Labor Day weekend at Disney World usually means shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and hourlong lines. However, this year, visitors found walk-ons at Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean.
That slowdown stretched well beyond the holiday. Data shows Disney World Florida just logged its slowest three-week period of 2025 — putting September on track to be the park’s quietest month since 2021. That year, attendance was weighed down by COVID-19 cancellations, the delta variant wave and reinstated mask rules, according to Disney Tourist Blog.
The numbers
Crowd tracker data from mid-August through mid-September shows average waits dropped to about 24 minutes per ride — even shorter than during the July 4 holiday, typically one of the park’s lighter crowd periods, according to posted times from Disney’s My Disney Experience app, retrieved by Thrill-Data and analyzed by Disney Tourist Blog.
While lines are shrinking, Disney’s financials tell a different story. The company reported “mostly unchanged attendance,” with revenue still showing growth, according to Fox News.
Possible explanations for the lull in crowds
There are a few theories on the slowdown. Fox News noted that analysts suggest Disney’s adjustments to how many guests enter via Lightning Lane have freed up capacity in the regular standby lines.
September is usually a slower month as families settle into the school year, but this dip appears steeper than usual.
Some point to affordability concerns, noting economic pressures that are impacting more American households. One TikTok user commented on a post, “Average Americans don’t have Disney money. Gotta buy groceries and pay rent.”
Earlier this year, Florida dad Craig Stowell went viral after breaking down the cost of a single day at Disney for his family of five, spending nearly $1,400 for a single day at Disney — $974 for tickets, $30 for parking, and hundreds more for food and drinks.
More reactions from Disney World
On Labor Day weekend, TikTok user thenobleways posted a video that has now drawn more than 200,000 views. Standing inside what appears to be a nearly empty Magic Kingdom, he said:
“I’m at Magic Kingdom right now, and this place is a tomb. There is literally nobody here. There is no wait time for anything. Space Mountain — walk on. Haunted Mansion — walk on. Pirates of the Caribbean — walk on. The longest I have even seen a wait time for Seven Dwarfs today (is) 30 minutes.”
The user continued, “I don’t know what’s going on. It’s Labor Day weekend — should be crowded, should be packed normally. This place is empty. I am absolutely loving it, but what do you think? What’s going on? Why is there nobody here? I have never seen it like this. It’s been years since I’ve seen it this empty, especially on a holiday weekend. I don’t know, I’m going to enjoy it while I can.”
Florida tourism is still thriving
Despite Disney’s dip in traffic, the broader Florida tourism industry isn’t slowing down. According to Visit Florida, the state welcomed 34.4 million visitors between April and June 2025, slightly up from 2024, CBS News reported.