The Best Times to Visit Disney World (and the WORST!)
What are the best times to visit Disney to avoid the crowds, you might ask. Each year millions of people flock to Central Florida to visit Disney. In fact, there is an average annual attendance of more than 58 million people! With millions of people visiting the parks each year….is there ever a good time to head to the House of Mouse?
In short, the answer is yes! There are both good and bad times to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. Disney World can be absolutely magical or absolutely miserable depending on when you choose to go.
Table of Contents
The Worst Times to Visit Disney World
Let’s kick our list off with dates that you absolutely want to avoid hitting the park.
Spring Break
Florida is a haven for Spring Breakers. Both school age kids and college age kids head to the Sunshine State to enjoy their Spring Break. This means that the parks tended to be crowded between Mid-March to Mid-April.
If you don’t have any other choice, the good news is the weather tends to be more mild in the spring months.
The Summer Months
Sure…if you’re traveling with kids this might seem like the ideal time to visit since they’ll probably be out of school however, don’t do it. Not only are your kids out of school, but so are almost everyone else’s. Not only that, summers in Florida SUCK. Even as a Florida girl, the heat and humidity along with large crowds, and long lines sounds completely unbearable.
Pro-Tip: The Disney parks tend to clear out when the skies open up! People start hitting the parking lot as soon as it starts to rain.
If you must visit Disney during the summer, don’t let the rain scare you. It rains pretty much every afternoon here in the summer. The storms typically clear pretty quickly. Just duck inside a shop or a restaurant and wait it out.
Better yet? Head to the park even if you know it’ll be a rainy day! Grab a poncho and the park will be (almost) all yours!
The Last Two Weeks of December
Hear me out, here. Yes, these weeks are absolutely jam packed with holiday fun and typically the weather is much cooler however… the place gets ridiculously crowded. In fact, it is not uncommon for Magic Kingdom to reach capacity during Christmas week. What’s the capacity, you ask? 57,000 people. That’s a shit ton of people waiting around in lines.
If you want to see what all of the holiday fuss is about, go during the first week of December.
National Holidays
Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and other national holidays tend to draw large crowds.
The Best Times to Visit Disney World
Weekdays
Whenever possible, hit the park on a weekday. Many travelers are just in the area for the long weekend. Tuesdays through Thursdays tend to be rather slower.
The Best Months to Visit
January (with the exception of MLK weekend and the Disney Marathon Weekend), February (with the exception of President’s Day and the Princess Half Marathon Weekend), late April, September (after Labor Day Weekend), October (the weekends can get busy due to Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival).
2021 Disney Calendar of Events
January
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 6 to 10). This is now a virtual event.
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (January 8 to February 22).
February
Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (February 18 to 21). This is now a virtual event.
March
EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (March to June)
April
Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon Weekend (April 15 to 18)
This weekend features iconic rivalries from the popular movie series Star Wars. Events include the Star Wars 5K, Star Wars 10K, Star Wars Rival Run Challenge and the runDisney Kids Races, as well as the headlining half marathon.
August Through December
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (Dates TBD).
Taking place on select nights throughout the fall is one of Disney’s most popular events. Highlights include Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show and Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular. Disney characters dress up in Halloween costumes and kids can trick-or-treat in the park.
The party is not included with regular admission to Magic Kingdom and requires a separate ticket.
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival (Dates TBD).
This is one of our favorite Disney events! The festival features more than 25 international marketplace kiosks, which offer tapas-sized portions of regional specialties, as well as recommended wine and beer pairings.
Our favorite part is the Eat to the Beat! Concert Series that features my favorite band, Hanson, every year.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Dates TBD).
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, is a special event held on select nights each winter at Magic Kingdom. The party runs from 7pm until midnight. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration castle stage show, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime fireworks and magical snowfall over Main Street, U.S.A. are some of the event’s highlights.
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8 Comments
Hannah
This is such a great guide! When I was a kid we visited Disney in August a couple of times and it was chaos! Now we’re older we visit around September time and it is definitely much less crowded! Unfortunately, I’m based in the UK so it’s going to be a while before I can visit again and I miss it so much! Thanks for these great tips for my next visit though!
Elle MacRae
Yeah, Disney in August is a no-go for us. Even as a Floridian the humidity is unbearable, I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who aren’t used to such humid weather. I’m glad that you were able to make great memories while visiting Disney. Thanks for stopping by!
Catherine
My kids were just talking about wanting to go to Disney World! We’re in Oregon, so much closer to Disneyland, but I think it’s SO smart to research *when* you want to visit theme parks. I know I’d have much more fun if I didn’t go to Disney World at peak time.
Elle MacRae
I imagine the peak times would apply to Disneyland, as well, considering they are mainly centered around 3 day weekends, and school breaks. But you’re right, it’s essential to research *when* you’ll want to visit because it is miserable when you’re packed in like sardines. Thanks for stopping by, Catherine.
Krista
This is definitely useful for people visiting Disney! I went in October on Halloween and found it was quite busy then.
Elle MacRae
Yes, Krista, you’re right. October is a busy month with the Food & Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween taking place. Lots of people flock in for those events. When we visit during October, we avoid Magic Kingdom and stick to Epcot (for the Food & Wine Fest). Thanks for stopping by.
Tiffany Smith
When we lived in Florida we went Sept- Feb in order to avoid the crowds! These are great tips!!!
Elle MacRae
You’re right! September, January, and February are some of our favorite months to visit. Glad to hear another Floridian agrees 🙂 Thanks for popping in, Tiffany.