July 2025 is a large month at Walt Disney World. It’s the most important of the yr for closings & openings, modifications, occasions and extra. This covers every little thing occurring subsequent month, and the way it will or will NOT affect wait occasions, crowds & congestion in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
In case you’ve already booked a visit to Walt Disney World in July 2025 and are regretting that selection on the premise of the phrases “huge” and “crowds” within the title, don’t fear. Whereas a number of issues on this record completely will affect crowd ranges and wait occasions, most will not be across-the-board will increase, as we clarify.
Furthermore, we wish to begin by underscoring the truth that July has not been a busy month for the previous few years. That is one thing we’ve lined in a number of posts, together with the characteristic: Summer time Is NOT Peak Season at Walt Disney World Anymore. Opposite to the traditional knowledge that Memorial Day by way of Labor Day is the busiest stretch of the yr in Florida, summer time crowds haven’t been as unhealthy as previously. That submit gives a number of potential theories explaining the why of this. The underside line is that we don’t count on July 2025 to be the month that lastly bucks that several-years-running pattern of decrease summer time crowds, even when there are some remoted exceptions, as mentioned beneath…
Independence Day
This ‘opposite to standard knowledge’ bit about decrease summer time crowds applies to Independence Day on the very begin of July 2025. That lengthy weekend used to have 10/10 crowds and be among the many busiest holidays of the yr. It has change into below-average.
Independence Day 2023 was downright useless at Walt Disney World. It was such a sizzling subject that it drew an evidence from CEO Bob Iger, who attributed the slowness to an exhaustion of pent-up demand in Florida as a complete and unseasonably unhealthy climate. He wasn’t improper…however he additionally wasn’t fully appropriate. Pricing and aggressive ticket blockouts have been the larger wrongdoer.
Independence Day 2024 crowds have been once more unexpectedly low, even minus blockouts. Walt Disney World as a complete had a median wait time of 26 minutes on July 4, 2024. That was down as in comparison with the final two weeks of June, which had common wait occasions of 35 minutes (second to final week) and 31 minutes (final week).
It’s a near-certainty that July 4-6, 2025 gained’t be as unhealthy as many previous years. It merely is not going to examine to 2019 or earlier, again when the parks have been really busy. We’d nonetheless count on increased crowd ranges than the final two years, by advantage of the vacation falling on a Friday and Walt Disney World providing engaging reductions versus blockouts. However the vacation weekend not being really busy shouldn’t catch anybody (who has been paying consideration) unexpectedly. The decrease crowd ranges needs to be very a lot anticipated by this level.
Nonetheless, there will probably be Independence Day leisure and fireworks, like at all times. Full particulars have but to be introduced, however we’ll cowl them in our Fourth of July 2025 Survival Information. What we all know proper now’s that Magic Kingdom will shut at 11 pm on each nights, however no different parks will see extensions to their hours. (Unsurprising given the shortage of crowds the previous few years.)
“Disney’s Have fun America! A Fourth of July Live performance within the Sky” will probably be carried out on July 3-4 at Magic Kingdom, changing Fortunately Ever After. A simultaneous fireworks show over close by Seven Seas Lagoon creates an unforgettable expertise for friends within the park and close by Magic Kingdom Resort Space lodges. This particular fireworks present will happen July 3 and July 4 at 9:20 p.m.
Rivers of America Closes
The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Liberty Sq. Riverboat will all shut on July 7, 2025. The final day to expertise any of those points of interest and areas at Magic Kingdom will probably be July 6, 2025. As soon as the rivers cease flowing and are crammed in, they are going to kind the inspiration of the Automobiles land (now often known as Piston Peak Nationwide Park) in Frontierland and a portion of Villains Land.
Together with that, “shuttle mode” operations of the Walt Disney World Railroad will start on July 7, 2025. That’s additionally when the Frontierland Station will shut on a short lived foundation for Automobiles and Villains Land development. Which means the final date to expertise the Grand Circle Tour of the WDW Railroad (or cease at Frontierland Station) is July 6, 2025.
Each time something at Walt Disney World closes, followers end up in full power for the ultimate day. That was true of Sew’s Nice Escape, so it’ll definitely be true of one thing folks really love. Due to this, we at all times hear from readers who’re frightened wait occasions will skyrocket on that day. And they’ll! For the Liberty Sq. Riverboat and rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, and solely these two points of interest.
