Trying to decide which parks you might want to bypass on your next Disney World vacation? We’re here to help!

Since the Disney World parks welcomed back guests in July 2020, we’ve noticed a ton of changes. From crowd levels to entertainment offerings and more, you might be wondering what exactly you’re in for on your next visit!

If you’re trying to determine which parks you might prefer to avoid on your next trip, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some reasons you might want to steer clear of the Disney World parks!

You Might Want to Skip Magic Kingdom If…

…You’re Looking for Live Entertainment.

Let’s start with the good news…of all the parks, Magic Kingdom offers the most character cavalcades and we’ve spotted a ton of spontaneous character appearances.

But if you’re interested in stage shows or stationary live performances, you won’t find them in Magic Kingdom at the moment. Enchanted Tales With Belle, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire stage show are all still closed currently.

And while the Dapper Dans and Main Street Philharmonic do make appearances in the park, they’re typically on the move during a cavalcade, so you’ll usually only be able to catch a few seconds of their performances unless you follow them on the cavalcade route.

If sitting down to enjoy some live entertainment is your top priority, there are options available at other parks, like For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or live musical performances at the America Gardens Theatre in EPCOT.

But even though Magic Kingdom isn’t offering live stage shows at the moment, there are still tons of attractions to enjoy here. In fact, Magic Kingdom has 26 attractions available to guests, which is the most of all the parks!

…You’re Trying to Avoid Crowds and Bottlenecks.

With the large number of character cavalcades and seasonal offerings like the Cinderella Castle projections, we’ve seen the “new” entertainment offerings in Magic Kingdom draw larger crowds than the other parks.

We’ve most commonly encountered issues with crowds and bottlenecks in Frontierland and Main Street, U.S.A., since those are the lands the cavalcades pass through. You may be able to avoid the majority of heavy traffic by arriving an hour or two after the park opens and steering clear of the cavalcade routes throughout the day. But even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll avoid ALL of the bottlenecks.

With all of the cavalcades, decorations, and seasonal snacks in Magic Kingdom, it is one of the most festive parks this holiday season. So, if you’re confident in your ability to successfully navigate the crowds, Magic Kingdom might still make your must-do list!

Check out more photos of the holiday crowds in Disney World

You Might Want to Skip EPCOT If…

…Your Favorite Part of World Showcase is Interacting with the Cast Members.

Yes, there ARE still Cast Members working in World Showcase. But since the Cultural Representative Program has not yet returned, the World Showcase is are not currently staffed with Cast Members from the Pavilion countries.

Prior to the closure, guests could interact with Cast Members from around the world thanks to the Cultural Representative program. Chatting with these Cast Members was a great way to learn more about each of the countries represented in the World Showcase!

The World Showcase definitely looks a bit different than we’re used to prior to the closure. But luckily, many of the World Showcase shops and restaurants have reopened so you can still experience the Pavilions but without the extra touch of the Cultural Representative program.

…You’re Really Interested in the New Character Cavalcades.

Of all the parks, our team has experienced the fewest character cavalcades in EPCOT. While Mickey and Friends and the Disney Princesses do make their way around the World Showcase, we don’t spot them nearly as frequently in EPCOT.

If your goal is to spot as many characters as possible, Magic Kingdom would probably be your best bet. Although, we have spotted a few adorable pop-up character appearances in EPCOT like Mary Poppins, Joy, and Winnie the Pooh!

But since these appearances are unscheduled (as are the cavalcades!), it’s hit or miss as to whether you’ll catch them in EPCOT when you’re there!

Check out photos of Alice greeting guests from a distance in EPCOT!

You Should Skip Disney’s Hollywood Studios If…

…You Want to Avoid the Crowds and Bottlenecks as Much as Possible.

Much like Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is another park where guests will likely run into some crowds and bottlenecks during their visit.

With the recent opening of popular attractions like Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, we’ve regularly seen Disney Park Passes sell out for Hollywood Studios.

The crowds are often the heaviest in areas like Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land. But given the relatively small size of the park, it can often feel congested even outside of the most heavily trafficked areas.

Of course, one of the reasons for the heavy traffic and bottlenecks in Hollywood Studios is due to the demand for the park’s incredible new attractions, which might be worth braving the crowds for some!

…You Want to Have a Spontaneous Day at the Park.

There’s more planning required for a day in Hollywood Studios than the other parks at the moment. First, Disney Park Passes often fill up for Hollywood Studios earlier than the other parks, so you have to even decide that you want to visit this park farther ahead of time.

And snagging your park reservation isn’t the last thing you’ll need to plan. If you want to ride Rise of the Resistance, you’ll need to snag a boarding pass for the attraction, since there is no standby queue available.

Even outside of Rise of the Resistance, the wait times for attractions in Hollywood Studios have regularly been longer than the other parks, so you’ll need to strategize and prioritize your must-dos extra carefully.

Much like the crowds, the long wait times are partially due to just how incredible the attractions are. But if you’re looking for a park where you can hop from ride to ride relatively quickly, Hollywood Studios probably isn’t the one!

Here were the average wait times for ALL of the Disney World attractions in October!

You Should Skip Disney’s Animal Kingdom If…

…You Want to See a Ton of Characters.

The character cavalcades in Disney’s Animal Kingdom are a unique experience since they float by on boats!

But as much as we enjoy watching the flotillas sail by, we haven’t seen as wide of a variety of characters in Animal Kingdom as we have at the other parks. And since the characters are all on boats, we also can’t get as close to them as we can elsewhere!

But on the plus side, some of the characters that do make regular appearances are really cool! We LOVE seeing Pocahontas, Meeko, and John Smith, and spotting Chip and Dale in their adorable dinosaur costumes is precious!

…You’re There for the Shows.

Between Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo — The Musical, Animal Kingdom is usually home to two fan-favorite live performances.

But unfortunately, neither one of these shows has resumed yet, so you could be missing out on some of your “must-do” experiences.

There are definitely still plenty of fun things to do in Animal Kingdom. Other popular attractions like Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest are still available for guests to enjoy.

Plus, of all the parks, we’ve found it easiest to avoid crowds and bottlenecks at Animal Kingdom. But if you’re typically there for the awesome shows, you may want to hold off on your return for now.

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If you’re planning your first visit to Disney World since the parks reopened, some of the differences might catch you a bit off guard. So, if you’re trying to determine which parks you want to do — or don’t — want to visit, be sure to keep these pointers in mind!

These three tips will make your Disney World trip easier right now!

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Are you planning on skipping any of the Disney World parks on your next visit? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why You Should Skip This Disney World Park Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog.