Hi Beth!

With heat and crowds in consideration, we'd recommend looking into late January/early February, November (aside from Veterans Day and Thanksgiving week) or the first week of December. September is another recommended time to visit, but the weather can still be quite hot. It doesn't usually cool down until much later in October or November.

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Hi Kirst!

Despite it being the tail end of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend and the start of MLK Jr. Day weekend, midweek should see lower crowds than those weekends. Though we'll add that this most recent January had higher crowds than usual throughout the month, likely due to more and more families traveling. Due to this, we're not sure if Jan. 2023 will follow a similar pattern, but midweek should not be as bad as those two weekends.

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Hi John!

We always recommend arriving early to take advantage of lower wait times. If you're staying on-site, use Early Theme Park Entry, which will allow you to enter 30 minutes early at any park, any day.

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Hi AlaskaMom!

Historically, yes, that has been a great time to go! Though lately, we will say it's been a bit harder to predict crowds since this year has not been following past trends as closely. We think it's due to various factors such as the 50th Anniversary and the pent-up demand for traveling (many families who had to reschedule in 2020 are now taking their trips). That said, it should still be a less busier time when compared to peak times, such as spring break, summer and the holidays. As for park hours, since it is an off-peak time, the parks do usually have shorter hours (though not typically as early as 4:30 p.m. for Magic Kingdom — though it can close that early due to a special cast member event which usually takes place midweek at the beginning of the year). Park hours are usually not confirmed until a month or two in advance. For instance, right now, we can only see park hours through July 20.

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Hi Kristen!

We'd avoid EPCOT on the 5th and 6th as that's where the 10K and Half Marathon are based, and since the runDisney event is Food & Wine themed, most people will likely go to EPCOT, especially on the 6th. The Half Marathon (the 6th) does go through Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios briefly but since the races start at 5 a.m., there shouldn't be a huge impact. If you want to avoid altogether, we'd suggest Magic Kingdom while the race weekend is going on. During the week, you should be good to book however you want.

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Hi Tory!

We're actually going to be having a new post all about maximizing your time at Disney World coming real soon, so keep hopping back for that one! In general, we're big advocates of arriving early for rope drop (or Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours, if you're staying in the designated hotels), using mobile ordering during off-peak meal times, utilizing Genie+ (if it's in your budget — even if it's just for a few days during your trip, though since you're sticking around for a long time, you may not even need it), following our park plans and using Single Rider lines.

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It is still toadally possible to have a great time, even when it's busier - we're sure you'll have a magical time, Karolina!

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Hi Mary!

Yay, we are so glad to hear it - thank you for sharing with us! Typically, that first week of June is a little slower than the rest of the month - but it can also be hot and wet, so you'll want to pack accordingly! Schools are just starting to get out for the summer, and families will start to trickle in, but things should be manageable. If you are planning rest days, we'd save those for the weekend, if possible, and plan our park days for the weekdays. If you are staying on-site, make sure you take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry (or Extended Evening Hours if you're staying at a Deluxe hotel or Swan Dolphin). Have a great time!

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Hi Alicia!

Generally, weekdays in October have moderate crowds, even during the week of Halloween. However, with the recent announcement of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party's return, we'd expect that it may be busier than usual during the week leading up to Halloween, as there are several parties scheduled that week. The weekdays during the week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, with the exception of Halloween, may fare better than the week before (though also keep in mind that the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend is Nov. 3-6, and the event may bring in some crowds).

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Hi PJ!

We would go with Dec. 16-22! While it's still definitely a peak time, it should be the most manageable, as it's noticeably different than the weeks of the actual holidays - both Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and New Year's.

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Hi Julie!

The marathon race does go through all of the parks (the half-marathon, 10K and 5K races also go through select parks, depending on the race). However, since all of the races start at 5 a.m. before the parks officially open, the races tend to have the greatest impact on transportation in the mornings since they have to block off roads. We'd suggest taking that into consideration if you're planning to rope drop and allot some extra time in case you are diverted.

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Hi Maddie!

We would go with March 3 to 8/9, as it's earlier in the spring break season. You can check out predicted crowd levels on our Crowd Calendar!

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Hi Matt!

That's a bit of a tough one, but we'd go with February 25 to March 12. Feb. 18 to March 5 would include Presidents Day Weekend and the Princess Half-Marathon Weekend (both of which can bring heavily concentrated crowds on those weekends). While you might run into the beginning of the spring break season if you go February 25 to March 12, the crowds likely won't be as concentrated until the following week, March 13-17. You can reference our Crowd Calendar for expected crowd levels.

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Hi Mara!

Bingo! Both the summer crowds and weather are factors to consider during this time. Summer crowds usually don't slow down until the middle of the month when it's time for kids to go back to school, and as far as the weather goes, you would deal with high humidity, heat and afternoon thunderstorms. However, that doesn't mean you can't have a good time — you would just need to prepare!

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Hi Maddie!

While we think any of those times would be a good time to visit, there are several factors to consider. February would probably have the best weather (cooler temps and less rain chances) and your visit would still fall during the 50th Anniversary Celebration. August has the best crowd levels out of the three options, according to our Crowd Calendar (due to kids going back to school, starting mid-August), but the weather will be more hot, humid and rainy compared to the other two times. However, the Halloween festivities should start by then, and it would also have the lowest crowds for the Halloween event. October can still be hot and rainy but is less intense than August. It's still a great option if you're wanting to visit during the Halloween season (though since it's closer to the actual holiday, it may be a little bit busier than an August visit).

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Hi Liz!

It toadally depends on what you want to prioritize! When planning a vacation, some of the big things to consider are crowd levels, weather and park hoppenings/special events. If you want low crowds, we'd recommend late January to mid-February, late August and most of September. If you want ideal weather, we'd recommend springtime (March/April — if considering crowds, we'd do the second half of April so you miss the majority of spring break crowds). As for special events, if you want to visit during the 50th Anniversary Celebration, you'll want to go before the end of March (there isn't an official end date, but it's supposed to go on for 18 months and it started Oct. 1, 2021). And if you enjoy Halloween or the holidays, those are some great times to visit as well! For lower crowds during those times, we'd recommend earlier in the season — so late August/early September or early November/week after Thanksgiving through the first couple weeks of December. It's hard to pick just one best time to visit when there are several factors that come into play, but we hope this helps narrow down some timeframes for you.

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Hi Kaydee!

We'd still apply similar logic for dates in 2024 — avoid major holidays, summer and spring break. (In 2024, Easter will be March 31 so that means most of March will likely have higher crowds in a more concentrated, shorter "spring break season" and April would probably see lower crowds for most of the month compared to 2022 and 2023.) We'd consider the following: most dates in January, the first half of February, most dates in April after the first week, the first half of May, the second half of August, most dates in September, as well as most weekdays in October, November and December (minus major holidays).

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Hi Lori!

Summer crowds usually peak around late June/the week of the Fourth of July, so the beginning of the month may still attract crowds but it does pick up as the month goes on. Weekdays are generally better, but during summer, you may not see a huge difference. That said, keep in mind that more and more families are becoming comfortable with traveling now and are taking their postponed trips, so the parks have been busier than normal and crowds have been harder to predict based on past trends.

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Hi Joe!

We include the week following Easter in the "unofficial spring break season" because many Catholic schools schedule their breaks around Easter (can vary from the Thursday before Easter to the entire week following Easter). Since you're going for just one day, are you planning to go to one park or will you try to park hop? We've found that Genie+ can be more useful in certain parks (such as Magic Kingdom because there are more rides available). Also, keep in mind that Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane reservations can only select 12 people at a time, so you would need to split up into at least two groups. Then the two groups can try to get reservations within the same return window so everyone can go at the same time.

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Hi Lena!

We think this is likely due to the spring break season. Since schools have varying breaks, the unofficial "spring break season" lasts from the beginning of March to the week after Easter.

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Hi Lena!

We think either would be fine! We'd also recommend that you get your tickets and Disney Park Pass reservations ASAP. Currently, there is availability on the days that you wish to visit (with the exception of Magic Kingdom on the 4th and Hollywood Studios on the 6th). As for choosing four or six days, it's ultimately up to you! But we'd suggest taking into consideration that it is in the middle of the spring break season.

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Hi Lisa!

We'd suggest searching for hotels here and filter the results for "Kitchen" under Amenities (and anything else you want to filter) on the left side of the page.

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Hi Tim!

Both are generally quieter times around that timeframe since most families take their trips during Thanksgiving week or wait until closer to Christmas. It's toadally possible that some of the resorts may have decorations up by mid-November (the Grand Floridian gingerbread house was open by Nov. 11 last year), but it's just guaranteed that hotel decor would be in place by Thanksgiving. However, EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays doesn't usually start until the day after Thanksgiving. In the past, the Pop Warner National Championships took place at Disney during the first week of December, but it moved to Universal, beginning in 2021. That said, some may take the opportunity to hop over to Disney as well, though it shouldn't be as crowded as years past (especially the hotels). And for this year in general, so far, we have seen more crowds than usual due to families being more comfortable with traveling again.

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Hi Leo!

Historically, November has moderate crowds for most of the month with the exceptions of weekends (which includes the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend), Veterans Day (this year, it's part of a holiday weekend) and Thanksgiving week. You can check out our Crowd Calendar to see expected crowd levels.

