2014 WEEKS TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD, CONTINUED
This is the second page of these rankings. For the first page of 2014 weeks to visit Walt Disney World, ranked in order, click here.
2014 WORSE WEEKS
The remaining 2014 weeks are not recommended—but still presented in order:
Weeks 14-19 all have moderate crowd levels, with different prices and weather. I don’t recommend moderate-crowd weeks for first time visitors, but 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.
- 14: 11/1/14. “Jersey Week”—teacher meetings in New Jersey, leading to a massive temporary immigration of New Jersey families to Orlando. Crowds moderate-minus, prices low, almost never discounted
- 15: 10/11/14. Columbus Day week with higher crowds and prices than the great weeks (ranked 7 and 8) that follow it
- 16: 5/17/14. Similar to week 10 but with higher crowds and more summer-like weather. Crowds moderate-minus. Prices moderate
- 17: 3/29/14. Moderate-minus crowds and high prices
- 18: 8/9/14. Moderate-plus crowds and low prices as the summer season begins to fade away
- 19: 5/31/14. Beginning of summer–similar crowds to week 18, but higher prices
Weeks 20-27 have one thing in common: they occur during but the peak of the hurricane season.
They are ranked in order of first crowd levels, and within the same crowd level prices.
Week 20 has among the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.
- 20: 9/6/14
Weeks 21 and 22 have slightly higher crowds than week 20. Week 21 has slightly lower prices.
- 21: 8/30/14
- 22: 9/20/14
Weeks 23-26 have slightly higher crowds than 23 and 23. There are slight price differences among these which drive the order within them.
- 23: 8/23/14
- 24: 9/13/14
- 25: 10/4/14
- 26: 9/27/14
Week 27 has higher (moderate) crowds than the rest in this hurricane group, because of lingering effects of summer breaks. Prices are low.
- 27: 8/16/14
2014 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 28-46, should be avoided because of crowds ranging from high to unbelievable. (Click the table for the exact ranking of these weeks, and for more specifics on crowds and prices.)
This group includes all of later June, July and early August (massive crowds, higher prices). Prices go down in Deluxes starting in mid-July, and in the other resorts in early August.
It also includes the busy March Spring Break weeks beginning 3/8/2014, 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 47-52.
Many 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 week of January (massive crowds), and the Martin Luther King (1/20/14 arrival date) Day holidays.
The Marathon Weekend (affecting arrival dates of 1/4 and 1/11/2014) complicates and crowds the parks as well.
MORE ON WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
- For when to go to Walt Disney World, see this
- For the best and worst times to visit, see this
- For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
- For the 2014 Crowd Calendar, click here
- For the 2015 Crowd Calendar, click here
- For the 2016 Crowd Calendar, click here
- For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
- For 2014 price seasons, see this
- For 2015 price seasons, see this
- For projected 2016 price seasons, see this
- For weather at Walt Disney World, see this
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Any thoughts on whether either of those days, December 20th or 22nd, might be better?
Thanks!
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The 20th will be a little better, I think, Patrick.
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Hi Dave, will be visiting family in Orlando over Christmas and wanted to hit a couple of parks on a single day. The 20thand the 22nd are our possibilities, and I know that’s a busy week, but do you have a recommendation for which day would be lower crowds overall? We will probably be hitting Epcot and AK if that helps. Thanks, and love the site.
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Hey Patrick and thanks! See Josh’s stuff here–he has AK and EPcot being OK choices both those days! http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/12-december-2014-crowd-calendar/
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I just found this Site. Im guessing I shouldve done this research ahead of time. I already booked my trip for the end of june with my 3 and 5yr old. What should we expect around this time of the year? Im a little worried about hurricanes and the fact that it might rain everyday and we’ll be stuck indoors.
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Georgette, hurricanes in June are rare. Afternoon rain is not, but it doesn’t keep you indoors. Ponchos, umbrellas, and you’ll be fine. See this for more: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/11/20/june-2014-at-walt-disney-world/
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I notice you recommend arriving on Saturday but if we are only going for three days, is it better to visit during the week? We are planning to go around the middle of December 2014.
Thank you for a great site
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Hi Gloria and thanks for the kind words!!
