Is July as crowded as it gets?

[AngiTN]

We were there last week and crowds were so crowded. Is Christmas or any other break times as bad?

Worse. Much much worse

 

[TheGecko]

Just got back from a trip last week opinion on the July crowd was as follows:

MK - Crowded as ever. Long waits on the popular rides. Major congestion in Fantasy Land.

Epcot - Was very light crowds and very few people for the closing shows. I stayed at Boardwalk and was able to grab extra fast passes in the evening with no problem for Frozen, Test Track, and Soarin.

AK - Pandora was busy. FOP was still a 3 hour late and at once point the line was out to the bridge area coming from Africa. The rest of the park was not bad.

Hollywood - Very crowded due to the opening of Toy Story land. Most of the shows were more or less full and rides like RNR and the new Toy Story had no late night fast passes available. I chalk this up to the new land opening and would see this slowing down within the next couple months once everyone gets their fix and the realization comes back that Hollywood just does not have much to offer right now.

The Brazilian tour groups were also back in full force where they were lighter the last couple years. Some of the groups were 30 or 40 strong These groups will run you over and blow past you in line without thinking twice, and have no problem congregating in the middle of a walking path stopping all traffic. This was terrible in Toy Story land, but there is not much Disney can do.

 

[photo_chick]

Also, if you catch a bubble of the South American "15" groups, it can feel more crowded than the park actually is.

They can turn a walk on into a 30 minute wait easily.

 

[AngiTN]

Just got back from a trip last week opinion on the July crowd was as follows:

MK - Crowded as ever. Long waits on the popular rides. Major congestion in Fantasy Land.

Epcot - Was very light crowds and very few people for the closing shows. I stayed at Boardwalk and was able to grab extra fast passes in the evening with no problem for Frozen, Test Track, and Soarin.

AK - Pandora was busy. FOP was still a 3 hour late and at once point the line was out to the bridge area coming from Africa. The rest of the park was not bad.

Hollywood - Very crowded due to the opening of Toy Story land. Most of the shows were more or less full and rides like RNR and the new Toy Story had no late night fast passes available. I chalk this up to the new land opening and would see this slowing down within the next couple months once everyone gets their fix and the realization comes back that Hollywood just does not have much to offer right now.

The Brazilian tour groups were also back in full force where they were lighter the last couple years. Some of the groups were 30 or 40 strong These groups will run you over and blow past you in line without thinking twice, and have no problem congregating in the middle of a walking path stopping all traffic. This was terrible in Toy Story land, but there is not much Disney can do.

Interesting POV. We were there July 4th week and here's mine
MK - We were shocked that we found wide open space in Fantasy Land. Expected congestion between Petter Pan and Small World and there was non. Completely open.
Epcot - Shocked at how empty it was in WS for the 4th. The rain made it hard to judge for the fireworks themselves but even leading up to the storm at 8:50, it was pretty empty in WS.
HS - We got as many FP for Alien and TSMM as we wanted and even found a 5th for Slinky Dog. The area was only mildly full. There were openings for Jedi Training as late as 4:30 PM
AK - Seemed standard crowds, similar to all other days at AK. FoP standard is to the bridge coming from Africa every day of the year, since opening day, when the park opens. Then it dies down to a normal, 2 hour wait.

As to the 15's, there was a VAST, MAJOR improvement in their behavior. They were quiet and polite each time we encountered them in the park, and we saw more groups than we'd ever seen before. They were abundant but something has been done to curtail their behavior in the parks.

But what we saw last week was nothing like New Years or Spring Break, or even Fall Break. Those times were way, way more crowded. OP doesn't mention if they've ever been before or not, so not sure if they have something to base it on or not

 

[markb681]

The only thing that makes July bad is the HEAT! Ugggg!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We were there last week and crowds were so crowded. Is Christmas or any other break times as bad?

Here are my crowd levels
Light,
Medium
Heavy
Packed.
Sardines have more room in their can.
Prepare for Insanity. You've been warned.

July 4 is usually packed and possibly the days around it. The rest of the month I would consider heavy with possibly a medium day here or there.

Christmas time is far busier.

Once the weekend before Christmas hits, from there until New Years it's Sardines have more room in their can.
Christmas itself and New Years Eve are prepare for Insanity. You've been warned.

That said, even on Christmas and New Years eve, you will always have some time in the morning to get around the place before it fills to the level it's going to be for the day.

