Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: THE BEST TIMES IN 2018 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 rankings of the weeks of 2018 in order of best to worst times to visit Disney World.

These rankings 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.

These week rankings are based on my updated  2018 Disney World Crowd Calendar and on the final Walt Disney World 2018 price seasons.

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

(For 2019 rankings, see this. For more how I build these rankings, see this.)

RECOMMENDED 2018 WEEKS AT DISNEY WORLD, RANKED IN ORDER

The fourteen recommended weeks that follow are wonderful weeks to visit Walt Disney World in 2018

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: 11/24/18

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

• 2: 12/8/18. A week as good as week 1 on crowds and holiday programs. More expensive, however, than weeks 1 or 3
• 3: 12/1/18. 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 or 2 instead, as Pop Warner guests may make these resorts boisterous this week

Week 4 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

• 4: 11/10/18

Week 5 has lower prices and crowds, and offers in its first few days Disney World’s Halloween program

• 5: 10/27/18

Week 6 is your best 2018 Spring Break bet, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 6: 3/3/18

Week 7 is similar to week 5 but projected at slightly higher crowds.

• 7: 10/20/18

Weeks 8 to 12 are all in the same 2018 post-Easter stretch, and share low crowds, moderate prices, and nice spring weather. They are in calendar order, as the weather is better earlier in this period

• 8: 4/14/18
• 9: 4/21/18
• 10: 4/28/18
• 11: 5/5/18
• 12: 5/12/18

Week 13 is the second-best 2018 Spring Break week, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 13: 2/24/18

Week 14 is similar to weeks 8-11, but has higher prices in the deluxes

• 14: 4/7/18

This completes the weeks in 2018 that are recommended for first-time visitors who may never return.

2018 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 quite 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: 11/3/18. “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: 10/13/18. A week with moderate crowds, moderate prices, and great weather that has become more crowded in recent years
• 17: 5/19/18. Similar to week 12, slightly more heat and humidity and crowds.
• 18: 12/15/18. The same Christmas program as weeks 1-3, but higher crowds–especially later in the week–and much higher prices
• 19: 6/2/18.  Beginning of summer, with traditionally the lowest crowds until late August

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 some of the lowest crowds of the year

• 20: 9/1/18
• 21: 9/15/18

Weeks 22, 23 and 24 have slightly higher crowds, and Week 24, higher prices

• 22: 9/8/18
• 23: 8/25/18
• 24: 9/22/18

Weeks 25 to 27 are the moderate-crowd weeks in this hurricane group

• 25: 9/29/18
• 26: 8/18/18
• 27: 8/11/18

2018 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 28-47, should be avoided because of crowds that traditionally range from high to unbelievable.

This group includes all of later June, July and early August (traditionally massive crowds, although I do need t0 note that the summers of 2016 and 2017 were much more manageable than I’d thought).

It also includes the busy March spring break weeks beginning 3/10/2018, and the holiday weeks—President’s Day week, the weeks before and after Easter, Columbus Day week, 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 48-53.

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 days of January (massive crowds), and the Martin Luther King Day (1/13/18 arrival date) holiday weekend,.

The Marathon Weekend (affecting the weekend of a 1/6/18 arrival date) complicates Disney World as well, although it has little impact on park crowds beyond the effects of leftover holiday visitors.

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2018 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The chart lower on the page shows my forecasts for 2018 crowds by week at Walt Disney World.

Dates in it are the beginning of the week, and the forecast covers the recommended Saturday-Sunday 9 day stays.

(For 2019 crowds at Disney World, see this. )

[Read more →]

2018 RESORT PRICE SEASONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The material below shows resort price seasons at Walt Disney World at different times of the year in 2018.

It’s based on material Disney published June 20, 2017, revised–especially January–June 21, and may revise yet again. As my material is based on moving averages and ranges, revisions should much change conclusions you’d draw from it. (For 2017 price seasons, see this.)

Although this may change at the next ticket price increase, currently only one-day ticket prices vary over the course of the year–multi-day tickets do not, although they typically have an annual increase during the year. See this for more on ticket prices.

Resort prices, however, can be almost twice as high during some periods as they are at others.

In the material below, “X% Higher” means compared to the lowest prices of the year.

In addition to the detailed forecasts presented below, Disney ups prices even more during certain weekends and holidays–particularly over the Martin Luther King Day weekend, President’s Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Columbus Day weekend, and Veterans Day weekend.

