July 2025 is a big month at Walt Disney World. It’s the largest of the yr for closings & openings, adjustments, occasions and extra. This covers all the pieces taking place subsequent month, and the way it will or will NOT impression wait occasions, crowds & congestion in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
When you’ve already booked a visit to Walt Disney World in July 2025 and are regretting that selection on the idea of the phrases “huge” and “crowds” within the title, don’t fear. Whereas a number of issues on this checklist completely will impression crowd ranges and wait occasions, most aren’t across-the-board will increase, as we clarify.
Furthermore, we need to begin by underscoring the fact that July has not been a busy month for the previous few years. That is one thing we’ve coated in a number of posts, together with the function: Summer time Is NOT Peak Season at Walt Disney World Anymore. Opposite to the traditional knowledge that Memorial Day by Labor Day is the busiest stretch of the yr in Florida, summer season crowds haven’t been as dangerous as prior to now. That publish provides a number of potential theories explaining the why of this. The underside line is that we don’t anticipate July 2025 to be the month that lastly bucks that several-years-running pattern of decrease summer season crowds, even when there are some remoted exceptions, as mentioned beneath…
Independence Day
This ‘opposite to traditional knowledge’ bit about decrease summer season 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 develop into below-average.
Independence Day 2023 was downright lifeless 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 dangerous climate. He wasn’t fallacious…however he additionally wasn’t utterly right. Pricing and aggressive ticket blockouts had been the larger perpetrator.
Independence Day 2024 crowds had 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 received’t be as dangerous as many previous years. It merely is not going to evaluate to 2019 or earlier, again when the parks had been really busy. We’d nonetheless anticipate increased crowd ranges than the final two years, by advantage of the vacation falling on a Friday and Walt Disney World providing attractive reductions versus blockouts. However the vacation weekend not being really busy shouldn’t catch anybody (who has been paying consideration) abruptly. The decrease crowd ranges must be very a lot anticipated by this level.
Nonetheless, there can be Independence Day leisure and fireworks, like all the time. 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 could be 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 a good time America! A Fourth of July Live performance within the Sky” can 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 visitors within the park and close by Magic Kingdom Resort Space inns. 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 sights and areas at Magic Kingdom can be July 6, 2025. As soon as the rivers cease flowing and are stuffed in, they’ll type the muse of the Vehicles land (now often called 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 brief foundation for Vehicles and Villains Land development. Which means that 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 prove in full power for the ultimate day. That was true of Sew’s Nice Escape, so it’ll actually be true of one thing individuals truly love. Due to this, we all the time hear from readers who’re fearful 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 sights.
Nothing else can be impacted. We noticed this most just lately with the ultimate day of MuppetVision 3D. The road for later showings of that stretched all the best way again into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There have been experiences that Cell Order for PizzeRizzo was successfully “damaged” and visitors had been ready 2 hours for his or her meals. (I’m unsure whether or not slow-aging underneath the warmth lamp would make PizzeRizzo higher or worse.)
And but, wait occasions for all the pieces else had been nearly precisely in keeping with the times earlier than and after. When hardcore followers prove for these last days, they’re largely locals they usually’re largely there for the factor itself and the camaraderie round closing. By and huge, these followers aren’t 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 impression on wait occasions in the remainder of the park. Count on 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 distinct situation if the closing was introduced additional prematurely or occurred after Starlight–or coincided with anything permitting extra vacationers to plan farewell journeys, however that’s not the case. General crowd stage impression can 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 manner of claiming ‘thanks’ for being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder!
V.I.Passholder Days will happen now by July 31, 2025. The in-park focus of the ‘occasion’ is EPCOT, owing to there being no summer season competition as soon as once more. APs will be capable of benefit from unique perks and reductions all through the parks and resorts throughout 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 could have been occurring for over a month. The preliminary rush can 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 anticipate something completely different of July 2025. Weight-reduction plan EPCOT dooms the park from a crowds perspective. With one huge exception (mentioned beneath), the park can be lifeless throughout July 2025.
Fireworks Time Adjustments
From now by July 5, the showtime of Fortunately Ever After at Magic Kingdom is 9:20 pm. That is the traditional summer season fireworks time, which shifts progressively later within the spring resulting from 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 Night time 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 sights as visitors seize dinner after which stake out spots for Fortunately Ever After. Then there’s the park-exodus as a excessive share of visitors depart following the fireworks. The sooner all of this occurs, the higher–it means there’s extra time that rides have shorter traces. This can be 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 unexpectedly. This could result in chaos and crowds exiting the park, and lengthy traces for buses. You actually need to both beat this rush or wait it out. Actually, I’m just a little stunned Walt Disney World didn’t transfer Fortunately Ever After again to 9:20 pm as soon as it grew to become 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 collaborating areas and 90+ distinctive menu gadgets, Flavors of Florida is crammed with locally-grown substances and recent flavors that may depart you saying yum and wow each 5 seconds.
Flavors of Florida additionally provides a weekly culinary sequence the place you’ll be capable of see cooks from Disney Springs eating places as they show the best way 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 lessons with one thing for everybody–from the Paella-making class at Jaleo to the cocktail-making class at The Edison.
Actually, 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 converse with full present authority, however our previous expertise was that summer season is the slowest time of yr at Disney Springs. There’s not sufficient shade and locals largely keep away from it, particularly throughout the daytime hours.
That’s exactly why Flavors of Florida was launched within the first place. If the occasion does enhance crowds this yr, and it’ll most likely increase them a bit, it’s localized to Disney Springs and sure nonetheless properly beneath the baseline for different occasions of yr. There’s no impression on the remainder of Walt Disney World. (On a aspect word, all the pieces I’ve seen for Flavors of Florida seems to be promising! I would truly make an effort to cowl it this yr.)
