The Best Days to Go to Disney World 2023

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The Best Days to Go to Disney World 2023

One of the questions we get asked the most at The Park Prodigy is, “what are the best days to go to Disney World in 2023?“. There is so much to see and do in Walt Disney World the truth is you probably need more than one week to see it all. In our opinion, you shouldn’t try to either. The whole point of a Disney vacation is to have fun, relax, and spend quality time as a family!

With that being said, there are certain factors that can help you pick the best day of the week to visit each Disney World theme park. And that’s where The Park Prodigy crew comes in. Because the good news is that with some great planning, you can still see everything on your must do list with plenty of time left over for Mickey ice cream bars by the pool.

We hope you find this post helpful, and if you are planning a trip to Disney World be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next vacation. This includes helping you find the best time to buy Disney World tickets as well as book amazing Walt Disney World vacation packages completely STRESS FREE!

So if you’re ready to learn about the best days to go to Disney World in 2023 read on!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Disney World for your next vacation be sure to check out our Disney crowd calendar below!

 Disney World Crowd Calendar

The Very Best Days to Visit Disney World 2023

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So, what are the best days to visit Walt Disney World in 2023? As a general rule of thumb, the best days to visit Walt Disney World are during the weekdays of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The main reason is many families plan week long vacations at Disney which tend to start on Sunday or Monday. And one of the trends that I found while working as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World is Sunday and Monday will then tend to be the busiest days at Disney because families are then rushing to the theme parks. One of the other trends that we would see is many Florida locals also visit Disney World on the weekends which make the middle of the week the best days to visit Disney World.

What days of the week are best for Disney parks?

  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday

As you can see, any days near a weekend day is not the best day to visit the parks because long weekends are the easiest to take off when it comes to the work week! At least for us, as Florida Residents, we love taking long weekends at the resorts heading into the parks for some magic.

Related Page: Disney World Ticket Deals and Discounts

Best Days to Go to Disney World 2023 Tips & Tricks

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If you prefer to use a free tool to plan your Disney vacation be sure to check out our Disney Crowd Calendar. We break down estimated crowds based on month, week and day. We even easily outline exactly which parks we recommend to visit on each day, and also important information such as the average temperatures And as you’ll see planning the best days to visit Disney can not only save you a ton of time in the theme park but it can also save you money! How you might ask? Well just like Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World theme park tickets now fluctuate based on the time of year you visit.

So as you’ll see below one of the easiest ways to pick the best days to visit Disney is to compare the cheapest Walt Disney World tickets. The cheaper the tickets the more likely it is that the parks won’t be as crowded during that time of year.

Tips And Tricks For Picking The Best Days to Visit Disney World 2023

When trying to figure out the best days to visit Disney World in 2023 we typically recommend using these tips below for avoiding large crowds:

Ticket Prices Indicate the Best Days to Visit Disney Parks in 2023 

One of the easiest ways to figure out the best day of the week to go to Disney World in 2023 is to look at ticket prices during your visit. One of the ways Disney tries to entice people to visit during slower periods is with cheaper prices. We typically see the cheapest Walt Disney World tickets during weekdays in September.

Be sure to check out our Walt Disney World Ticket page if you need help purchasing discounted tickets.

Arrive Early For The New Extra Magic Half Hour

One of the easiest ways to make sure you get the most out of your day no matter which Disney park you plan to visit is to arrive early and stay late when possible! This will also allow you to take an afternoon break at your hotel if need be. Disney recently made changes to the extra magic hour program, switching it to an extra magic half hour at every Disney World park for on-site Disney resort guests. We’re huge fans of this as we felt morning extra magic hours always created some of the busiest days at Disney World. We feel like crowds will be a little bit more spread out as you won’t have everyone heading to the same park on the same morning.

So one of the easiest ways to take advantage of your time in Disney is to arrive early in the morning and get in a half hour before other park guests. This will also take some of the pressure off of making sure you picked the best Disney park for that day! It’s important to note that this new early entry can also be a huge help for guests who plan to park hop as you will want to get the most out of your day.

Be sure to check back with us as we continue to update the best days to visit each Disney World theme park! 

Avoid the Weekends When Possible

Weekend foot traffic at Walt Disney World can be unpredictable. Walt Disney World is home to so many festivals throughout the year such as EPCOT Flower and and Garden, Festival of the Arts, and the Food and Wine Festival that more locals are visiting now than ever before. The best way to plan around these crowds is to plan your full days at the parks on weekdays. The middle of the week generally tends to have the best days to visit Disney parks.

Avoid Major Holidays

This might seem like it’s obvious but Holidays tend to attract the largest crowds at Walt Disney World. In many cases such as Fourth of July and Christmas the parks will reach capacity. You can still plan a great family trip around holidays such as Labor day, memorial day, and Halloween however we still recommend following the tips outlined above.

