect. Simply the window of time earlier than it begins when company can enter Magic Kingdom early for the pre-party. In the event you’re searching for step-by-step technique for the occasion, seek the advice of our Information to the 2024 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together or our Information to the 2024 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together as an alternative.
For individuals who are unfamiliar with the Magic Kingdom mix-in, it’s the time between 4 pm and 6 pm when Magic Kingdom remains to be open to day company however earlier than MNSSHP or MVMCP formally begins. Consequently, there are each common ticket holders and particular occasion laborious ticket holders each within the park on the similar time. Therefore the identify: Magic Kingdom mix-in.
There are just a few causes for permitting particular occasion company to enter Magic Kingdom previous to the official begin time, most of that are past the scope of this put up. We’ll concentrate on a reasonably easy logistical one, which is {that a} laborious begin at 7 pm would end in a large crowd all attempting to enter Magic Kingdom without delay and turning into pissed off (delicate understatement) when it took an hour of invaluable occasion time to get contained in the park. The combo-in staggers entries to a better diploma, which is nice for company and park operations.
Nonetheless, Magic Kingdom mix-in crowds have been rising over the previous few years, as talked about above. That is taking place no matter crowds in the course of the day or in the course of the occasion itself. On the contrary, what you encounter at mix-in is sort of solely divorced from daytime or occasion attendance.
To that time, I’ve noticed this dynamic at Magic Kingdom a number of instances already this 12 months past what’s documented right here. On each single a type of days, wait instances and ‘looks like’ crowds had been each absurdly low in the course of the day. Our newest wait instances report coated the Lowest Crowd Stage Month & Week at Walt Disney World Since 2021! Though it must be evident from the title alone, the parks are actually gradual proper now.
On occasion days, Magic Kingdom is the slowest of the gradual. We’re speaking common wait instances which can be 14-Quarter-hour and, at worst, 1/10 crowd ranges. A lot of nowadays don’t even register as 1/10 on thrill information’s scale, and are as an alternative 0/10. I’ve been in Magic Kingdom on a few of these days, and so they give me flashbacks to the post-reopening interval in 2020. Not fairly that useless, however nonetheless fairly gradual.
That is the low season and decrease crowds are to be anticipated to some extent. The present “diploma” is simply a lot much less busy than I anticipated, and I anticipated pretty low crowds. In any case, it’ll additionally get progressively worse over the course of Get together Season. See Greatest & Worst 2024 Crowd Days at Magic Kingdom for a fool-proof listing of the least and most crowded dates at Magic Kingdom between now and December 2024. This features a handful of crimson flag dates to keep away from in any respect prices.
Regardless of absurdly low daytime attendance, the MNSSHP I attended was offered out…similar to each different occasion to this point this season. And similar to each date shall be by the point it’s over. There are solely a half-dozen events that also have tickets out there and, relaxation assured, these will all promote out very quickly. Ditto Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together. Just one date is offered out proper now, however November and December are additionally additional into the longer term than September and December. That’s the reason there, nothing extra.
On this specific day, I returned to Magic Kingdom at round 3:15 pm. This was simply the worst crowd I’ve ever seen this early for mix-in at any laborious ticket occasion at Magic Kingdom. That’s an remark I’ve had repeatedly over the previous few years. These Magic Kingdom mix-in crowds are solely getting worse–a pattern we anticipate to proceed.
It must be famous that this was nonetheless 45 minutes earlier than particular occasion company could be allowed to enter Magic Kingdom. Furthermore, that this was on a highly regarded day (albeit not practically as unhealthy as final 12 months) with looks like temperatures flirting with triple digits.
Happily, Walt Disney World has gotten higher about dealing with the ever-increasing mix-in crowds. This 12 months, there’s a brand new corral system and really clear signage indicating the place company ought to go:
That is fairly properly organized–a large enchancment over final 12 months. It additionally might not seem like too unhealthy of a crowd…but it surely’s solely 3:15 pm.
Standard knowledge is to reach half-hour prematurely of mix-in, and that’s for educated company who plan forward. Many extra (maybe most) arrive proper at 4 pm, not realizing there shall be friction to the method and it’ll take a little bit of time to truly get into the park.
