Walt Disney World Wait Times for Third Week of May 2024
Okay, let’s just lean right into the truth here. You’re reading this early in Memorial Day Week.
By next Monday, Walt Disney World will have unofficially transitioned into its summer season.
Sure, the calendar may swear that summer doesn’t start until June 20th, but society knows better.
In the United States, the holiday signifies the start of summer vacations.
While many schools won’t end until early June, some families and traveling adults simply won’t wait.
Soon, Walt Disney World crowds will reach the point of no return on summer crowds.
In fact, that may have already happened. We’ll know after examining Disney World’s wait times for the third week of May 2024.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
![Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-wdw-dak-animal-kingdom-tree-of-life-map-stock-1-scaled.jpg)
![Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-wdw-dak-animal-kingdom-tree-of-life-map-stock-1-scaled.jpg)
Animal Kingdom
Here’s the oddity about the summer at Disney. We often don’t know when it starts until well afterward.
What I mean by that is Disney tourist behavior changes all the time.
![Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Hightower Rocks Watermelon Margarita Nomad Lounge To-Go](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Animal-Kingdom-Tree-of-Life-Hightower-Rocks-Watermelon-Margarita-Nomad-Lounge-To-Go-2.jpg)
![Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Hightower Rocks Watermelon Margarita Nomad Lounge To-Go](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Animal-Kingdom-Tree-of-Life-Hightower-Rocks-Watermelon-Margarita-Nomad-Lounge-To-Go-2.jpg)
Hightower Rocks Watermelon Margarita
Not that long ago, crowds vanished in January. Then, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts changed all that.
Similarly, July was always the most crowded month before the pandemic.
![Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Tree-of-Life-Stock-2-2.jpg)
![Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Tree-of-Life-Stock-2-2.jpg)
Animal Kingdom
More recently, Disney’s peak summer season has been in late June instead.
Will that trend hold in 2024? That’s hard to say right now, but this year’s July 4th calendar configuration is night and day better.
![New Signage at Covered Patio in Disney's Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/tamu-tamu-sign-harambe-patio-scaled.jpeg)
![New Signage at Covered Patio in Disney's Animal Kingdom](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/tamu-tamu-sign-harambe-patio-scaled.jpeg)
New Signage at Covered Patio in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The holiday falls on Thursday, allowing tourists to use one vacation day in exchange for four days at Disney World.
Most people will take that with a song in their hearts. Still, the one factor we don’t know yet is the weather.
![Animal Kingdom Africa Harambe Market Extended New Seating Area](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Animal-Kingdom-Africa-Harambe-Market-Extended-New-Seating-Area-04.jpg)
![Animal Kingdom Africa Harambe Market Extended New Seating Area](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Animal-Kingdom-Africa-Harambe-Market-Extended-New-Seating-Area-04.jpg)
Animal Kingdom Africa Harambe Market Extended New Seating Area
Last year’s early days in July were the hottest in the history of civilization. That’s the real reason the crowds were smaller than usual.
We’ll keep all those odd factors in consideration throughout the next eight weeks while we evaluate wait times.
![Avatar Disneyland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Navi-River-Journey-300x200.jpg)
![Avatar Disneyland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Navi-River-Journey-300x200.jpg)
Photo: Disney
So, how were the crowds at Animal Kingdom? Here are last week’s average attraction wait times:
- Avatar Flight of Passage – 91 minutes, down 7
- Na’vi River Journey – 64 minutes, up 1
- Adventurers Outpost – 50 minutes, no change
- Expedition Everest – 48 minutes, up 4
- Kali River Rapids – 42 minutes, down 5
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – 38 minutes, up 3
- DINOSAUR – 23 minutes, down 3
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug! – 10 minutes, down 5
- TriceraTop Spin – 10 minutes, no change
![TriceraTop Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TriceraTops-Spin-300x156.jpg)
![TriceraTop Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TriceraTops-Spin-300x156.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Overall, the average Animal Kingdom attraction required guests to stand in line for 43 minutes, the same as last week.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
![Hollywood Studios entrance](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-wdw-dhs-hollywood-studios-entrance-crowds-lines-1-scaled.jpg)
![Hollywood Studios entrance](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-wdw-dhs-hollywood-studios-entrance-crowds-lines-1-scaled.jpg)
Hollywood Studios entrance
Based on the above information, we may have avoided the summer crowds for at least another few days.
However, we won’t know for sure until we evaluate the other parks, especially Hollywood Studios.