Nothing else will probably be impacted. We noticed this most lately with the ultimate day of MuppetVision 3D. The road for later showings of that stretched all the way in which again into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There have been studies that Cellular Order for PizzeRizzo was successfully “damaged” and friends have been ready 2 hours for his or her meals. (I’m undecided whether or not slow-aging below the warmth lamp would make PizzeRizzo higher or worse.)
And but, wait occasions for every little thing else have been nearly precisely in keeping with the times earlier than and after. When hardcore followers end up for these ultimate days, they’re largely locals and so they’re principally there for the factor itself and the camaraderie round closing. By and huge, these followers will not be going to be doing fast stops at Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Sq. Riverboat as a part of an aggressive itinerary that additionally contains Tiana’s Bayou Journey, Nation Bear Musical Jamboree, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
As an alternative, it’ll be localized congestion all through the day in Frontierland and Liberty Sq. with zero affect on wait occasions in the remainder of the park. Anticipate to see increased utilization of the “secret” seating space at Columbia Harbour Home, however that’s actually about it. This would possibly’ve been a special situation if the closing was introduced additional upfront or occurred after Starlight–or coincided with the rest permitting extra vacationers to plan farewell journeys, however that’s not the case. Total crowd stage affect will probably be negligible.
V.I.Passholder Summer time Days
V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer time Days (or VIP Passholder Summer time Days, if you wish to sound it out and take away the yelling) is a limited-time providing only for Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World Resort. It’s the corporate’s method of claiming ‘thanks’ for being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder!
V.I.Passholder Days will happen now by way of July 31, 2025. The in-park focus of the ‘occasion’ is EPCOT, owing to there being no summer time pageant as soon as once more. APs will have the ability to benefit from unique perks and reductions all through the parks and resorts in the course of the month-long appreciation occasion, with one spotlight being a particular character meet & greet (NOT Duffy), free magnet, and restaurant reductions.
By the point July rolls round, VIP Passholder Summer time Days can have been occurring for over a month. The preliminary rush will probably be over, and Annual Passholders will largely have misplaced curiosity. Final yr, July was the second-slowest month after August at EPCOT, and there’s no motive to count on something completely different of July 2025. Weight loss plan EPCOT dooms the park from a crowds perspective. With one huge exception (mentioned beneath), the park will probably be useless throughout July 2025.
Fireworks Time Modifications
From now by way of July 5, the showtime of Fortunately Ever After at Magic Kingdom is 9:20 pm. That is the traditional summer time fireworks time, which shifts progressively later within the spring as a consequence of later sundown occasions. Usually, 9:20 pm is as late because the fireworks get. Nothing to see right here.
This yr, the showtime of Fortunately Ever After strikes to 10 pm beginning on July 6, 2025. This transfer was made in anticipation of Disney Starlight Evening Parade, which missed its opening goal of that date. However as a result of Starlight missed that date, park hours weren’t prolonged for many of July, which means that Magic Kingdom closes at 10 pm.
Personally, I desire earlier showtimes for Fortunately Ever After. Like clockwork, wait occasions drop for different points of interest as friends seize dinner after which stake out spots for Fortunately Ever After. Then there’s the park-exodus as a excessive proportion of friends go away following the fireworks. The sooner all of this occurs, the higher–it means there’s extra time that rides have shorter traces. It is a little bit of a double-edged sword, as earlier showtimes additionally imply extra crowded viewing areas for Fortunately Ever After.
The large draw back to fireworks at park closing is that the Magic Kingdom post-fireworks park exodus will happen suddenly. This could result in chaos and crowds exiting the park, and lengthy traces for buses. You actually wish to both beat this rush or wait it out. Truthfully, I’m slightly shocked Walt Disney World didn’t transfer Fortunately Ever After again to 9:20 pm as soon as it turned clear that Starlight was delayed till late July.
Flavors of Florida Kicks Off
If there’s a taste that comes from Florida—peppers, citrus fruit, cheeses, seafood, and extra—you’ll discover it at Flavors of Florida. The Sunshine State’s culinary occasion returns to Disney Springs from June 27 to August 10, 2025. With over 45 taking part areas and 90+ distinctive menu gadgets, Flavors of Florida is crammed with locally-grown elements and contemporary flavors that can go away you saying yum and wow each 5 seconds.
Flavors of Florida additionally gives a weekly culinary sequence the place you’ll have the ability to see cooks from Disney Springs eating places as they show easy methods to make a few of their dishes from the occasion. These complimentary cooking demos are held on choose Fridays. Additionally returning for 2025 are meals & beverage pairing occasions, providing all kinds of courses with one thing for everybody–from the Paella-making class at Jaleo to the cocktail-making class at The Edison.