Relating to Walt Disney World, one mantra to recollect is: “if you happen to’re early, you’re on time…if you happen to’re on time, you’re late.” (I by no means appreciated my dad’s navy cliches as a child, however boy have they been helpful as an grownup doing the very severe work of visiting theme parks.)
As you’ll be able to most likely collect, this crowd solely worsens between 3:15 pm and three:55 pm.
There are extra corrals that proceed to replenish, and it turns into extra chaotic outdoors the park as there’s solely a lot area on the turnstiles themselves. Disney must hold pathways clear to permit visitor circulation into and out of the park, in addition to routes to transportation open.
Moreover, Magic Kingdom remains to be open to day company, so not the entire turnstiles can be utilized for the events till 6 pm.
When it comes to sensible recommendation, we’ve got just a few suggestions about methods to navigate this.
First, in case you have common admission to Magic Kingdom, don’t use the particular occasion turnstiles! This may appear apparent, however we’ve heard from so many individuals through the years who exit the park and re-enter (or from Annual Passholders who simply present up at 4 pm for no actual purpose).
Anybody with common admission is a lot better served by using an in-park check-in station. Go to Fantasy Faire close to Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland, Tortuga Tavern throughout from the Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland, or Sew’s Nice Escape throughout from Monsters Inc. Snort Ground in Tomorrowland. Tortuga Tavern is the least busy, Sew’s Nice Escape is busiest–but it surely’s additionally closest to the entrance of the park and sometimes opens sooner than the others. That is advantageous if you happen to plan on queueing up for the Jack & Sally meet & greet in City Sq. earlier than the occasion begins.
There’s actually no different purpose to make use of the SGE check-in location. And truthfully, there’s actually no different purpose to line up proper at or earlier than 4 pm. In our expertise, the candy spot is round 4:30 to five pm. The preliminary rush is over, however you’re beating everybody else who doesn’t assume to do that till the occasion begins.
In the event you don’t have common admission and also you’re attempting to get absolutely the most out of your occasion time, we’d suggest arriving at round 3:15 pm. Possibly a tad earlier. This may increasingly seem to be unhealthy recommendation given the crowds you’ll be able to plainly see in these pictures, however any earlier and also you’ll see diminishing returns.
There shall be crowds at 3 pm and even earlier than that. However it’s secure to imagine, I hope, that your whole time has worth and it’s not price arriving a full hour earlier to avoid wasting ~5 minutes getting into the park. Granted, time inside Magic Kingdom might be price greater than time outdoors it, however how way more?
If that’s an additional hour of pool time or having fun with your resort (which additionally prices some huge cash and has a excessive worth!), it’s a good tradeoff. Spending much less time in these crowded corrals within the (probably) scorching solar is the best way to go.
Which brings us to the third choice: arriving between 4:30 pm and 5 pm.
That is the very same thought as going to the in-park wristband distribution a bit later, combined with the above notion that your whole time at Walt Disney World has worth. To every their very own, but when I’m on trip and staying at an on-site resort, that is what I’m doing. All waking trip time is effective, and one of many largest mistake Walt Disney World planners make shouldn’t be recognizing this.
If spending extra time on the pool and even taking an extended nap will depart you extra rested, it’s going to extend the chance which you can keep till the bitter (or quite, wonderful) finish of the evening versus leaving early. It’s also possible to do an early dinner outdoors the park, having fun with meals that’s truly edible versus consuming in Magic Kingdom.
I don’t know your loved ones or your priorities and may’t give definitive recommendation–these are just some choices to think about.
As for why that is taking place, there has all the time been an preliminary rush of company round 4 pm, however many individuals didn’t know they might enter Magic Kingdom early up to now. That or they didn’t care as they had been already within the park. This has modified lately as Walt Disney World higher advertises the perk, presumably to assist justify the worth will increase.
My sturdy suspicion is that an rising variety of company are buying Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween as an alternative of normal day tickets, quite than along with common admission. This might be taking part in out in a methods massive and small, from vacationers shopping for shorter period tickets (3 days as an alternative of 4) to locals skipping out on Annual Passes and getting their “Disney repair” throughout Get together Season.
This would possibly sound like far-fetched theories or greedy at straws to clarify this phenomenon, but it surely’s primarily based on a mixture of firsthand expertise and in depth suggestions from readers and journey brokers.
