What’s the best time to visit Disney World? When people ask me questions about Walt Disney World, one of the most common questions I’m asked is what are the best months to go to Disney World.
The answer really varies – depending on who is traveling and what specifically you are trying to see and do. There are multiple “best” times to go to Walt Disney World, based on your situation – and some may need to travel during a peak time.
In my opinion, there is no perfect time for your family vacation, since everyone’s plans are different. Luckily, the theme parks are so much fun no matter when you visit, and the weather in Florida is never too cold (although it can be very hot).
Here are some guidelines to review when deciding what’s the best time to visit Disney World. What do you think is the best month to visit Disney World? Leave us a comment below.
I am a former member of the planDisney Panel and have been on some complimentary press trips at Walt Disney World, but all opinions are my own.I’ve also paid for my own trips. This post contains affiliate links and purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you.
When booking your Walt Disney World vacation, consider purchasing through our affiliate Get Away Today. They offer great prices on tickets and can book many hotels.
What’s the Best Time to Visit Disney World?
To Avoid Crowds
It’s always a good idea to plan to visit during the least crowded times if school schedules allow for it. Park reservations aren’t required for all tickets now, but you’ll still need to plan ahead.
If you want to avoid crowds, it’s usually best to visit when school is in session during the school year. School vacations, weekends, and summer vacations can be extremely crowded, with long lines for popular attractions. The major holidays and holiday weekends are also some of the busiest times of the year
Undercover Tourist has a crowd calendar online that can help you find a good option for your trip. It’s a good idea to look at it before you make any plans so that you can find a time with low crowds if that’s an important consideration for you.
I have found that early May is my favorite time to visit the Disney theme parks. Typically, the weather is warm (but not usually TOO hot), and the crowd level is fairly low because it doesn’t coincide with school vacations or school holidays. Before we had school-aged children, that was our favorite time of the year to visit.
If you live in the Northeast, late summer (late August) can be a good time because Southern schools are usually back in session, but Northeast schools aren’t. But keep in mind that it’s likely to be hot during August (and the other summer months).
If you want to avoid the hot temperatures, however, August isn’t a great time to visit. It’s also during hurricane season so you’ll need to be aware of that.
Other busy times of the year are spring break and long weekends like Presidents’ Day, Veterans, and Labor Day. Thanksgiving and Christmas time is especially busy with high crowd levels – this is typically the peak season with long wait times. The theme parks, especially the Magic Kingdom, often reach capacity on Christmas Day because it’s one of the most popular places to go for Christmas.
Before committing to a specific week for your Walt Disney World vacation, take a look at the special events that are being held. The Walt Disney World Marathonweekend and festival weekends (like the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival) can often be very busy in the parks and the resorts. Sometimes you’ll be surprised that hotels are booked up, and often that’s because a major event is happening.
To Have Good Weather
I like to visit the Orlando Florida area when it’s warm but not super hot. I find that March and October are the best months of the year to visit if you want to experience that type of weather.
I recommend looking at this page from the Weather Channel to see average temps (but keep in mind that temperatures can vary). This past November, I visited on a day that was in the high 80s, which was pretty unusual for that time of year. Even if you know what the average temperatures are, you’ll want to check before you go to make sure you pack appropriately.
October, of course, is still hurricane season, so that’s something else you’ll need to keep in mind. In addition, while you may plan for a specific type of weather, often Mother Nature in Florida has other plans.
Be prepared for any changes in the weather, and make sure you understand the change policies for your hotel and airfare. You may experience more rainy days this time of year.
If you want to visit the two water parks, you may want to avoid the winter months. Typically one of the two water parks is closed for refurbishment during this time.
To Experience Peak Magic
The holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, is when you can experience peak magic on the Disney property. The resort hotels are decorated for the holidays (including a gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian and a carousel at the Beach Club), as are the theme parks.
You can also attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (an extra fee applies) and the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT (included with your ticket, but book one of the meals that include VIP seating). Even if you don’t attend a special event, the holiday decorations are really beautiful to see.
Keep in mind that the holiday season at Walt Disney World is an extremely popular time to visit. As a result, you’ll probably find larger crowds. Be prepared by making early plans – especially park reservations and hotel bookings.
Halloween (and the month preceding it) is also a fun time to visit. You can purchase special tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and enjoy a night of parades, fireworks, special ride overlays, entertainment, and more. You can still experience the Halloween party if you visit in September since it starts early in the season.
To Experience a Specific Event
Of course, if you want to experience a specific event, such as the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Epcot International Festival of the Arts, or the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, you’ll want to visit during that time. Check out the event schedule in advance so that you can attend on a perfect day.
These events are offered over multiple weekends, so you’ll have lots of options. This past year, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival was held over more days than ever. Dates are typically released well in advance.
For the Best Prices
If you are looking to save money on your Disney vacation, you’ll want to pay attention when you are planning your visit. There are some months when Walt Disney World tickets are a bit less expensive. You may also find a good option that includes lower-priced hotel rooms.
You’ll also want to compare those prices with hotel and flight prices. Those can vary widely, however. It’s important to get the prices of all three before deciding to book based on price. You can expect to pay the same food prices regardless of when you visit.
What Age Is the Best Time to Visit Disney World?
This can be a heated question with a lot of different answers. If you are looking to maximize your Disney World vacation budget, you may want to visit the resort at the perfect ages for your kids. I’ve found, however, that many different ages are the perfect times.
Because I love to travel, I knew that I’d want to go on vacation with my kids even when they were very young. Walt Disney World made it so easy to travel with young kids less than two years apart. Everything is set up for families.
Walt Disney World offers baby care centers. These make changing and feeding a baby much easier. There are some negatives to traveling with babies and toddlers though. We weren’t really able to go on many rides with them and they weren’t familiar with the characters.
Elementary-school-aged kids really love the parks, usually. By then, they can go on more rides and know who the characters are. If you can go to the parks while the kids really believe in the characters, that can be especially magical. As a bonus, my small children were always up in the early morning so we were able to visit the parks when they opened (when you’ll find fewer people in line for popular attractions).
Now that I have teens, they love the Disney parks as well. Our experience is very different from when they were babies, however. Now, they love the theme parks for sentimental reasons and always want to go on their favorite rides. It’s still a magical place for us now.
What Specific Days to Visit Walt Disney World
Once you’ve decided the month to visit Walt Disney World, you may be wondering what specific days to visit.
Typically, once I’ve got my vacation plans set, I plan out each day. You’ll be able to make dining reservations 60 days in advance, so you’ll want to have an idea of which theme park you’ll visit each day. You also need to make park reservations now.
If I don’t have a preference for which park to visit each day, I’ll usually make that determination based on the availability of dining. Just remember that you’ll need the park hopper option on your ticket if you want to visit more than one park per day, even if it’s just to dine in a restaurant.
The Best Months to Visit
Based on all of this, my favorite months to visit Walt Disney World are May and September. However, with my kids in school, we found Thanksgiving week to be the best (albeit very crowded). The weather is usually pretty good, and it isn’t quite as busy as Christmas.
What is your favorite time to visit Walt Disney World?