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Hi Bin!

Since it does fall on a Sunday, Monday is considered New Year's Day (Observed) so many schools and workplaces will likely have the day off to observe the public holiday. And since school calendars vary greatly, there are some school districts or colleges & universities that may not start right away (either mid-week or the following week), including the local school districts - Orange County and Osceola County — which both start Jan. 4. Another reason is due to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which is taking place from Jan. 5-8. Hope this helps with your planning!

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Hi Richard!

Presidents Day weekend brings in more crowds since it's a holiday weekend, and the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend takes place Feb. 24-27.

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Hi Mike!

That same week last December was still relatively busy, though it's important to point out that it was near the beginning of the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Historically, the first week of December has had low to average crowds since it's right after Thanksgiving and before the Christmas crowds, but crowds have been harder to predict lately due to the pandemic. We'd still prepare for higher crowds than normal since travel has been picking up more and more due to pent-up demand. As for Pop Warner Championship week, while the teams will be at Universal for the competition, many may still make the short trip to Disney during the weeklong tournament (though the hotels wouldn't necessarily be crowded with the traveling teams).

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Hi Meg!

We consider March 5 to April 24 as the entirety of the "spring break season" since spring breaks for school districts around the country vary (and how long it lasts depends on when Easter falls). Because of this, it can fluctuate and some weeks could be busier than others. Since Easter is later this year, the spring break season lasts longer, but that should also spread crowds out a bit more (as opposed to a year when Easter is earlier, thus more concentrated crowds in a shorter "season"). For the week of March 6, we think there could be potential for slightly elevated crowds (some colleges in Florida, including University of Central Florida, have spring break during that week of March), but March 12-20 should be one of the busiest times, considering that's when local public school districts are out. Let us know if you have any more questions!

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Hi David!

Since it is a holiday weekend, we would recommend purchasing tickets and getting your park reservations in advance.

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Thanks for reporting in, Krissy — we've been hearing the same! We've adjusted our dates and our Crowd Calendar accordingly.

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Hi Stacie!

At this time, our best suggestion is to keep hopping back and checking the availability.

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Hi Danelle!

We think those two weeks would be about the same. Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day can draw in crowds over the long weekend, but that falls earlier on the 10th.

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Hi Thomas!

First of all, an early congratulations to you both! If you're wanting to visit all of the theme parks at Disney and Universal and you're able to stay for a week, we'd recommend at least a full day at each park (4 days of Disney, 2 days of Universal). But if you have a deal for tickets that are for 7 days, we'd go for that (rather than 14 days). Since you'll likely be visiting in the second half of August, that's usually right at the very end of the summer season because kids will start going back to school in mid-August. As for Genie+, if you do end up spending 7 days at Disney, Genie+ would be nice to have but not necessary. And if you change your mind, you can always purchase the day of! Hope this helps :)

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Hi Amanda!

There isn’t a specific reason, but crowds start to pick up on the weekends during May, particularly in the second half of the month. (Generally, weekends are more popular than weekdays!) Most colleges and universities in Florida start summer breaks by the first weekend in May, so grad visits may be a small factor as well.

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Hi Liz!

Hoppy (early) Birthday! :) Yes, we expect those dates to have elevated crowds since it would be the first week of "spring break season," but it shouldn't reach peak spring break crowds until March 12-20. We'd suggest ending the two days with EPCOT and Magic Kingdom because those two parks are typically ones that stay open later (plus you'd get to see both of the nighttime spectaculars, Disney Enchantment and Harmonious, if you stay until park close!). Animal Kingdom is a great park to start your morning with because it usually opens the earliest, as well as Hollywood Studios (so you can rope drop Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, if that ride is a priority). As far as pairing goes, it'd be easy to do Hollywood Studios and EPCOT on the same day since you can just take the Skyliner over (though if you're driving yourself, we'd recommend moving your car to EPCOT's parking lot), leaving you with Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom on the other day (take the bus if you don't have a car, or drive over if you do). If you're planning these park days on the 5th and 6th, then either plan works, as crowds would be about the same. Hope this helps!

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Hi Jon!

September is a great month to visit! We'd suggest avoiding Labor Day weekend, but other than that, crowds should be relatively low all month long, with the middle two weeks being some of the best days to go.

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Hi Tina!

Both weeks are just about the same in terms of expected crowd levels. The only thing about 11/7 through 11/11 is that Friday would be a holiday (Veterans Day), so it could be busier that day. If you're flexible and want to avoid that entirely, then we'd go with 11/14 through 11/18.

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Hi Lori!

