Interested in when is the best time to go to Walt Disney World? Here are some tips on how to figure it out:
Check the resort prices for your travel date. If your date is expensive, expect crowds.
Another rule of thumb is if the schools are out, it’s going to be crowded. I highly recommend that you do NOT travel to Disney World on any holiday, even President’s Day, unless you have to. If your family can choose another week, do it.
Least crowded times of the year….
- Mid January through March (avoid Martin Luther King and President’s Day)
- The first 3 weeks of May
- Mid September through the week of Thanksgiving (avoid Columbus and Veteran’s Day)
- First 2 weeks in December
Most crowded times of the year (expect park closures; massive crowds)….
- The 2 weeks of Christmas break
- Easter week
- 4th of July
- School holidays and breaks (especially Spring Break which falls from mid March to late April since Spring break is not the same week throughout the country)
Best days to visit
The absolute best time to visit Disney World is during the week. If you can schedule your vacation to begin on a Monday and end on a Sunday, that would be ideal.
Absolute best time to visit Disney
The absolute best time to visit Disney is when it works for your family. Don’t let this post deter you from traveling because you can’t go when it isn’t predicted to be busy. With a game plan, you will see and do a lot. We have been when it was very crowded (according to Touring Plans) and we still didn’t wait more than 10-15 minutes because we had a plan.
What is your favorite time to visit Disney World?
Please leave the answer in the comment section!
Here are some tips on determining how many days to stay at Walt Disney World.
Learn more about planning your Walt Disney World vacation. Plus overwhelmed with all the planning? Destinations in Florida can help you plan your perfect trip.
We are here right now. Arrived Sunday the 26th and leaving Friday the 31st. It is very crowded to us and HOT. We have been the week before Thanksgiving when IAAPA is happening twice. We like that week.
I went in late January this year and the crowds were manageable but it was in the 40’s in the morning. We wore our winter coats all day. I usually arrive on a Sunday and leave on Friday because the Disney resorts up charge you on the weekends. I have been in September and October and the crowds were low and the weather warm. Free dining does have an impact on the crowd levels though.
We have been two times in Sept and LOVED it!!
Middle of October. One last blast of warm weather before we deal with the cold in Indiana!
I am a WDW Annual Passholder and I go ALL times of the year. What I have found the best times to go is September, when schools are back in session, the first 2 weeks of October, November, and December. Then in January thru February, I try to avoid March because thats when Spring Break begins. The first 3 weeks in May are good also. I will always try to avoid going during the summer months (June, July & August). The heat is unbearable, even for this Florida native, and the crowds are outrageous. We also the Halloween Party every year, but we always do the earliest one we can. We can see and do everything without the crowds. This year we are going September 13th, Friday the 13th!!
Hi. I was just wondering how the weather was during your trip in September to WDW?
We drive down from N.Y., leaving the Saturday right after Thanksgiving. Traffic light, Park attendance low…if there really is such a thing!…and everything is decorated in Christmas finery! Plus if you’re staying on property, room rates are lower, often helped by discount codes available on various sites. So pack it on on Turkey Day, then walk it off at WDW! Weather is also fairly moderate.
I am planning on going thanksgiving week 2013. interested in weather and crowds. Please reply if you have been during thanksgiving. THANKS
DO NOT go during Thanksgiving. It is super crazy busy. I have been there more times than I can count. This was the most crowded I have ever seen it, including during the summer. Yuck@!
My family and i alway go around the holidays. We went one year during christmas, and the magic kingdom was at capacity by 10 am. We have found that going the first or second week in december is the best. There is barely any wait times, and everything is so festive!
We went January 8-14th and the weather was great and lines almost non existent- we did use touring plans too. The pools are heated on property, so my children were able to swim too!
I think you are spot on with the dates. I love going the first week of Dec., although it is getting busier. Also, it is great to get away at end of Jan or before Valentine’s Day in Feb.
I have to agree about mid-January and mid-September being the best times to travel to Walt Disney World. Not only are there considerably less crowds, the weather is gorgeous, too.
I’m a person who absolutely hates lines and heat! The best trip I ever took was in mid February, we walked right onto even the most popular rides. There actually wasn’t much that I wanted to see that was closed down for the off season. A great trip
You can have a magical WDW vacation ANY time of the year…even during the most crowded weeks. I am a public school teacher, and we always work within school breaks for our family vacations. We’ve been during Spring Break (very close to Easter) and the week before Christmas. The secret is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN! Look at planning websites and know which parks are going to be the least crowded each day. AVOID parks with Extra Magic Hours at busy times of the year, and always arrive at parks before opening time each day. Don’t let the crowds scare you…just outsmart the masses. :)
We went to Disney World in January the 19th through the 28th! It was wonderful and not that crowded. All the tour books had been right we did see lots of Brazilian tour groups, but they were all color coordinated, had flags, and way easy to spot, so we just went in opposite directions from these big groups. Since they were so big, they moved slow, again working to our family of 4’s advantage!
