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  1. Webmaster

    Disney Parks August 2023 Wait Time Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Data Analysis
    August has quickly come and gone, and now we enter the fall season at the Disney theme parks, with Halloween events, and, typically, lower wait times with kids back in school. How did August wait times in 2023 compare to previous years? Let's take a look.
    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    At DAK, August wait times this year were down compared to last year and before the pandemic, but up over 2021. The Flight of Passage wait time being lower is a huge factor in this drop.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -8.5 min / -22.2% August 2019: Difference of -12.6 min / -31.2% August 2021: Difference of 9.1 min / 42.8% August 2022: Difference of -4.6 min / -13.4%
    EPCOT
    At EPCOT, August wait times were higher, on average, than each August going back to 2019. Wait times were down about 4% from the yearly average wait time.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -4.1 min / -13.4% August 2019: Difference of 1.7 min / 7.2% August 2021: Difference of 10.8 min / 67.6% August 2022: Difference of 0.2 min / 0.8% Disney's Hollywood Studios
    At DHS, August wait times were down nearly 5% compared to last year, but were up over 2019 and 2021. August was almost 16% below the yearly average Hollywood Studios wait time.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -7.1 min / -15.8% August 2019: Difference of 4.5 min / 13.6% August 2021: Difference of 9.9 min / 33.6% August 2022: Difference of -1.8 min / -4.6% The Magic Kingdom
    At the Magic Kingdom, August wait times were down compared 2019 and 2022, but up over 2021. The average wait time in August was down nearly 20% compared to the yearly average, indicating wait times were reasonable.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -5.9 min / -19.8% August 2019: Difference of -6.1 min / -21.4% August 2021: Difference of 1.2 min / 5.6% August 2022: Difference of -3.7 min / -14.4% Disney California Adventure
    At DCA, August wait times were down over 16% compared to last year, but up over 30% over 2021. Wait times were also well below the yearly average, down 24%.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -7.1 min / -24.2% August 2019: Difference of -0.3 min / -1.2% August 2021: Difference of 5.9 min / 34.2% August 2022: Difference of -4.5 min / -16.6% Disneyland
    At Disneyland, August wait times were down almost 14% compared to last year, but were up over 20% compared to before the pandemic. Wait times, on average, were down 5 minutes compared to the yearly average.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of -4.8 min / -18.0% August 2019: Difference of 3.6 min / 20.2% August 2021: Difference of 6.3 min / 39.2% August 2022: Difference of -3.5 min / -13.8% Disneyland Paris
    At DLP, August wait times were down 18% compared to last year and down 7% compared to the yearly average.
    Average Wait: Difference of -1.6 min / -7.0% August 2019: Difference of 0% August 2021: Difference of 0.9 min / 4.6% August 2022: Difference of -4.3 min / -18.2%  
    Tokyo Disneyland
    At TDR, August wait times were slightly higher than August of last year, and up nearly 23% over the yearly average.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of 4.1 min / 22.8% August 2019: Difference of 0% August 2021: Difference of 13.7 min / 158.6% August 2022: Difference of 0.1 min / 0.6% Tokyo DisneySea
    At DisneySea, August wait times were up over 8% compared to last August, and up 22% over the yearly average. More capacity at the Tokyo parks has led to these increases.
    August 2023 vs: Average Wait: Difference of 5.4 min / 22.0% August 2019: Difference of 0% August 2021: Difference of 19.5 min / 171.0% August 2022: Difference of 2.2 min / 8.4%
  2. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 8/27/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (8/21 to 8/27/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were up 1 minute as compared to last week, with an average wait time of 34 minutes (last week was flat compared to the previous week, for reference). Out of the past 86 weeks, this week would rank #69. The same week last year also ranks #69 with an average wait time of 34 minutes. After a slow start to the summer this year, the back end is the same as last year.

    The weekend, once again, had the lowest wait times of the past week, with Sunday clearly the lowest.

    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    At DAK, the hardest Lightning Lane slot to obtain later in the day was meeting Mickey and Minnie, followed by Avatar Flight of Passage. Both Pandora rides had the longest average wait times.



    EPCOT
    At EPCOT, Lightning Lane slots for the big 3 attractions all sold out within a 30 minute period, on average, before 1 PM each day. It remains hard to get Genie+ for all 3. Frozen Ever After led the way for the longest average wait time.



    Disney's Hollywood Studios
    At DHS, Slinky Dog Dash remained the hardest Genie+ slot to obtain, selling out before noon. The roller coaster also had the highest average wait time for the week.



    The Magic Kingdom
    At MK, Lightning Lane availability was generally plentiful. Days with a Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) continued to have low wait times along with Sunday. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight featured the longest wait times, on average, for the week.



  3. Webmaster
    Down I-4 from Universal Orlando, the data showed that wait times are significantly lower at the Magic Kingdom during days when there is a Halloween Party. Does the same conclusion hold true at both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida on days where Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) takes place? Let's a take a look at the HHN 31 data from 2022 to find out.
    At Universal Studios Florida, where HHN is held, the average wait time in 2022 on days with a HHN event was 32.5 minutes. On days without an event, the average wait time dropped down to 27.4 minutes. Wait times, in general, increased from the beginning of September to the middle of October.

