Magic Kingdom on a Sunday??

[Mambo Junkie]

Our last trip we went on Sunday (May 8) and I thought it was manageable. It was crowded, but not uncomfortably so. We did the BBB, ate at the castle, and imo, the crowds were low for several of the attractions. We did quite a few kid rides (Ariel, IASW, Pooh, met Ariel, met Merida, Tiana, A&E) with minimal wait times. We had fps for FoF parade, though and it was incredibly hot in the hub - I would not do it again or I would be prepared with an umbrella and fans). We would have lasted far longer in the park had it not been for that.

 

[Accident]

i've been doing a park almost every sunday night since april.. It's been some of my favorite times at disney. I can't speak for earlier in the day and it does seem a little crowded around dinner when I show up but it doesnt' take long until it's my park.. For awhile sunday at MK was one of the latest closing times without EMH where the rest of the week was rather early and that's what started my going sunday nights. The closing time isn't the case anymore but I've still done all the parks except epcot on sunday night. There was some times it was more crowded and it's been heavier through the summer but not horrible. I haven't checked it out since labor day though so maybe things shifted again. Also not sure how parties, especially in a few more weeks when it starts to be more nights per week is going to shift the crowds and some sundays the party is happening so it might not be an option for mk.

also many people rush into mk for their first day so friday and saturday tends to be noticeably crowded.. You can generally tell what disney thinks the crowd is by what their closing time is. The later it is, the more people they are expecting to be there and hang around at night. Or not hang around at night so they close it down earlier.

 

[sparrow_one]

I've always wondered about the common theory that MK is busiest on Mondays because people do it as their first park when they arrive. Wouldn't most people be arriving on Friday or Saturday, not Sunday? Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine leaving work on Friday (or school, when I was a kid) and then waiting all the way until Sunday to leave for vacation! Not saying that MK isn't busy on Mondays, just not sure I believe that's the cause of it.

But that being said, I have always heard that Monday is the day to avoid for MK. (Of course, my birthday is a Monday this year, and I'm planning to be in MK... so do as I say, not as I do.)

 

[Hopefully]

I've always wondered about the common theory that MK is busiest on Mondays because people do it as their first park when they arrive. Wouldn't most people be arriving on Friday or Saturday, not Sunday? Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine leaving work on Friday (or school, when I was a kid) and then waiting all the way until Sunday to leave for vacation! Not saying that MK isn't busy on Mondays, just not sure I believe that's the cause of it.

But that being said, I have always heard that Monday is the day to avoid for MK. (Of course, my birthday is a Monday this year, and I'm planning to be in MK... so do as I say, not as I do.)

Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't mean many, many others don't do it!!!
My DH and DS work on Saturdays. So Sunday is the beginning of their vacation week. I am a nurse and worked weekends. Sunday was the first day of the new week.
Lots and lots of folks do not work Mon - Fri 9 to 5.
The reports you can't believe are based on actual observations over years, not just theory.

 

[sparrow_one]

Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't mean many, many others don't do it!!!
My DH and DS work on Saturdays. So Sunday is the beginning of their vacation week. I am a nurse and worked weekends. Sunday was the first day of the new week.
Lots and lots of folks do not work Mon - Fri 9 to 5.
The reports you can't believe are based on actual observations over years, not just theory.

All of that does make sense, thank you!! I knew there had to be some piece I was missing-- the crucial element that a Mon-Fri schedule is not as common as the daily grind would have me believe LOL As I said, I'm doing it on a Monday this year anyway. MK will always be busy, as some others have said, so I just go when it works for me and I know I'll have a blast no matter what.

 

[PopSugar]

I have never been to MK when it wasn't crowded-trick is be there at Rope Drop!

 

[Mr. Drauer]

In my experience, all of the parks are less crowded on Sunday mornings. Possibly due to end of vacation hotel check outs, church for locals, late night at the parks on Saturday, or whatever. Regardless, the tier 1 rides still have some lines, but you typically find less of a general crowd at least until about 12:00. We have always liked doing parks on Sunday morning to get a few rides in and be out before the lunch crowd arrives.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I've always wondered about the common theory that MK is busiest on Mondays because people do it as their first park when they arrive. Wouldn't most people be arriving on Friday or Saturday, not Sunday? Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine leaving work on Friday (or school, when I was a kid) and then waiting all the way until Sunday to leave for vacation! Not saying that MK isn't busy on Mondays, just not sure I believe that's the cause of it.

But that being said, I have always heard that Monday is the day to avoid for MK. (Of course, my birthday is a Monday this year, and I'm planning to be in MK... so do as I say, not as I do.)

We have always left our house on a Sunday. And arrived on Sunday afternoon. We start our vacation on Monday.

I couldn't imagine leaving on Friday night. Too late to drive for 7 hours. And if we leave on Saturday, we have to figure out where and when to attend Mass. If we stay home on Saturday, we can go Saturday night. We pack up the car on Saturday, get a good night's sleep and head out bright and early on Sunday.

We also save a bit of money. Saturday night is the most expensive night at a Disney hotel.

 

[Accident]

as PP mentioned, there is a lot of savings not being in a disney resort saturday night. I also found it cheaper to travel on sunday also saving some more money. Last trip I traveled to the area for I used a room discount that was only valid for sunday - thursday night so even more money off by coming in sunday.

 

[cigar95]

For years, and years, and years...
It has been reported by top "prediction sites" that MK is extra-busy on Mondays.

No, I'm not kidding.

This *was* more or less true in past years, for the reasons others have cited. For the same reason, Epcot (or EPCOT 94, or EPCOT Center) saw a spike on Tuesdays. You'd see smaller bumps at the Studios on Wednesdays and water parks on Th and F.
But this was back in the days when the WDW parks were run more or less the same each day. The advent of Early Entry, and then expanded to EMH, changed that dynamic, as well as parties and special events and massaged park hours, which threw a wrinkle into the "natural rhythm" that was followed by enough vacationers to create patterns.