#disneyplanner

Trying to choose the best time to visit Walt Disney World can be so difficult, especially when you start to think about all the little details and different ways to pick when to go!  From crowd sizes, to special events, there is so much to consider that it can be more than a little overwhelming.  My hope is this simple post will help make it a little easier to narrow down the best time to plan your magical vacation!

The most important thing to do is.........

ask yourself what matters most!

No, this is not a response to avoid answering the question, I promise.  But by asking yourself what matters most, you can narrow down what to focus on, and what to ignore.  Each time of year to visit will have pros and cons, but by asking what matters most to you about the trip, then you can prioritize which pros you absolutely need, and which cons won't bother you as much.  So, depending on your answer, here are some tips:

Matters Most - Prices:

For many people, Disney World is a once in a lifetime vacation, and a big reason for this is the cost.  So when can you go to get the most bang for your buck?

The last 3 weeks of January

February from President's Day to the last day of the month

The last 2 weeks of April

The last 2 weeks of August until the end of September

The last 2 weeks of October

The 2nd week in November, and after Thanksgiving and the first 2 weeks of December.

The major reason these are the best times, are because they are during the school year and avoid holidays, and they avoid most of the large marathons or sport competitions.

Matters Most - Avoiding Crowds:

Let's face it, Disney World is busy 365 days out of the year.  But there are some times of the year where the parks are not as crowded.  So here they are, the best times to visit when the crowds will be the lowest!

The last 3 weeks of January

The first 2 weeks of February

The last 2 weeks of April

The last 2 weeks of August

The month of October

The month of November until Thanksgiving week

The first 2 weeks of December

Again, the major reason these are the best times, are because they are during the school year and avoid holidays, and they avoid most of the large marathons or sport competitions.  So you see there's a theme that price and crowd levels go hand-in-hand when planning your Disney vacation.

Matters Most - Not Taking the Kids Out of School:

This is a little trickier, because a lot of people either don't want to take their kids out of school, can't take their kids out of school because of tests, or are teachers themselves and can't just leave their students so they can go have fun in the parks!  But, because a lot of people fall into this category, your crowds are going to be significantly higher.

August 15th-31st (leave before Labor Day weekend)

Any 4 day weekend from school for a small trip

Thanksgiving break

Christmas Break

Winter Break

Spring Break

4 day Holiday weekends will be better than the week between Christmas and going back to school after New Year's.  Winter break if you have it is better than Spring break.  The second half of August is better than a spring or winter break because a lot of people have gone back to college for taking or teaching classes by then.  But if you have to travel during one of these peak times, Disney is bound to have something special going on, and you can handle the crowds if you have a good plan at the ready!  Which leads to the next category:

Matters Most - Celebrating the Holidays:

Holidays at Walt Disney World are sights to behold, and Disney really knows how to put on a show and make it worth your while to visit during the holidays.  So if grandeaur and pagentry, and adding something magical to your holiday celebration is what you're looking for, then this is my ranking of the best times to visit:

Christmas season from 1st week of November until Dcember 30th

New Year's Eve season from last week of December until the 2nd week of January

Halloween season from Labor Day until Halloween

4th of July week

Easter Week

Christmas is by far the holiday that is celebrated the biggest in Disney World.  Many of the hotels and each park have an enormous Christmas Tree in the lobby, every park and hotel is decorated with some holiday decorations (think over 200,000 lights on Cinderella's Castle), and there are special events and activities.  Epcot has the amazing Candlelight Processional with a celebrety narrator, the Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and every year there's something new to experience!

New Year's Eve get's it's own paragraph is just because it is the second busiest day in the park.  The fireworks at Magic Kingdom are spectacular; Epcot has a Buffet, multiple dance parties throughout the countried, and a countdown on Spaceship Earth; and many hotels offer unique and special ways to ring in the New Year.  It's a night not to be missed, so to make sure you don't, the Magic Kingdome celebrated on December 30th and 31st, and both Magic Kingdom and Epcot have 2 showings of their fireworks displays to ring in the New Year (around 6:45 at MK, and 6 at Epcot, then again for both around 11:30-11:40).

Halloween is big because of the amazing decorations, and Mickey's Not So Scarry Halloween Party.  It's the best time to meet characters you don't normally see in the parks (Moana for example), and the kids get to trick-or-treet down Main Street in their costumes.

The 4th of July is probably THE BUSIEST day of the year since it falls during summer break, and the fireworks are outstanding.  If fireworks are your jam, this is your day to be there!

Easter is more low key at Disney World in that there are no larger celebrations, but many of the hotels have beautiful displays of Easter Eggs and special dining experiences.  It's a holiday that Disney celebrates with subtlety, which is a nice change of pace sometimes.

Matters Most - Weather:

Disney World is in Florida, which means there is heat and rain.  For many people, a rainy day could ruin their trip.  And many people cannot handle high heat indexes, especially when mixed with humidity (my husband is one of those for sure!).  So if weather could make or break your vacation, here are the times to AVOID:

Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30th.  So there will be rain and serious humidity, especially in the beginning of the season until October.

The heat is the worst from May-September where your average temperature is 90 degrees fahrenheit.  Then add in the humidity.

If you want to swim, do not go from December-February as 60 degrees fahrenheit is the average temperature.

So the takeaway is November to March are going to be the best times to go to beat the heat, avoiding the rain is best done from December to May, and that sweet spot for perfect weather might just be March and April!

While it's impossible to cover every great tip about when to travel to Disney World, I hope this summary is useful in your initial planning for when to go so that you can have a memorable and enjoyable vacation!

Written by:  Jennifer Davie