    Wait times before 5 PM were not much different in October of last year, with week days a bit ligher. Patterns changed on HHN days after 5 PM. Overall, the data suggests there is no real advantage to visiting Universal Studios Florida on a day with HHN in terms of wait times when you get less time in the park (assuming you are not going to HHN).

    How does HHN affect wait times at Islands of Adventure? On HHN event days at its neighbor park, IOA had an average wait time of 28.1 minutes in 2022. When there was no HHN event next door, the average wait time was down to 23.5 minutes. Some of this difference can be explained by the majority of HHN event days occurring on the busier weekend days for the park. Another factor is more guests choosing to visit IOA on HHN days to take advantage of longer operating hours.


  4. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 8/20/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (8/14 to 8/20/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were the same as compared to last week, with an average wait time of 33 minutes (last week was down 3 minutes compared to the previous week, for reference). Out of the past 85 weeks, this week would rank #72. The same week last year ranks #61 with an average wait time of 35 minutes. It is definitely at the start of the slower season, but that doesn't mean there are no crowds.

    Disney World daily average wait times the past month. A pattern of a slow weekend with a busy Monday just about every week.

    Daily wait time profiles were pretty consistent throughout the week. Sundays remained a low day too.

    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    At DAK, Avatar Flight of Passage led the way with an 85 minute average wait time, followed closely behind by Navi River Journey at 76 minutes. Wait times were higher this past weekend than most of the weekdays. Overall, wait times were down 1 minute compared to last week, park wide.


    Lightning Lane availability was good, with everything at least lasting into the early afternoon.

    EPCOT
    At EPCOT, Test Track and Frozen Ever After had the highest average wait time at 71 minutes, follow by Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at just over an hour.  Overall, wait times were down 2 minutes compared to last week, park wide.


    Lightning Lane slots became tough to get for the 3 major Genie+ options just into the afternoon. Snag Test Track first you if have to make a choice.

    Disney's Hollywood Studios
    At DHS, Slinky Dog Dash continues to have high wait times, averaging a 99 minute wait the past week. This was 25 minutes higher than Rise of the Resistance, which has waned some in popularity (Is ROTR Too Expensive?).  Overall, wait times were up 1 minute compared to last week, park wide.


    If you want to ride Slink Dog Dash, grab a Lightning lane at 7 AM. It has been selling out very quickly. Everything else is lasting into the afternoon.

    The Magic Kingdom
    At the Magic Kingdom, you know have two distinct patterns: Halloween Party days and non-party days. If you visit on a party day, expect well below average crowds before 4 PM (but the park does close at 6 PM and you will not get fireworks). Party days are typically each Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. This leads to the non-party days being busier though. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight had the highest average wait times, both at or above 70 minutes.  Overall, wait times were down 2 minutes compared to last week, park wide.


    Lightning Lane availability last week was very good. On party days, Genie+ is probably not worth it if you are trying to cut costs as it has been expensive relative to the crowd levels.

    Genie+ prices were maxed at $25 during the week last week, only dropping on the weekend.

  5. Webmaster
    Disneyland Resort is feeling the effects of now Tropical Storm Hilary. Wait times at both parks are well below average, and the lowest in years.


    Rise of the Resistance is the only attraction averaging more than an hour wait time.


    Resort wide, today ranks #596 out the past 596 days! Wait times are lower than the park when it first return in April 2021 from COVID closures. Going back to 2019, wait times today at Disneyland rank #1190 out of 1190!

  6. Webmaster

    Drop in Genie+ Prices

    By Webmaster,


    News
    At Walt Disney World, the prices for Genie+ have dropped for the first time in nearly two weeks, down to a maximum of $23 per person. The last time at this price point was August 6th.

    It has been surprising that the cost at the Magic Kingdom has remained $25 per person on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party days. Crowds have been much lower during the day on which the first 3 events have occurred.
  7. Webmaster
    How has the first half of August in 2023 compared to previous years at each Walt Disney World theme park? Let's take a look at the data so far to find out!
    Disney's Hollywood Studios
    At DHS, wait times are down over 7% compared to last year, but are up nearly 10% compared to the same period in 2019. At this point in 2019, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge was not yet open. Rise of the Resistance and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster are averaging a lower wait time this August than last year despite Slinky Dog Dash being up.
    2019: 9.6%
    2022: -7.8%


     
    EPCOT
    At EPCOT, wait times are very close to the same period last year, only down 0.2%. Wait times are up nearly 6% compared to before the pandemic.
    2019: 5.6%
    2022: -0.2%


     
    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    The biggest difference to past years is at Animal Kingdom. Wait times are down over 18% compared to last year and 36% compared to before the pandemic!  Lower wait times for Avatar Flight of Passage and Kilimanjaro Safaris are a big reason for the differences.
    2019: -36%
    2022: -18%


     
    The Magic Kingdom
    Magic Kingdom wait times have also been way down to start August compared to last year and 2019. A big difference this year to last is the number of attractions operating. Several high profile rides are averaging higher wait times this August, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain. Overall, you have more options, but some of the bigger attractions you will wait longer for. Pick Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party days to experience lower crowds too.
    2019: -25%
    2022: -14.6%


  8. Webmaster
    The 32nd edition of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando is soon upon us. This year's offering for HHN 32 includes:
    Stranger Things 4 The Last of Us The Exorcist: Believer Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count Universal Monsters: Unmasked Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origi… Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy F… YETI: Campground Kills The Darkest Deal Blood Moon: Dark Offerings We can take a look at past house wait time data to get an idea of what might be the most popular houses and best days to attend HHN 23 later this year.
    Past House Wait Time Averages



    Each of the past full Horror Nights events (2019, 2021, and 2022), one house has clearly been the most popular choice with the highest wait time.
    2019: Stranger Things 2021: Beetlejuice 2022: Halloween Notice that these are all major brand houses (and typically the second and third most popular were too). Expect the trend to continue this year with the return of the enormously popular Stranger Things and Last of US IPs, plus the Exorcist and Chucky. These houses will likely average 75+ minute wait times each night. Back in 2017, the Stranger Things house saw some absolutely massive wait times, as shown in the graph below. Most of the other houses built-up their waits slowly, allowing early arrivers to take advantage of more houses. Typically, the original houses have lower wait times too. It will be interesting to how popular the Dueling Dragons house is with its nostalgia factor.

    Past HHN Best/Worst Days to Go
    Trends on which day is best and worst to attend has varied over the past 3 events. In 2019, Tuesdays were clearly the worst day to visit, but the other days were pretty similar. In 2021, Wednesdays had the highest average waits, and Fridays were surprisingly lower. Last year, Monday took the crown for highest wait times while Tuesday and Friday were more mild. One tip is to is to avoid the Premier UOAP days, which are September 6th to 10th, 13th to 17th , 20th to 24th, 27th to 28th, and October 4th and 5th this year. While it seems counterintuitive, past data suggests Fridays may be a good day to go because the general perception is that it will be packed.



    HHN 31 Recap 
    At the most recent HHN event from last year, HHN 31, the highest wait times were observed on Wednesday, October 19th. The lowest wait times were right after Hurricane Ian when crowds where intentionally limited. The sweet spot last year was the second weekend of the event. Events were heavy from mid October and on. October 11th was quite the anomaly.

    During the busiest event on 10/19/22, these were the house wait times by time of day. Expect Stranger Things 4 and The Last of Us to follow patterns similar to Halloween last year. If you want to do a higher quantity of houses, it is best to start with everything else between 6 and 7 PM.

    Questions? More tips? Ask them in the comments below!


  9. Webmaster

    Tight Slinky Dog Dash Genie+ Availability

    By Webmaster,


    Data Analysis
    Wait times lately for Slinky Dog Dash, a launched roller coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios, have been high, averaging around a 90 minute wait time (or more) in recent weeks.


    Naturally, most park visitors do not prefer to wait that long in a queue. This leads to high demand for the coaster's Genie+ slots. Over the past month, Lightning Lane slots for Slinky Dog Dash have filled up in less than three minutes three times. It has sold out a total of six times before Hollywood Studios opened for the day too. If you are trying to visit Hollywood Studios with Genie+ and want to ride Slinky Dog Dash, make it your #1 priority at 7:00 AM! 

    What if you were unable to secure a slot at first Lightning Lane release? Availability does sometimes randomly appear throughout the day. In the graph below, any non-gray blocks are times when Lightning Lane slots were available over the past month. It can sometimes pay off to keep refreshing the My Disney Experience app.

    If your only option is to wait in the queue, there are periodically some sweet spots between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Just watch out for those afternoon thunderstorms. Right after the attraction comes back from a delay is a good time to ride too.

  10. Webmaster

    Is Rise of the Resistance Too Expensive?

    By Webmaster,


    Data Analysis
    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has consistently been one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World since opening in December of 2019. Since leaving the boarding group system, and with the introduction of Lightning Lane in late 2021, the attraction can be accessed via the standby queue or with an Individual Lightning Lane (ILL). The latter option will cost each rider a varying amount of money to bypass most of the standby line. Amounts for the Individual Lightning Lane have varied from $15 to $25 per person. However, since March of this year, the price has not dropped below $20 per person. This is the same price as the newer TRON Lightcycle / Run roller coaster, which has been $20 each day since opening, and the 2022 addition Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which has never gone above $17 per person. Both of those aforementioned attractions are still on the Virtual Queue system.
    The Individual Lightning Lane price for Rise of the Resistance over time:

    Since ditching the Virtual Queue system in September 2021, the average wait time for Rise of the Resistance is 114 minutes (nearly 2 hours). The attraction has posted some massive wait times before, including 420 minutes last year. Though, if the wait times from that whole span are analyzed, a general downward trend in the wait times is observed. Note that most of the large spikes in wait times are caused by significant ride downtime in a given day, leading to longer standby times.

