Do we think 2025 will be more, less or normally crowded for Disney with all that's happening there and elsewhere?

[japanese maple]

In a very rare move for us, we booked a bounceback to WDW for late October 2025. Normally we would wait a few years before coming back, but the discount was so good for a hotel we've always wanted to try.

Wondering if people will postpone trips to Disney next year due to all construction that is "supposed" to be starting at AK and MK. Maybe will want to wait for projects to finish.
Plus people will want to go to Epic at Universal.
But maybe people will just tack on a visit to Universal with their Disney trip or vice versa? We hope Epic starts to sell single day tickets before we go so we can also visit during our trip.
Or we may wait until the craze for a new park dies down. Unsure.

So any educated guesses? It won't be a factor for if we go or not, more I'm just curious what people think or what their travel plans for Disney will be in the future.

 

[georgina]

I have a 5 might Disney trip planned in March 2025 and a 4-5 night Universal trip in Dec 2025. Lots of other travel going on for us, so that may be it, after 3 short Disney and 2 short Universal trips in 2024. It doesn't have anything to do with construction, just what else is going on in our lives.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

My guess is it will be the same crowd levels as usual.
There are always projects happening and rides closed for refurb and rides in the process of being rethemed or built.
It may be hard to believe but Epic Universe is not going to influence some people.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

My guess is it will be the same crowd levels as usual.

This was precisely my thought. Epic Universe might pull off a few guests, but it could just as easily bring in more guests that want to experience both Disney and Universal on the same visit. I don't see any significant increase or decrease in park levels

 

[Genie+]

Not sure but if any change I’d guess slightly less visitors, not more.

We were surprised how ‘low crowds’ it was during our last trip, Nov 17-23, 2024. It may have been a one off. We’re going back early Feb 2025 and I’m curious to see how it compares to our other trips that time of year.

Maybe cooling off a bit? Repeat visitors seemed on the uptick last decade and then into the peak demand ‘revenge travel’. Trends now look like repeat visitors are scaling back frequency and park days. Just the feeling I get from WDW discussions over the years. I have no data to back it but does make sense as prices increased and the best discounts got harder to find. In the late 2010s people were doing a 2nd or 3rd trip that year because they found deals ‘too good pass up’ or they figured out very cost effective methods to keep going back. Post-covid that landscape changed. Not to say good deals can’t be found today, more that it’s much harder to find a way around that high cost per day average today, and that could impact crowd levels in 2025.

My bet is WDW 2025 attendance doesn’t increase or see overall growth the way Harry Potter UO opening did.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

We were surprised how ‘low crowds’ it was during our last trip, Nov 17-23, 2024.

Considering that was sandwiched between 2 holidays it doesn't surprise me at all that it was lower crowd level.

 

[OKW Lover]

I would guess the crowd levels would be pretty much the same as last year. I don't think the construction projects are going to impact the parks significantly.

 

[kylenne]

This was precisely my thought. Epic Universe might pull off a few guests, but it could just as easily bring in more guests that want to experience both Disney and Universal on the same visit. I don't see any significant increase or decrease in park levels

I hope everyone goes to Epic instead of WDW specifically between 5/25-6/3

 

[gottalovepluto]

I expect crowd levels to be the same. I don’t think people will delay trips at this point because of how far out the construction completion is. I think the traffic that Epic brings won’t noticeably bleed over to WDW now that Univ is becoming a multi-day stop in and of itself.

 

[Genie+]

Considering that was sandwiched between 2 holidays it doesn't surprise me at all that it was lower crowd level.

Touring Plans predicted CL 3-6 for the weekdays but it turned out CL 1-3. Average or slightly below predicted… then it turned out nearly as quiet as things get. Sept crowds with gorgeous weather and dressed up for the holidays!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Not sure but if any change I’d guess slightly less visitors, not more.

We were surprised how ‘low crowds’ it was during our last trip, Nov 17-23, 2024. It may have been a one off. We’re going back early Feb 2025 and I’m curious to see how it compares to our other trips that time of year.

Maybe cooling off a bit? Repeat visitors seemed on the uptick last decade and then into the peak demand ‘revenge travel’. Trends now look like repeat visitors are scaling back frequency and park days. Just the feeling I get from WDW discussions over the years. I have no data to back it but does make sense as prices increased and the best discounts got harder to find. In the late 2010s people were doing a 2nd or 3rd trip that year because they found deals ‘too good pass up’ or they figured out very cost effective methods to keep going back. Post-covid that landscape changed. Not to say good deals can’t be found today, more that it’s much harder to find a way around that high cost per day average today, and that could impact crowd levels in 2025.

My bet is WDW 2025 attendance doesn’t increase or see overall growth the way Harry Potter UO opening did.

The time right before T-day is lovely. Done it a few times now.

 

[marcar12]

My prediction would be that Jan-May 2025 will be lower crowds than usual, and June-Dec 2025 will be slightly higher crowds than usual.... or at least higher crowds than 2024.

 

[Genie+]

The time right before T-day is lovely. Done it a few times now.

Yeah it was great. We tried the week before Christmas in 2023 and that was very busy in comparison. For now on we’ll do either week before T-day or Halloween week instead of December. Using the extra DVC points felt worth it. Our ‘low budget’ DVC trip is Feb 2-7. Skipping December also means avoiding that highly competitive DVC season Let ‘em keep it.

 

[kathy884]

My best guess is that crowds will be about the same.

I'm doing a mini add on trip to Orlando in February of 2025 after visiting a cousin in Tampa and will be visiting the Magic Kingdom and doing a day at SeaWorld too. If anything, I don't really like to go for new openings because crowds are bigger. I think my kids will check it out eventually, but I personally don't have any interest in Epic Universe. I think the Harry Potter areas etc. are nice at the Universal parks, but I don't have an interest in going back. The nostalgia of Disney and fun I have there though brings me back again and again, and it's more for the old stuff and having fun with my family, not the new stuff. Construction, new rides, etc. don't affect my decisions. I go when I feel like going and have other Disney loving relatives who want to go too.

 

[Minnie1222]

I think attendance will be lower in the first half of the year and higher in the second half as compared to this year. This is just a guess from seeing the potential timing of the opening and/or reopening of attractions.

We have trips booked for Epic in May and July. This is not a substitution for Disney since we're also Universal fans and have been going at least twice a year. I still plan to add on a few days at Disney to these trips. If time is limited, I will forfeit my days at the "old" Universal parks, not Disney.