With another month in the books, we wanted to take a look back at February 2024 wait times at Walt Disney World and see how they compared to February 2023. Early rumblings for 2024 are that wait times could be even lower this year as travel continues to moderate. We’ll likely see bumps in year-over-year wait times when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens this summer, but there really isn’t a lot on the books to drive visitation this year, and even fewer reasons (currently) to book in 2025. With so many projects in a “Blue Sky” phase or with uncommitted time frames, it’s hard for families to book a vacation to see anything “new” at Walt Disney World this year (or for 2025 and beyond). With that said, let’s take a look at how February 2024 compares to 2023!
Wait time data courtesy of thrill-data.
February 2024 Average Wait Times: Fewer Peaks Than 2023
In terms of overall average, both February 2024 and February 2023 averaged the exact same: 41 minutes. This is a little surprising in that it bucks the trend of year-over-year decline that we’ve been seeing since early 2022. Speaking of 2022, the average wait time for Walt Disney World in February 2022 was 45 minutes, so average waits are still down from what was a very strong year in 2022.
While the monthly average was the same as last year, the graphs below tell the story a little better than numbers alone. In short, wait times were less variable than in 2023, with higher daily average wait times for the first half of the month. We saw a smaller peak during Presidents Day Weekend, likely due to poor weather. A flatter post-Presidents Day dip likely means that average wait times may have even been higher in 2024 if it weren’t for a couple days of cold, rainy weather.
March 2024 Wait Time Predictions
Turning our attention to March, we’re already seeing a bit of a drop in average wait times as Walt Disney World experiences a bit of a lull before Spring Break crowds arrive in the second half of the month.
We’ll start with a look back at March 2023 average daily wait times. We can see an unavoidable peak in the middle of the month. Between cheer competitions and the start of Spring Break, we think it could be a tale of two months with the first half of the month being slower than the second half. An early Easter will likely lead to even higher average wait times this year than seen in the 2023 graph below.
Public-facing data such as the Disney World ticket pricing calendar, and even Cast Member blockout dates show an anticipated increase in demand for the Disney World theme parks starting on or around March 15th. The early Easter date is reflected in higher ticket prices at the end of March in the calendar below.
With an early Easter, it’s possible that March 2024 monthly average wait times will be higher than in 2023, but expect some wait time wins in the first couple of weeks.
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!