By the co-author of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2020, the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series ever.

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Walt Disney World in 2013



By Dave Shute

2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

Below find the main topics for Walt Disney World in 2013, including

  • Disney World 2013 packages and booking dates
  • 2013 Disney World deals
  • 2013 Disney Armed Forces Salute
  • Free Dining in 2013 at Disney World
  • The best weeks of 2013 to visit
  • 2013 crowds at Disney World
  • What’s new at Disney World in 2013

Moreover, for a 2013 Disney World “cheat sheet,” see this.

DISNEY WORLD PACKAGES FOR 2013

Disney’s 2013 prices came out July 11, 2012. You can find 2013 Disney World price seasons here.

You can book a Disney World hotel room up to 500 days in advance. That means that as of August 18, 2012, all of 2013 is bookable.

DISNEY WORLD DEALS IN 2013

2013 discounts at Walt Disney World are unlikely to emerge until the fall of 2012 at the earliest. For 2013 Disney World deals, promotions, and discounts as they emerge, see the Walt Disney World deals and discounts page of this site.

Walt Disney World offers specials, discounts, packages deals, and other deals only when, based on its booking rates, it believes it can profitably bump demand by doing so.

The windows it provides for such deals seem to range from a month to nine months ahead. Given this, the more the economy seems to be doing OK, the shorter the notice for these deals likely will be.

For Disney World 2013 military deals and 2013 free dining at Walt Disney World, see below.

DISNEY WORLD MILITARY DISCOUNTS IN 2013

Disney World has announced special discounts for Military families for most of 2013.  See this for more.

FREE DINING AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013

There’s no guarantee Disney will offer the Disney Dining Plan for free in 2013.

If it does, based on past dates, Disney will most likely offer more free dining in 2013 from later August 2013 through most of September, and announce it in the late spring or early summer of 2013.

If I had to bet, I’d bet Disney will offer more free Disney dining in 2013.

BEST WEEKS TO VISIT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013

For the best times to visit Disney World in 2013, see 2013 weeks to visit Walt Disney World, ranked in order.  (Returning visitors should check out the 2013 Disney World Week Picker.)

A few observations (all reflected in the 2013 week rankings):

  • New Year’s Eve 2013 is midweek, so there will be fewer lower-crowd days in January.
  • Easter, March 31 2013, is in the earlier part of its range, so there will be more good April days, but March will be ugly.
  • Thanksgiving 2013 is November 28th, as late as it can be, meaning more good November days and fewer good December days.

CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013

See the 2013 Disney World Crowd Calendar.

WHAT’S NEW AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013

The major new stuff expected to open at Walt Disney World in 2012 includes Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid and the Be Our Guest restaurant, both part of Disney’s Fantasyland expansion plans, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a new value resort, which is opening in stages over the summer of 2012.

In 2013, the rest of the Fantasyland expansion is expected to open, and the new Disney Vacation Club resort at the Grand Floridian may open as well.

The major elements of Disney’s NextGen project may launch in 2013 or late 2012.  If so, much more will come on this later.

NextGen, when fully implemented, will increase the value of staying in Walt Disney World resort hotels, especially for those able to do extensive advance planning.

MORE ON WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

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154 comments

1 Traci Starn { 01.20.13 at 1:26 pm }

We have heard that sometimes Disney offers free dining plan in September and would like to go then. If they don’t announce whether or not they are until perhaps late spring, do you still book now or wait until announcement is made?

2 Dave { 01.20.13 at 5:16 pm }

Hi Traci, they’ve offered such a deal every year for years now–though that’s no guarantee they’ll do so this year. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2009/12/21/the-tightwads-guide-to-when-to-go-to-walt-disney-world/ You can wait, or you can book a package now and convert it later…

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3 Jose { 02.05.13 at 11:16 pm }

We are planning on visiting the park on march 27, 2 adults 3kids and a 11 month baby would this be a good time to plan our trip since our kids are on spring break..

4 Dave { 02.06.13 at 7:14 am }

Jose, that’s a horrible time to go–the weeks before and after Easter are by far the most crowded periods of the spring at Walt Disney World. Can you go another date?