We had a great time. I saw posted on the web that the following week was really busy & wait times were 60 to 90 minutes. The longest we waited was 40 minutes for Test Track once (they weren’t even loading six into the cars), all the other times we waited less than 20 mins to get on Test Track & that was the longest line we waited in for 8 days!!
I’ve been to WDW twice in October, and last year I went the first week of September. (I’ve also been in March and May, but those were trips when I was a kid, and I don’t remember much about them)
Crowds were awesome in September, but I don’t think I’ll ever go to WDW in the “summer” months again. It rained every single afternoon and the heat was unbearable. The lower crowds weren’t just worth it, to me.
Two years ago, we went the 2nd week of June and it was not crowded. We walked right on several rides. Last year, however the 2nd week of June was awful! It was too crowded to do anything. Please pay attention to the “best times to go.”
this is great-thanks.
Thanks! This is very helpful advice!
I just found out last night that my parents are taking my sis and my family (me, hubby and our 10 yr old son) this year the week of Thanksgiving! I am so excited and don’t know how I am going to be able to wait 7 months and keep it a secret from myson for that long either!
I have been several times and will say the first weekend of March is horrible. The family and I went last year and it was awful. Apparently Massachusetts was on Spring Break at the beginning of our trip and Louisiana was at the end. Also note that Daytona Bike Week is around that time as well as Cheerleader National Competitions.
Many Louisiana schools are out for a week for Mardi Gras anytime between early Feb to mid March. Our Spring Break is the week of of after Easter. That is why there is an influx of Cajuns at that time.
Has anyone visited in the mid to late May season? I am thinking about a trip (2 Adults, no children) to WDW for May 21st-25th 2013. Any suggestions from anyone? Thanks!
It will be a lot more crowded that week than in the couple of weeks before. Check the Disney schedule, but I’m pretty sure that’s during the Star Wars stuff when it’s very crowded. We went in 2010 between May 15-20 and it wasn’t very crowded at all. My cousin and her family went the week after and it was hotter and the ride times were longer than when I was there just a week previously!
A waiter at a nearby restaurant in Orlando told us that the best time to go to the parks is the first week of school for the local kids! It makes sense and we want to try it sometime!
From 1975 until 1993, we always went in the spring (every other year)…then my father passed and we didn’t go for 10 years. In 2006, we tried going the first full week in December. It was WONDERFUL! We went in 06, 08, 09 and this year 2011. Until this year everything was great..low crowds and nice weather. This year the Pop Warner football was there. More crowded and unfortunately, some of the kids were not supervised….others were wonderful…Was nearly knocked down several times by running kids and some of the cheerleaders had to cheer while waiting in line (nearly knocked down again) I think we will try January the next time…WDW was still wonderful!
We leave the Saturday after Thanksgiving, drive down from New York, stay for 10 days and drive home. Hate hot weather, so any other time is out of the question. Going deeper into the winter is a crapshoot as to the weather. We’ve had temperatures in the mid to high eighties down to the upper thirties, just like home! Crowds in general are very doable…except for the cheerleaders!
We love going in fall, around october or november. The weather is beautiful and the crowds are small, since school will if just started again. If you go in september, make sure you dont go during the 2 weeks when the lovebugs are there. There are so many of them at the bus stops and there kinda gross.
We are going Dec 18th through the 24th. Does anyone know if it will be super crowded then? What about the weather? Two years ago we went the week before Thanksgiving and it was not crowded and the weather was perfect!
I loved reading these comments… some really great info. Last time I went it was in August and it was WAY TOO HOT for me. In fact, a friend of mine that is a Cast Member told me even residents have a hard time with the heat in August. The time before that we went at the beginning of February. It was a time I never would have picked myself, but I was there for business and we decided to extend our stay to visit the parks while someone else wasy paying for airfare… but it ended up being PERFECT. The weather was great, there were no lines. So that is the time of year we hope to go next. Although I have always wanted to go during the holidays, so I would like to eventually head out in November too.
Went November 15-21st last year…it was great..pretty much walked on most rides and at the most a 15 minute wait :) Also the christmas lights were up and it was magical :)
Very Useful info. I was wondering when the best time to go is.Thank you!
We’ve gone mid- Sept and the end of Oct and both times the weather was perfect and low crowds. This year we are going end of Sept. I also have a teacher friend that goes Thanksgiving week. Also a super-busy week but not as bad as Christmas.
I’ve been in Feb. and Aug. and I said last summer i’d never go back in the summer way to hot! We’re going in feb. this year unfortunately we have to go President’s week but it will still be cool!
We just got back from Disney. We went to the Magic Kingdom on May 9, Hollywood Studios on May 11 and Animal Kingdom on May 12. It was crowded! We had to skip some rides at the Magic Kingdom because the wait times were up to 50-60 minutes. If this was a slow time, I would hate to see a busy time!
The last few years we have gone around Veteren’s Day in Nov, since my husband gets that day off, and plan our trips so we catch the end of Food & Wine fest, bonus is we usually catch the beginning of Christmas decor including Osborne Lights in Hollywood Studios.