    If just this year is analyzed, outside of the holiday and Spring Break periods, the average wait time drops down to the 70 to 80 minute range for the majority of days. This year, the average wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is 89 minutes and the average for Avatar Flight of Passage is 100 minutes. The peak ILL price for these attractions? $12 and $16, respectively (with lower prices too).

    Individual Lightning Lane availability for Rise has also been very good over the summer. Rarely does it sell out prior to the park opening when everyone can purchase it. The graph below shows the sell out times for the past month. It doesn't seem to make too much sense for Rise of the Resistance to still be commanding its premium price.

    Overall, the data suggests that the Individual Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is currently overpriced at its price floor of $20 per person. Our advice if you are on a budget? Save the money and use it elsewhere right now (i.e. to buy Genie+ to get on the rest of the park's attractions). A Genie+ slot for Slinky Dog Dash is more valuable as it is averaging 98 minute average wait time and it closes during bad weather.
    When is the best time to ride Rise of the Resistance? The standby line, with the wait times from the past month shown below, often has several periods in the day where the wait time drops below an hour. Evenings are also particularly light, beginning around 7:30 to 8:00 PM.

    What are your thoughts on Rise of the Resistance and its Individual Lightning Lane price? Share in the comments.
  11. Webmaster

    Water Ride Popularity

    By Webmaster,


    Data Analysis
    Depending on where a theme park is located, how popular a water ride is varies on a week to week basis. For most parks, peak water ride season is July and August, and wait times typically spike when there is a heat wave. In particular, a heat wave has been grappling Central Florida over the past week.
    Lets take a look at how wait times have varied for several water rides across North America since the beginning of July and see if there are any trends. Intuition says wait times should have been very high for Florida water rides over the past week, but was that actually true?
    Disney's Animal Kingdom is home to Kali River Rapids. Wait times for the attraction peaked at the end of July, but have remained high during the early August heat wave.

    At Islands of Adventure, home to three premier water rides, wait times have been mostly consistent. Popeye and Jurassic Park trended down last week. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls has been consistently holding an average wait time of an hour or more for several weeks.



    At SeaWorld Orlando, Infinity Falls is typically a popular attraction if the weather is at all warm. Wait times peaked in early and mid-July. Last week's wait time were up slightly over the previous week too.

    At Busch Gardens Tampa, Congo River Rapids wait times have declined from a peak in early to mid July.

    At Disney California Adventure, wait times for Grizzly River Run have remained high this summer. Last week was a bit off of the peak seen in July, but still averaged a 45 minute wait time.

    White Water Canyon at Kings Island has seen a rapid rise in its wait time since the beginning of July, with much higher wait times the past four weeks.

    At Worlds of Fun, Fury of the Nile has averaged at least 40 minute wait time the past four weeks.

    Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Magic Mountain is averaging close to an hour wait the past several weeks as summer continues on.

    Meanwhile, Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Great America saw its highest wait times of the summer last week.

    The Smoky Mountain River Rampage has been popular most of the summer at Dollywood, but saw a significant drop in its average wait time last week.

    Wait times for Thunder Canyon at Dorney Park have been on the rise the past week weeks of summer, averaging over a half hour wait in recent weeks.

    Thunder Canyon at Valleyfair has seen a big increase in popularity the past 3 weeks. The peak was 50 minutes two weeks ago.

    Wait times for Thunder River at Six Flags St Louis peaked at the end of July, but have been mild since.

    Finally, wait times continue to rise for White Water Canyon at Kings Dominion as summer continues on.

    In general, wait times at parks located in more northern states seem to be on the rise in recent weeks. Wait times at the Florida theme parks plateaued in July and are on the way down; however, they are not short , but rather less than seen in the peak of summer. The current extreme heat and school starting has led to a decrease in overall wait times at the Florida parks, impacting the water rides too.
    Do you like getting wet, or even soaked, at water rides to help stay cool?
  12. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 8/13/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (8/7 to 8/13/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were down 3 minutes compared to last week, with an average wait time of 33 minutes (last week was down 4 minutes compared to the previous week, for reference). Out of the past 84 weeks, this week would rank #72. The same week last year ranks #43 with an average wait time of 39 minutes.  Also, kudos to those who braved the extreme heat this week. It was brutal out there even for Florida!
    Local Orange County schools (and many other Florida counties) began on Thursday, leading to less local influence on Thursday and Friday last week.


    Genie+ prices did not drop below $25 per person for the Magic Kingdom/Park Hopper option. Past weeks had dropped to $23 per person on the weekend.

    At Disney's Animal Kingdom, the hardest Lightning Lane slot this past week was Expedition Everest

    Avatar Flight of Passage had the highest average wait time at 85 minutes.

    At EPCOT, the fastest selling out Lightning Lane was for Test Track.

    Test Track also had the highest average wait time at 77 minutes.

    The 1 PM boarding group drop for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was easy most days the past week. You could Park Hop and get it all but 2 days.

    At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the fastest selling out Lightning Lane attraction was Slinky Dog Dash, which sold out before the park opening plus 2 hour mark, on average.