When Disneyland actually began rising costs on Annual Passes a number of years in the past and lowered choices for locals, many Californians began skipping APs and as an alternative doing Mickey’s Halloween Get together (now Oogie Boogie Bash). This skipped the recognition of those events, which now promote out in a short time even on dates that aren’t significantly busy.
Priced-out locals desirous to get their Disney repair would additionally clarify why MNSSHP and MVMCP are promoting sooner than ever, regardless of pent-up demand in any other case slowing. It could additionally clarify how that is taking place within the face of falling crowds, that are the bottom they’ve been since 2021. Low common attendance and excessive demand for laborious ticket occasions isn’t even contradictory–it makes excellent sense.
It additionally explains the bigger crowd previous to 4 pm. These are company desirous to get as a lot worth out of the occasion ticket as doable as a result of they don’t have various admission. It is a distinction to vacationers with multi-day tickets that will embody a park day previous to the beginning of MNSSHP or MVMCP, who don’t have any incentive to reach proper at 4 pm.
Consequently, you’ll be able to anticipate each Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together to proceed promoting out even when daytime attendance drops. Priced out locals and even vacationers attempting to chop prices and squeeze essentially the most worth out of their tickets will maintain demand for these particular occasions.
It’s also possible to anticipate value will increase to proceed. As long as single-day tickets for Magic Kingdom aren’t considerably cheaper (and so they aren’t!) than the events, many company will go for MNSSHP and MVMCP as an alternative. Once more, we’ve already seen all of this stuff occur at Disneyland Resort, so these are hardly daring predictions.
For exactly the identical purpose, this mix-in crowd will even proceed to develop, as the next proportion of company don’t have various admission on occasion days. And as these higher-knowledge company study from previous expertise, they’ll begin arriving even earlier in future years. What was as soon as a crowd at 3:45 pm has already turn into a crowd at 3:15 pm. It’ll be a crowd at 3:00 pm by 2025, at 2:30 pm by 2026, and so forth.
So how can Walt Disney World resolve this downside? (And it’s a downside to some extent as a result of Disney doesn’t like congestion like this outdoors the gates, because it’s a security and safety subject.)
The very first thing that involves thoughts is letting Disney Trip Membership members enter at 2 pm. This isn’t even my vivid thought–it’s Disney’s! They used to do that pre-COVID. Again then, the perk was deemed essential to entice DVC members to buy tickets (MVMCP and MNSSHP didn’t promote out often). Now, it could be to unfold out that mix-in crowd only a bit.
Aside from that, Walt Disney World’s greatest choices are ticket offers. They have already got the the Florida Resident Uncover Disney Ticket and the 4-Park, 4-Day Walt Disney World Magic Ticket that run by means of the top of this month. Understandably, many locals–who’re accustomed to Florida climate this time of 12 months–would nonetheless favor an night particular occasion. I’d thus suggest bringing again the EPCOT After 4 Annual Cross and in addition promoting ‘starlight’ tickets (discounted admission on common days after 4 pm–additionally not my thought, Tokyo Disney does this).
With that mentioned, these mix-in crowds are literally a good factor to some extent–so Walt Disney World shouldn’t go too far in attempting to scale back them. Having all kinds of visitor demographics means individuals can have totally different causes for being there–rides with decrease wait instances, leisure, characters, and so on. Regardless of the bigger mix-in crowds, we’ve observed that individuals are unfold out a lot better throughout MNSSHP or MVMCP. It’s a fragile steadiness, and it looks as if Walt Disney World has achieved that within the final couple of years at these occasions.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? In the event you’re fascinated with studying extra about accommodations, our Walt Disney World Resorts Opinions web page is an effective place to begin. For the place to eat, check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions web page. If you wish to lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind you need to get, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at unconventional issues you need to take in your journey. When you arrive on the parks, our Walt Disney World “Journey Guides” are nice for figuring out what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of those matters and a lot extra, the very best place to begin is our complete Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information to benefit from your expertise!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever skilled these large Magic Kingdom mix-in crowds earlier than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Get together? Are you one of many company who has chosen occasion tickets over an Annual Cross or longer period common tickets? Ideas on any of the recommendation or assessments right here? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!