Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

Most years, I recommend arriving in Walt Disney World either two or three of the first three Saturdays after Thanksgiving.

In 2022 I recommend the first two weeks after Thanksgiving–the weeks beginning 11/26 and 12/3/2022.  See this for all of the weeks of 2022 ranked in order.

There’s two basic choices for when to go to Walt Disney World.

• You can go to Disney World when it’s convenient for your family, and simply accept the specific circumstances that you will find at that time—crowds, wait times, price levels, weather, special events, and the odds of rides being closed for refurb.
• Or you can pick the specific circumstances that best suit you, and go to Disney World during one of the periods that best displays them.

If you follow the first approach, you likely will find high crowds and long waits, as the most convenient time to go is when the kids are out of school, so what works best for you will also work best for hundreds of thousands of other people.

If you follow the second approach, and pick the circumstances that are best for you, then you weigh several key variables, and target your dates based on which among them are most important to you.

If you are a first-time visitor, I’ve already weighed the weeks of the year on your behalf based on crowds, prices, ride closures, the peak of the hurricane season, and special events.

You can find my 2022 week rankings here.

First-timers who may never return should also consider if their kids are old enough to get the best out of Disney World.

If you are a returning visitor—or a first timer who wants to figure this out for yourself—the key circumstances to keep in mind follow.

CROWDS AND WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD

Crowds. Disney World is never not crowded, but some dates are much worse, and some much better, than others.

Disney World is at its most crowded when tens of millions of US schoolkids are out of school—the summer, Thanksgiving week, the weeks of Christmas and New Years, the week of President’s Day, and the spring break weeks from early March through the week after Easter.

Historically the least crowded times to visit are in September after Labor Day and the period in January and early February from after Martin Luther King Day until the Thursday before Presidents Day.

My 2022 Disney World crowd calendar forecasts crowd levels for every week of the year.

My calendars predict low (green), moderate (black) and high crowd (red) weeks.

Curiously, every year I get flamed a few times because some people interpret my “low crowds” as meaning “no crowds.” For these calendars, that’s as wrong as thinking that a “low-priced” car is free, or that a forecast for “low temperatures” tomorrow means 459.67 degrees below zero, or that a “low bridge” is one that sits on the roadway below it.

“Low crowds” in my calendars means “lower than other possible dates.” It doesn’t mean no crowds, nor even crowds as low as you—or I—wish they were!

PRICES AND WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD

Hotel Prices. Disney hotel prices can be twice as expensive some times of the year as others.

They vary to a complex schedule that can include different prices for weekdays/weekends/short holiday weekends, and longer periods different prices based on of higher and lower willingness to pay.

Some will tell you that they are least expensive during the low crowd periods, and most expensive during the high crowd periods.

This is not entirely true—you can find both lower priced high crowd periods, and higher priced low crowd periods. Some months with mostly similar crowd levels will see four or more different price changes!

You can find the 2022 Disney World hotel price seasons here.

Ticket Prices.  Beginning in late 2018, Disney World began charging different prices for tickets at different times of the year.  The upshot is that you will pay more for more popular dates, and less for other dates.

You can see a color-coded calendar of the 2022 Disney World ticket prices here.

Disney World usually offers deals covering all but the most crowded weeks of the year.

Among these, the most popular and valuable has been free dining, which is often available for much of September and selected dates later in the year. This deal did not return in 2021, and may  not return in 2022 either.

You can find any current Disney World deals open to the general public here.

WEATHER AND WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD

Weather. Despite the image people have of Florida as having year-round sunshine and warmth, there’s actually a couple of weather points to keep in mind.

First, winter weather can be much cooler, and much more variable, than people expect.

Second, the summer—especially later June through September—reliably combines brutal heat with brutal humidity with daily thunderstorms.

Third, the peak of the hurricane season is from later August through earlier October.

The weather you find best will depend on your preferences, but to me the ideal weather in Orlando is in later April and mid-later October—easily warm enough for the pool, but not so hot and humid that I don’t want to leave my room.

There’s more on Disney Word weather beginning here.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD

Special Events. Both major and minor special events dot the Disney World calendar.

