2017 Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World, Ranked in Order

OVERVIEW: THE BEST TIMES IN 2017 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site recommends arriving at Walt Disney World one of the first three Saturdays after Thanksgiving.

If you can’t go then, presented below are my draft rankings of the weeks of 2017 in order of best to worst times to visit Disney World.

These draft rankings–to be revised in the summer of 2016, after actual 2017 price seasons and school calendars are out–are designed for first time visitors who do not know whether or not they will return.

For visitors on a return trip, less concerned about ride closures or the peak of the hurricane season, the later January, early February, and September weeks would be ranked much higher.

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These week rankings are based on my draft 2017 Disney World Crowd Calendar and on my forecast 2017 Walt Disney World price seasons.

Other factors are key as well–the Christmas season, ride closure season and hurricane season in particular.

(For 2015 rankings, see this, and 2016 rankings, see this.)

DRAFT RECOMMENDED 2017 WEEKS, RANKED IN ORDER

The fourteen recommended weeks that follow are wonderful weeks to visit Walt Disney World in 2017.

Week number one has it all–lower crowds, lower prices and wonderful Christmas programs and decorations. The first Saturday of this week overlaps with Thanksgiving crowds, but the rest of it will be marvelous:

• 1: 11/25/17.

Weeks 2 and 3 have many, but not all, of the strengths of week 1:

• 2: 12/2/17. Largely a terrific week with low crowds, low prices and wonderful holiday programs. However, this is a week that, because of Pop Warner football demand for resort rooms, is rarely discounted beyond its already low prices. Those intending to stay at a value resort, Caribbean Beach or Coronado Springs should consider avoiding this week and target week 1 instead, as Pop Warner guests may make these resorts boisterous this week
• 3: 12/9/17. A week as good as week 1 on crowds and holiday programs. Much more expensive, however, than weeks 1 or 2

Week 4 has lower prices and crowds, and offers Disney World’s Halloween program

• 4: 10/28/17

Week 5 is a very strong week. It has low crowds and prices, and Disney World’s holiday program at the Magic Kingdom will be in place

• 5: 11/11/17

Weeks 6 is your best 2017 Spring Break bet, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 6: 3/4/17

Weeks 7 and 8 are similar to week 4 but projected at slightly higher crowds. They share great late autumn weather. These are near-tied, but are in calendar order as the better weather is earlier this time of year

• 7: 10/14/17
• 8: 10/21/17

Weeks 9 to 12 are all in the same 2017 post-Easter stretch, and share low crowds, moderate prices, and nice spring weather. I’m forecasting slightly higher prices for week 12, which is why it is last, and the other three are in calendar order, as the weather is better earlier in this period

• 9: 4/29/17
• 10: 5/6/17
• 11: 5/13/17
• 12: 4/22/17

Week 13 is the second-best 2017 Spring Break week, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 13: 2/25/17

Week 14 is similar to week 12, but with higher crowds and prices at the end of the week. This week may end up with higher crowds than I am forecasting, but such would move down just a spot or two in the rankings.

• 14: 4/1/17

This completes the weeks in 2017 that are recommended.

2017 WEEKS I’M NOT SO KEEN ON

Weeks 15-19 all have moderate crowd levels, with different prices and weather. I don’t particularly recommend moderate-crowd weeks for first time visitors, but they are manageable, and I would go myself such weeks with no hesitation.

They are in order of least to most crowded, and within crowd groups are sorted by price.

• 15: 11/4/17. “Jersey Week”—teacher meetings in New Jersey, leading to a massive temporary immigration of New Jersey families to Orlando. Crowds moderate-minus, prices low to moderate, almost never with major discounts.
• 16: 5/20/17 Similar to week 11, slightly more heat and humidity and crowds.
• 17: 10/8/16. Columbus Day week, with higher crowds and prices than the great weeks (ranked 7, 8 and 4) that follow it
• 18: 8/5/17  Moderate-plus crowds as the summer season begins to fade away
• 19: 6/3/17.  Beginning of summer–similar crowds to week 18, but higher prices in deluxes

Weeks 20-27 have one thing in common: they occur during the peak of the hurricane season. Hurricanes are rare and even more rarely affect a Disney World vacation, but for first-timers who may never return, why not just avoid the risk? For returning visitors, though, the low-crowd weeks among this group can be wonderful times to visit.

They are ranked in order of first crowd levels, and within the same crowd level prices.

Weeks 20 and 21 have among the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.

• 20: 9/9/17
• 21: 9/16/17

Weeks 22 to 24 are similar, but with slightly higher crowds than 20 and 21–with 24 forecast to have slightly higher crowds than 22 and 23

• 22: 9/2/17
• 23: 9/23/17
• 24: 8/26/17

Week 25 is at the outer range of low crowds

• 25: 8/19/17

Weeks 26 and 27 are the only moderate-crowd weeks in this hurricane group

• 26: 9/30/17
• 27: 8/12/17

2017 WEEKS TO AVOID AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

There’s two groups of weeks to avoid:  high crowd weeks and weeks when rides are often closed.

The first group, ranked 28-45, should be avoided because of crowds ranging from high to unbelievable.

This group includes all of later June, July and early August (massive crowds, higher prices). Prices are forecast to go down in the deluxes starting in the second week of July.

It also includes the busy March Spring Break weeks beginning 3/11/2017, and the holiday weeks—President’s Day week, the weeks before and after Easter, Thanksgiving week, and the weeks around Christmas.

Click the table for exact rankings within these lousy weeks.

The next group includes the January and early February weeks when rides are often closed for repair or refurbishment—weeks 46-52.

Some of these weeks have the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.

(But not all--click the table above.)

However, this is the peak time for ride closures at Walt Disney World, especially the January weeks.

If this may be your only family visit, why go when you know some of the best of Disney World will be closed?

If you must go during this period, avoid the first few days of January (massive crowds), and the Martin Luther King Day (1/14/17 arrival date) holiday weekend.

The Marathon Weekend (affecting arrival dates of 12/31/16 and 1/7/17) complicates the parks as well.

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