We love February in the Orlando theme parks, and not just because it falls during the month of Valentine's Day. It's more because of the (mostly) medium crowd levels inside the theme parks. Those of you planning a vacation this month or looking ahead to February of next year will find some great special events and generally mild temps, making it a pleasant time to be in Orlando. For you love birds, we have a number of romantic suggestions in this post, including the most romantic restaurants at the Disney World Resort.
SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's Bands, Brew & BBQ is back for another year. The events are held on Saturdays and Sundays through March 9. Universal's Mardi Gras celebrations, which includes the Mardi Gras parade, big-name performers and plenty of authentic New Orleans eats, begin Feb. 8. For the sports fans, the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic and Atlanta Braves Spring Training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports offers the chance to see the pros up close.
Crowds
As far as crowd levels go, February sees mostly medium days with a handful of low crowd days. But the days leading up to and the week of President's Day sees high crowd levels. The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend falls at the end of this week, ensuring that the crowds remain high. If you're considering taking the kids out of school for next year's vacation, you want to avoid the week around the holiday if you can (here are a few questions to ask yourself before you do). 
No matter when you're visiting, we recommend reading our post on the SECRET to Avoiding Disney World CROWDS and downloading our wait-time apps before you head to the theme parks. You may have read that FastPass+ testing is now available to all park guests, not just those staying on site. We highly recommend making FastPass+ part of your touring plan strategy but not exclusively your touring plan strategy. We recommend touring earlier when crowds and lowest and booking FastPass+ times in the afternoons and evenings, when crowds are higher. By the way, we've got step-by-step instructions on how to use the in-park kiosks.
Predicted best days to visit (and recommended parks)
- February 5 (Epcot®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure)
- February 11 (Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Universal Studios)
- February 26 (Epcot®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure)
Predicted worst days to visit (and parks to avoid)
- February 15 (Epcot®, Islands of Adventure)
- February 16 (Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®)
- February 17 (Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom®, Islands of Adventure)
Check the crowd calendar to see recommended days for the whole month and beyond.
Closings and Refurbishments
This month, Splash Mountain is closed for its annual refurbishment through March 21 at Magic Kingdom® Park. Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios®, Studio Backlot Tour is closed the entire month. For more details and a list of all refurbishments, check our closings page.
What’s new in the parks
A new parade is set for Magic Kingdom® Park, although it remains to be seen whether it will actually debut in February. Disney's Festival of Fantasy will pay tribute to Fantasyland notables and will include floats from Pinocchio, Rapunzel, Peter Pan and more.
Inside Magic Kingdom® Park you'll find Cinderella, Rapunzel and other Disney princesses holding court inside new meet-and-greet location Princess Fairytale Hall. It's tucked behind Cinderella Castle in New Fantasyland, where you’ll also find other New Fantasyland attractions and the now-under construction Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster (scheduled to open some time this spring).
Elsewhere in Magic Kingdom® Park, when you pay a visit to the Town Square Theatre, you might find a "talking" Mickey Mouse during the meet-and-greet. Sometimes he has to save his voice, so you might find just find your ol' pal (silent) Mickey.
Want to know what else is new? Look no further than Tad’s exhaustive list of what opened in 2013 and what's coming in 2014.
Weather
Rainfall chances this month are low, and the average high is 78 while the low of 49. Disney's Blizzard Beach and LEGOLAND’s Water Park remain closed for the season. While the other water parks are open and the water is heated, they are subject to closure during cold snaps. The Disney resort pools and most Orlando hotel pools are heated! Here is the packing list for this time of year.
February Events
There are a ton of events happening in February. Here’s the rundown of what’s happening this month. Be sure to check out special events pages for Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando for full details.
- Bands, Brew & BBQ at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- Mardi Gras at Universal Studios
- Walt Disney World® Pro Soccer Classic at ESPN Wide World of Sports
- Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
- Atlanta Braves Spring Training at ESPN Wide World of Sports
Will you be visiting in February? What questions do you have for us?
Related: How Much Planning Should You Do for a Disney World Vacation?
Hoppy February!
– Leap
