Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

WHAT IS SEPTEMBER 2018 LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

September at Disney World combines low crowds with low prices, and typically also has nice deals as well.

This makes it a great month for returning visitors.

But it has lousy weather, combining continuing summer heat and humidity with the peak of the hurricane season, making me not so keen on the month for first time visitors who may never return.

Note also that picking the right park to visit each day is critical at this time of the year.  See this, and use the comment form below to ask me about your specific dates!

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OVERVIEW: AUGUST 2018 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews August 2018 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

There are no great times for first-timers who may never return to visit in August. Kids start going back to school in August, so crowds go down later in the month–but that’s also when the peak of the hurricane season kicks off.

Note, however, that the last two summers have been unusually good at Disney World in terms of crowds. If this trend continues, then early August will be better than I’ve noted!

Prices begin the month low at the deluxes and stay low all month long. Prices begin the month OK at the moderates, and high at the values. Values prices drop to moderate levels on 8/12, and on 8/26 prices drop to among the lowest of the year at the values. Moderate prices also change these dates, but stay within the general band of 10-20% higher than the lowest of the year.

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OVERVIEW: JULY 2018 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews July 2018 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Because pretty much every US schoolkid is on break in July, while shorter periods the rest of the year are more crowded, July overall has traditionally been the most crowded month at Disney World.

Note, however, that the last two summers have been unusually good at Disney World in terms of crowds. If this trend continues, then July will be better than I’ve noted!

Prices begin the month lower at the deluxes, moderate at the moderates, and high at the values.  On July 6, they drop even more at the deluxes.

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OVERVIEW: JUNE 2018 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews June 2018 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

If you must go to Disney World in the summer, the beginning of June is your best choice for a first visit.

Crowds, while not good, are lower then than most of the rest of the summer, prices are OK–except at the value resorts–and the full weight of summer weather is not yet in place.

(The end of August is the next best choice.  Prices and crowds are much better, but you are not only in peak summer then, but also the peak of the hurricane season.)

Note however, that the last two summers have been unusually good at Disney World in terms of crowds. If this trend continues, thewn June will be better than I’ve noted!

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OVERVIEW: MAY 2018 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews May 2018 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Earlier May is a great time to visit Walt Disney World, with low crowds, moderate prices, and good weather.

The weather typically gets hotter and more humid over the month, and the end of the month sees high crowds from Memorial Day.

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WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD IN 2019

Over the past month or so, I’ve published draft versions of all my basic tools for planning a Walt Disney World visit in 2019. Included in these are

• A broad overview of Disney World in 2019. I’ll add to and revise this as new stuff happens and things I speculate about either become confirmed or disappear as possibilities.  It’s here.
• A forecast of Disney World crowds in 2019. I’ll update this in the summer of 2018, once the full set of 2018-2019 school year vacation schedules comes out (I track all breaks longer than a three day weekend for more than 15 million US schoolkids, and you might be surprised at how many don’t publish their upcoming year calendars until May or June…) It’s here.
• A forecast of Disney World resort hotel price seasons in 2019. The actual prices for 2019 should come out in the summer of 2018, so I’ll update this when those prices come out. (For 2018 pricing, Disney World stopped using its former price season language, but I am sticking with this language for clarity and comparability as long as I can.) It’s here.

Based on the crowd forecasts, price forecasts, and some other factors all discussed here, a draft version of my “Weeks to Visit Ranked in Order” for 2019:

I’ll revise this in the summer of 2018, after I finalize my crowd forecasts and have in hand the actual 2019 price seasons. These week rankings, by the way, are meant for first time visitors who may not ever be able to return. Those who know they can return, and returning visitors themselves, have many more good weeks, all marked in green at the right side of the listing. It’s here.

By the way, Disney World rooms are already bookable into 2019–you can book 499 days ahead. If you want a head start on your 2019 Disney World vacation, the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

For more on when to go to Disney World, see this. And if you have any questions, let me know using the comment form below!

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