My Saturday recommendation is solely to fit my recommended 9 day visit within a typical “week off of work.” Midweek visits are usually cheaper and less crowded! See this for more: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/09/26/the-tightwads-guide-to-which-night-to-check-in-at-walt-disney-world/
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Hi Dave,
We are planning a trip from April 28 – May 3rd. Two adults. Will this be a busy time? Also, my son will be traveling with me and wants to go the August 4th through 11th. Is this a risky hurricane time and will the heat/crowds be excessive? Is it even worth it?
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Scotta, 4/28 to 5/3 will be a wonderful time to go. The August option will be MUCH more crowded and miserably hot and humid, though not yet in the peak of the hurricane season. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/09/18/april-2014-at-walt-disney-world/ and this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2014/01/15/august-2014-at-walt-disney-world/
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I love your website! I planned our 1st trip to WDW and used your site extensively. We stayed at the Poly the first week of March 2014 and your recommendations were excellent. We loved our room and building (Tokelau.) I am hooked now. Thanks again.
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Hello Dave! Thank you so much for helping us plan our trip. We are taking our family of 6 in June and arriving on June 7th. I know this is going to be a busy week however, this is the only time we are able to get our 4 children all together. We would like to see Universal as well as most if not all of WDW. What parks should we see first in order to avoid most of the crowd? We haven’t decided between Caribe Royale or OKW yet and are up for any advice. Is it worth the extra money to have the options of the transportation, extra hours and dining because of when we are going? Thank you so much again!!
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Heather, the extra hours and dining aren’t worth much, but the transport is, unless you are renting a car. Note also that there’s a deal out for then–https://yourfirstvisit.net/2014/01/06/disney-world-room-rate-deal-for-well-into-june-2014/
Finding a reasonably priced room for 6 on site is hard. For alternatives ot OKW, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/12/15/lower-priced-options-for-large-families-at-walt-disney-world/
For my suggested itinerary for then, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/basic-itinerary/alternative-itineraries/
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Hi Dave! Thank you for a great site with a wealth of information! For several years I planned our first Disney vacation in October – in fact the week I was planning for this year is #7 on your list. Pretty good! However, I started getting nervous last year around that same time when so many folks were reporting crowd levels the likes of which they had never seen in October before. Looking back, most of that week in 2013 the crowds were ranked between 5-7. Wondering what your take is on how things may be changing for October and if that might affect the rankings in the future. I know the weather is unpredictable in September, but man…those low crowd numbers have me wondering if I shouldn’t switch my dates. I feel like I’m choosing between two evils – crowds or rain, haha.
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Adrien, there’s no polite way to say this–the people who reported “horrible crowds” either have never been to Disney World when it’s really crowded, or made terrible choices on which park to go to which day–which matters more during the party season than any other time. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/04/30/crowds-and-walt-disney-world/
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Aprox how long are the lined and weather the of march 15
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Jaime see https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/08/15/march-2014-at-walt-disney-world/
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Hello! DO you happen to know when Disney will start offering discounts for September 2014? Also if we book now and a better price/promotion becomes available will we get the better price/promotion? Thanks. I appreciate any help!
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Abby, no I don’t. Last year, they came out in May. You can book now, but it neither helps nor hurts with getting the deal. If the deal comes out, you’ll have to compete with everyone else to get it, by calling WDW or getting on-line.
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Hi! Teacher here…. can’t go anytime but Summer or Xmas. I’d never go during Xmas again (went in Middle school and waited about 3 hours for Space Mountain. So, going June 17-26th. I know crowds will be high, but we went this time frame in 2011 and found the crowd level quite fine. Have things changed much since then?
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Hi Brian! Attendance has steadily increased since 2011, but not so much that it will feel wildly different to you compared to your trip then…
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Hi Dave! First, thank you for this extremely informative site! I’m planning my first WDW visit since 1999; this will be my 4 year old’s first trip! I’d like your insight, if possible. I need to choose between arriving Weds 4/23/14 or Weds 5/14 (for 6 nights, either week). I’d prefer the April week, but it’s more expensive (peak room rates the first 3 nights, then down to regular). My main concern, though, are the Easter crowds. Do you think WDW will have a big drop in crowd levels between 4/20 and 4/23, when we’d arrive? This is almost certainly the first of many trips, so we don’t have to see/do every single thing this time, but my family went to WDW annually the week of July 4th my whole childhood–I remember peak Disney crowds, and never want to see THAT again in my life! Thank you again for your time, and for this site!
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Hi Lauren and thanks for your kind words!
