How Are Shorter Park Hours Affecting Wait Times at Disney World

    As we continue to keep an eye on the phased reopening of Walt Disney World, we wanted to take a closer look at how the shortened theme park hours have affected wait times at the parks. For this analysis, we’ll be using data from thrill-data.com. As a reminder, September 2020 has 28% fewer standard operating hours than September 2019, not counting Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which isn’t offered this year due to COVID-19 and therefore excluded from the data.

    First, here’s a look at the shortened hours that went into effect on September 8th:

    • Magic Kingdom – 9am to 6pm (previously closed at 7pm)
    • EPCOT – 11am to 7pm (previously closed at 9pm)
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 10am to 7pm (previously closed at 8pm)
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 9am to 5pm (previously opened at 8am and closed at 6pm)

    With that in mind, we’re going to be comparing the date range of September 1-3 (longer hours) versus September 8-10 (shorter hours). We’re excluding the weekend for a few reasons, most notably because it was Labor Day weekend and the fact that we don’t have a full weekend of data yet from this weekend. We’ll revisit the trends we noticed for the weekday range and compare the weekends when we have better data.

    We’ll start with some overview data to show how each of the parks is responding to shorter hours, starting with Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, both of which saw a 20% reduction in hours starting on September 8th.

    Animal Kingdom

    Tuesday, September 1st vs Tuesday, September 8th: 48% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Wednesday, September 2nd vs Wednesday, September 9th: 22% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Thursday, September 3rd vs Thursday, September 10th: 50% higher wait times with shorter hours

    EPCOT

    Tuesday, September 1st vs Tuesday, September 8th: 13% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Wednesday, September 2nd vs Wednesday, September 9th: 17% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Thursday, September 3rd vs Thursday, September 10th: 44% higher wait time with shorter hours

    Now, we’ll take a look at the changes for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, both of which received a 10% reduction in hours.

    Magic Kingdom

    Tuesday, September 1st vs Tuesday, September 8th: 54% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Wednesday, September 2nd vs Wednesday, September 9th: 20% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Thursday, September 3rd vs Thursday, September 10th: 40% higher wait times with shorter hours

    Hollywood Studios

    Tuesday, September 1st vs Tuesday, September 8th: 52% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Wednesday, September 2nd vs Wednesday, September 9th: 29% higher wait times with shorter hours
    Thursday, September 3rd vs Thursday, September 10th: No change with shorter park hours

    While there are a lot of variables here, such as shortening theme park hours the day after Labor Day and the potential for residual tourists in the area during the weekday, we can at least draw the conclusion that wait times will be increasing pretty much across the board with shorter theme park hours.

    It’s important to keep in mind that Disney World has not yet announced an increase in overall park capacity. They continue to reallocate Disney Park Pass availability to different buckets, but they have reportedly kept the same park capacity. Expanding on this thought a bit further, Disney is not necessarily required to announce an increase in park capacity by any local or state mandates. The state of Florida and Orange County have been very lenient with Disney World, even going so far as to ensure that local ordinances aren’t “punitive” to theme park operations. That said, it is in Disney’s best interest to be as transparent as possible as consumer confidence relies on clear communication as much as anything else. For their part, Disney has done an outstanding job showing a commitment to safety within their theme parks and resorts.

    As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

    BlogMickey.com Newsletter

    Stay up-to-date with the latest Disney news, right to your inbox!

    Kingdom Destinations Quote

    Vacation Planning Assistance

    We're excited to partner with Kingdom Destinations to help you plan your next trip to Disney parks and experiences around the world. Kingdom Destinations is a full service travel agency, specializing in Disney destinations. Fill out the form below to schedule a free consultation with one of their professional travel advisors today!

    BlogMickey.com Newsletter

    Stay up-to-date with the latest Disney news, right to your inbox!

    Related Articles