4. Don’t follow the crowd

Crowds are a primary source of anxiety and frustrations at Disney parks—it’s why it’s usually a good idea to avoid them if possible. The best way to do this? In both planning and during your Disney day, don’t follow the crowd.

People tend to move in somewhat predictable ways at theme parks, but a lot of what we know about this subject has changed over the course of the last year. Even before COVID-19 arrived, crowd trends changed dramatically at Walt Disney World after the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. While some things have remained familiar (like increased crowds on holidays and weekends), other factors are new territory.

On one hand, crowds are less of a problem during this season because of the capacity limits on the parks. Even on a 35% max capacity day, I was able to move about in Magic Kingdom without feeling stuck or smothered (though it did feel busy nonetheless). Crowds also don’t congeal as often since there are no scheduled parades or fireworks right now—guests might stop to watch a passing character cavalcade but not in the same numbers they used to.

Early in the pandemic, crowd trends during specific hours of the day shifted in unusual ways. For a while, opening gate at parks like Disney’s Hollywood Studios was the busiest time of the day with line lengths tapering down as the day went on. Slowly, things are starting to shift back to the old patterns. In most cases, you can expect the shortest lines of the day the first 30 minutes and last two hours that a park is open.

This is more pronounced in some parks than others. Magic Kingdom tends to be a good park to arrive right at opening—lots of families show up just before lunch time and lines may stay long well into the day after that. People also tend to tour rides in a particular order, starting at Fantasyland and slowly working their way through the park. Epcot often tends to be quieter in the mornings and around lunch, then grows busier as the evening wears on. Disney’s Hollywood Studios tends to be busiest about an hour after opening until later in the day due to people trickling out after riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is currently the most pandemic-friendly park thanks to having lots of space and things to do, but the fact it closes early means if you arrive late, you’re going to lose time.

5. Know the safe places to take a breather

Sometimes, spikes of anxiety cannot be prevented—they are a natural reaction to stress and circumstance. In these cases, sometimes you just need a little time and space to collect yourself and let the initial surge of emotion pass. You can also reduce stress overall by planning purposeful breaks into your day—in many cases, even to the point of leaving the park around lunch time for an afternoon nap then returning later.

Inside the parks, it can be helpful to know the best places to take a breather and relax. If you need to take off your mask (and aren’t actively eating or drinking while stationary and distanced), you’ll want to look for the Relaxation Stations. These are special zones where guests can remove their masks for a time while distanced from other parties. Some are quite pleasant, like Star Wars Launch Bay (our favorite!).

·       Magic Kingdom

o   Pete’s Silly Sideshow (Inside with A/C)

o   The Golden Oak Outpost (Outside)

o   Tomorrowland Terrace (Outside, Covered)

·       Disney’s Hollywood Studios

o   Star Wars Launch Bay (Inside with A/C)

o   Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Outside)

·       Epcot

o   Akershus (Inside with A/C)

o   Near Rose and Crown Pub (Outside)

o   Between Mission: SPACE and Test Track (Outside)

·       Disney’s Animal Kingdom

o   Pizzafari (Inside with A/C)

o   Across from UP! A Great Bird Adventure (Outside)

Video: YouTube, Jett Farrell-Vega (@My Kingdom For a Mouse - Glimpses of Disney)

Walt Disney World is also home to lots of surprisingly quiet places. At Magic Kingdom, Tom Sawyer Island is the best example—it’s difficult to get to, but once you’re there, it’s usually the quietest place in the park. When the PeopleMover reopens, it’s an excellent choice as well. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we are usually able to find some peaceful spots arounds Echo Lake. Portions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can be particularly nice later in the evening when crowds have reduced as well.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot have a lot more choices in this arena: the walking trails of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and gardens of World Showcase are full of quiet havens where you can withdraw for a little recovery time. I especially enjoy the courtyards of the Morocco pavilion. Outside of the parks, Walt Disney World is home to many walkways (like the walk between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios), and Disney resorts also provide another haven for collecting yourself.

In a particularly tense situation, another option you can try is visiting Disney’s First Aid stations in each of the parks. Each of these stations has a quiet area where guests can recover from dehydration or even something as simple as a panic attack. I am not certain if this has changed since the arrival of the pandemic, but the staff at these stations are very friendly, and this has been a possibility in the past.

6. Hack your brain

This is a particularly fun subject because there are so many different ways to do this—a few of which we’ve covered here at Theme Park Tourist. The human brain really does act similar to a computer at times, and like a computer, there are ways to utilize the senses to hack it.

When anxiety strikes, it can help to get grounded in some way to work through being “flooded” (that moment when the amygdala takes over)—the goal is to settle your mind back into the present instead of focusing on the frightening future that hasn’t yet come to pass. There are many exercises you can do to accomplish this (apps like Sanvello offer some good options) ranging from measured breathing, to mindfulness, to prayer. Even something as simple as slowly tensing and releasing each part of your body one at a time can help diffuse some anxiety.

One hack involves carrying a set of lightweight headphones with you so you can access relaxing music or nature sounds on your phone (I usually use Relax Melodies, Spotify playlists, or Headspace). Just shutting out the chaotic noise of the parks for a few minutes can help provide some disconnection from the craziness around you. You can also utilize apps that help you with anxiety reducing breathing exercises (I’m a fan of Relax Lite or Calm) to help calm your heartbeat and settle your mind. If you’re concerned about phone battery, use data instead of park Wi-Fi (or keep a good power block on standby).

Your ears aren’t the only tool for hacking your brain—scent can have a powerful effect on calming the mind as well. Keeping some aromatherapy oil with you can be a good idea to help you get grounded (I use this little keychain kit from Doterra to keep a few with me when I visit Disney—for anxiety, my go to scents are Jasmine, Frankincense, or Lavender). Drinking some relaxing hot tea or even just getting hydrated can also help.