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Disney Fun Facts | How many people go to Disney World a day?

Millions of people go to Walt Disney World every year. Sometimes it feels like millions are in the queue for Space Mountain but how many people go to Disney World a day?

Crowd at Magic Kingdom
Crowd at Magic Kingdom

The magic of Disney World Florida’s high visitor count

Disney Orlando has a very big reputation in the theme park business for attracting one of the highest amounts of visitors in a day. Throughout its history, the Walt Disney has made a name for itself in the modern culture around the world. When you think of Disney, you would think of the many memorable characters, films, and TV shows that it has produced. And in the case of Disney World Florida, the numbers are quite staggering… with millions of people visiting the park each year. There are so many visitors from all over the world… that sometimes you can’t help but wonder, “How many people go to Disney World a day?” Because by only seeing the large crowds walking all over Disney World…. isn’t even enough to answer that question.

Over the years, as the park and the Disney name itself grew, more and more visitors would flock to Disney World. Guests want to experience all that the park has to offer a variety of attractions and entertainment. For example, according to surveys in 2016, the total number of visitors per day for that year was absolutely remarkable. And within that year, it has counted up to tens of millions in the approximate figure. That’s how many people go to Disney World a day for that certain period alone.

Attendance by Theme Parks

Let’s take a look a the total amount of visitors each park got for 2016. Magic Kingdom got 20.4 million visitors while Epcot got 11.7 million visitors. As for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they reached 10.8 million visitors while Disney’s Hollywood Studios had 10.8 million.

Now, that’s a lot of people! And while reports have also stated that the total amount is a slight decrease compared to previous years… it still shows that Disney World can still attract visitors by the millions each year! You can ask yourself how many acres is Disney World Florida as much as you want, but the number of people visiting matters the most!

But if Disney can attract that many visitors in a year, what about in an entire day?

Disney World alone has an average visitor count of up to 53,000 according to a 2015 survey. And 2014 also saw a record average number of visitors in a single day of 52,946. This has totaled to 19,332,000 in 2014, which then made it the number one theme park in the world and North America by attendance!

And while Disney has yet to regain that moment of beating that record… it only goes to show how much people visit the park in a single day alone! And when you multiply that for every single day of the year, the total visitors per year is very staggering. Disney World attendance by day is as busy at night!

From humble beginnings to today

With such a big and growing history, it’s quite different compared to the day it opened in the early 70’s. Back when it first opened on October 1st, 1971, about 10,000 were present that day to experience the grand opening of the park. At the time, the planners of the event expected for the attendance to be rather small. Even though others believed that the attendance would be high as 300,000. Fortunately, 10,000 visitors proved to be a manageable number for the opening day. Since then, as the number of visitors grew and Disney adding more expansions to the park itself… the total amount of visitors per day would increase.

Now fast forward to the 2010’s, 40 years later, the visitor count has increased exponentially. As stated earlier, 2015 saw a record-breaking amount of over 50,000 visitors. That’s more or less an exponential increase compared to the 10,000 over 40 years ago!

A Comparison Over the Years

Compared to years ago, even in 2015, Disney World was attracting as much visitors. We’ve already taken a look at last year, 2016, but what about the year before that? 2015 also saw a lot of record-setting attendance numbers. Magic Kingdom has 20.5 million, Epcot has 11.8 million, Disney’s Animal Kingdom reached 10.9 million, Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 10.8 million, Blizzard Beach at 2.1 million, and Typhoon Lagoon at 2.3 million. And again, while the overall attendance is slightly lower a year later, it’s still an impressive feat to attract dozens of millions of visitors each year! When you ask yourself how many people go to Disney World a day in recent years, the numbers are jaw-dropping.

For a more accurate number on how much Disney World attracts per year… according to a 2015 statistics, Magic Kingdom averages about 56,000 visitors daily, totaling 20,492,000. This makes Magic Kingdom the most visited theme park in the entire world. Epcot averaged 32, 323 visitors per day, totaling 11,798,000. Animal Kingdom averaged 29, 923 visitors per day, totaling 10,922,000. Hollywood Studios averaged 29,666 visitors per day, totaling 10,828,000.

And while 2015 and 2016 were pretty big years in Disney’s history… it was still a great increase over 2014’s attendance count increase. As an example, Magic Kingdom saw a 6% increase in attendance.

Is there a good time to visit?

Like any other theme park, there are certain times of the year when there are a lot of visitors, both local and international. And even there are days where the daily visitor count would peak further. These peak seasons is where you’ll be seeing crowds of people walking throughout the park.

