On Sunday, July 6, 2025, Walt Disney World Resort bid farewell to two of its oldest attractions: Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat. The closures marked the end of an era for the original Frontierland as Walt Disney Imagineers prepare to build the Cars (2006)-themed Piston Peak National Park in their place. But what caught many off guard was the unexpectedly low attendance on the final day. Despite the usual Independence Day crowds, Magic Kingdom Park guests reported unusually low wait times and a lack of holiday bustle.
Historically, summer months at Walt Disney World Resort draw large crowds, especially during the Fourth of July weekend, as families flock to the parks to take advantage of time off. However, this year, Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom have been noticeably quieter, with multiple reports indicating that the typical summer crowd simply didn’t materialize.
To entice guests, Walt Disney World Resort introduced discounts on theme park tickets, Disney Resort hotel rooms, and other experiences in hopes of filling the parks this summer. Unfortunately, the efforts didn’t seem to make a difference. Magic Kingdom Park’s 360-degree July 4 fireworks typically draw huge crowds, with Walt Disney World Resort often blocking out Annual Passholders due to the volume of visitors.
However, on Sunday, July 6, guests reported shockingly low wait times across the Magic Kingdom, including for some of its most popular attractions. Reddit user u/netflixnpoptarts shared a screenshot of the My Disney Experience app at midday on Sunday:
What’s going on with these times? Is everything ok?
What’s going on with these times? Is everything ok?
byu/netflixnpoptarts inDisneyWorld
Hundreds of commenters shared their own experiences, noting how unusually low attendance seemed for a weekend that usually brings large crowds for the fireworks.
“My family went this past week and I was in shock at the wait times,” u/hailey_faith commented. “They were super low. Flight of Passage was like 25 minutes at one point.”
“We just left MK and can confirm it is empty,” said u/LaysOnFuton. “So strange for a holiday weekend.”
TikTok user @magicbyjulia also shared a screenshot of Magic Kingdom Park’s wait times, calling July 6 a “perfect day.”
@magicbyjulia MK is perfect today✨🏰🐭 #disney #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #waltdisney #disneyparks #disneytiktok #disneytok #disneyfyp #magickingdom #disneywaittimes
“It’s been such a nice weekend,” @thesisketears commented.
Walt Disney World Resort does not release live attendance data, so reports of lower crowds at Magic Kingdom remain anecdotal and unverified.
When is the best time of year to visit Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!
