What time of year should you visit Disney World?

The time of year that you choose to visit Walt Disney World is a very personal decision, based on your preference (or tolerance! ha!) for weather, crowds and events at WDW.

Generally speaking, crowds are thickest during U.S. holidays and when school is out -- Summer, Spring break, Easter, Christmas, and so on. If you want to avoid crowds in Disney World, then avoid these times of year.

The slowest times of year are generally January, February and September. January and February is a great time to visit if you don't mind some mild weather, while visiting in September is a great option for families who can pull their kids out of school and still enjoy the Summer weather -- perhaps some water park action, too! Another suggestion -- the first couple weeks of December, before holiday crowds peak.

Disney World has a lot of special events during the Spring and Fall, which are my personal favorite times of year to visit -- it's not sweltering, but it's still warm enough to enjoy a swim or tour the parks in shorts and a t-shirt.

Try visiting during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival in the spring, or the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in the fall.

Disney World Basics has a great article about when to visit Disney World, with even more info on all the special events throughout the year.

A website I highly recommend for gauging crowd levels is touringplans.com; its crowd calendar is an invaluable resource for determining how busy the World might be when you're there as well as what parks to avoid on certain days.

When is your favorite time of year to visit Disney World? Leave a comment below.

Mase wrote on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 12:05:

Mase's picture

I would say... but dont want anymore people on our visit! LOL

Naw... I kid... the week before or after Thanksgiving is the best!

JeffC wrote on Sat, 04/09/2011 - 13:10:

We used to go after Spring break/Easter, usually very end of April or early May. Beautiful weather and light crowds, and the F&G Festival.

We've since switched to September, where we can enjoy Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, light crowds and my birthday! The weather is not too bad - sometimes it can remain a little warm, but easily dealt with via pools and air-conditioned shops.

For quick Christmas visits, we now like the first weekend or so in December. All the decorations and super light crowds!

JoAnn wrote on Sun, 04/24/2011 - 02:39:

JoAnn's picture

I went to WDW in November 2010 which was my first visit in almost 30 years (Epcot wasn't even opened then). I caught the end of the Food and Wine Festival, the Christmas decorations were out, the weather couldn't have been better and the crowds weren't bad.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. If you have a Gravatar account associated with the e-mail address you provide, it will be used to display your avatar.

More information about formatting options