4 Insider Factors for the Best Time to Go to Disney World

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Once you’ve committed to planning a trip to Walt Disney World, the first decision you have to make is when to go! In my opinion, there are four determining factors on deciding the best time to go to Disney World. Read on to find out what they are and how they can affect your trip.

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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. Updated 12/2025- This past year my family had to visit during spring break! The horror, I know!! Guess what? We survived. If this is your only chance to visit, don’t let the threat of crowds scare you off. Just know that you will need to plan even more to pull off a trip that is as enjoyable as possible.

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The Four Factors to Consider when picking the Best Time to go to Disney World:

1) 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. Avoid being in the Parks on the actual holiday of Easter if you must travel during spring break. Enjoy a pool day instead!

May

Lower crowds

June-August

Higher crowds due to school being out.

September-October

Lower crowds, except during Indigenous People’s 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.

More calendars to consider-

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.

2) 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. Just know, that 50 degrees in Florida somehow feels so much colder than 50 degrees in the northern states.

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 in Florida. The bugs are harmless but extremely annoying. Having visited the Parks in March, April and May, we have never had an issue with bugs on property.

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 cooling towels 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 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!

3) Resort & Ticket Rates

There are at least six different resort 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. Disney now also has seasonal rates for their ticket prices. Check a trusted third party retailer like Undercover Tourist (no affiliation, but I’ve used them several times!) for discounted tickets.

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!

You can also take a look at Expedia.com for discounted hotel rates. They offer rates on Disney Resorts as well as other area hotels. You can still link your resort stay to your My Disney Experience account even when booking through a third party site.

4) Disney World Festivals and Parties

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)

In the end, the best time to go to Disney World is when it works for you! Mickey and friends will be there rain or shine, you just might need to bring a bit more patience with you some times of the year.

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! or go straight to my “Disney Database” at Disney Tips, Tricks and FAQs.

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!