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5 john { 02.20.13 at 8:40 pm }

hi dave i am taking on march 24 2013 my family to wdw my son is in the military he is home for two weeks what is the discount for the military

6 Dave { 02.21.13 at 8:23 am }

John, there are some great military deals for much of 2013, but March 24-April 4 is excluded from all of them, because Walt Disney World is so wildly crowded then…

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7 Sarah { 02.22.13 at 2:51 pm }

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your great website! We are going to be going on our first Disney World Vacation November 22-29, 2013. I know this is Thanksgiving week and will be crazy busy, but the trip was put together and paid for by my MIL, so there is no chance of changing dates. My question for you is this, is it usually crazy crowds the entire week of Thanksgiving or just that Wednesday-Sunday? Also, do you have suggestions to make it more enjoyable even with the crowds? This is probably a once in a life time opportunity for my family to experience Disney World (we live closer to Disneyland and it is more do-able for my family of 6!) and I am determined to make it fun! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

8 Dave { 02.22.13 at 5:02 pm }

Hi Sarah and thanks! Sadly, the crowds go all week long. The keys to dealing with them are 1. be at the turnstiles well before a park opens, 2. then see the most popular rides first, and 3. use FASTPASSES to get lower-wait access to the popular rides you don’t get to in the first hour or so!

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9 Anne { 02.25.13 at 9:36 pm }

Hi. I am planning a vacation for 8/4 to 8/10 2013. I know it will be hot and busy during this time, but its the only time I can get off work. Do you think there will be any special offers/discounts/free dining during this time? I on-line chatted with someone from Disney and he said they typically reveal discount 45 to 60 days beforehand.

10 Barb { 03.03.13 at 1:25 pm }

We are planning a trip to Disney World the week after Thanksgiving week of 12/1..
Four adults – three children – one of which is Autistic. We are looking for a package which includes hotel/park tickets….what do you suggest ?

11 Dave { 03.03.13 at 4:09 pm }

Hi Barb, you can get a combined ticket and room package from Disney right now, online, over the phone, or via a travel agent. If by package you mean “deal,” deals are out right now covering arrival dates only through early June. Deals for your dates, if any, won’t be out for months…

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12 Sarah { 03.09.13 at 6:01 pm }

Planning a trip for sept 28-oct 5. Aside from possible rainy time (hurricane season) I can’t see any reason this wouldn’t be a great week? Am I missing anything? Thanks!!!

13 Dave { 03.10.13 at 8:15 am }

Hi Sarah, yes, if you ignore the peak of the hurricane seaosn, that’s a great time to go! See https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/when-to-go/next-best-dates/weather-and-when-to-go/chance-of-cyclonic-storm-affecting-florida/

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14 wendy { 03.13.13 at 3:38 pm }

Hi Dave, we love your site, thanks so much for all the work you do!
I would love to hear your best suggestion for a week for our family with six kids. We are flexible, but were thinking about sept/or oct. I would really like to experience as low of crowds as possible. I thought I wanted to try and go during free dining, but I am thinking that might be a mistake! I think I would rather just pay for it, than deal with the extra crowds and stress of not getting in anywhere to eat due to the FD. We want to enjoy Epcot, so want to skip the F&W Festival. The kids might like MNNSHP. What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance.

15 Dave { 03.14.13 at 8:27 am }

Hi Wendy, based on all your criteria, you want mid-September–low crowds, before F&W, but with MNNSHP. See this:https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/02/25/september-2013-at-walt-disney-world/

You may face free dining then–but free dining does not crowd the parks–it only makes table service hard to get. Pick your dates now, and make your reservations asap.

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16 Susan Wronka { 03.14.13 at 4:22 pm }

Hi Dave, Your site looks impressive, hope you can help us. My husband and I are returning to WDW for the 3rd time this winter. We are experienced visitors to WDW. However this will be our first trip with a disabled person. We are booked April 9 – 13 thru a pkg with Orbitz. We have reserved a handicapped room at the Wyndham near DTD. We will have a rental car, but plan on using Disney Buses (very familiar with these). We are bringing our own wheelchair. Our friend is a 69 year young lady who we are treating for her B-day. She lives in a nursing home and has no family. So she has become part of ours over many years. She is able to transfer from whchr to car easily, needs assistance to walk short distance. I have looked at the WDW site for Disabled Guests and have made a list of Magic Kingdom attractions/rides that are possible for her, along with all the restrooms…especially those for handicapped/companion as she needs help in this area. However, we are thinking Epcot might be a wiser choice….flower show, slightly slower pace, mild attractions /rides. Hopefully, fewer strollers and toddlers underfoot. We are very familiar with WDW on our own, but I am sure we may be missing some key pointers for the disabled guests and the things Disney may have at their parks to make the visit easier and more enjoyable for their disabled guests. We would be grateful for any info you may be able to pass along to us for this particular situation. We look forward to hearing from you.
With Thanks, Jim & Susan Wronka

17 Dave { 03.15.13 at 9:26 am }

Hi Susan, what a sweet thing to do! I’m sorry that I don’t have a lot to add, as I just don’t know a lot on this topic. However, my friend Melissa has a great blog on this here http://www.disneyonwheelsblog.com/ Check it out, and ask her questions via her comments section!

