Insider’s Guide: Save yourself a little bit of unnecessary stress. Here is a look at some of the best days to visit each park in Disney World.
One of the ways to maximize your vacation time at Walt Disney World is to make efficient use of your time in the Disney parks.
Arguably, they are your primary reason for going, so the better you plan your daily park visits, the more memories you will have to cherish in the future.
Part of effective park planning is choosing what days to go to which parks.
Not surprisingly, there are good and bad choices for each of these. You can save yourself a little bit of unnecessary stress if you plan to visit the right park each day of the week.
Here is a look at some of the best days to visit each park in Disney World. To arrive at the top choices we’ve looked at two key factors: Extra Magic Hours and guest travel cycles.
Related: Best Resturants on Disney’s Free Dining Plan
Extra Magic Hours
Extra Magic Hours are Disney’s way of spreading out the crowds to make the park more bearable.
There are either morning or evening Extra Magic Hours. They are extended hours exclusively offered to guests who stay at qualifying Disney World resort hotels.
There are two schools of thought regarding EMH.
Some say that you should definitely visit the parks when they are open for EMH.
Others stress that those are the parks to stay away from citing the crowds.
Disney applies EMH to the busiest parks or the ones that are projected to see the highest number of visitors, so If you are avoiding crowds you should stay away.
However, in practice, EMH is a more than sufficient way to offset the effect of larger crowds. Taking more time in the park is usually a good choice.
Park Hoppers can take the most advantage by going to a park with morning EMH and then hopping to a park with evening EMH.
What it comes down to most with the best days to visit each park in Disney World is how you use your time.
Park attendance will most likely continue to be regulated as restrictions wane. Even so, it is unlikely that Disney will discontinue Extra Magic Hours as it is one of the key benefits of staying at one of their hotels.
Best Days to Visit Each Park in Disney World For Extra Magic Hours
Based on EMH here are the parks to visit each day:
EMH Weekly Calendar (Evening Hours)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
Sunday. The extra morning hours are a great way to get a head start on Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Monday. The extra morning time here means more time for the e-ticket rides and more opportunities with the animals and the incredible food.
Epcot:
Tuesday. Especially if you want to hop there in the evening after visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios or The Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom:
Wednesday. Especially if you plan to hop there from Epcot in the evening to see the fireworks.
Best Park Days for Morning Extra Magic Hours
Epcot:
Thursday. The extra morning hours are a great way to get more out of Future World before World Showcase opens at 11:00.
Magic Kingdom:
Friday. The Extra morning hours allow you to squeeze in major attractions with typically long wait times so you can coast the rest of the day.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Saturday. This is the only park with two early mornings during the week. Plan your Animal Kingdom day carefully as it is the least connected to other attractions and resorts.
Disney World Travel Cycles: Best Days based on Crowds
Based on a 2017 poll, guests arrive at Disney World in a fairly predictable pattern: Nearly 80% of guests arrive on the weekend, with a majority of them checking in on Saturday.
By checking in during the week, you can not only save yourself some money on travel fares, but you can break free of the cycle most of the Disney World guests are stuck in.
Here are the three most common check-in dates by percentage to help determine the best days to visit each park in Disney World:
- Saturday 32%,
- Sunday 28%,
- Friday 19%
The default length of time for a WDW vacation is seven days, so there is a fair amount of predictability at play.
Since the Magic Kingdom is the flagship park, you are better to avoid it during the weekend.
Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the best parks to visit on busy weekends because they are larger and better at absorbing crowds.
That’s crucial in understanding the best days to visit each park in Disney World.
More Helpful Posts for Planning your Disney Vacation:
- How to Have a Stress Free Trip Disney World Trip
- 5 Essential Tips to Prepare a Child for Walt Disney World
- How to Stay Healthy at Disney World (+ During Travel)