While there will be a big drop after Easter, it’ll still be very busy your April dates–not as bad as July 4, but I’d take your May option in a heartbeat!
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I have twins 5yrs old. This will be our first cost to Disneyworld. The only 2 weeks we can go would be week of March 10th or August 25. Which week would be a better week cost wise(because we’re on a budget) and crowd wise (because my son has special needs and not good with crowds and long waits on lines). Can you also let me know what if anything is available for my son with special needs (autism) to make his vacation more enjoyable and stress free for all of us. Thank you!!
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Hi Samia, your August opportunity will have much lower crowds and much lower prices!! For special needs, see this https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/guests-with-disabilities/
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Hello I’m starting to plan my first disney trip! My daughter will be 4 on October 14 so we was planning it for October 13-17th with the 13 being Columbus Day (which we probably just settle in that day since it’s a 9 hour drive) will the rest of the week be “slow” no lines over 20 mins? I want her birthday to be amazing and it’s both of our 1st trip
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Tiffany. there’s no time when there’s “no line over 20 mins.” By late morning, even on the least busy days, waits and the more popular rides will near or exceed an hour.
While it will be better after Columbus Day, that whole week, because of fall breaks, will be moderately busy…
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My family is considering going to disney world for halloween 2014. Possibly getting there thurs oct 30 and leaving sunday or monday. My kids are 4 and 2. This is our first time. What are your suggestions?
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Crystal, my stuff is focused on much older kids on much longer visits. But take a look at this: http://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/touring-plans/parents-with-small-children
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Hi there,
Based on previous recommendations we booked our trip for August 16, 2014. Now I’m looking @ the crowd calendar and it looks as though that’s ranked as 27th and the week before (August 9, 2014) is ranked as 18th but has a higher crowd rating. Is there a reason the 9th of August is a better week than the 16th ranking wise, but has a lower crown ranking? Do you think we should change our reservation for the 9th or will we be OK keeping the 16th?
Thanks, again your advice and site has been incredible in the planning process! 🙂
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Hi Rachel, just to be clear, you aren’t looking at a crowd calendar here–this is week rankings that incorporate not only crowds but also many other factors.
The week of the 16th you signed up for has the exact same ranking (27) as it had in the prior version. It’s ranked worse than you would think its crowd and price levels deserve because it marks the beginning of the peak hurricane season–see this: 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/
The prior week did get bumped becasue I revised its crowd ranking from “high” to “moderate-plus”. All the “moderate” crowd weeks are ranked ahead of all the “peak hurricane” weeks…
If you don’t care about the risk of hurricanes–which is VERY small–then your week of the 16th should be fine, and better than the week of the 9th!
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Great site! I’m a University student so my school break falls from the 14th-23rd which happens to be President’s Week unfortunately. My friends and I would still like to travel but would you find it wiser to arrive later in the week (19th-20th) or does that not make a large difference in terms of crowds and lines? Thanks!
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Hi Lauren! Sorry, but the whole week is wildly busy…
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What do you think the crowds will be like for the week of April 20th 2014, since it is Easter week and spring school vacation? I was thinking about visiting with my grandchildren who are 5 and 7. I am not sure waiting in line for an hour for a 5 minute ride will make for a stress free vacation.
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Gail, crowds that week will be horrible–see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/07/disney-world-crowds-2014/
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Hello..Great site…Question….We’ve been to Disney before….We plan on going again in early 2014.
Our older daughter’s birthday is Thursday, March 27. We are considering being there on her actual birthday, and staying about a week. That would result in a stay spanning a bad week (March 22-28, ranked 37) and a good week (March 29-April 4, ranked 11). At would point in that span would you expect the crowds to thin down?
Thanks.
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Hi Brian! Because of travel patterns, bad weeks usually finish being bad on the Saturday at the end…
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Hi Dave…I love your site and it has already proven to be very helpful in the early stages of our planning. I have a question about the time around President’s Day. When exactly does it start getting busy for that weekend? For 2014, President’s Day is February 17th. We were planning to get to WDW on February 8th and would be checking out that Friday morning the 14th. Do you think we’ll be ok for crowds? Even if the last day of our trip is more crowded, do you think we will be ok the 8th-13th? Thanks for your help!
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Hi Brooke, it starts getting busy the Thursdays before President’s Day–in 2014, the 13th. So you should be fine!
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