Holidays at the Walt Disney World Resort are always loaded, but should potential guests be wary of their 2025 plans? After all, doesn't the post-Christmas season come with something of a lull? This year seems to be taking a different turn.
From this writer's personal experience, the winter months at Disney are an ideal time to go, especially after Christmastime. If you can cope with the shockingly low temperatures compared to the summer and fall seasons, you're in for an unforgettable trip through the parks. That being said, one recent report doesn't seem so hopeful.
According to a readout from Thrill Data (found here), the average wait times for today alone have reached upwards of 45 minutes, and it's only expected to increase by Christmas Day. Using collected data from last year's crowd numbers, Tom Bricker of the Disney Tourist Blog shares his predictions and findings in the report (found here).
Bricker goes on to explain how events such as New Year's Eve, the Walt Disney World Marathon, and other holidays following will make the winter of 2025 more chaotic and crowded than Christmas week. So, what does this mean for potential guests?
You can plan, you can speculate, you can watch statistics like so many obsessive fans do, but Bricker says it best with the following statement,
"Perception is reality, and Walt Disney World guests are still surprised by winter crowds, period... It takes conventional WDW wisdom a while to catch up to reality, which is why so many continued declaring October the off-season long after that ceased being true or why some fans still believe the parks are dead post-NYE. Crowds this winter will be more sufficient that people perceive them as being worse than their own expectations."
In this writer's opinion and experience, post-New-Years and pre-Spring Break have always been the best times to visit. As long as the kids are in school and there are not too many special events at the parks, crowds are more manageable than many might believe.
The reality of the matter is that because the Disney Parks are such an iconic vacation destination, crowds will almost always be a major factor. An off-season is practically a myth, but that doesn't mean things won't change.
With new and exciting things happening at the Disney Parks, as well as new developments at Universal Studios like the Epic Universe expansion, there are going to be days of give and take. Either way, it might be best to wait till after the big celebrations before any tickets are bought.
It's always best to plan ahead than not at all, so stay with us on Along Main Street for Disney news and more!