There are no bad times to visit Disney World, but some times of the year are considered the best. Factors such as: Crowds, Cost, School Calendars, Special Events, & Weather can all enter into determining what is best.
In order to make things simple, we will give you several guidelines that will help you significantly narrow down your choices and help you plan the Walt Disney World vacation that is best for you and your family.
Group 1: Traveling with Pre-School Age Children
If your children are pre-school aged, you want to take advantage of visiting Disney World during a time when everyone else is in school and crowds are lower. Warm, but milder temperatures are best when you are pushing a stroller all day.
We recommend September as the time to visit as you will see lower crowds and typically the best Disney World Discounts of the year for Resort stays and/or Vacation Packages.
Group 2: Traveling with School Age Children
When traveling with school age children you must compete with the school calendar to plan your trip. Depending upon the age of your children they will want to ride the most popular rides that potentially have the longest waits. Balancing when you can travel with crowd levels is a difficult challenge.
If you are a first or second time visitor, we would recommend visiting at the end of May or early June. Basically visit as soon as your school lets out for the summer. The weather during this time is not as oppressive and the crowds do not reach their full level until late June and July. If you hit this timeframe you can also enjoy the Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios which is a fabulous event for everyone that enjoys the Star Wars movies and characters.
If you have already visited Disney World several times then we would recommend visiting during the Christmas Holidays. The Christmas Holidays are truly a special time at Disney World and everything at the parks and resorts is different and new with all of the decorations and special activities. It will be a memorable experience for the entire family and all of your favorite attractions will be there too. Try avoiding the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s if possible since it is the most crowded. The week leading into Christmas is less crowded.
Group 3: Adults Traveling Without Children
For adults traveling without children, we would recommend traveling during October. This coincides with the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. This is a wonderful event for adults at Disney World and allows you to relax and enjoy what Disney World has to offer.
Group 4: Adults Looking For Adventure
If you are an adult looking for adventure to go with your Walt Disney World vacation, look into planning your trip around one of the Disney Endurance Series Events. There are currently six events scheduled throughout the year. The Disney World Marathon Weekend in January is the showcase for the series attracting over 55,000 participants.
Whether you are a serious runner or just a casual one, there is no experience like running a distance race through one or more of the Disney World theme parks. Many of the races have special parties and after hours Theme Park events for participants.
Group 5: Seniors at Disney World
There is something for everyone at Disney World and seniors are no exception. We would recommend visiting in late April or May to visit the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival or visiting the Food & Wine Festival in October. During both events the weather is mild, the crowds are moderate, and there are special activities to see and do besides the normal theme park attractions.
Picking The Dates To Visit Disney World Is Just The 1st Step
Deciding when you are going to visit the Walt Disney World Resort is just the first step in planning your vacation, but taking the time to carefully pick the dates that match your needs and interests will go a long way towards making your next vacation truly memorable.
Its always a great time to have vacation to Walt Disney. I take my kids there often