When should you go to Walt Disney World?

Once you’ve committed to planning a trip to Walt Disney World the first decision you have to make is when to go! To answer the question, When should you go to Walt Disney World, there are four factors. Read on to find out what they are and how they can affect your trip to Walt Disney World.

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So you’ve finally committed to taking that trip to Disney World. You think you’d like to go over spring break when the kids are out of school. Let me be the first to tell you this is WRONG! Disney World during spring break can be a crowded nightmare!

My family has never waited more than 20 minutes for a ride- including the headliners- I’ve included a few tips for avoiding the crowds as well as three other important factors to consider when deciding when you should go to Walt Disney World.

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Crowd Calendars

If you have been Googling at all about Disney World vacations, you’ve probably come across a few crowd calendars. Several sites have them, my favorite and the most comprehensive is from Kenny the Pirate. (No affiliation). Here is an extremely brief summary of crowds in Disney World-

January/February

Low crowds other than Run Disney events or President’s Day weekend.

March/April

The parks will be packed during spring breaks (different for school systems and universities around the world) and Easter. I highly suggest looking at a crowd calendar before booking during these months.

May

Lower crowds

June-August

Higher crowds due to school being out.

September-October

Lower crowds, except during Columbus Day weekend and Halloween

November

Busy during Veteren’s Day and Thanksgiving weekend.

December

Extremely crowded the two weeks surrounding Christmas. Parks may hit capacity and not accept new guests on Christmas Day and New Years Day.

To really dot your i’s and cross your t’s, check out the RunDisney website mentioned above, as well as ESPN’s Wide World of Sports event calendar. Several times throughout the year Disney hosts dance and cheerleading competitions which can lead to bigger crowds at the resorts. (The Parks won’t necessarily be more crowded as the groups will be off competing most of their time in Disney; however the teams can greatly affect your Disney resort experience.)

If you have your heart set on going during a certain month or just can’t pull the kids out of school and have to go during spring break, do not panic! There are still a bunch of ways to plan out a wonderful vacation. The information provided here is just to better guide your expectations.

Weather

If you’re from the North, like myself, you are probably thinking, “It’s Florida, it’s hot, what’s the issue?” WRONG AGAIN! Let me give you a breakdown of what to expect and what to bring to combat it.

Winter (Jan/Feb/Dec)

It may actually be cold in Florida during the winter months! Bring jeans and sweatshirts along with your summer gear. Be sure to check the weather report as your trip gets closer, you may even want to bring winter coats, hats & gloves! It could also be 85 and sunny for the whole week. May the odds be in your favor.

Also note that the Disney water parks may be shut down for refurbishments during the winter months.

Spring (March-May)

The weather will be warm during the day but may still cool off in the evening. Bring your own sweatshirt (or be forced to pay $50 for one in a gift shop like I had to…) This is also Lovebug season. The bugs are harmless but extremely annoying.

Summer (June-Sept)

It will be hot.
It will rain.

The good news is, it will be a Florida rain! It will most likely be over in less than 30 minutes. The parks may just clear out and you can have lower lines for a while! To combat the heat I cannot suggest the cooling cloths enough. We really like this brand:

You should also stock up on cheap ponchos from home for the rain. Of course they sell them in the Parks but the quality isn’t that great (from what I’ve heard) and they are expensive!

Fall (Oct-Nov)

The weather is still hot, but not as humid as during the summer. Although hurricane season is September-November, we have had incredible luck with dry weeks in October & November!

Hotel Rates

There are at least six different hotel rates at Disney World. In order from least to most expensive:

• Value (Usually January)
• Fall
• Regular
• Summer
• Peak
• Holiday

During the course of the year Disney also runs promotions for discounts on hotel rooms and their dining plan (post-Covid the Disney Dining Plan has yet to fully return).

Your best bet is to decide when you can afford to go/when you want to go to Walt Disney World and book your trip. If and when new promotions come out you can always call and change your reservation to take advantage of them!

Disney World Festivals

Throughout the year Walt Disney World hosts several special events & festivals. Things to consider:

• Some events require a separate entrance ticket-and fee
• Epcot festivals tend to make the park busier on the weekends with locals
• Special ticketed events allow a limited amount of people into the Parks and may be worth the shorter lines to you!

Disney is constantly adding and changing their Early Morning/Late Night events. The best way to keep up with them is through their website.

Here is the current list of festivals & parties:

January-February

Epcot Festival of the Arts

March-June

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

August-November

-Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
-Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (Extra fee)

November-December

-Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
-Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Extra fee)

Has this information been completely overwhelming and confusing? Need to start at the beginning again? Please read my post on planning resources for Walt Disney World beginners! Need more help than that? Reach out to an authorized Disney travel advisor- Magical Memories By Casey with Main Street and More Travel

Interested in even more Disney World? Listen to The Beers and Ears Podcast! New Episodes twice a week. The Chaos Manager is featured on the August 28, 2020 episode!