The very first year we took our 3 girls we went over thanksgiving (we do Disneyland) it was so busy it was at max capacity by noon…never did that again! We always now go the first week in December, we go from Sunday thru Friday and pretty much have no waiting in line! But that first weekend is usually the weekend Disney does there Christmas party for the cast members so they close the park early (6:00) so find out before you go! Another way way to find out if they are expecting crowds is to look at the park schedule of when they will be closing..when the park closes at 8 it is not crowded at all but then you will see a few days later they are open untill 11 or midnight, expect it to be busy then! They know what to expect. Also, when booking your room ask how full they are, if they are close to booking all the rooms you can expect to be coming to a busy park!
We usually go in February or March. But we have went in October and December. But I think my favorite time of year is late February/early March, since my husband and boys can go see the Braves spring training. The weather is nice also.
My family went a few years ago, the week before President’s day. It was very crowded. We waited almost 2 hours to see Ariel. I will never go during this time again. Schools in my area are not even out for President’s Day.
I live in Florida and go to Disney several times a year. The best time to go in my opinion is from January to March. It isn’t hot, the parks aren’t crowded and you can find great deals since it’s off season. That being said, yes you can have a cold day and you usually won’t get much swimming in the pool but to me it’s still worth it. We did just go to MK on a Sunday the middle of May and it wasn’t too bad. We lucked out with a breeze for the day and we didn’t wait in any lines that were too rediculous.
I’m glad to see this too! We went for the first time in March and it was perfect. The only thing I know of though is when Universal Cheerleaders Association has their national championships at Disney World in February-March. The dates sometimes makes it slightly more crowded.
Yeah we seem to run into the cheerleaders every time, too. Thankfully though the only times it’s been an issue was once at Blizzard Beach when they were just CRAZY, and then on the Magical Express buses back to the airports.
We have ran into the cheerleaders several times also. Sometimes they were rowdy at the resort,but not as bad as college kids! LOL They do stay at the value resorts,so not a prob if stay at others!
We love to go beginning of May. We just came back from a trip! We were there May 3-11. We always use the extra magic hours. Mothers Day weekend was crowded, but still not super busy!
I also used a ride time app from my Droid so I would know what I needed to FastPass. We kept a backpack with books and we all got a lot of reading done while we were in line.
We went over Christmas break last year. Yes, it was busy, but we stayed on property and used the Magic Hours to our advantage. The castle was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. We had a great time.
We went last year in October. I didn’t expect it to be as hot as it was, but it was rather warm. And the lines at times were longer than I expected. for instance Soarin’ 90 minute wait? But we did it because it was our first trip as a family and my son loved it! It was worth our wait :) I’d rather go when it’s a little cooler
April, when I was a kid living in Florida, October was one of the BEST months to go, but somewhere along the way, that all changes. I was told by a Disney Reservation Specialist that October is now their busiest convention month. Last time I was there, I saw State Farm Ins. people everywhere. I could tell them by their tshirts and such. So, it is always an adventure at Disney! Good luck getting a quieter park. I have to say the first 2 weeks in December is absolutely lovely and there is NOTHING like seeing those holiday decorations line Main Street. Happy vacationing!
I live in Fl and October is always iffy. I have been sweating and others freezing! Still great time thought,usually not very crowded.
I was going to say the exact thing. Last year we went at the end of October, leaving on the 30th. Crowds were more because of Halloween but the weather was amazing. You never know.
You can go to intercot.com and they have a “crowd calendar” in their information section as well. It tells you based on months, the most and least crowded times.
Our favorite time to go is in October. I homeschool my children, so we don’t have to worry about taking them out of school. Our favorite week is the week of Columbus Day. We go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and have a blast! We are going back this year :). I can’t wait!
My MIL usually purchases vacation insurance on the off chance there is a hurricane coming. And two years ago we went in December instead of October because I had a baby in October ;). Now we get to celebrate his birthday at WDW!
I’ve been lots of times of the year and that’s my absolute favorite. October!
AJ
Because we are a farming family, we only ever visit WDW (and DL in years past) during January and February. I don’t think we’d ever go at another time of year. Granted, it’s not always “vacation warm” weather (the past couple years, we’ve had days and nights colder in FL than it was back in ID/OR!!!! But better than being down in the squelching heat!) but overall the weather is nice, the crowds are low, lines are always decent (if even existent!), we can always get into the restaurants we want, buses aren’t generally overcrowded (sometimes, but not overall), etc. We think it’s wonderful.
Oh I’m so glad you posted this Brynna! We are thinking about January for a trip. I am one that will not be caught in Florida from May-mid October. I don’t do heat real well and especially not with two young boys. Thank you for this!
I agree with you, Brynna! I went in January 15 years ago and the longest we had to wait to get on a ride was probably 5 minutes and the same for being seated in a restaurant. I’m from Minnesota, and we had the AC on the whole time. We were laughed at by locals who asked if we also turned the heat on during the night because it got so cold. HAHA! I loved it! I wore shorts and even went on Splash Mountain. If you get the hopper, you are able to plan your day as far as which parks you would most likely be ok with bundling up or shedding the layers too!!!