Crowd Predictor for Disney World in June

Use our Disney World Crowd Predictor for June to navigate the parks well! — “Muppets Courtyard” by HarshLight licensed under CC BY 2.0

Ah, June…the month of summer vacation, trips to Disney World, and sunny Central Florida skies. However, we all know how stressful planning a trip can be and with June being within Disney World’s peak season the crowds can be incredibly intimidating and the weather seemingly unpredictable.

Personally, September and November are among the best time to visit Disney World with low lines, cool air and a few unique seasonal events, whereas June is a bit more complicated. Don’t worry, there are a lot of ways to manage the heavy crowds and even have a good time when an unexpected rain shower hits. So, just how does one succeed on their trip to Disney World in June? Get ready to find out.

The Best Time To Visit in June

Luckily, June is in the forefront of summer months, meaning that many families still haven’t arrived to Disney World. The best time to go to the parks is within the first week of June. The parks are still fairly busy but not nearly as full as they would be in later months. If your trip really does not allow for you to come during the first week, the best rule to follow is the earlier in June the better and least crowded.

The highest traffic during the summer lies in July and August but the end of June can feel that pressure too, so the earliest days in June really are your best bet for lower crowds across all parks. Early June is also a pretty great time to visit because the weather won’t be too intense. It gets rainy in Central Florida, really rainy. But June is months away from hurricane season so it’s not likely you’ll get caught in a storm.

Central Florida is notorious this time of year for getting quick spouts of rain showers and then being clear shortly after. This may sound like something that could dampen your day at the parks, but it can truly be turned into an advantage but more on that later.

Across each park June will be a busy month but the lowest crowds will generally be in Epcot. Most groups will want to visit high-traffic parks such as Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Epcot is considered to be the more adult park and due to it having a much larger walkable area it never seems as crowded as the other parks. This makes Epcot your best bet when looking for the least crowded park to visit.

But if hitting all of the parks is your goal in June know that since it is their high-traffic season there are no notable events or festivals happening during this time. This doesn’t mean it will be any less fun but it does mean the attention will be on the attractions, parades, and characters rather than any additional events.

Making the Most of Your Time

Wait times in line can be the most difficult part of your trip during this month as busy summer days can have you waiting 4 or 5 hours a day in lines. If you’re looking for the best Disney World tips and tricks to keep your wait time to a minimum while still enjoying the parks in the summer, look no further. Generally, Mondays-Thursdays are slightly less crowded than Fridays and weekends on average for each park especially if you want to avoid large summer crowds.

A general rule of thumb is to go to a park as early as possible to avoid the crowds. First things first, be sure to get Fast Passes for all the rides that are highly popular and you plan to ride later in the day. These will most likely be thrill rides (Rock N’ Roller coaster), newer attractions (Avatar Flight of Passage), and rides with slow boarding (Peter Pan’s Flight). Once you have Fast Passes in order make your way to the very back of the park and work your way forward. This way you can still see all of the park but you can avoid crowds and lines during the beginning of your day and get a handful of attractions down.

By the time you reach the heavy crowds you’ve seen at least a third of the park and have those handy dandy fast passes to use up soon. Have it noted that Fast Passes are not recommended for restaurants, if you want to have a proper dining experience make sure to plan these far in advance to secure a reservation.

As stated above roller coasters and thrill rides have some of the longest wait times as do newer rides and attractions. Here are just a few of the rides per park known to have the longest wait times so you can better plan these into your schedule during your trip in June.

Magic Kingdom:

Anna and Elsa Meet-and-Greet
Space Mountain
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Splash Mountain (especially in the summer)
Peter Pan’s Flight

Epcot:

Hollywood Studios:

Rock N’ Roller Coaster
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Midway Mania
Slinky Dog Dash

Animal Kingdom:

The App to Save the Day

Research is key when planning a Disney World trip in June. One of the best ways to keep up with wait times, attraction details, and character meet-and-greet times is to download the My Disney Experience app on your phone. This app will be a life saver, trust me. From here you can see the current wait times on all Disney World attractions to best fit those with shorter wait times into your schedule.

Fast Passes are also a breeze on the app, since you can secure them right from your handheld device. Need to see when Rapunzel is having a meet-and –greet? The app gives you the time and place for each character sighting, making it super easy to pop over with plenty of time beforehand to spend the least amount of time waiting for a photo opp.