Starlight Night time Parade Debuts
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night time Away is the brand new nighttime parade coming to Walt Disney World this summer season. Floats are delivered to life by the ability of the Blue Fairy’s magic, you’ll watch favourite basic 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 Important Avenue Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic sprinkled all through a blinding procession that raises the bar for the longer term. Disney Starlight: Dream the Night time Away debuts on July 20, 2025.
Out of all the pieces on this checklist, the brand new evening parade could have the largest impression on crowds. Walt Disney World has already launched a coverage to limit Annual Passholders, they usually’ve blocked out Solid Members on each single evening Starlight can be carried out by (at the least) the tip of August 2025. All of those are unprecedented measures resulting from “anticipated excessive demand” in response to Walt Disney World.
Whereas demand for Starlight completely can be excessive, the parade is not going to have a right away, throughout the board impression. One factor that we’ve noticed with MNSSHP and MVMCP is that leisure choices can create remoted congestion on Important 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 solely attainable.
There’s additionally the query of how Starlight will impression ahead bookings and occupancy. The debut date was introduced lower than 2 months prematurely, and that’s inadequate lead time for many visitors planning summer season holidays. Nonetheless, the identical just isn’t true for vacationers taking Christmas-time holidays–which means the largest impression amongst non-locals would possibly truly happen from November 2025 by March 2026.
The underside line is that you may anticipate chaos and crowds alongside the parade route in Magic Kingdom beginning July 20, 2025. But it surely’ll possible be remoted to that space of that one park, and won’t adversely impression wait occasions wherever at Walt Disney World. The true enhance to total crowd ranges will happen later, as Starlight is certainly one of a pair issues that would drive bookings for the house stretch of the yr.
Reimagined Take a look at Monitor Reopens
Take a look at Monitor 3.0 will function six distinct displays, and inside every room rejoice the automobiles that push the envelope and assist get individuals to our subsequent chapter in our movement journey. New present scenes can be added showcasing technological advances and the way existence and relationships to mobility join everybody.
On the reimagined Take a look at Monitor, visitors will get pleasure from a pleasure experience by scenes specializing in onboard expertise, customization and personalization. Adopted by a visit by a scenic outside route reminding us all the joys of driving, taking on the 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 expertise making vehicles smarter and life extra enjoyable.
Followers received’t have to attend an excessive amount of longer, as the development partitions have already come down and Take a look at Monitor is testing! Walt Disney World introduced that Take a look at Monitor will formally open on July 22, 2025.
As with Starlight, the reopening of the reimagined Take a look at Monitor could have a localized impression 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 Monitor hitting a 240-minute wait time on July 22 wouldn’t shock us within the least, however that peak must be short-lived.
Since July 22 is Weight-reduction plan EPCOT, we might not anticipate Floridians to stay round for lengthy as soon as they’ve skilled Take a look at Monitor. Some will do full days, however the capability added by Take a look at Monitor ought to greater than offset that. Consequently, we don’t anticipate elevated wait occasions at different sights. Bel0w-average waits for all the pieces besides possibly Cosmic Rewind is extra possible.
It’s uncommon for a gap/reopening day to adversely impression wait occasions of different sights. Take a look at Monitor will see elevated recognition all through the rest of July, and we’d anticipate it to see a spike in recognition lasting all through the rest of 2025. However we’re speaking a ten% to twenty% enhance, not something large. 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 positioned within the WDW Swan & Dolphin Resorts. Advance Eating Reservations are actually accessible on OpenTable.
The primary date visitors could make reservations for the signature steakhouse by award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina is Saturday, July 26, 2025. Word 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 towards 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 visitors 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 could have zero impression in any way 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 explanation for this is similar because the Fortunately Ever After transfer–laying the groundwork for Starlight, which was then delayed. In any case, listed here 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 standard throughout the summer season months, no matter decrease crowds, resulting from increased temperatures. Nonetheless, that’s additionally when visitors 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 season, and there’s no motive to consider park hours can be prolonged. Which means that these ‘further hours’ will finish earlier than sundown. Zero impression on crowds.
Cool Child Summer time Continues
“Cool Child Summer time” is the brand new summer season occasion at Walt Disney World aimed toward households with youngsters, which runs from now by September 1, 2025. “Cool Child Summer time” options DJ-fueled dance events, shock character appearances, hands-on actions and nonstop summer season vibes.
To make a go to to Walt Disney World throughout “Cool Child Summer time” even simpler, there are a number of particular provides aimed toward younger households:
- 50% Off on Youngsters Tickets: You should purchase a 3-day or longer children (ages 3-9) customary ticket for 50% off. This deal is on the market for visits now by 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 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 lodge rooms if you keep longer for visits starting August 1 by October 11, 2025. Particular offers on rooms are additionally accessible for Florida Residents and Annual Passholders.
- Large Streaming Particular Provide: Disney+ subscribers can save on rooms at choose Disney Resort inns – 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.
Mainly, “Cool Child Summer time” is the advertising and marketing bundle to tie these reductions into one thing greater image that additionally matches with the brand new stage reveals at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which additionally haven’t impacted total crowd ranges) and Starlight evening parade at Magic Kingdom.
By way of the group impression, there hasn’t been one thus removed from “Cool Child Summer time” and we wouldn’t anticipate that to alter in July. The character experiences, dance events, and varied actions are good plussings or value-adds–however nobody is dashing 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.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces it’s good to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Wanting 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? Upset in what’s closing, or excited for the longer term? Agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we will 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!
