A question I always hear, and a question I always ask myself is “When is the best time to visit Disney World??”
The answer to that is a tough one. There are many things to take into consideration when deciding the best possible time for you and your family. Honestly, this varies for everyone! What works best for me might not work best for you. That is why I’m including pros and cons for all the different options so you can weigh it and see which pros match your pros and which cons match your cons.
I have visited WDW during every single month except September. I don’t know how I’ve never been in September, but somehow, its happened. For all the other months, I’ve visited at least once, and for some of them, I’ve visited at various times throughout. With that being said, I’m no expert, but I just want to offer you all the advice I have 🙂
1. End of May
I like the end of May because many school systems are reaching the end of the year, so it isn’t as crowded as the rest of the summer often is. It isn’t as hot as June, July, and August, and it isn’t as rainy. Plus my favorite festival is going on!
Pros
Decent crowds
Good weather
Flower and Garden Festival
Cons
Hotter than winter and spring months
Crowds pick up around Memorial Day
2. Mid-February
I love going around Valentine’s Day, because unlike other holidays, Valentine’s Day doesn’t really bring out ridiculous crowds. Since it isn’t a bank-observed holiday, people aren’t out of work and kids aren’t out of school, so families don’t usually choose this time to visit the parks. Plus the dance and cheerleading competitions are usually just before and just after this particular week, so you may have some of those groups still in the parks, but not nearly as many.
Pros
Low crowds
Cheaper resort and park ticket prices
Great weather
Good place for a Valentine’s Day date
Cons
President’s Day crowds if you go closer to the end of the month
Can sometimes get a little cold for Florida
Parks usually close earlier
3. Early November
I love early November for several reasons. One, my birthday is November 9, and I LOVE visiting WDW on my birthday! Two, you have the chance to catch both Food & Wine Festival happening in Epcot AND Magic Kingdom getting decked out for the holidays. You may even get to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! Three, Halloween crowds have gone and Thanksgiving crowds have yet to arrive!
Pros
Great weather (warm/hot during the day; cool at night)
Food & Wine Festival
Magic Kingdom decorated for the Holidays and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Decent crowd levels as many people have already visited in October or are waiting to visit closer to Thanksgiving or Christmas
Cons
Parks might close earlier
Some nights get pretty chilly
You will have just missed Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party
4. January
January is fantastic because of the potential for decent weather alone. One year I went at it was in the 50’s and 60’s every day. Another year I went and it stayed in the 30’s and 40’s for half the trip, then was in the upper 70’s for the second half (the cold part of that one wasn’t so great…). We did run into some larger crowds one year, but we went right after New Year’s and during marathon weekend, so that was to be expected.
Pros
Great weather
Cheaper resort and park ticket prices
Festival of the Arts if you go at the end of the month
Cons
Could run into New Year’s, marathon weekend, MLK Day, or cheer/dance crowds depending on which week/weekend you go
Can potentially get cold
Miss all Epcot festivals unless you go at the very end of the month
5. Early December
There’s not much in this world more magical than Walt Disney World at Christmastime! I’ve visited several times during the week before Christmas and it’s been incredible!! Crowd levels used to be decent during this time, but have picked up in recent years. It’s still incredibly magical!
Pros
Great weather
Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Christmas decorations at all the parks and resorts
Cons
More expensive
Larger crowds
6. October
I might avoid going this October because of Galaxy’s Edge, but in general, October is a fantastic time to visit! Magic Kingdom’s fall decorations are so wonderful to see! Plus the Food and Wine Festival is in full swing, and it’s something you don’t wanna miss if you love, well, food and wine!
Pros
Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Magic Kingdom’s fall decorations
Cons
More expensive
Larger crowds (Halloween lovers and people on fall break)
Still kinda hot during the day
7. March
March brings the beginning of spring break crowds. My city’s school district goes on spring break kinda early, so I always run into people from my hometown when we go in early March, but it is just the very beginning of crowds of families. I love March because the weather is still great, and my favorite Epcot festival is just beginning!
Pros
Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival
Good weather
Not as expensive
Cons
The start of spring break crowds
Potential for Easter crowds depending on in Easter falls in March
8. End of April
The end of April seems to be pretty calm, as spring break crowds are starting to die down and many people are waiting until June to start family vacations. The weather starts getting a little hotter with the occasional afternoon shower (though that happens pretty much always in Florida). When we went, it was for Star Wars Half Marathon weekend, so it was a little crowded because of that, but still nothing compared to summer crowds.
Pros
Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival
Warmer weather but typically not in the 90’s just yet
Cons
Potential for crowds depending on when spring breaks are, when Easter falls, and if there’s a half marathon going on
Potentially more expensive
9. June and July
Honestly, to me, June and July are about the same. The weather, crowd level, and price is pretty much even for both months. It’s a great time to vacation if you have kids that are in school and you don’t want them to miss any class time, however, about a million other people are doing the same.
Pros
Your kids won’t have to miss school
What’s more fun than Disney World during summer break?
Cons
HOT!
Large crowds
Peak time means peak prices for resorts and park tickets
HOT!
No Epcot festivals
10. August
I didn’t know it was possible, but somehow August seems to get hotter and more miserable than June or July. We’ve gone on a couple of cruises in August and have visited Disney World before setting sail, and I’ve honestly never experienced a hotter time. Also, I feel like it’s rainier. I’ve gotten caught in some crazy downpours, but the worst ones have been in August. I guess it’s only saving grace to me is the crowds get a little smaller as the month goes on, cause I know our school district starts back in early August, so you’ve got a few thousand less people visiting during this time. Also Food and Wine and Mickey’s Not So Scary both start at the end of August, so that’s a win. This year, I’d probably avoid the end of this month, though. Galaxy’s Edge will probably bring out record breaking crowd levels!
Pros
Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival at the end of the month
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the end of the month
Potential for better crowd levels
Cons
SO HOT!
Probably still kinda high crowd levels
HOT AND RAINY
Really, just, I don’t know why I included August on this list cause this is the only month we’ve visited where a member of our party got sick from the heat and had to stay in the room half the time
So there you have it! Those are my top 10 best times to visit Disney World! When is your favorite time to visit the Florida parks?
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Thanks for stopping by!
-H
MagicallyHollie 