    Slinky Dog Dash also had the highest average wait time at 93 minutes.

    At the Magic Kingdom, outside of the parade, meeting Ariel was the fastest selling out Lightning Lane.

    Seven Dwarfs Mine Train led the way with a 80 minute average wait time.

    The 1 PM boarding group drop for TRON Lightcycle / Run was obtainable at 1 PM, but only lasted to the Park Hop time at 2 PM twice.

    At the park, the separately ticketed event, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, commonly called MNSSHP, also began Friday. TRON was still using a Virtual Queue for the event, and boarding groups lasted mere seconds at 6 PM. With controlled crowds and no Genie+, lines are still shorter than the regular day.

    Follow wait times for each event at https://www.thrill-data.com/mnsshp/2023
    Looking forward to the next few weeks, wait times typically drop with different areas beginning school.

    View the Crowd Calendar any time at https://www.thrill-data.com/trip-planning/crowd-calendar/resort/wdw
  13. Webmaster
    How has the start of August in 2023 compared to previous years at each Walt Disney World theme park? Let's take a look at the data so far to find out!
    Disney's Hollywood Studios
    At DHS, wait times are down 7% compared to last year, but are up 12% compared to the same period in 2019.
    2019: 12%
    2022: -7%

    EPCOT
    At EPCOT, wait times are very close to the same period last year, only down 2%. Wait times are up 9% compared to before the pandemic.
    2019: 9%
    2022: -2%

    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    The biggest difference to past years is at Animal Kingdom. Wait times are down over 20% compared to last year and 35% compared to before the pandemic!
    2019: -35%
    2022: -21%

    What is driving some of the differences at Animal Kingdom? Almost a 100 minute difference in the Avatar Flight of Passage wait time compared to 2019! Kilimanjaro Safaris are also well down at 40 minutes.

    The Magic Kingdom
    Magic Kingdom wait times have also been way down to start August compared to last year and 2019. A big difference this year to last is the number of attractions operating.
    2019: -15%
    2022: -22%

    A big difference compared to 2019 is much lower wait times for the park's roller coasters this year.

     
  14. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 8/6/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (7/31 to 8/6/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were down 4 minutes compared to last week, with an average wait time of 36 minutes (last week was up 4 minutes compared to the previous week, for reference). Out of the past 83 weeks, this week would rank #56. The same week last year ranks #37 with an average wait time of 40 minutes. 
    Local Orange County schools are in session starting this Thursday, so crowd patterns will start to change a bit.

    The daily average wait time profile for each day in the past week

    Wait times at Disney's Animal Kingdom were down 13% compared to last week!

    Avatar Flight of Passage remained the quickest selling out Lightning Lane slot.

    At EPCOT, wait times were down 3% compared to last week.

    Remy and Test Track were the hardest Lightning Lane slots over the past week.

    At Disney's Hollywood Studios, wait times were down 13.7% percent compared to last week!

    Lightning Lane slots for Slinky Dog Dash were selling out in the morning, typically before the park opening plus 2 hour point.

    Finally, at the Magic Kingdom,  wait times were down 3% compared to last week.

    Lightning Lane availability was quite good at the park over the week.

    Wait time wise, Slinky Dog Dash took home the prize for the highest average wait time over the past week, averaging nearly a 2 hour wait.

  15. Webmaster

    Disneyland Resort July '23 Wait Time Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Wait Time Analysis
    Disneyland Resort July Wait Time Analysis
    The month of July has come and gone, but how did wait times across Disneyland Resort compare to recent months and past July's? Let's take a look at the data to find out.
    Resort wide, the average wait time was down 3 minutes compared to June. July ranked 19th out of the past 20 months in terms of wait times, where a lower rank indicates higher wait times.


    Disneyland
    The average wait time in July of 26 minutes ranked as the lowest month going back to January 2022. Compared to last July, wait times were down 21%, on average. Across the board, most attractions just have less of a wait time.



    Disney's California Adventure
    At California Adventure, wait times were down 20% compared to last July, and 3 minutes compared to June 2023. Like Disneyland, most attractions had lower wait times than July last year.


    Lightning Lane wise, availability was plentiful. Only Indiana Jones sold out in the middle of the afternoon. Prices fluctuated between $25 and $30 per person for Genie+. Prices did not always correspond well to the crowd levels though.


  16. Webmaster

    Rough Day for Boarding Groups

    By Webmaster,


    Daily Happenings
    Both of the Virtual Queue attractions at Walt Disney World, TRON Lightcycle/Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, have struggled with reliability today, leading to low group progression.
    TRON is headed for its worst day since just a couple weeks ago, where on July 24th it processed 130 groups, which was aided by extended evening hours.


     
    Cosmic Rewind is on pace for its worst day since April 18th, where it processed 110 boarding groups.

