World Showcase Crowds

[EpcotsMyHappyPlace]

Last trip (Dec 2022), World Showcase was incredibly crowded and difficult to enjoy. I’m wondering if there’s a certain time of day that’s better for wandering around the world with the kids? I’d love to hit up the Flower and Garden food booths without massive lines. Hoping to go on a Mon or Thursday. Thanks!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Booth opening time (11am so for lunch) when it is not
-a holiday or school vacation week
-Fri-Sun
-a week Disney is opening anything new

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

It gets worse later in the day. Just go as early as you can. The good news is that the F&G booths don't usually attract as long or as crowded lines as the holiday festival in December

 

[beccasmom]

We were in WDW in late April 2019 for a very short weekend trip which coincided with the F&G Festival. We have great photos, but we could only get there on Sunday and it was mobbed (it was also a Dapper Day event). The weather was glorious though. I would highly recommend a weekday visit. The park is lovely and it is certainly worth the time to visit. We will be visiting in early May and are looking forward to it!

 

[loves to dive]

The earlier in the day the better. I'm never there right when WS opens but usually around 1 or so. During the week is better than the weekend. Avoid spring break or Easter weekend. Avoiding Spring Break can be a challenge since it's different times in different states. I try not to be in WS after about 7 any night, it just gets busy and locals will go week nights.

 

[elvispursley]

When we were there this past Sept, weekends at Epcot were terrible as far as crowds went! My mom uses a scooter and it was so bad that we turned around and stuck to future world. During the week was still busy but at least you could walk around.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

In many ways, the expansion of the popular festivals has made the crowding worse - if nothing else, those booths have taken up space along the WS walkway and created some real pinch points for the crowds - making it seem VERY crowded at times. Agree with others - avoid weekends, and go earlier in the day for best crowd results.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

World Showcase is most crowded on weekends and later in the day. Unfortunately, those are also the times when it is the most fun.

I find that, with the rest of the parks, the experience is pretty much the same regardless of the time of day / week / year. So I always try to go when the crowds are the lowest, and it usually works out well. A ride is ride, whether it's 9:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.

But there is a reason why the World Showcase is a ghost town in the mornings. Often, virtually nothing is open at that time; and even when things are open, few of us feel like drinking and eating at that time of day! When I have gone to World Showcase right at 11:00 (when most things tend to open), I've found the experience to be kind of empty.

I think that the best that we can do is avoid Friday and Saturday nights and try to find a time of year when Disney is not as crowded (to the extent that those even exist anymore).

 

[Shughart]

That's also the last time we were there, and we're also going for F&G this time!

 

[lovethattink]

11am on a weekday

 

[gottalovepluto]

When we were there this past Sept, weekends at Epcot were terrible as far as crowds went! My mom uses a scooter and it was so bad that we turned around and stuck to future world. During the week was still busy but at least you could walk around.

On a Fri afternoon a group of drunk bridesmaids in a shop in EP hoisted the drunk bride in the air and almost dropped her on my father who was in an ECV with the unfortunate luck to be nearby with no way out. Luckily she ended up in a rack of clothes or something he was right next to instead of on his head.

I love EP. But never again Fri-Sun.

 

[slo]

If you can enter through the International Gateway first thing that would be helpful. My DD20 and I did this last trip (06/23)and entered before the WS was open. It was nice to lollygag around looking at all the countries. The gift shops and food weren’t open yet, but we didn’t care. We got on Remy early and before we knew it time passed and everything was open. From now on this is the only way we’ll enter EPCOT

 

[BlueStarKRK]

Last trip (Dec 2022), World Showcase was incredibly crowded and difficult to enjoy. I’m wondering if there’s a certain time of day that’s better for wandering around the world with the kids? I’d love to hit up the Flower and Garden food booths without massive lines. Hoping to go on a Mon or Thursday. Thanks!

Certainly the earlier the better. If they are young enough to not care about things being open and just want to run around, going in before 11 midweek is amazing!