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Hopping Big News! Walt Disney World is seeking to reopen its parks starting July 11. While the plan is still awaiting approval, you can read more details! Rest assured, we'll be updating this post soon to reflect these changes! In the meantime, you can now book Walt Disney World Resort hotels for 2021! It's a great time to lock in savings for vacations starting Jan. 1, 2021. More dates and hotels are being added, so if you don't see your dates, please check back! And starting June 28, you can purchase Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets for 2021 too!
It's a playground full of magic kingdoms, future worlds and galaxies far, far away. There is so much to do at Walt Disney World, the only question is ... when do you visit? While you can have a magical visit no matter the crowd level, visiting when the crowds are low (or lower) is the easiest way to ensure a great trip! This post will guide you through the best time to visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021!
It's important to address the current state of affairs with the theme parks currently closed due to COVID-19. While we don't know when the parks will reopen, we expect it will be some time this summer. Since we know many people are wondering about how crowded the parks will be once Disney World reopens, we created a whole post devoted to this topic. We'll cover similar ground here, so keep reading for more insights into the best times to visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021! While we do have years of data and insights we've amassed about crowds at Disney World, it's only fair for us to start by saying we are in new territory now.
Now, let's set the stage by looking at early 2020. There were higher crowds than normal this January and February, largely because of the popularity of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Even March was hopping right up until the day the parks closed! We expect there will still be demand to visit these new experiences once the parks reopen, but there are so many other factors at play that will impact the rest of the year, including coronavirus, the economy, unemployment and potential travel restrictions (international and domestic).
The parks have never been closed as long as they have currently, and all indications are that many people who had spring trips planned are postponing versus canceling them entirely. Still, overall, we don't think quite as many people will be filling the parks for the remainder of this year. That's good news for those of you who already have trips planned and those of you thinking about a visit. By the way, we expect the very lowest crowds of the year will be in the first few days and weeks when the parks reopen, although it's possible park hours could be shortened and entertainment could be limited during this time. We predict that summer and early fall (September and October) will see less crowds than previous years. We expect to see a slightly busier Thanksgiving week, and likely a less-busy-than-usual Christmas week.
Now, in our book, it's always a good time to visit Disney World. We've visited in every season and have found we can manage crowds just fine — by following our own tips for skipping the lines at theme parks, including learning about FastPass+ at Disney World. If you take our advice, you will find crowds can be manageable even during the busiest times! Even during the best times to visit Disney World, there are still more crowds than you would probably expect.
It should come as no surprise that the best time to visit Disney World generally falls along school schedules, which is to say, when the kids are in school. Generally, any time there is a school holiday, there will be crowds at Disney World. If you want to experience the lowest waits, you will likely need to take your kids out of school. Now, given the current disruption to school schedules, it's possible this fall, fewer parents will consider taking their kids out of school, but it's still a little too early to tell. We personally have a no-judgment policy over here for you parents who want to pull your kids out of school for a Disney vacation.
Determining the Best Time to Visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021
When planning the best time to visit Disney World, we recommend you check our Crowd Calendar. The yearly, monthly and daily crowd levels are right there for you to see, along with individual park recommendations and park hours. Park hours are important and should be factored in when deciding when to visit Orlando. This is because when crowd levels are lowest, park hours are shortest. Also, key shows, such as Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Rivers of Light at Disney's Animal Kingdom aren't always shown daily when crowd levels are lowest. When crowd levels are highest, the parks generally open earlier and close later, and key entertainment might have two showtimes each evening.
Special events should also be a consideration in deciding the best time to visit Disney World, and they are also displayed on the Crowd Calendar. Disney World offers some spectacular events, such as Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. You just might decide you want to plan your visit during one or more of them!
This is a good time to bring up Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The land opened at the end of summer 2019 and the phased opening of its two attractions added an unknown as far as crowds go. Thanks to the phased opening and Extra, Extra Magic Hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios, crowds were mostly manageable in fall, but the park has been hopping since the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance on Dec. 5, 2019. As we mentioned earlier, early 2020 saw much higher crowds than previous years, largely because of the popularity of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and we expect they will continue to be major draws for the remainder of this year and many years to come.