  17. Webmaster

    Universal Orlando July '23 Wait Time Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Wait Time Analysis
    Universal Orlando Resort July Wait Time Analysis
    The month of July has come and gone, and school is just around the corner. How did wait times at Universal Orlando compare in July to recent months and past years? Let's dive into the data.
    Resort wide, July wait times, with an average of 34 minutes, were up 2 minutes, on average, over May '23, but down 1 minute compared to June '23. In July 2022, the average wait time was a whopping 43 minutes, 9  minutes higher than July 2023!

    Islands of Adventure
    At Islands of Adventure, wait times were down 12% from July 2022. Hagrid's and VelociCoaster had the highest average wait times.


    Compared to 2022, Hagrid's wait time was down over 25 minutes in July 2023. VelociCoaster and Kong were up last month.

    Universal Studios Florida
    At Universal Studios, wait times were down 25% from July 2022. Minion Mayhem and Escape from Gringotts led the way with the longest wait times.


    Compared to 2022, Revenge of the Mummy saw almost a 100 minute decrease in its wait time! Just about everything was down last month except for the Fast and the Furious.

    The Forecast for August
    Before school starts, historically wait times remain average to above average. Mid-month, once local schools are in session, typically things calm down dramatically.

  18. Webmaster

    Cedar Point July '23 Wait Time Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Wait Time Analysis
    Cedar Point July 2023 Wait Time Recap
    Now that July has come and gone, let's take a look at the wait time data and how it compared to past years.
    Steel Vengeance had the highest average wait time, closely followed by Maverick. The next tier was made up of Millennium Force and Valravn. The new coaster, Wild Mouse, made up the third tier.

    The average wait time last month was about 4% higher than 2022 and 13% lower than 2019. 2021 was a clear anomaly when the major coasters required a separate pass to ride.

    This is how the wait times compared to last July (2022).

    And this is how the Cedar Point July 2022 wait times compared to 2019. The biggest difference is Steel Vengeance.

  19. Webmaster

    Disney World July '23 Wait Time Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Wait Time Analysis
    Walt Disney World Resort July Wait Time Analysis
    Somehow, the month of July has already come and gone. We now enter August, on the cusp of school and haunt season starting. Let's take a look at how wait times were at Walt Disney World in July 2023.
    Wait times in July were down 1 minute, on average, compared to June across Walt Disney World. The end of the month was markedly busier than the beginning. You can see the power of a ticket deal; when it was blacked out around July 4th, wait times were much lower than when it was not.


    At Disney's Animal Kingdom, July 2023 wait times were 12.5% compared to July last year, and down nearly 30% compared to July 2019. This was largely driven by about an hour decrease in the Avatar Flight of Passage wait time compared to 2019.


    Wait times at EPCOT were down 10% compared to 2022, but up compared to 2021 and 2019. Generally, wait times are most attractions were simply down from July last year by 3 to 5 minutes each.


    Wait times at the Magic Kingdom in July were down compared to each year going back to 2019, including down 17% compared to both 2021 and 2022. A big factor in wait times at the Magic Kingdom where the numerous attractions that were open compared to this time last year. Many of the common attractions actually had higher average last month, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.


    At Disney's Hollywood Studios, wait times last month were down 8.5% compared to July 2022. A 40 minute drop in the average wait time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance helped the overall average at DHS fall this July.


    It will be interesting to see how wait times look this August. Things will settle down a bit after school starts, but there are still quite a few deals out there to entice visitors to come.
  20. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 7/30/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (7/23 to 7/30/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were up 3 minutes over last week to 40 minutes (last week was also up 2 minutes, for reference). This is the 3rd week in a row of a week over week increase in wait times! Out of the past 82 weeks, this week would rank #37. The same week last year ranks #32 with an average wait time of 41 minutes. With this last summer surge, wait times are only down 1 minute, on average, compared to this time last year.
    Only one full week of summer remains for local Orlando area schools. Mid August wait times will likely lower quite a bit from what they are now.

    This past Monday was the busiest day of the week across the resort. Try to avoid the parks on that day if you can on your trips. A good rest or pool day.

    For the 3rd week in a row, Avatar Flight of Passage had the highest average wait time for the week. It is a bit surprising how low on the list Rise of the Resistance has been lately.

    Park by Park Breakdown
    Disney's Animal Kingdom
    Wait times were flat compared to last week at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Monday was the busiest day and Saturday was the lightest. Flight of Passage Individual Lightning Lane slots were selling out much earlier, averaging 10:16 AM. Everything else lasted into the afternoon.


    EPCOT
    Wait times at EPCOT this week were all over the place, but up 14% overall. The Food & Wine Festival began too, leading to a busy park on Thursday. Test Track and Remy were the hardest Genie+ slots to secure, but both averaged lasting until the afternoon. On most days this week, boarding groups for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind lasted several hours at 1 PM.



    Disney's Hollywood Studios
    Wait times at DHS were up 18% over last week, with Monday the busiest day. Slinky Dog Dash was the hardest Genie+ slot to obtain, selling out before the afternoon, on average.


    Magic Kingdom
    Wait times at the Magic Kingdom were up 3% over last week. The weekend continues to be the best time to visit, with Monday being the worst. TRON was the Lightning Lane to sell out first, but not until the afternoon. Boarding groups for TRON did not last an hour any day this past week, so don't count on Park Hopping and getting a group right now.