 

[BeachPrincess]

We just got back last night from a long weekend and thought the crowds were very light, we were actually shocked. This is our first time to go in July in a while though - typically our trips are January, April, September and December. We wanted to check out Toy Story Land so decided to give it a try in the middle of summer and we loved it! Yes it was hot, but manageable and we live in NE Florida so we are use to it.

 

[mousestruck]

Friends just returned (7/3–7/13), they are the same friends who are often there with us during Jersey Week. They marveled at how much less crowded it was in July, vs Jersey Week the past couple years (and especially compared to 2017).

It’s appearing more and more as if summer is no longer the “busy season” it once was. Fall has been much more crowded the past couple of years than it was even 4-5 years ago, but summer crowds seem not to have experienced the same uptick.

This! We were there for 2017 Jersey Week and this year from 6/28 - 7/8. It was MUCH less crowded in July! Jersey Week has always been our favorite time to visit, with beautiful weather and holiday decorations, but it has become increasingly crowded over the years — like wall-to-wall people. This past week was great. Crowds were very low in the mornings, allowing us to walk on most attractions. It is hot, but definitely less crowded!

 

[gap2368]

We were there last week and crowds were so crowded. Is Christmas or any other break times as bad?

About 3x worst on Christmas New Year’s Eve also the week before and after Easter is pretty bad

 

[SaintsManiac]

This thread is further proof of just how subjective crowds are.

 

[Alesia]

I have been Feb, March, April, June, July - July has had, on average, the biggest crowds of any of those.

Just out of curiosity, when was your last July visit?

 

[AngiTN]

Here are my crowd levels
Light,
Medium
Heavy
Packed.
Sardines have more room in their can.
Prepare for Insanity. You've been warned.

July 4 is usually packed and possibly the days around it. The rest of the month I would consider heavy with possibly a medium day here or there.

Christmas time is far busier.

Once the weekend before Christmas hits, from there until New Years it's Sardines have more room in their can.
Christmas itself and New Years Eve are prepare for Insanity. You've been warned.

That said, even on Christmas and New Years eve, you will always have some time in the morning to get around the place before it fills to the level it's going to be for the day.

LOL... I'd say your levels are pretty accurate.
I'll expand on the bold a bit. Because while the crowds are at those highest levels Disney is prepared for them. They have the staffing in place and the parks ready for moving the volume of guests from place to place. We never FELT like sardines in cans, even though it LOOKED like that, in the photos I took. We could always move freely because the CMs were out in force ensuring people kept the paths in place clear. They have it down to a science. While I would hesitate to ever suggest a trip at that time for something who doesn't go regularly, as you do get way less done, it was not as bad as I anticipated. You just get a different trip than other times of the year.

 

[jettagirl]

We just got back yesterday from a week-long stay and we found the crowds to be very manageable. Wait times for us were very short until around 11 AM or so...then things started to get busy but we were easily able to get 4th fastpasses or wait in 20-ish minute long lines (not for headliners but for some decent attractions for sure). We'd then head back to the room for the hottest part of the day and return to the parks around 4 or 5 PM when we'd do a few more rides, grab something to eat and then return to our resort again for a swim. All in all, a very successful trip!

I was worried about crowds given that there's been reports of 2018 being busier than recent years but we thought it was fine. We've never been to Disney World for any of the major holidays but we have been during March break (mid-March) and it was awful. For that trip, I remember doing our 3 fastpasses at Epcot and nothing else because the lines were so long (60 minutes for Figment, even). This past week was nothing in comparison to that. DH and I even commented to each other how we found the walkways to be nearly empty much of the time (as opposed to our March trip when CM's were holding signs to get people to stay to the right).

 

[AngiTN]

We just got back yesterday from a week-long stay and we found the crowds to be very manageable. Wait times for us were very short until around 11 AM or so...then things started to get busy but we were easily able to get 4th fastpasses or wait in 20-ish minute long lines (not for headliners but for some decent attractions for sure). We'd then head back to the room for the hottest part of the day and return to the parks around 4 or 5 PM when we'd do a few more rides, grab something to eat and then return to our resort again for a swim. All in all, a very successful trip!

I was worried about crowds given that there's been reports of 2018 being busier than recent years but we thought it was fine. We've never been to Disney World for any of the major holidays but we have been during March break (mid-March) and it was awful. For that trip, I remember doing our 3 fastpasses at Epcot and nothing else because the lines were so long (60 minutes for Figment, even). This past week was nothing in comparison to that. DH and I even commented to each other how we found the walkways to be nearly empty much of the time (as opposed to our March trip when CM's were holding signs to get people to stay to the right).

