With schools out for break, parents taking off work, and hundreds of guests traveling for vacation, summer is peak tourist season, and the Walt Disney World Resort is positively swamped. However, they might want to wait to buy those tickets.
Disney World is one of the most magical places on earth, and hundreds of visitors enter with a sense of wonder only that trademark Disney magic can muster. However, hour-long wait times, multiple closures, and close quarters can suck the magic out of the kingdom in no time flat.
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The Florida parks are getting ready to enter the apex of tourist season before the month is up (as demonstrated here), but Disney’s refurbishment counter might have just cost the House of Mouse millions of potential dollars. As Tiana’s Bayou Adventure turns into a swamp and Test Track kicks visitors out of the driver’s seat, Disney will get absolutely scorched this summer.
Disney World Gets Roasted
If two things in the realm of Walt Disney World are almost a consistently constant factor, it’s the wait times and the high temperature. This is to be expected when one of the most popular theme parks in the world resides in the middle of the Sunshine State.
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That being said, this summer is becoming a nightmare for many guests as Disney closes popular crowd-controlling attractions like Test Track and the Country Bear Jamboree, resulting in wait times skyrocketing.
We recently covered this phenomenon earlier this week, showing that Test Track’s absence at EPCOT was forcing guests into other attraction queues and increasing wait times as a result. Even notoriously simplistic and walk-on attractions had several hour-long wait times (seen above).
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That’s not even mentioning how hot and humid Orlando can get, especially with temperatures reaching triple digits like they did in 2023 or the occasional tropical storm. With the Fourth of July weekend fast approaching and last-minute summer stragglers not far behind, Disney and its potential visitors are in for a world of hurt if they wait and weather patterns continue.
Is Disney Doomed?
People, weather, and preferences are often hard to measure and predict accurately, and these elements are all subject to change. That said, it doesn’t mean that Disney cannot recognize patterns.
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Summer may be the only chance many fans can enjoy the parks, especially if they have families. Even so, every successful Disney trip starts with good planning, and there are several resources potential Disney guests can use to ensure a more magical (and manageable) time.
Attractions like Tiana’s and the new Country Bears update are all temporary hiccups before crowds mellow out, but potential park-goers should still be prepared in case things go pear-shaped. Murphy’s Law still applies to the place where dreams come true.
Are you going to Disney this summer, or are you rethinking your plans? Let us know in the comments down below!