Many would keep an eye on the calendar, planning ahead to visit the park during low-attendance periods. Because a low crowd count would usually mean less waiting lines and less hassle. But sometimes, a high attendance rate would usually mean there are certain events occurring at Disney. These are particularly planned events that many would rather not miss out on.

What are these peak months that would see record-setting attendances?

2017

The following dates are predicted to be the best time to visit Disney World:

  • For the month of January, we have included the dates 9-13 and 18-26
  • February, there’s 1-16, 27 to March 2.
  • August, the second half of that month
  • September, there are a lot of days of the month that makes it ideal to visit the park
  • For October, weekdays are considered the best time.
  • The same also applies day for November, except for Thanksgiving day
  • Weekdays are also great for the month of December, except during Christmas time and New Years Eve, unless you want to spend it at Disney

2018

The best days to visit Disney World is more or less the same, but with a few adjustments to the dates:

  • January 8 to 12, and 17 to 25
  • January 29 to February 15, and February 26 to March 1
  • The latter of half of August is still a great choice
  • Certain days of September, as well
  • October weekdays
  • Weekdays of November minus holidays
  • Weekdays during December

Many would say that September is the month to visit Disney World. It is because this is usually the time when children have returned from school. And this would mean that September is the best time for families to start hanging out with their kids. Thus, it would result in a higher attendance count in Disney World. This is why when you travel to the park around this time, you would see families and kids more often. And while it’s not a requirement for you to visit Disney World at these specific dates… these are more or fewer guidelines on what to expect in terms of attendance numbers.

Months to Avoid

As for which times of the year, there are certain periods that considered by many as “not recommended” due to how many people go to Disney World a day. And it’s because of the high amounts that would make it rather difficult for anyone to not only maneuver through the park… but also the large amounts of visitors. This would imply that park operations can be possibly slowed down. Meaning, it can equate to longer lines, fully booked hotels, and rides are always full, and a lot more.

For the year 2017, they are:

  • January 1 to 8, and 13 to 16
  • February 17 to 26
  • March 5 all the way to April 23
  • Weekends in May
  • All of June and July
  • The early half of August
  • Thanksgiving on November
  • Christmas all the way through New Year

And as for 2018:

  • January 1 to 7, and 12 to 15
  • February 16 to 15
  • March 12 to April 15
  • Weekends in May
  • All of June
  • All of July
  • First half of August
  • Thanksgiving week
  • Christmas week until the new year

These are generally predicted to have the highest amount of attendance throughout the year. This is due to a number of factors like holidays, vacations, or specific events that Disney would host. While said events have yet to be announced, they are usually held every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, before the big event every Sunday.

Saturdays are usually the busiest of the weekends regardless of what month or year. And so Saturdays are also considered by many as the peak period of the week. Sometimes visiting Magic Kingdom during peak days are not recommended. For example, the 2017 Pro Bowl parade which is held on a Friday.)

And speaking of peak periods and holidays, even despite the chance of a very massive crowd… there are a handful of holidays throughout the year that would make Disney World worth visiting:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Easter
  • Independence Day
  • Halloween
  • Thanksviging
  • Christmas
  • New Year’s Eve

In the end, do numbers really matter?

Numbers do matter for theme parks like Disney World. Both the Disney World daily revenue and its growth are dependent on how many people go to Disney World a day, and how many total each year. As 2017 nears its end, the numbers continue to show that Disney World attracts dozens of millions of visitors each year from all over the world. Even when not during a peak season, Disney World still attracts an average of 50,000 visitors each day. When you compare this to the measly 10,000 when it first opened, the Disney World daily attendance chart shows that it’ll only continue to get larger.

After all, if the numbers for the past five years are anything to go by, even with some slight decreases here and there, the numbers would always rise. Sure, a 0.7 or a 0.5 percent decrease may sound a little worrying to some… but such a loss can be immediately remedied in due time.

In conclusion

Many would say that numbers don’t matter and that they should just be ignored. But in certain cases like in the theme park business, numbers DO matter especially if it’s tied to attendance. As to how many people go to Disney World a day, its attendance can increase or decrease depending on the season, holiday and event. And usually, such numbers would skyrocket in these events.

And if you’re ever going to want to pack your bags and head to Disney World, part of the fun in enjoying Disney World is in the crowd itself. It’s not only about sensing the energy that you’ll feel when they would go to Disney World… or the excitement as they go from one attraction to the next. It’s all about experiencing joy and happiness along with everyone.

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