When it comes to planning a trip to Walt Disney World Resort, one of the most critical factors that Guests consider is the crowd levels. Disney World is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and as a result, it can get very crowded at times.
Fans hoping to experience the Parks in a less busy state often will be strategic in picking the best time and dates for their trip. Often, fans use a crowd calendar to monitor when would be a good time to vacation. Weekends, special events, school vacations, and holidays are usually times when Guests can expect heavy crowds in the Parks. However, that might now be the case this holiday weekend.
Usually, the Fourth of July is one of the busiest times to visit the Parks all year long. This weekend is very popular amongst families who are trying to spend some quality time on the long weekend. Walt Disney World Resort will be offering an incredible selection of entertainment, food, and fireworks, making it the perfect place to celebrate America’s birthday.
While the Disney Parks are definitely busy this holiday weekend, the numbers are shockingly lower than in previous years. Thrill-data.com is a website that compares crowd levels and wait times in Disney Parks. The data from their website shows that wait times for the 2023 weekend at Magic Kingdom Park are 30% less than in 2022 and 2019.
This trend is also being seen in the other Parks at Walt Disney World Resort. This brings up the question: is the influx of post-pandemic vacations finally over? It seems that things may be back to normal or even less busy than before as far as crowd level goes. It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out as Halloween and the Holiday season at the theme Park approaches closer.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has issued serious warnings that affect visitors at the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida.
Unless you’ve been vacationing somewhere in the Arctic Circle, you’ve likely heard about the heat wave gripping the southern United States. Temperatures have been soaring across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and the sweltering heat is expanding as far as the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and Florida over the past few days. But this is no ordinary heat wave (if there even is such a thing). The excessive heat that’s holding residents and visitors in the southern U. S. states hostage in recent days is due to a massive “heat dome” that seems to have firmly planted itself in the skies above.
A “heat dome” is a weather phenomenon that occurs “when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap,” according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As part of this phenomenon, “high-pressure circulation in the atmosphere acts like a dome or cap, trapping heat at the surface and favoring the formation of a heat wave.”
Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon explains that a heat dome occurs when “stationary high pressure with warm air combines with warmer than usual air in the Gulf of Mexico and heat from the sun that is nearly directly overhead.” In layman’s terms, it’s hot. It’s scorching. It’s unbelievably, unnecessarily hot, and according to weather experts, temperatures may continue to soar.
This week, the city of Dallas, Texas, won the #1 spot on the list of hottest cities in the country, an accolade with which even Texans aren’t completely familiar. So what does this have to do with Florida and those who are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort?
The Texas heat wave has been expanding, and Florida is currently feeling the heat from the heat dome effect that initially began in the Lone Star State, and the reasons behind the expanding heat are probably two-fold: first, many Texans are friendly, and we don’t mind sharing with everyone so it makes sense to share the heat with our friends in Florida, and second, the very nature of heat domes and heat waves causes them to expand, meaning that the area under the heat dome often grows in size, encompassing nearby states–and some states hundreds of miles away.
According to The New York Times, more than 62 million Americans live in areas of the country that are expected to experience dangerously high heat levels this week. That’s nearly 20% of the population of the contiguous United States. The map below shows areas with dangerously high heat indices. Areas in dark orange are expected to see a heat index of between 103 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it’s hot outside, the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke increase, and symptoms of both can pop up quickly and with little warning. Overexposure to extremely high temperatures can have devastating consequences for people of every age.
As such, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has issued warnings to residents and visitors in Florida.
“As Florida experiences heat waves and high temperatures, residents and visitors are encouraged to stay hydrated and cool to avoid heat-related illnesses,” the Division of Emergency Management tweeted on Wednesday.
☀️ As Florida experiences heat waves & high temperatures, residents & visitors are encouraged to stay hydrated & cool to avoid heat-related illnesses.
— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) June 27, 2023
The National Weather Service located in Melbourne, Florida, echoed that sentiment, warning people that staying hydrated and taking breaks to cool off are imperative.
HOT temperatures are expected through this upcoming weekend! 🥵
If spending time outside, stay hydrated and take plenty of breaks in the shade or in the air conditioning. Take the time to learn the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is an emergency! pic.twitter.com/DtRMS3MQYG
Both entities shared information about heat exhaustion and heat stroke with the graphic below, which gives information about the symptoms for both.
