Walt Disney World crowd report: waits for Oct. 5–11

Standby's wait-time tracking shows standby lines at Walt Disney World got longer for the week of Oct. 5–11. The average wait across the four parks was 27 minutes, up 23% from 22 minutes the week before. Hollywood Studios did most of the damage.

Park by park

Hollywood Studios averaged 36 minutes, up 29% from 28, the longest of the four parks. Animal Kingdom was next-fastest-growing: its 24-minute average was up 26% from 19. EPCOT averaged 28 minutes, up 8% from 26, the smallest increase of the four. Magic Kingdom was the shortest-wait park at 19 minutes, up 19% from 16.

Best and busiest days

Wednesday, Oct. 7 was the best day overall in Standby's tracking. Animal Kingdom averaged just 14 minutes that day, and Magic Kingdom's lowest day was Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 12 minutes.

The busiest days were Friday through Sunday at Hollywood Studios, which sat in the high range with averages of 46 minutes on Friday, Oct. 9, 43 on Saturday and 45 on Sunday. Its lowest day was Wednesday at 25. EPCOT peaked at 35 minutes on Friday, and Animal Kingdom at 32 on Friday and Saturday.

Hollywood Studios through the day

At Hollywood Studios, waits in the 8 a.m. hour averaged 23 minutes. They built to 41 at 10 a.m., then peaked at 48 minutes at noon. They stayed at 46 in the 2 p.m. hour and 43 at 3 p.m., eased to 31 at 7 p.m. and dropped to 15 in the 9 p.m. hour. The noon hour was 35 minutes the week before.

Biggest movers

Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom had the largest increase among tracked rides, averaging 67 minutes against 45 the week before. Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios averaged 70, up from 50. Test Track at EPCOT averaged 76, up from 59. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance averaged 52, up from 40, and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom averaged 57, up from 45.

The week ahead at Magic Kingdom

The parks' published schedule for Oct. 12–18 shows Magic Kingdom opening at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, with early entry starting at 8:30 a.m. and a 10 p.m. close. On the other six days it opens at 8 a.m., with early entry at 7:30 a.m.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is listed on Oct. 13, 15, 16 and 18, running 7 p.m. to midnight. On those four days the park's listed close is 6 p.m. Oct. 14 and 17 are listed with an 11 p.m. close.

What it means for a visit

If your dates are flexible, the tracking points to midweek. Wednesday, Oct. 7 was the lightest day overall, and Hollywood Studios stayed in the high range from Friday through Sunday. If you are at Hollywood Studios, Standby's tracking shows the morning hours were the shortest, with waits building toward noon and easing late in the evening.

At Magic Kingdom, check the hours before you plan. On the four party days in the published schedule, the park's listed close is 6 p.m., so a full-day plan needs a different day or an early start. Oct. 14 and 17 are the days with an 11 p.m. close.

These figures describe the week that just ended and are measured standby waits, not predictions.