Getting ready to book a Disney World vacation, but wondering when the best time to go will be? This post will talk about what I believe is best time to go from a crowd perspective and when there are special events to take part in. Let’s be honest though, it’s Disney World and will always be busy. There are just some times to go when the crowds are more manageable than others.
We’ve gone to Disney World 12 times in the last 6 years. We have been in January, February, April, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Whew, that looks crazy in writing ha. I have to say that our favorite time to go is in the fall. I will tell you why when I get to those months.
January…
When we went in January, the crowd was very manageable. If you are looking to go to Orlando when it’s warm, January may not be the time for you. Weather can be very cold. We were in hats, gloves and warm coats during that trip. Another thing we noticed was a lot of large tour groups from other countries there. Otherwise, we really enjoyed that time of year and felt that we could get on rides without having a FastPass and waiting in line for hours. From looking at multiple sites the best weeks in January for 2019 will be January 23rd – February 14th.
March and April…
March and April can be very busy with Spring Breaks. However, Easter is falling late this year on April 21st. That means Spring Break will be spread out along a few weeks vs the typical 3-4 weeks. I do think this is a nice time to go for families that have kiddos in school since you don’t have to take them out to go. Plus the weather will be nice this time of year. Also at Epcot, The International Flower & Garden Festival will be going on which starts March 6th – April 15th. It’s really beautiful to walk around and see all of the floral exhibits with your favorite Disney characters all made of flowers and greenery. There are also extra food places that open up, so fun new things to try.
May, June and July…
May, June and July is going to be the busiest time, which of course it makes sense because kids are out of school. It’s still a fun time to go as long as you are diligent about making your dining reservations 180 days out, your FastPasses 60 days out and utilizing extra magic hours (if staying on Disney property), you’ll have plenty to do. We went in June this past year and really enjoyed ourselves. We did the park in the morning and early afternoon. Around lunch we would head back to the hotel and take advantage of the pool. Majority of the Disney resorts have awesome pools. It’s nice to take a break and cool off (because it is going to be HOT) before heading out to dinner. There is a possibility that summer might be a little less busy that normal this year. Galaxy’s Edge will be opening at Hollywood Studios in the fall, so people may be holding off their summer trip to be able to see that in the fall.
August…
If you are going to go in August, I would look towards the second half. The beginning will still be busy until kids are back in school. This is also a very hot time of year to go. If you do decide August is the month, try to shoot for August 16th and after. Why you ask, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom will be starting. This is one of my favorite events to go to. (PS some of the best dates to go to the party are in August and early September). Another favorite of mine that starts in late August is Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. Dates for that have not been released but it started the last weekend in August, in 2018 (September is really better for this event).
September…
September is my favorite time to go! More specifically the week right after Labor Day. Labor Day weekend of course is busy, but that Tuesday after and beyond is fantastic. We’ve gone this week the last two years. One thing to keep in mind is it’s during hurricane season. We were there when Irma came through, but I tell you what, Disney knows how to manage things during a hurricane. With it being hurricane season also means there is a lot of rain during this time frame. We don’t mind it, because we just pack accordingly for the weather. I love this time frame because you get Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Food & Wine Festival. The weather is still pretty hot, but more more bearable than summer months.
October…
October is also another great time. I feel it’s a little busier than September, but still a good time to go. Weekends will get a little more crowded with the Halloween parties and Food & Wine festival, but weekdays will feel less crowded. However, I am going to throw this out one more time, if you are going this fall keep an eye out for the Galaxy’s Edge opening. That will draw in a tremendous crowd. As soon as I hear a date I will be sure to share with everyone.
November and December…
If you love the Christmas holiday, November and December are such a fun time to go. It’s a little cooler this time of year, but I prefer putting on a jacket than changing clothes 3 times a day due to sweat haha. All the parks are decorated for Christmas and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom take place during these months as well. Dates have not been released yet. We went December 5-10 this last year. It was busy but not too crazy. Seemed like it was a lot of families with small children. The only bummer was that it was too cold for the pool at our resort. Avoid the week of Thanksgiving , Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
This is just a quick snapshot, but happy to elaborate with anyone on other questions. Feel free to shoot us an email. Happy to share my Disney World experiences with anyone and everyone.