None but perhaps the Christmas season celebrations and Halloween parties matter much to most first time visitors, but many returning visitors pick their dates to map to one of the major special events:

The spring Flower and Garden Festival

The fall Food and Wine Festival

The fall Halloween parties

The November and December Christmas parties and other Christmas celebrations

The winter Festival of the Arts

RIDE CLOSURES AND WHEN TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD

Ride Closures. Disney World closes rides for refurbishment and renewal at any time of the year, and longer refurbishments can last 6 months or more.

That said, rides are most predictably closed from early January through mid-February.

There’s more on ride closures at Disney World here.

Hope this helps–and if not, check out the links, or ask me a question in the comment form below!

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OVERVIEW: AUGUST 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews August 2016 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.

Prices begin the month low at the deluxes, OK at the moderates, and high at the values. Moderate and value prices drop to among the lowest of the year August 19.

For first-timers who can’t return, the best week is that beginning 8/6–higher crowds and prices than later in the month, but lower hurricane risk.

For those who can return–or are returning–the later in the month, the better.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: JULY 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews July 2016 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 school kid is on break in July, July overall is the most crowded month at Walt Disney World.

Prices begin the month OK at the deluxes and moderates, and high at the values. Moderate and value prices stay at this level all month, but at the deluxes prices drop to low levels on July 12.

Weather is miserably hot and humid all month long.

There are no good weeks in July, but the later the visit the better–especially if you are staying in a deluxe.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: JUNE 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews June 2016 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.)

Crowds build over June, peaking the last week of the month.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: MAY 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews May 2016 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 →]

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 rankings of the weeks of 2017 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 2017 Disney World Crowd Calendar and on the 2017 Walt Disney World price seasons.

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

(For 2018 rankings, see this, and for 2019 rankings, see this. For more how I build these rankings, see this.)

RECOMMENDED 2017 WEEKS, RANKED IN ORDER

The thirteen 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: 12/9/17. A week as good as week 1 on crowds and holiday programs. Slightly more expensive, however, than weeks 1 or 3
• 3: 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 or 2 instead, as Pop Warner guests may make these resorts boisterous this week

Week 4 has lower prices and crowds, and offers in its first few days 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. They are in calendar order, as the weather is better earlier in this period

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

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

• 13: 2/25/17

This completes the weeks in 2017 that are recommended.

2017 WEEKS I’M NOT SO KEEN ON

Weeks 14-20 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.

• 14: 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.
• 15: 5/20/17 Similar to week 12, slightly more heat and humidity and crowds.
• 16: 10/8/17. Columbus Day week, with higher crowds and prices than the great weeks (ranked 7, 8 and 4) that follow it
• 17: 8/5/17  Moderate-plus crowds as the summer season begins to fade away
• 18: 6/3/17.  Beginning of summer–similar crowds to week 17, but slightly higher prices in deluxes
• 19: 4/1/17. Moderate+ crowds and high prices. My draft of this material had this as a better week, but the late-arriving crowd facts ended up not supporting such a position. Moreover, crowds may be higher than my forecast.
• 20: 4/15/17. The week after Easter is usually quite bad, but the late Easter in 2016 has moderated the number of kids on break, especially after Easter Monday. However, crowds may be higher than my forecast.

Note: in May 2017 I changed the crowd forecast for the week of 12/16/17 to “moderate+.”  This would shift it into this group, with a ranking after 20 and before 21.

Weeks 21-28 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 21 and 22 have among the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.

• 21: 9/9/17
• 22: 9/16/17

Weeks 23 to 25 are similar, but with slightly higher crowds than 21 and 22–with 25 forecast to have slightly higher crowds than 23 and 24

• 23: 9/2/17
• 24: 9/23/17
• 25: 8/26/17

Week 26 is at the outer range of low crowds

• 26: 8/19/17

Weeks 27 and 28 are the only moderate-crowd weeks in this hurricane group

• 27: 9/30/17
• 28: 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 29-45, should be avoided because of crowds ranging from high to unbelievable.

This group includes all of later June, July and early August (massive crowds). It also includes the busy March Spring Break weeks beginning 3/11/2017, and the holiday weeks—President’s Day week, the week before 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 days of January (massive crowds), the Martin Luther King Day (1/14/17 arrival date) holiday weekend, and the week before the Pro Bowl (which is January 29th).

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

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