Related Page: How to Buy Cheap Disney World Tickets

What are the Busiest Days at Disney World in 2023?

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Sometimes I find it easier to back into an answer, and that’s why I have decided to cover the 2023 busiest times at Disney first. There are many factors that determine which Disney World theme park is just busier than the others during any given day.

Below is a quick overview of peak periods and the busiest days at Disney World in 2023: 

  • Winter Break: Typically the first two weeks in February (although still enjoyable)
  • Spring Break: The first week of March through the third week of April
  • Memorial Day Weekend: The entire week leading up to Memorial Day
  • Summer Vacation: Specifically the third week of June through July
  • Thanksgiving Break: The entire week before and after
  • Christmas Break: The third full week of December until after January 1st

So if these are the worst days than what are the best to visit Disney? As you can see it’s when school is back in session for most of the country. That includes the months of January, February, September, late April, and early May when you will find the cheapest Disney World tickets. 

Related post: Complete Guide to Early Entry Disney World

The 2023 Best Days to Visit Disney World Based on Ticket Prices

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So, what are the cheapest days to visit Walt Disney World? For guests who like the idea of the best days to visit Disney World based on the lowest ticket prices we have put together a list of the five cheapest days to visit Disney in the early month of 2023.

The cheapest days to visit Walt Disney world are as follows:

What Are the Best Days to Visit Disney Each Park in 2023?

  • January 2023:  1/09, 1/10, 1/11, 1/12, 1/13
  • February 2023: 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/5
  • March 2023: 3/27, 3/28, 3/29, 3/30, 3/31
  • April 2023: 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 4/5, 4/6

What are the best day to visit Disney World in the Fall of 2023?

  • September 2023:  9/12, 9/13, 9/6, 9/19, 9/20
  • October 2023: 10/3, 10/4, 10/12, 10/17, 10/18
  • November 2023: 11/14, 11/15, 11/28, 11/29, 11/8
  • December 2023: 12/5, 12/6, 12/4, 12/7, 12/1

Related post: Best Time to Visit Galaxy’s Edge

What are the 2023 Disney World Best Days to Visit Each Park?

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So now that we’ve covered which days to avoid, let’s review the best days of the week to visit Disney World parks in 2023. In general the best days of the week to visit the Disney World parks are Tuesday and Wednesday. The reason being is many families find that you need an entire week for a Disney vacation and typically arrive on Saturday or Sunday. We find weekends and Monday to be the busiest days at Walt Disney World.

What are the best days to visit each park at Walt Disney World?

  • Magic Kingdom – Tuesday
  • EPCOT – Wednesday
  • Hollywood Studios – Tuesday
  • Animal Kingdom – Friday

Related post: What are the Best Disney World Hotels for Families?

What is the Best Day to go to Magic Kingdom 2023?

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So when is the best day to visit the Magic Kingdom in 2023? Very simply, the best day to visit Magic Kingdom is on Tuesday. The Magic Kingdom park is typically the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Walt Disney World. It tends to be on almost every families must do list and is also the most important park when planning the best days to visit Disney World. The Magic Kingdom park also holds a special place in my heart as one of my very first jobs was selling tickets at the front gate. I was able to see first hand the patterns of crowds visiting all four Disney theme parks, and I have been tracking wait time data ever since.

Busiest Days at Magic Kingdom 2023

Another very common question we receive is, what day of the week is Magic Kingdom most crowded? And as a general rule of thumb, the busiest day at The Magic Kingdom tends to always be Monday. This is because many families plan a week long vacation to Disney World, and typically receive the best deals by traveling Sunday or Monday. As you can guess almost everyone loves to start their vacation at the Magic Kingdom resulting in large Monday crowds.

We also find Wednesday and Friday to be some of the busiest days the Magic Kingdom. It’s also important to note that The Magic Kingdom is the most popular Disney theme park during the holidays, specifically Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July.

Best Day of the Week to Visit Magic Kingdom 2023

As you can guess if Monday is the busiest, Tuesday tends to be the best day of the week to go to Magic Kingdom. We also find Thursday to be one of the least busy days of the week at Magic Kingdom, with Sunday being a great weekend option.

Magic Kingdom Least Busy Days in Order:

  • Tuesday (best day to go to Magic Kingdom)
  • Thursday
  • Wednesday
  • Sunday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
  • Monday (busiest day at Magic Kingdom)

Is Magic Kingdom better on a Sunday or Monday?

Now that we have established some of the busiest days at Magic Kingdom you might be wondering, is Magic Kingdom better on a Sunday or Monday?  And as a general rule of thumb if we had to pick between visiting Magic Kingdom on a Sunday or Monday we would always pick Sunday. The man reason is we typically find that Sunday is more likely to be a travel day compared to Monday which will result in more guests traveling on this day and either not visiting the Magic Kingdom park or arriving later in the day. On the flip side, we do find that Monday tends to be the first full day in the parks and many families do pick the Magic Kingdom for their first day.

