Photo Credit: Destini Boxall
Of all the Disney World questions, and there are many, this one might be the most important: when is the best time to visit Walt Disney World?
But of course, the answers will vary, depending on what you mean by best and what the person you’re asking means by best. To some people, best is least busy. Others define best as the nicest weather. And some folks think the season with the most festivals and extra events are the best.
So before we get into the nitty gritty, decide for yourself what the “best” really means for you. Because bad news, bears. You can’t have all three. There is no one time of year with perfect weather, low crowds, and tons of events.
This is because, as any Disney vet will tell you, there really are no slow times anymore at the house that mouse built. Between festivals, race weekends, holiday events, ever evolving school break schedules, and promotions intended to fill the park, there really are no “off” seasons.
You can usually hit two out of three, though, and two out of three ain’t bad. December has Christmas events and nice weather…but high crowds. February has lower crowds and good weather…but some popular attractions are closed for refurbishment and park hours are shorter. April has lovely weather, very few closures…and Spring Break crowds.
But that’s okay. Sure, we would all like to just ride Seven Dwarves Mine Train seven times in a row because no one else is at Magic Kingdom. But if you plan well and do your research before hand, there is no reason that you can’t have an entirely enjoyable and magical vacation at the same time as a bunch of other people.
You’ll notice I didn’t say much about price. This is because trying to predict Disney pricing is a fool’s errand and mama didn’t raise no fool.
In 2018, Walt Disney World changed their ticketing system from tier pricing by season-value, regular, and peak-to an interactive calendar where prices vary based on when you arrive and how long you stay. A one day ticket to the Magic Kingdom used to cost more than the other three parks, but now they’re all the same. It was once generally agreed upon that Free Dining was only offered in the “slower” times of the year, but this year it was offered for the summer, a notoriously high crowd time. My point is, Disney is going to do what Disney is going to do.
The important thing is to know what kind of vacation would be best for you, and prioritize from there. Once you’ve figured that out, the rest of planning will fall right into place.
January
Arguably the coldest month at Disney World, January used to also be the one of the slowest. But with New Year’s celebrations, the Walt Disney World Marathon, and the beginning of Epcot’s Festival of the Arts, there is a lot going on in January. Combine that with crowds that are lower than other parts of the year, and it seems like a great time to visit. Just make sure you are checking the park hours and refurbishment schedule while you are doing your planning: expect earlier park closing hours and refurbishments of popular attractions because of the lower crowds. If you visit early enough in the month, you can see the Christmas decorations before they come down.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
February
Epcot’s awesome Festival of the Arts continues into February, almost to the end of the month, so this would be a great time for the artistes in your family to head down to Florida. And bring some runners with you, because the Princess Half Marathon Weekend happens at the end of the month as well. Crowd spikes are random this month, most occurring near Valentine’s Day and the President’s Day Weekend, which many schools have off. February can also see some refurbishments of popular attractions, so make sure to check those before you go.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
March
March kicks off some gorgeous weather and the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. March is a popular month to visit because many K-12 schools, as well as colleges, have their spring breaks in March. Because of the potential for high crowds, you’ll see some of the best park hours of the year. Not only will Early Morning Magic be offered at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, you’ll probably also see some possibilities for Disney After Hours at some of the parks. These ticketed events are hugely popular because they offer what everyone wants: low wait times in nice weather with the most popular attractions.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
April
Like March, April can see Spring Break crowds, usually depending on when Easter falls. Many schools like to plan their spring breaks around Easter, so the weeks around that holiday can be crowded. Easter week is one of the busiest weeks at Walt Disney World. But on the plus side, you get to meet the Easter Bunny! April sees phenomenal weather, the continuance of Flower and Garden Festival, and a Star Wars Run Weekend. You’ll also see the same Early Morning Magic and Disney After Hours events, with the same great park hours.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog
May
The kicker with May is going to be weather. It could be lovely but we can also see temperatures (and humidity rising) as we head towards summer. The benefit to all of this is extended park hours, and the consistent open hours of Disney’s two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Crowd wise, most schools are in session most of May, so you won’t see those big vacation crowds until Memorial Day Weekend, which officially kicks off the summer season at Walt Disney World. Flower and Garden winds down at the start of the month.