Extra Hours for Extra Fun

That’s not all the research you should be doing to keep things running smoothly and hopefully fairly quickly. If you’re staying at one of Disney World’s extraordinary resorts, you get a perk the average visitor doesn’t. Extra time in the parks! Yes, that’s a few extra hours in the parks to enjoy a second round of your favorite ride or finally get to that attraction you almost didn’t make it to.

Research each parks hours of operation the week you attend since a few of the parks have special Extra Magic hours that apply either at the beginning or end of the typical hours of operation. These few extra hours in each park can help you get the most bang for your buck if you plan accordingly. For instance, going early to Animal kingdom can get you a few more hours to work through the park before the general admission crowd comes in.

But, extra hours after designated park close in Magic Kingdom might make it still too heavy to navigate through the crowds as more guests are willing to stay once already in the park. These few hours might just make the super crowded days in late June seem much more bearable.

Take Advantage of Parades

Another great way to avoid crowds during the month of June would be to work parades into your schedule. If you love parades and want to get the best seat for each and every one, check out the route beforehand and place yourself and your group at the appropriate seating area at least 20-25 minutes before the parade is set to start.

This may seem like a long time to be sitting and waiting, but it’s surely much shorter than some of the lines you’ll be waiting in and since the parades last much longer than some rides a great view in a parade will be worth the wait. On the opposite end, if parades are not your thing then this can be the perfect time to get in line at those popular rides you’ve been waiting to check out. Either way, the parade schedule is a great point of reference when it comes to avoiding crowds during the summer.

Working with the Weather

Now, the weather during this time of year can sound concerning if you aren’t familiar with Central Florida’s rainy season. As I mentioned before, June is far enough from hurricane season to not expect any extreme harsh weather but rain is still very likely during this month. When it does rain, be sure to use that moment to slip on your ponchos and raincoats and keep on going about your day.

With rain showers people are quick to use this opportunity to go to an indoor show, rest and have a bite to eat, or duck under cover in an interactive area of the park. This is your opportunity to still walk about the park as normal and join lines as they dissipate from rain-weary guests. Most attractions are still willing to operate during the rain and some rides are even more fun during a quick drizzle.

For example, Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safari is best during the rain since it prompts the animals on the ride to wake up, walk around and usually play in the shower. So try if you can to use the rain to your advantage.

With the weather in mind, June can also be a very hot month to those unfamiliar with summers in Florida. It’s not called the Sunshine State for nothing, in June temperatures can reach an average high of 90 F and an average low of 70 F.

In terms of summer months, it’s still the best time to visit the parks but with crowds comes more heat, uncomfortable sensations, and exhaustion. Be sure to sprinkle a few indoor and air-conditioned attractions in throughout the day to stay out of the heat as much as you can and hydrate constantly. I suggest Magic Kingdom’s PhillarMagic since they have lines that move fairly quickly, air conditioned, and seats you can rest and enjoy in.

Another great suggestion for days that are forecasted to be way too hot is to hit those water parks. Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are fun for all ages and keeps you cool throughout the park continuously. A perfect place to beat the heat while still enjoying what Disney has to offer.

June is also a difficult month to go to Disney World because prices are hiked way up high when it comes to one-day passes. Multi-day passes are generally the best ticket you can get for you money in June and lets you visit multiple parks as you please over a few days. In terms of just how heavy you can expect the crowds to be in June anticipate it to be busy towards the first chunk of June with wait times reaching an average of 30-40 minutes.

The closer you get to the end of June the more those wait times rise to 1-2+ hour wait times. These times also vary during different times of the day with the earliest hours of park opening generally having the lowest wait times. But the most important part of planning a June trip to Disney World is to have fun. Don’t let lines and weather get in the way of a magical day.

Remember, you don’t have to ride every ride to have a great day at any of the parks, there is so much to do at all hours that you will surly miss some attractions to make others. This is where a bit of planning and prioritizing in what you and your family are looking forward comes into play. This way you can work around a loose schedule to do everything you want to accomplish and find a few adventures along the way.

Disney World in June is nothing to encounter with doubt. It’s a beautiful time of year and will still grant a successful trip. As long as a bit of planning and preparation is done beforehand, you’ll be able to generally avoid intense crowds in lines and anticipate any crowding to come with the help of a few of the key tips provided. Good luck this summer!

If you enjoyed this article, please “like” our brand new Countdown to Magic Facebook page!

You Also Might Want to Read:

Crowd Predictor for Disney World in June