Truthfully, we haven’t spent a ton of time at Disney Springs within the final two years. We spent a ton of time right here as locals, visiting a number of occasions per week, to now going months with out visiting. So I can’t communicate with full present authority, however our previous expertise was that summer time is the slowest time of yr at Disney Springs. There’s not sufficient shade and locals largely keep away from it, particularly in the course of the daytime hours.
That’s exactly why Flavors of Florida was launched within the first place. If the occasion does improve crowds this yr, and it’ll in all probability enhance them a bit, it’s localized to Disney Springs and sure nonetheless properly beneath the baseline for different occasions of yr. There’s no affect on the remainder of Walt Disney World. (On a aspect word, every little thing I’ve seen for Flavors of Florida appears promising! I would really make an effort to cowl it this yr.)
Starlight Evening Parade Debuts
Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away is the brand new nighttime parade coming to Walt Disney World this summer time. Floats are delivered to life by way of the ability of the Blue Fairy’s magic, you’ll watch favourite traditional and up to date characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Pixar movies, some for the very first time in a Disney nighttime parade.
Starlight is the continuation of Walt Disney World’s legacy of nighttime parades, with bits of nostalgia for Foremost Avenue Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic sprinkled all through a blinding procession that raises the bar for the long run. Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away debuts on July 20, 2025.
Out of every little thing on this record, the brand new evening parade can have the most important affect on crowds. Walt Disney World has already launched a coverage to limit Annual Passholders, and so they’ve blocked out Forged Members on each single evening Starlight will probably be carried out by way of (a minimum of) the top of August 2025. All of those are unprecedented measures as a consequence of “anticipated excessive demand” in accordance with Walt Disney World.
Whereas demand for Starlight completely will probably be excessive, the parade is not going to have a right away, throughout the board affect. One factor that we’ve noticed with MNSSHP and MVMCP is that leisure choices can create remoted congestion on Foremost Avenue and alongside the parade route, whereas hollowing out different areas of Magic Kingdom. Which means {that a} situation with increased attendance however decrease wait occasions for rides at evening in Magic Kingdom beginning July 20 is totally attainable.
There’s additionally the query of how Starlight will affect ahead bookings and occupancy. The debut date was introduced lower than 2 months upfront, and that’s inadequate lead time for many friends planning summer time holidays. Nonetheless, the identical isn’t true for vacationers taking Christmas-time holidays–which means the most important affect amongst non-locals would possibly really happen from November 2025 by way of March 2026.
The underside line is that you may count on chaos and crowds alongside the parade route in Magic Kingdom beginning July 20, 2025. But it surely’ll probably be remoted to that space of that one park, and won’t adversely affect wait occasions wherever at Walt Disney World. The true improve to general crowd ranges will happen later, as Starlight is considered one of a pair issues that might drive bookings for the house stretch of the yr.
Reimagined Take a look at Observe Reopens
Take a look at Observe 3.0 will characteristic six distinct reveals, and inside every room have a good time the autos that push the envelope and assist get folks to our subsequent chapter in our movement journey. New present scenes will probably be added showcasing technological advances and the way existence and relationships to mobility join everybody.
On the reimagined Take a look at Observe, friends will get pleasure from a pleasure journey by way of scenes specializing in onboard know-how, customization and personalization. Adopted by a visit by way of a scenic out of doors route reminding us all the joys of driving, taking on this planet round us and spending high quality time with family and friends. This attraction replace will debut an all-new musical rating, in addition to new scenes that spotlight know-how making vehicles smarter and life extra enjoyable.
Followers gained’t have to attend an excessive amount of longer, as the development partitions have already come down and Take a look at Observe is testing! Walt Disney World introduced that Take a look at Observe will formally open on July 22, 2025.
As with Starlight, the reopening of the reimagined Take a look at Observe can have a localized affect on crowds. It’s too late for many vacationers and out-of-state followers to plan journeys for its reopening, however locals will present up in full power. Take a look at Observe hitting a 240-minute wait time on July 22 wouldn’t shock us within the least, however that peak needs to be short-lived.
Since July 22 is Weight loss plan EPCOT, we might not count on Floridians to stay round for lengthy as soon as they’ve skilled Take a look at Observe. Some will do full days, however the capability added by Take a look at Observe ought to greater than offset that. Consequently, we don’t count on elevated wait occasions at different points of interest. Bel0w-average waits for every little thing besides possibly Cosmic Rewind is extra probably.