The images give an overview of the year, with specifics in the lists.

2018 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: VALUE RESORTS

• 40-50% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/2018
• Lowest of year–the value season–begins 1/2/18
• 20-30% higher–Marathon rates–begin 1/3/18
• Lowest of year–the value season–begins 1/7/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season-begins 2/11/18
• 40-50% higher–the peak season–begins 2/15/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season–begins 2/25/18
• 40-50% higher–the peak season–begins 3/9/18
• 65-70% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/25/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season–begins 4/8/18

• 35-40% higher–the summer season–begins 5/25/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season–begins 8/12/18
• 10-15% higher–the fall season–begins 8/26/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season–begins 9/16/18
• 10-15% higher–the fall season– begins 10/28/18
• 30-40% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/17/18
• 10-15% higher–the fall season—begins 11/24/18
• 25-30% higher–the regular season–begins 12/9/18
• 40-50% higher–the peak season–begins 12/14/18
• 65-80% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/21/18

2018 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: DELUXE RESORTS

• 30-45% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/18
• Lowest of year–the value season–begins 1/3/18
• 15-25% higher–Marathon rates–begins 1/4/18
• Lowest of year–the value season–begins 1/7/18
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 2/11/18
• 30-45% higher–the peak season–begins 2/15/18
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 2/25/18
• 30-45% higher–the peak season–begins 3/9/18
• 50-65% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/25/18
• 30-45% higher–the peak season–begins 4/8/18

• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 4/15/18
• 10-20% higher–the summer season–begins 5/25/18
• 5-10% higher—near-lowest of year–the value season 2–begins 7/6/18
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 8/24/18
• 10-25% higher–the regular season 2–begins 9/21/18
• 10-20% higher–the fall season–begins 10/14/18
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–begins 11/2/18
• 10-20% higher–the fall season–begins 11/12/18
• 25-40% higher during Thanksgiving begins 11/20/18
• 10-20% higher–the fall season–begins 11/24/18
• 20-25% higher–the regular season–beings 12/9/18
• 30-45% higher–the peak season–begins 12/14/18
• 55-75% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/21/18

2018 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: MODERATE RESORTS

• 25-30% higher–the peak season–begins 1/1/18
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/3/18
• 10-15% higher–Marathon rates–begins 1/4/18
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/7/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/11/18
• 25-30% higher–the peak season–begins 2/15/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/25/18
• 25-30% higher–the peak season–begins 3/9/18
• 45-50% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/25/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/8/18

• 15-20% higher–the summer season–begins 5/25/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 8/12/18
• 15-20% higher–the fall season–begins 8/26/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–begins 9/16/18
• 15-20% higher–the fall season–begins 10/28/18
• 20-25% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/17/18
• 15-20% higher–the fall season—begins 11/24/18
• 15-20% higher–the regular season–beings 12/9/18
• 25-30% higher–the peak season–begins 12/14/18
• 50-60% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/21/18

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OVERVIEW: MAY 2017 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews May 2017 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.

Crowds build over the month, and the end of the month sees high crowds from Memorial Day, and the beginning of humid and rainy summer weather.

[Read more →]

You won’t find two people more qualified to advise you on when to go to Disney World than me and my co-author Josh of easyWDW. (The photo below is of neither of us.)

We worked together to make Chapter 4 of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2017 the best and most succinct guide to when to go to Disney World that you can find.

The chapter has sections covering crowds, prices and weather, and then, most valuably, goes through 2017 month by month.  Here’s an example:

This chapter is the only part of The easy Guide that’s solely about 2017. All the other key material in the book–hotel reviews, park touring plans, dining reviews–works right now, this instant, so the book is also a great guide for those making visits later in 2016.

There will be changes–we’ve already seen a couple since we published in early August.

But ours is the only guidebook that can help you with those changes, because as noted here we will prove free updates to purchasers when we update the book!

Here’s the scoop from the book itself:

Ok, that’s it for now. More to come on other changes in the 2017 easy Guide later! Meanwhile, buy the book, OK?

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OVERVIEW: APRIL 2017 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews April 2017 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

The late Easter in 2017 and the pattern of pricing and spring breaks before and after it means that the only period in the month that I recommend is the end of the month–April 22 and later.

[Read more →]