Related Page: Guide to Disney World Package Payment Plans 

What is the Best Day of the Week to go to EPCOT 2023?

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Another one of the most popular questions we receive on this topic is, what is the best day of the week to go to EPCOT?  As a general rule of thumb the best day of the week to visit EPCOT typically tends to be Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. We would recommend visiting on a Wednesday during the festivals mentioned above. We will say that one of the biggest advantages that EPCOT has going for it compared to some of the other Walt Disney World theme parks is that it is the largest of the four Disney theme parks and tends to hold crowds better than the others. We also find that many guests with small children tend to avoid EPCOT as they don’t feel like there is much for young kids to do there which make this one of the best Disney parks for adults visiting Walt Disney World. 

There are still certain ways to avoid large crowds especially during the festival seasons.

Busiest Days at EPCOT

EPCOT’s busiest days tend to be Tuesday and Thursday as that is when Disney hosts extra magic hour. We would also suggest avoiding EPCOT on Saturday and Sundays during Festival of the Arts, Flower and Garden, and Food and Wine Festival season.

What day of the week is EPCOT least crowded?

  • Wednesday

Related Page: Complete Guide of What to Pack for Disney World 

What is the Best Day to go to Hollywood Studios 2023?

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Hollywood Studios has become one of most unpredictable parks in terms of crowds with the recent opening of Star War’s Galaxy’s Edge. That’s why explaining what the best day of the week to go to Hollywood Studios is going to be difficult. On the bright side the park does have extended hours and tends to be a great park to rope drop if you’re looking to catch some of the most exciting attractions. .

Busiest Days at Hollywood Studios 2023

We typically recommend staying away from Hollywood Studios on Fridays and Sundays as that is when Disney holds their extra magic hours. Weekend foot traffic in general has been up since the opening of Star Wars.

Best Day to go to Hollywood Studios 2023

When is the best day to visit Hollywood Studios? We find Tuesday and Thursdays to be the best days to visit Hollywood Studios. If you only have the weekend your best bet would be to visit on a Saturday.

Related post: Complete Guide to Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

What are the Best Days to go to Animal Kingdom 2023?

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Animal Kingdom is another park that has seen larger crowds in recent years with the addition of Pandora – The World of Avatar and extended nighttime hours. Just like Hollywood Studios we have seen wait times drop for some of the older attractions like Expedition Everest and Dinosaur.

Busiest Days at Animal Kingdom

You’ll want to avoid Saturdays and Mondays at Animal Kingdom as this is when Disney hosts extra magic hour at the park.

Best Days to go to Animal Kingdom

Which is the best day to visit Animal Kingdom? Animal Kingdom is one of the only Disney theme parks which we recommend to visit certain weekend days. We typically see lower crowds on Friday and Sundays. Wednesday is another one of the best days to go to Animal Kingdom. 

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Even if you didn’t book your trip through the Park Prodigy let us know how we can help you plan the perfect Disney itinerary. It’s important to note the suggestions above are meant only to provide guidance and are based off of my experience as a vacation planner.

Also, the truth is there is never really a bad day to visit a Disney World theme park. As they say, “a rainy day in Disney is better than a day in the office”. So don’t stress out if you can’t visit exactly as outlined above. The most important thing is to enjoy spending time with the people you love in the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Related post: What are the Best Desserts at Disney World?

Best Days to Go to Disney 2023 FAQ

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Q: When is Magic Kingdom least crowded 2023?

A: Tuesday tends to be the best day of the week to go to the Magic Kingdom.

Q: What is the busiest day at Magic Kingdom in 2023?

A: The busiest day at The Magic Kingdom tends to always be Monday. This is because many families plan a week long vacation to Disney World, and typically receive the best deals by traveling Sunday or Monday. As you can guess almost everyone loves to start their vacation at the Magic Kingdom resulting in large Monday crowds.

Q: What are the least busiest days at Disney World?

A: Typically the weekdays Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the least busiest days at Disney World.

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our Disney  World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets. If you’re brand new to Disney vacation planning we recommend our Walt Disney World Planning Page! Learn more about Disney hotels by reading our Walt Disney World Hotels Review page.

Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well!

Michael Belmont

Michael Belmont is the owner and chief editor at Theparkprodigy.com, an authorized Disney and Universal travel agent. He specializes in Disney and Universal theme park tickets and vacation packages, as well as daily park plans to help optimize vacation time. Michael and The Park Prodigy have been featured on ABC’s Florida affiliate, WTFV, as well as over 10 Disney focused blogs. As owner, Michael manages The Park Prodigy blog and social media, a Disney themed podcast, and a Disney and Universal focused YouTube channel. Prior to starting The Park Prodigy, Michael was a long time Disney and Universal enthusiast, frequent visitor of the parks, and even served as a Walt Disney World Cast Member in Orlando, Florida!