We consider March 5 to April 24 as the entirety of the "spring break season" since spring breaks for school districts around the country vary (and how long it lasts depends on when Easter falls). Because of this, it can fluctuate and some weeks could be busier than others. Since Easter is later this year, the spring break season lasts longer, but that should also spread crowds out a bit more (as opposed to a year when Easter is earlier, thus more concentrated crowds in a shorter "season"). During the time that you plan to be there, we think there could be potential for slightly elevated crowds (some colleges in Florida, including University of Central Florida, have spring break during the very first week of March), but March 12-20 should be one of the busiest times, considering that's when local public school districts are out. Let us know if you have any more questions!

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Hi Liz!

Yes! In the past, including just this past holiday season, Magic Kingdom has an overnight magical transformation the day after Halloween. The other parks usually should have at least some decor by then (Hollywood Studios often sees the very first Christmas decor in mid-October). The holiday festivities, such as special entertainment, treats and Santa, might not arrive until later in November (last year, the first After Hours holiday event was Nov. 8 and official holiday hoppenings started Nov. 12). So you'll definitely experience some of the Christmas magic!

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Hi Julie!

May is a great time to visit, particularly the first half of the month on weekdays, so you really can't go wrong with whichever park you choose for the day! The weekends might be busier, but the crowds during the week should be fairly average. Are you going to each park twice? If not and you have to pick which parks to visit twice, then we'd devote two days to Magic Kingdom because there's so much to do. Let us know if you have any other questions!

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Hi Josh!

Thank YOU for hopping by! Columbus Day weekend is usually the busiest part of October. It's certainly doable if you have to go then, but given the option (and if you have the flexibility), we'd suggest the following week.

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Hi Caitlin!

Generally, holiday weekends tend to draw in more crowds, and Memorial Day is no exception. While it will likely be more crowded than what you're used to, it still shouldn't reach peak summer crowds, as most schools' summer vacations have not started yet. (It typically gets the busiest from mid-June to the first week of August, with the week of Fourth of July in particular.) The crowds should also be more concentrated on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You may want to consider scheduling an off-day on one of those days if you have the time to do so.

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Hi Yoly!

Yes, either week would work for fewer crowds (Sept. 10-17 is only slightly better, but it truly isn't too much of a difference, according to our Crowd Calendar). The weather is just about the same as well. Your plan for two days at Magic Kingdom and one day at the other parks sounds good to us! As for the Genie+ and Lightning Lane services, we've found them to be useful when we park hop or for specific parks (Magic Kingdom, in particular, because there are many rides available). If you think you'd like the Genie+ benefit regardless of low crowds, then go ahead and purchase tickets with Genie+ included (if you do, it will be for the entire length of your trip). But you also have the option to wait and purchase day-by-day during your trip. You also can't purchase individual Lightning Lane selections until the day of, so you may want to play that by ear too (just know that Rise of the Resistance is the most likely to book up quickly, and possibly Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind once it opens in summer).

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Hi JT!

The end of April/early May is generally a great time to visit because it's right after the spring break season and is still a bit early for summer vacations to start (as many families will plan their trips around school breaks).

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Hi Katrina!

This particular time is busy because of Presidents Day weekend (Feb. 19-21) and the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend (Feb. 24-27; however, there are no races taking place on the 24th, just Sunrise Yoga at 5:30 a.m. inside Magic Kingdom). Since you're visiting Feb. 22-24, which falls right in between the two different weekends, you may find elevated crowds that are slightly above average since some people may stick around for a couple of days after Presidents Day weekend or arrive early for the race weekend. But we'd expect that crowds wouldn't be at their busiest during this time since it is still mid-week. If the ride's queue is outdoors, no masks are required. You can bring in outside food, but the containers or coolers must not be glass and cannot be larger than 24" long x 15" wide x 18" high. (Loose or dry ice is not permitted, but reusable ice packs are recommended.) There aren't any specifically designated picnic areas, but you're welcome to find a park bench or outdoor seating area to enjoy your meal.

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Hi Aarthi!

We love Animal Kingdom Lodge — it's one of our froggy favorites! If you're staying in a standard room, there's a chance you might have a limited view of the savanna (though not guaranteed), whereas the savanna rooms have guaranteed views of the animals. We think the savanna rooms can be worth it, particularly if you or your tadpole loves animals. It's so fun to be able to sit back and relax as you watch them from your balcony! That said, if you're planning to be at the parks and not at the hotel for most of the day (early morning until dark), then you may want to book a standard room to save money and use the hotel's viewing areas to see the animals instead.

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Hi Tas!

Tuesdays (or truly any weekday) in January/early February are generally some of the best days to go with less crowds, so we think either date would be fine!

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