It’s uncommon for a gap/reopening day to adversely affect wait occasions of different points of interest. Take a look at Observe will see elevated recognition all through the rest of July, and we’d count on it to see a spike in recognition lasting all through the rest of 2025. However we’re speaking a ten% to twenty% improve, not something huge. And together with Starlight, it may additionally assist drive bookings for late 2025.
Bourbon Steak Opening
The subsequent new restaurant coming to Walt Disney World is Bourbon Steak Orlando by Michael Mina, which opens in July 2025 and is situated within the WDW Swan & Dolphin Resorts. Advance Eating Reservations at the moment are accessible on OpenTable.
The primary date friends could make reservations for the signature steakhouse by award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina is Saturday, July 26, 2025. Observe that the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts haven’t but introduced an official opening date for Bourbon Steak, so it’s attainable the restaurant comfortable opens previous to then.
It’s going to be a race in opposition to the clock to transform this area into Bourbon Steak Orlando. The brand new restaurant is changing Shula’s Steakhouse within the Walt Disney World Dolphin, which simply served its final friends on June 14, 2025. Scrims went up instantly across the venue after closing, and work might want to occur quick with rather less than 6 weeks of turnaround time. Nonetheless, Swan & Dolphin work quick, so comfortable openings are attainable!
On the danger of stating the plain, Bourbon Steak Orlando can have zero affect in any respect on crowds at Walt Disney World. It would possibly make the already dire parking scenario on the Swan & Dolphin even worse, however that’s about it.
Prolonged Night Hours Returns to Animal Kingdom
Prolonged Night Hours will transfer from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays, beginning with July 2, 2025. The rationale for this is similar because the Fortunately Ever After transfer–laying the groundwork for Starlight, which was then delayed. In any case, listed below are the July dates when Animal Kingdom will host Prolonged Night Hours:
- Wednesday, July 2, 2025
- Wednesday, July 9, 2025
- Wednesday, July 16, 2025
- Wednesday, July 23, 2025
- Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Prolonged Night Hours are usually a lot extra well-liked in the course of the summer time months, no matter decrease crowds, as a consequence of increased temperatures. Nonetheless, that’s additionally when friends get an additional two hours of late nights in Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. Animal Kingdom is presently scheduled to shut at 6 pm all through the summer time, and there’s no motive to imagine park hours will probably be prolonged. Which means that these ‘additional hours’ will finish earlier than sundown. Zero affect on crowds.
Cool Child Summer time Continues
“Cool Child Summer time” is the brand new summer time occasion at Walt Disney World geared toward households with youngsters, which runs from now by way of September 1, 2025. “Cool Child Summer time” options DJ-fueled dance events, shock character appearances, hands-on actions and nonstop summer time vibes.
To make a go to to Walt Disney World throughout “Cool Child Summer time” even simpler, there are a number of particular gives geared toward younger households:
- 50% Off on Children Tickets: You should buy a 3-day or longer youngsters (ages 3-9) normal ticket for 50% off. This deal is on the market for visits now by way of September 20, 2025.
- 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket: Get a 3-day, 3-park ticket beginning at $89 per day ($267 whole, plus tax) for visits now by way of September 22, 2025. This ticket is for admission to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (one theme park per day, not legitimate for admission to Magic Kingdom).
- Disney Resort Room Offers: Save as much as 30% on choose Disney Resort resort rooms whenever you keep longer for visits starting August 1 by way of October 11, 2025. Particular offers on rooms are additionally accessible for Florida Residents and Annual Passholders.
- Enormous Streaming Particular Provide: Disney+ subscribers can save on rooms at choose Disney Resort lodges – ranging from $99 per evening at Disney’s All-Star Sports activities Resort – when staying two nights or longer most nights from June 29 to July 31, 2025.
Principally, “Cool Child Summer time” is the advertising and marketing package deal to tie these reductions into one thing greater image that additionally matches with the brand new stage exhibits at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which additionally haven’t impacted general crowd ranges) and Starlight evening parade at Magic Kingdom.
When it comes to the group affect, there hasn’t been one thus removed from “Cool Child Summer time” and we wouldn’t count on that to alter in July. The character experiences, dance events, and numerous actions are good plussings or value-adds–however nobody is speeding to e-book a visit for any of this. If something, the extra aggressive reductions within the month of July would possibly transfer the needle a bit on occupancy, however that’s unlikely to translate to crowds.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Trying ahead to July 2025 at Walt Disney World? Excited for what’s opening, altering or coming to Walt Disney World within the month of July? Disenchanted in what’s closing, or excited for the long run? Agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!