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18 Rebecca { 03.15.13 at 11:21 am }

Hi 🙂
Wow great site!! I am planning a trip for my family to WDW for 10/27/2013 thru to 11/05/2013, and I have a few questions. I have booked the AOA Ariel room for the 3 of us but I am considering changing it to the Port Orleans french quarter because of some reviews about noise and walking distance to buses at AOA, any thoughts on that? Also I am curious about the Mickeys Halloween Party, I want to book advanced tickets, when I am able to, but I am doing my itin now around the places we want to eat to ensure we get the reservations, so my question is, do they always have the Halloween party on Halloween night? Also We have 8 full days there and are defiantly spending 2 at the Kingdom but what other park should we plan to spend an extra day in, if any ( my daughter is 7) or is one in each good?
Looking forward to your response! 🙂 Thanx

19 Dave { 03.16.13 at 7:09 am }

Hi Rebecca, and thanks!

There’s not much noise in AofA Little Mermaid, so I wouldn’t worry about that. POFQ is much more compact, so walks will be shorter. On the other hand, it shares most buses with POR (it has its own for MK, but that’s typically it), so instead of the one stop at AofA you’ll face up to 5 bus stops at POFQ/POR. So from an overall convenience perspective, AofA wins.

The Halloween Party has been on every Halloween that I can recall…

See my example itineraries for how to divide your time among the parks–e.g. this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/basic-itinerary/alternative-itineraries/itineraries-for-the-rest-of-the-year/v2-of-2009-autumn-winter-spring-itinerary/

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20 Rebecca { 03.15.13 at 11:25 am }

Oh and I forgot to ask one more question 🙂
I know there is nothing out yet for any discounts for the time I have planned on going at the end of October, but if you had to guess is there any that come to mind for that time of year?
thanx

21 Dave { 03.16.13 at 7:12 am }

Rebecca, I’d guess we’ll see a modest room-rate discount, kinda like the one on offer now–for which neither AofA Little Mermaid nor POFQ are eligible! See https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/01/03/new-walt-disney-world-discount-mid-february-through-mid-june-2013/

22 Wendy { 03.18.13 at 1:41 pm }

Thanks Dave! Didn’t feel like I could pick til I had your recommendation!
Appreciate your advice, it is invaluable!
Wendy

23 Dave { 03.19.13 at 4:35 pm }

You bet, Wendy! Have a great trip!

24 Shana { 03.25.13 at 2:10 pm }

Hi Dave,
I can’t decide if we should plan to attend MNSSHP during our trip in October (10/22-10/28). Our daughter is going to be 5 when we go. I am leaning towards skipping it unless you think we are missing out on Magic Kingdom time by doing so. Also, how can I tell when MK will be closing early that week (due to the MNSSHP)? Should I avoid MK on those days? Thanks!

25 Dave { 03.25.13 at 4:21 pm }

Heya Shana, I have a pretty tough time defending the cost of the Halloween Party compared to other uses of the money. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/02/21/halloween-2013-at-walt-disney-world/

Early close nights for the party are the best days to go to MK during the party period, as the late-close days are mobbed! See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/04/30/crowds-and-walt-disney-world/

The early close days your week are the same days that that on the first link I’ve forecast as party days…

26 Shelbi { 03.27.13 at 10:02 am }

Hi Dave,
We booked our vacation for Sept 7-13, but we didn’t include the dining plan. I’m hoping Disney will release the free dining offer and we can just add it to our package. Any chance you might know if and when Disney will release this offer?!

27 Dave { 03.27.13 at 10:07 am }

Hiya Shelbi, I don’t know anything. I suspect they’ll release a room-rate deal next week or soon after (see this for why: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/03/26/disney-world-room-rate-discount-coming-out-next-week-more-insight-into-2013-free-dining/ ), but it’ll be for mid-summer.

Once that’s out, if free dining happens, it could be announced anytime after that…once it’s out, you’ll be able to find it here: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/03/29/walt-disney-worlds-latest-spring-and-summer-deal/

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28 Susan { 04.03.13 at 5:55 pm }

Dave, Help! My main concern is avoiding the crowds. I was planning on booking Dec 6-10 but now I’m reading about the cheerleading competition. Is this still a better option than Nov 29- Dec 3 (weekend after Thanksgiving)?
Thanks

29 Dave { 04.04.13 at 8:45 am }

Hi Susan!

The 29th and 30th will be mobbed, so I’d stick with your later dates. The cheerleading/football thingy is not as big a deal as many make it out to be–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/05/30/pop-warner-week-at-walt-disney-world/

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30 Mary-Margaret { 04.03.13 at 8:18 pm }

Dave, I am going to Orlando, Florida with my adult son and age nine son. We will be there from April 19-24. Any recommendations how to use the time for Universal and the theme park connected to it, and Sea World? We get in on Friday evening, and are staying in Buena Vista Lake. Hotel has shuttles to all the parks. Should I plan to go to Magic Kingdon with a nine year old? Whats the difference between MK and Universal Studios theme park? Similar? How is the “tornado” weather down there this time of year? Suddenly admist the excitement of going to Orlando, my youngest son’s friend is filling his mind with tornado stories.

31 Dave { 04.04.13 at 8:49 am }

Hi Mary Margaret, I focus on Disney World, not Universal or Sea World, so don’t have a lot to offer on them, other than the best days at those parks tend to be Sat, Sun and Mon. A nine year old would love all four Disney parks, including the Magic Kingdom!

Tornadoes in April…hmmm…see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/02/02/tornadoes-at-walt-disney-world/ I wouldn’t show it to him….but maybe buying a weather radio and showing him how it works might relieve his fears? Or maybe they’d reinforce them…kids and phobias are a bit of a mystery….

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32 Mary-Margaret { 04.03.13 at 8:19 pm }

Well, let me rephrase where we are staying…not Buena Vista Lake, but the region around it!

33 Dave { 04.04.13 at 8:50 am }

🙂 Otherwise you’d need to bring a boat!

34 Sara M { 04.22.13 at 10:29 am }

Just read on( http://wdwprepschool.com/about-the-disney-dining-plan-and-how-to-get-it-for-free/) that the dining plan that is offered free was not offered at Art of Animation. I also read that if you stay at a value that this will only offer you the quick service (but can upgrade) We are hoping to get the free dining but were going to stay at AOA. What do you recommend we should do? This is our first trip, 6 year old and almost 3 year old. We are debating between a sweet at AOA or a Little Mermaid room, POP or possibly even a moderate. Any advice is appreciated!

35 Dave { 04.22.13 at 12:53 pm }

Sara, Disney deals exclude resorts that are booking well enough without a deal, and since they are brand new and there’s not many of them, the deals have excluded among other options the AofA Little Mermaid rooms.

Moreover, free dining at the values has been restricted to quick service for years now as well. Frankly, I don’t think that will matter, as I really doubt we will see free dining for your dates. For why, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/02/07/2013-free-dining-mymagic-implications-disneys-q1-2013-earnings-call/

36 Sara M { 04.22.13 at 2:29 pm }

Okay, so should I change my dates? I picked those 2 weeks in October because of your recommendation but am flexible.

37 Dave { 04.23.13 at 8:03 am }

No Sara, I would not change your date based on guesses about discounts…

38 Sara M { 04.23.13 at 9:26 am }

Okay awesome! You are so right! When we started to plan this trip, we never even knew of the chance for free dining, so I am not going to let it disappoint me or sway me away. I do wonder if adding the Dining package helps with reservations at all? Or is a credit card required regardless? Being as my daughter will be 6, my son 2 and my husband and I, I wonder how much if at all the dining plan would help. I know years ago, you say that it was more of a discount and now it’s mostly a matter of convenience. My son and quite possibly my daughter would just pick off of our plates as it is. I wonder if we should go that route instead of paying for the dining up front? What do you suggest if you have any advice on that matter?

39 Dave { 04.23.13 at 4:47 pm }

Sara if you have doubts, don’t do it. For example, kids the ages of yours (<10) if on the dining plan have to order off the kids menu if one is offered, so if there's nothing there they want then you end up paying cash anyway...and having it does not help you get reservations...

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