This is us too.
Folks will say that staffing is why lines were shorter, that Disney is lowering ride capacity in March to inflate wait times or conversely increasing ride capacity to shorten wait times in July. But they can't do anything to alter the crowds in the streets/walkways. That is purely bodies in the parks, not staffing changes or ride vehicle manipulation by Disney. I guess one could say that if folks are on rides they aren't walking around. I suppose there is that direct correlation but it seems then your wait times would have to be somewhat increased if THAT many more folks were on rides instead of milling about. But they weren't. I think there are simply fewer bodies in the park due to heat keeping them away as much as anything. Folks are more able to travel at any time of the year now. Between year round schools and home schooling and all types of non-traditional schools out there, people are more free to travel just whenever. More than ever before. So they aren't as stuck to summer. If you aren't stuck to summer, why go when it's the hottest if you don't have to. I think that has as much to do with the increases in the cooler months as anything.
Anyway, just my 2 cents, and I bet it's not worth that.

 

[AFwifelife]

For July:

July 1st at Epcot: We joked about how much space we had. It was dead and extremely enjoyable.
July 8th at MK: Got 6 rides (5 of those were FPs), lunch, Dole whips, and the 3 pm parade done in 4 hours. Definitely not crowded. Able to walk around freely.
July 15th at AK: Slightly more crowded but not terrible at all. I go solo with my 3 and 4 year old so I wasn't trying to get on FoP or Everest but I got FPs for KS, Adventurer's Outpost, and Navi the night before.

July and the whole summer actually has been downright enjoyable for us. Hot but not packed. So many are now waiting for better weather that the slow times have filled up and the previously crowded summer has been great.

 

[TwinkleKS]

Crowds are definitely subjective according to your frame of reference. We are die hard Christmas / New Year's people ... so pretty much any other time we are asking where everyone is. That being said, there are definite levels to those crowds as well. NYE is a whole different ballgame compared to Christmas Eve at Epcot. We have done them all and have loved each for their own unique reasons.

It's all relative. We went to a World Series game this year. Everyone else that we know that went was talking about how horrible the crowds were, how bad it was walking into and out of Minute Maid, etc. My seven year old asked where all the people were and why World Series games weren't that popular. Little man has been a Disney Christmas regular pretty much sense birth ... he is used to walking in a crowd of humanity to get somewhere and thought nothing of it.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

We typically visit in May/June or October/early November time frames and have been doing this for the past ten years. We are here now for our first July trip. Seriously this is better than those other times for crowds. And surprisingly, while it is hot, I have also been hotter on those other trips as well.

 

[MomOTwins]

Crowds are also pretty variable based on the time of day and choice of park. Parks are most crowded between 11am and 5pm, so arriving early and either staying or returning in the evening you will see a much quieter park than peak midday hours. Also, parks are often more crowded on an EMH day (especially evening EMH), or on days with extended regular park hours--you will typically see lower crowds on the day after EMH at a given park.

But I am just going to reiterate what others have said as well, that July crowds are nothing compared to Jersey week, Christmas-New Years week, and Spring Break. I checked the app just now and there are numerous walk-ons at Magic Kingdom (e.g., little mermaid is 10 minutes; it was 60 during spring break), and actually most of the rides I am seeing are literally half the wait they were at Christmas and Spring. Flight of passage is currently 2.5 hours; it was 5 hours at Christmas and Spring Break.

 

[DebbieB]

We were there June 28 - July 4, didn't think it was too bad but we were on a "laid back" special birthday trip. We got early starts in the morning, that's great for crowds plus heat. Relaxed at the resort in the afternoon, headed back out at night. One of the highlights was we were at DHS for Toy Story opening morning, we got to the gate at 5:30am, got in around 6:10am, on Slinky Dog by 7:00am. We went back Sunday night, got a same day FP for Alien Saucers at 6:45pm, rode Slinky Dog standby at 9:00pm, around an hour wait, then TSM was walk-on at 10:15pm. It was awesome at night!

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Awwwww. No, July is slow season now. I was just there (flew home this morning) and even on Saturday at mid afternoon it seemed dead in the parks. I walked on to things like Pirates, Everest, Tower of Terror....October is pretty packed now for "regular" times, holidays are shoulder-to-shoulder packed with people.