So When Is the Best Time to Visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021?
The very best times to visit Disney World in 2020 are ...
- Jan. 6-9, Jan. 13-16, Jan 27-Feb. 13
- Feb. 25-March 6
- The second half of April*
- May*
- The second half of August
- Most days in September
- Most weekdays in October
- Weekdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
- Weekdays in December (minus the weeks of Christmas and New Year's Eve)
*If the parks have reopened.
The very best times to visit Disney World in 2021 are ...
- Jan. 5-13, Jan 25-Feb. 11
- Feb. 22-March 5
- The second half of April
- Weekdays in the first half of May
- The second half of August
- Most days in September
- Most weekdays in October
- Weekdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
- Weekdays in December (minus the weeks of Christmas and New Year's Eve)
Historically, September has been the very best month of the year to visit Disney World in terms of crowds because the kids have just returned to school. It is still our pick for best month to visit, but it has become a more popular month to visit, most likely because of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort and Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Do keep in mind that September is also the height of Orlando's rainy season. You should prepare for daily afternoon thunderstorms and possibly even more rain. While we are expecting a lighter September and October for 2020, we expect 2021 to be a little busier.
The days after Thanksgiving leading up to the week of Christmas are also a good time to visit Disney World, although not as good as they used to be. With the popularity of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which is held on select nights in November and December, and other factors, those days are also getting busier.
Some days in January, and some in February, are also great times to visit. The least crowded time we have ever experienced was in January, the week after the Walt Disney World Marathon. The big drawback to visiting at this time is reduced park hours and often scaled-back entertainment. While there isn't much rain, there are cold fronts that can make swimming chilly (but still doable most of the time.) Finally, this is when many rides go through refurbishment. Splash Mountain, Kali River Rapids and Disney's Blizzard Beach have annual Disney World refurbishments around this time.
The very worst times to visit Disney World in 2020 are ...
- Jan. 1-5, Jan. 18-26
- Feb. 14-23
- March 7-April 19
- Weekends in May
- June
- July
- The first half of August
- The week of Thanksgiving
- The week of Christmas through the week of New Year
The very worst times to visit Disney World in 2021 are ...
- Jan. 1-4, Jan. 18-20
- Feb. 12-21
- March 6-April 11
- Weekends in May
- June
- July
- The first half of August
- The week of Thanksgiving
- The week of Christmas through the week of New Year
The biggest variable for spring is when Easter falls. When it's earlier, you can expect a shorter, more intense "spring break" season — and therefore, more crowds at Disney World. When it's later, there is generally a longer but less intense season as school districts vary more on when they let kids out. In 2020, Easter falls on April 12. In 2021, it is April 4.
Best and Worst Holidays to Visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021
Let's hop over to the holidays. These are a popular time for families to make trips to Disney World, and rightly so. The Christmas holiday season especially, which runs from mid-November through the first of the new year at Disney World, is a wonderful time to visit because the parks are decorated and there are many fun special events. Many families love the atmosphere around the holidays, even with the extra crowds. The parks are most crowded around the following holidays:
- New Year's Day - Jan. 1
- Easter - April 12, 2020, and April 4, 2021
- July 4th
- Thanksgiving - Nov. 26, 2020, and Nov. 25, 2021
- Christmas Eve - Dec. 24
- Christmas - Dec. 25
- New Year's Eve - Dec. 31
If you're thinking of visiting during these times, be sure to check out our survival guides for spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The other holidays also see an increase in crowds, although they are less pronounced than the ones above. The least busy holidays for 2020 and 2021 are:
- Labor Day - Sept. 7, 2020, and Sept. 6, 2021
- Columbus Day - Oct. 12, 2020, and Oct. 11, 2021
- Veterans Day (and Veterans Day Observed) - Nov. 9, 2020 (observed) and Nov. 11, 2021
Well, there you have it — the best times to visit Disney World in 2020 and 2021. Let us know your favorite time of year to visit Disney World in the comments below! Curious how busy Disney World will be when you plan to visit? Check out our Crowd Calendar. You'll find more resources to help you plan your Disney World vacation on our When to Visit Orlando page inside the Orlando Planning Guide.
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