    First Week of August Forecast
    We are soon coming up on a historically slower period at Walt Disney World, but we aren't quite there yet. This week will be the last chance for many locals to go, so expect average wait times up to August 10th.

  21. Webmaster

    Saturday 7/29/2023 Happenings

    By Webmaster,


    Daily Happenings
    We will be following theme park action around the world today. It is hot as dragon's breath out there today!
    6:30 PM Update
    Wait times are about 5 minutes below average today at Disneyland

    And at Disney California Adventure too

    2:35 PM Update
    Saturday wait times at Kennywood

    A busy Saturday at Cedar Point

    12:30 PM Update
    Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios is uncharacteristically busy today.

    10:50 AM Update
    Genie+ prices at Disney World remain at a max of $23 per person

    Wait times at Alton Towers are right around their average

    Wait times at Disneyland Paris are right at average too

    The current longest Cedar Fair wait times

  22. Webmaster

    How Busy is Disney World in 2023?

    By Webmaster,


    Data Analysis
    How busy (or not) Disney World has been in July (and really all of 2023) is a hot topic the past few weeks. There have been numerous articles in high profile outlets (including CNN, which cited data from Thrill Data) to talk about it, and plenty of debate about it on Reddit and other groups. Is it possible to determine how busy Disney actually is right now?
    The short answer is no. We are simply not privy to the attendance data that would tell us so. However, utilizing wait time data and other indicators, we can make a pretty good hypothesis that crowds are lower this summer. But if you are visiting the parks soon, this is good news for you!
    What the Disney Wait Time Data Says
    We record the Disney wait time data all day, every day directly from the My Disney Experience app. This is what Disney "posts" as the official wait time of each attraction. While the accuracy of these times vary (see below), you can assume that the same inaccuracy always exists over time, allowing you to look for trends in data over time. Think about it this way with an example: on a slower day, the posted wait time for an attraction is 10 minutes, but the actual wait time is only 5 minutes; on a busier day, the posted wait time for the same attraction is 20 minutes, but the actual wait time is 10 minutes. Disney has differentiated the busier day from the slower day with the posted wait time, even if the posted wait times are not accurate.
    With this in mind, we can take a look at some of the 2023 Walt Disney World wait time data to see what trends we can find. Keep in mind that wait times in 2019 and below had FastPass+, wait times in 2021 did not have Genie+/Individual Lightning Lane until October, and wait times in 2022/2023 had Genie+/Individual Lightning Lane.
    The Big Picture (January to July since 2019) These graphs below plot the average wait time at each point in the day for each day from 2019 to now, separated by year. If we look at how wait times to this point in the year compare going back to 2019, it is clear that this year, the purple line, is lower than last year (green line) in most cases. EPCOT is the closest to 2022, and is ahead of 2019 (likely thanks to its new attractions that had not opened at this point in 2019). Magic Kingdom wait times are down over 15% compared to 2019 and 2022. Disney's Hollywood Studios wait times this year are higher than 2019 (Rise of the Resistance likely a big contributor), but lower than last year. Disney's Animal Kingdom wait times are well down from 2019, likely with the newness of Pandora wearing off (and Flight of Passage not posting consistent 3 to 4 hour waits).
    Disney's Animal Kingdom: January 1st to July 15th Wait Time Comparison

    2019 was really peak for Disney's Animal Kingdom
    2019: blue
    2021: red
    2022: green
    2023: purple
    EPCOT: January 1st to July 15th Wait Time Comparison

    EPCOT had those 11 AM openings in 2021
    2019: blue
    2021: red
    2022: green
    2023: purple
    Disney's Hollywood Studios: January 1st to July 15th Wait Time Comparison

    2019: blue
    2021: red
    2022: green
    2023: purple
    Magic Kingdom: January 1st to July 15th Wait Time Comparison

    There is a big delta between '19/'22 and '23 at the Magic Kingdom
    2019: blue
    2021: red
    2022: green
    2023: purple
    Near Term (June 2023 Analysis) If we take a closer look at an individual month, we can see what attractions are causing the biggest changes to each park. Outside of the Magic Kingdom, the parks are generally offering the same attractions lineup as last year. 2022 is blue and 2023 is red in the following graphs.

    All of the major attractions at Disney's Animal Kingdom had lower wait times in June '23 than June '22, with Flight of Passage and the Safari causing the largest delta.

    EPCOT wait times are just slightly lower in '23 than '22 except for Mission: Space and Meeting Anna & Elsa, which is well below June last year. Test Track is matching last year.

    At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance, Smuggler's Run, and Tower of Terror are leading the drop in the overall wait times. Slinky Dog Dash and Runaway Railway were slightly up in June '23.

    At the Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion actually had higher wait times in June '23 than '22. Most of the other attractions were slightly less than last year. One factor reducing Magic Kingdom wait times are more ride offerings. The graph below shows the attractions (ignore Under the Sea there) that operated in June '23 but not in June '22.

