A Roller Coaster Week at Magic Kingdom

As we approach Thanksgiving, many families are planning their trips to Disney World. If you're one of them and you love roller coasters, this week might be your best bet to ride some of your favorite attractions without too much wait time.

The past week at Hollywood Studios didn't see a significant drop in crowds on the 18th and 20th, but it's a different story for Jollywood Nights. Those party days are starting to make a big difference again, especially for roller coaster enthusiasts. Magic Kingdom is where you want to be this week if you're looking for shorter lines.

It's easy to identify which days had Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - the 14th, 16th, 17th, and 19th. These dates saw a noticeable increase in crowds compared to other days of the week. Observed crowd levels from November 14th to 20th show that school breaks are indeed more crowded than expected, while school-in-session times tend to be less crowded.

The turnaround from Thursday the 16th to Monday the 20th is remarkable and not unexpected. We've seen this trend throughout the fall season. The recent past has seen a significant variance in crowd levels, making it challenging to predict what's next.

Before the roller coaster of crowds heading downhill after schools go back into session, we're seeing one of the most crowded weeks of the year. And boy oh boy, did this week deliver! After the Jersey Week and Veterans Day crowds dissipated, we saw four weekdays with below-average crowds (and one crowd level 5) before things started picking up over the weekend heading into Thanksgiving Week.

As predicted last week, a roller coaster of crowds is expected to continue through the end of the year due to several 2023 trends intersecting with typical historical end-of-year crowds. If you're planning your trip to Disney World this month or next, be sure to plan accordingly and make the most of your time at the parks.

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