June
June is the start of the summer season: you’ve got the heat, the summer break crowds, and the rain. June has the highest percentage of recorded rainfall, so don’t forget those disposable ponchos if you visit in June. But the good news is that June is milder on those three fronts than the rest of the summer. The heat is worse in August, the crowds are higher in July, and while you’ll get some rain, Hurricane season isn’t until August/September. With school breaks (Fall, Christmas, and Spring) becoming increasingly popular times to go, the summer crowds aren’t what they once were, making June a solid option.
July
On paper, July is not an ideal month to visit. It has the highest summer crowds, it’s the hottest month of the summer, and you get hurricane season. But a lot of families find July their only option because of school/work schedules and that is totally okay! I’d rather be wet on a crowded day at Disney than dry and at home. Shifting schedules make the July crowds more manageable than in years past and the heat brings extended park hours. You can head back to the hotel for a midday swim and get out of the worst heat, then return in the evening when it’s a little cooler. Plus, July sees fantastic 4th fireworks and celebrations at all four parks.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
August
If you can stand the heat, August has a lot to recommend itself. While you do see the heat and storms from July, the crowds are a little more manageable. Because many schools go back in August, the crowds start to thin a bit. In August you usually see some dates eligible for the Free Dining Promotion, as well as the beginning of the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party dates. The earlier the dates for this hard ticketed party, the cheaper the ticket. Many parks retain their longer hours until the end of the month. So you get long hours, cool events, good promotions, and manageable crowds, especially if you are there towards the end of the month.
September
Has a lot going on in terms of events and promotions. Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party continues throughout the month and Epcot hosts the popular International Food and Wine Festival. If Free Dining happens, September is usually included. Best of all, crowds are a lower since school is in session. If you can put up with some rain (September is the peak of hurricane season) and some heat (temperatures can still get high), then September has a lot to offer.
October
October is one of the busiest months at the parks, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The combination of longer fall breaks, people looking to avoid the crowds and hotter weather of the summer, and the offerings of the Food and Wine Festival AND Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party make for a busy month. There are rarely discounts during October because of this. However, the weather can’t be beat. Many families prefer this month to one of the summer months because if you’ve got to stand in line, at least you’re doing so in nicer weather.
November
There’s a lot to like about November. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party starts, and those earlier party dates are cheaper than the ones closer to Christmas. Food and Wine is still going on and in addition Epcot hosts the runDisney Food and Wine Half Marathon. Once F&W is done, Epcot transitions to the Epcot International Festival of Holidays, which includes the beloved Candlelight Processional. The week of Thanksgiving is one of the busiest weeks of the year, but crowds the rest of the month are a little more temperate. Speaking of temperate, the weather is still nice and if you go later in the month you’ll get to see the Christmas decorations.
December
Oh December. Where the highs are high and the lows are low. The first week of December has had historically lower crowds, but Pop Warner and National Cheer and Dance groups flood the All Star resorts. Nice weather, but the potential for lower temperature closes Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. But you’ve got Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom, Flurry of Fun at Hollywood Studios, International Festival of Holidays and the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, gorgeous decorations at all the parks and the Deluxe resorts, and if you go early in the month you might even have some free dining eligible dates. But just know, magic always comes with a price. The week before Christmas to New Year’s is the busiest time of year at Walt Disney World, so if you go during that time, make sure you make a plan and check it twice.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
Thousands of words later, let’s sum up with this: there’s no bad time of the year to go to Walt Disney World. Seriously. Even if you’re at Disney at the busiest time of year, you’re still going to be surrounded by magic and building memories with your loved ones. Whatever time you decide to visit will come with great opportunities and a few challenges. You’ve just got to decide which options will be best for your family.
When is your best time to go to Disney World? Is there a time of year you visited where your expectations were exceeded? Gimme your seasonal tips in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!