If you’ll be outside in the heat for any length of time, it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol. It’s also important to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and to take frequent breaks in the shade or in the air conditioning. This is especially important for Guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort, as symptoms of heat exhaustion and stroke can be more difficult to identify when Guests are focused on rides, attractions, and experiences.
As we recently shared, we are working on ways to simplify the Disney Genie+ service, including offering the ability to plan before the day of your visit, which many Guests have asked for. We plan to share more news in the future, but in the meantime, we also want to improve the experience for guests using the service as it exists today, so we will be making an update as we continue to listen to guests.
Beginning June 27, Guests at Walt Disney World will now purchase Disney Genie+ service based on how they want to visit. Guests will be able to select either a single-park option or a multiple-parks option, subject to availability. With this update, prices may now be lower at some Walt Disney World theme parks compared to others. Guests will continue to be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service through the My Disney Experience app on the day of their visit.
We will continue to listen to guest feedback, and look forward to sharing more information about updates to Disney Genie+ in the future.
Please reference the Disney Genie Job Aid for more information. A comparison chart is also available here.
Walt Disney World Resort is known for its magical experiences, family-friendly attractions, and impeccable attention to detail. Every year, millions of Guests leave the Parks feeling happy and grateful. However, even the most magical place on earth is not immune to rude Guest behavior. Despite Disney’s effort to maintain a positive atmosphere, there are numerous instances every year where Guests’ actions can spoil the magic.
Bad Guest behavior can mean a variety of different things. It basically encompasses any action that negatively affects the enjoyment of a Disney Park or Resort for other Guests and the Cast Members who work there. This includes but is not limited to disrespectful interactions with Cast Members, failing to follow directions or safety rules on rides, cutting lines, littering, and public displays of aggression or vulgarity. Aggression was certainly on display this Memorial Day weekend when a smackdown between a Character Performer and a Guest turned heads.
Guests visiting Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort on Saturday, May 27, were in for a shocking visual display. A shocking disturbance between a Guest and a Character performer occurred after the Guest displayed some rude behavior. A witness of the event described what went down, saying;
“Kylo Ren smacked phone out of obnoxious lady’s hand
I was at Hollywood studios on Saturday and saw the most annoying lady run up to kylo pushing his storm trooper escort out of the way and get in his face demanding a picture with her kids. He smacked her phone on the ground and kept walking, it was worth the price of admission. Wish I had it on video. The disrespect people have for the cast members makes me so mad.”
Fans are overwhelmingly siding with the Cast Member in this situation. The behavior of the Guest seemed incredibly distasteful, and it is understandable that that would be very frustrating. Many Guests seem to forget that Cast Members are people with feelings and emotions like everyone else and treating them as objects is unacceptable.
As of now, no updates or statements from the Walt Disney Company have been provided on the situation. Fans are hoping that no repercussions come for the Cast Member involved.
If you’ve visited Walt Disney World Resort, especially more than once, then you know that Florida has two settings: sunshine and rain.
In fact, rain and thunderstorms are so common in the Sunshine State that Floridians can even smell when a storm is coming (source: the author is a native Floridian, and she can tell you whether the clouds are worth worrying about with just a sniff).
But the National Hurricane Center is currently sniffing out something bigger than your average Central Florida storm. According to the National Hurricane Center, a tropical storm could be forming.
Although a tropical storm may sound like a fancy way of saying ‘thunderstorm,’ it’s worth noting that the two are incredibly different. Tropical storms form when the winds reach 39 miles per hour or higher, making them much more dangerous and challenging to navigate than a thunderstorm (which is already difficult to navigate through).
This year’s hurricane season begins on June 1, and yet a potential storm has already been spotted on the horizon.
According to a report by the Orlando Sentinel, the National Hurricane Center has begun tracking something “in the Atlantic east of Florida with a small chance of forming into a tropical depression.”
Reportedly, the system that has been spotted has a 10% chance of turning into a tropical storm within the next couple of days. However, it’s no secret that a tropical storm can quickly develop into a hurricane, heading straight for Central Florida.
If this storm develops further, it could easily disrupt many Guests’ plans for visiting Walt Disney World Resort.