    4th of July The 4th of July weekend this year was quite shocking. From Saturday the 1st through the 4th, wait times were below most years going back to 2014! The black line was this year. It should be noted that the current ticket deals were blocked out as were many Passholders.

    For July 1st, '23 was only above '16

    For July 2nd, '23 was again only ahead of '16

    July 3rd '23 was a bit more average, but well below '17, '18, and '22

    July 4th set a new low bar for the holiday (at least going back to 2014) for most of the day.
    What Reported Wait Time Data Says
    Over the past week, users have been reporting their times waiting in line across Walt Disney World. We've pulled some of the most interesting cases where the posted wait time did not match well with the actual time guests spent waiting in line. Quite a few times in the list where the wait was minimal but the posted wait time was high. If wait times were more accurate, this data seems to indicate that average wait times would actually be less than you saw in the analyses above.
    Remy's Ratatouille Adventure: Posted 60 minutes, 30 minutes Actual Soarin' Around the World: Posted 30 minutes, 2 minutes Actual Pirates of the Caribbean: Posted 20 minutes, 11 minutes Actual Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Posted 30 minutes, 20 minutes Actual The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Posted 30 minutes, 13 minutes Actual Peter Pan's Flight: Posted 25 minutes, 15 minutes Actual Space Mountain: Posted 30 minutes, 3 minutes Actual Meet Anna and Elsa: Posted 20 minutes, 5 minutes Actual Frozen Ever After: Posted 60 minutes, 52 minutes Actual Space Mountain: Posted 65 minutes, 37 minutes Actual Soarin' Around the World: Posted 10 minutes, 20 minutes Actual Slinky Dog Dash: Posted 95 minutes, 86 minutes Actual Rise of the Resistance: Posted 70 minutes, 84 minutes Actual Soarin' Around the World: Posted 20 minutes, 25 minutes Actual Remy's Ratatouille Adventure: Posted 60 minutes, 35 minutes Actual P.S. Remember to record your wait times during your visits too. Just click the button pictured at right on any attraction page to get started 
    What Other Indicators Say
    If demand is strong, typically there are few offers or incentives to visit the parks. Right now, there are quite a few offers and deals to entice visitors, which indicates that demand has slowed. Right now, you can visit all 4 theme parks for less than price of a single day Park Hopper ticket on days Disney deems higher demand (or reference, it cost my parents over $500 for a 1 Day Park Hopper the day before Easter this year).
    Hotel & Ticket Promotions Hotels are offering 30% off and sometimes more this summer and fall Florida Residents: Purchase a 4-Day Disney Summer Magic Ticket for Just $58 Per Day, Plus Tax (Total Price: $229 Plus Tax) 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket – $99 Per Day, Plus Tax (Total Price: $396 Plus Tax)  
    Park Pass Reservation Availability No sold out days are in sight the rest of the summer  
     
     
    Guest Observations Many guests report being surprised at the lack of congestion at times on the parks' pathways Based on the wait time data, current discounts, and observations, it seems logical to conclude that Disney World is less busy so far in 2023. This does not mean that the parks are empty (and they're aren't by any stretch). Certain parks and pathways in the parks will still be congested, but some may be lighter. Most restaurants will still be hard to get reservations for, but you might have a better chance than last year. You should spend less time waiting in regular standby lines than you would have last year, which should make for a more enjoyable trip. There will be cases were they are high due to delays, weather, and other things. But overall, it should be a bit less busy. If you've been holding off on a trip, now might be better than ever to go!
     
  23. Webmaster

    A Rough Day for TRON

    By Webmaster,


    Daily Happenings
    TRON Lightcycle / Run at the Magic Kingdom has experienced some significant down time today. The attraction did not progress any boarding groups between 12:11 PM until 4:45 PM! As of this writing, it is only at group 77. It averages 178 boarding groups a day all time.

    The roller coaster could be heading for its lowest boarding group total ever during normal operating hours (it did a soft open with limited hours earlier in the year).

  25. Webmaster

    Disney World Week of 7/23/23 Recap

    By Webmaster,


    Weekly Recap
    This week (7/10 to 7/16/2023), wait times across Walt Disney World were up 2 minutes over last week to 37 minutes (last week was also up 2 minutes, for reference). Out of the past 81 weeks, this week would rank #41. The same week last year ranks #32 with an average wait time of 41 minutes. Overall, wait times are trending about 4 minutes lower than this time last year.
    Only two full weeks of summer remain for local Orlando area schools. Mid August wait times will likely lower quite a bit from what they are now.

    The weekend continues to be the best time to visit the parks for lower wait times.

    Avatar Flight of Passage once again had the highest average wait time and even was 1 minute higher than last week. Seven Dwarfs and Slinky Dog Dash swapped places this week. Test Track and Toy Story Mania were new additions this week.

    Genie+ prices all week were either $23 max or $27 max.

    With a little higher crowds this week, Lightning Lane availability became at bit tighter. However, all except Avatar Flight of Passage averaged time in the afternoons.
    Animal Kingdom

    EPCOT

    Hollywood Studios

    Magic Kingdom


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