![smugglers run](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/smugglers-run-pilot.jpg)
![smugglers run](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/smugglers-run-pilot.jpg)
Photo: ScreenCrush
This park is known for throwing a few curveballs. Here were its average wait times last week:
- Slinky Dog Dash – 90 minutes, up 7
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – 78 minutes, up 3
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – 62 minutes, no change
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – 61 minutes, down 2
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – 59 minutes, up 3
- Toy Story Mania! – 56 minutes, up 5
- Red Carpet Dreams – 41 minutes, down 1
- Alien Swirling Saucers – 40 minutes, up 3
- Celebrity Spotlight – 21 minutes, down 2
- Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy – 15 minutes, no change
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue! – 15 minutes, up 1
- Muppet*Vision 3D – 10 minutes, no change
Overall, Hollywood Studios guests waited for an average of 43 minutes per attraction, which is two minutes more than last time.
We appear to be relatively flat week over week. Of course, we still have two more parks to evaluate…
EPCOT
![Epcot Entrance Fountain](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Epcot-Entrance-Fountain-300x171.jpg)
![Epcot Entrance Fountain](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Epcot-Entrance-Fountain-300x171.jpg)
Photo: Disney
We’re still a couple of weeks away from the final major change at EPCOT, the opening of CommuniCore Hall & Plaza.
At that point, the park will have completed its seven-year reimagining process.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/soarin-laurie.jpg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/soarin-laurie.jpg)
Photo: WDW Magazine
For now, the only difference in attraction wait times should be due to crowd sizes. So, here’s what we have:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – 83 minutes, up 8
- Frozen Ever After – 79 minutes, up 2
- Test Track – 65 minutes, up 1
- Soarin’ Around the World – 53 minutes, up 6
- Mission: SPACE – 50 minutes, up 3
- Royal Sommerhus – 38 minutes, up 2
- Journey into Imagination with Figment – 25 minutes, up 5
- Living with the Land – 22 minutes, up 5
- Spaceship Earth – 22 minutes, up 2
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends – 19 minutes, up 1
- Turtle Talk with Crush – 19 minutes, no change
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros – 14 minutes, no change
![Cosmic rewind](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Cosmic-Rewind-e1665199596381-300x154.png)
![Cosmic rewind](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Cosmic-Rewind-e1665199596381-300x154.png)
Photo: Disney
Overall, the average EPCOT attraction required a wait of 40 minutes, which is three minutes more than last time.
Magic Kingdom
We just learned that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open on June 28th.
However, we’re only about three weeks away from the start of some sneak previews.
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mad-Tea-Party-300x169.jpg)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mad-Tea-Party-300x169.jpg)
Photo: Disney
So, this park will start feeling the impact soon with its wait times…but not yet.
Here are Magic Kingdom’s average attraction wait times last week:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – 76 minutes, up 3
- Peter Pan’s Flight – 65 minutes, up 4
- Jungle Cruise – 53 minutes, down 2
- Space Mountain – 53 minutes, down 1
- Haunted Mansion – 43 minutes, no change
- Town Square Theater – 43 minutes, up 2
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – 40 minutes, up 2
- Princess Fairytale Hall – 40 minutes, no change
- Ariel’s Grotto – 39 minutes, up 2
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – 37 minutes, down 1
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – 37 minutes, up 2
- Pete’s Silly Sideshow – 34 minutes, down 2
- Pirates of the Caribbean – 34 minutes, no change
- Astro Orbiter – 29 minutes, no change
- Enchanted Tales with Belle – 28 minutes, up 1
- It’s a Small World – 27 minutes, down 2
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid – 27 minutes, down 1
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant – 22 minutes, up 1
- The Barnstormer – 20 minutes, down 2
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic – 18 minutes, no change
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – 17 minutes, no change
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor – 17 minutes, up 1
- Mad Tea Party – 15 minutes, up 1
- Tomorrowland Speedway – 15 minutes, up 1
- Walt Disney World Railroad – 15 minutes, up 2
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover – 14 minutes, up 2
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel – 13 minutes, down 1
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – 5 minutes, no change
Final Thoughts
![Belle Ariel](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ariels-Grotto-300x187.png)
![Belle Ariel](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ariels-Grotto-300x187.png)
Credit: Disney
Magic Kingdom guests stood in line for an average of 29 minutes per attraction. That’s the same as last time.
So, two parks stayed exactly the same, while two others increased by a total of five minutes.
Obviously, waiting one more minute per attraction across Disney World is trivial, but there is an ever-so-slight uptick.
We will almost assuredly track more of that surge in next week’s article, followed by a whopper of a spike the following week.
Also, I may have the order reversed, depending on how many people swarm the place before Memorial Day rather than afterward.
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