Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

2015 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The chart lower on the page shows my forecasts for 2015 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 2016 crowds, click here, and for 2017 crowds, see this.)

Crowd levels are ranked by week from 1-11 in the following way:

1: Lowest of the year

2: Lower

3: Low

4: Low-plus

5: Moderate-minus

6: Moderate

7: Moderate-plus

8: High-minus

9: High

10: Higher

11: Highest

HOW TO INTERPRET THE 2015 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR

Dates are the beginning of the week.

The “low crowd” weeks–those colored green, and rated 1-4–represent the only crowd levels a family visiting for the first time, and unsure if it will ever return, should consider.

However, lower crowds, especially lowest crowds, do not always mean a better week. The lowest weeks are low for a reason–typically because they are in the hurricane or the ride closure seasons.

The “moderate crowd” weeks–those in black and rated 5-7–have crowd levels I would not recommend to first time visitors. However, I’d go during such weeks myself with no hesitation, and think these levels are OK for returning visitors who don’t need to see everything and already know how to work Walt Disney World.

The “high crowd” weeks–those in red, rated 8-11–should be avoided by everyone. They aren’t, which is why they are so high.

MY DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR GOES UP TO “11”

The influence of the Unofficial Guide  and TouringPlans.com has led almost all Disney World crowd calendars to top out at 10.

However, I’ve always thought that the really nastiest weeks of the year deserved an 11 for emphasis.

So, in homage to Spinal Tap, I assigned 11 to “highest.”

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 2015 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2015 Week Picker, see this
  • For 2016 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
• For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For the 2015 Crowd Calendar, click here
  • For the 2016 Crowd Calendar, click here
• For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For 2015 price seasons, see this
  • For projected 2016 price seasons, see this
• For weather at Walt Disney World, see this

Want a second opinion?  Then check out my book lol.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

OVERVIEW: JUNE 2014 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews June 2014 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 week that includes the 4th of July (a Friday in 2014, so the most crowded June week is that beginning June 28).

Moreover, Star Wars Weekends look to continue through June 8 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, leading to massive crowds there on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the 8th.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: MAY 2014 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews May 2014 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 first half of May is a great time to visit, with low crowds, moderate prices, and typically the last gasp of nice spring weather.

Crowds increase in the second half of the month, peaking during the week of Memorial Day, and weather becomes increasingly summer-like.

Moreover, Star Wars weekends look to begin May 16 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, leading to massive crowds there beginning the 16th on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

[Read more →]

2015 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 2015.

(For 2016 prices, see this, and 2017 prices, this)

Ticket prices don’t vary over the course of the year–although they typically have an annual increase during the year. See this for more on ticket prices.

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

2015 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS

Below are Walt Disney World 2015 resort price seasons by resort type. Value prices are based on Pop Century, moderates on Caribbean Beach, and deluxes on the Polynesian.

“X% Higher” means compared to the lowest prices of the year. Because these increases are different on some weekends vs. weekdays, increases are averaged across the recommended 8 night visit.

In addition to the below, Disney ups prices an additional $10-50 per night during certain weekends and holidays–particularly over the Marathon weekend, Martin Luther King Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July weekend, and Columbus Day weekend.

2015 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: VALUE RESORTS

• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/4/15
• 45% higher–the peak season–begins 2/12/15
• 25% higher–the regular season-begins 2/22/15
• 45% higher–the peak season–begins 3/6/15
• 75% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/29/15
• 25% higher–the regular season–begins 4/12/15
• 45% higher–the summer season–begins 5/29/15
• 5% higher–near lowest of year–the value season 2—begins 8/16/15
• 10% higher–the fall season, with low prices, begins 9/11/15
• 50% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/21/15
• 10% higher–the fall season, with low prices, begins 11/28/15
• 45% higher–the peak season–begins 12/11/15
• 80% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/18/15

2015 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: DELUXE RESORTS

• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/4/15
• 33% higher–the peak season–begins 2/12/15
• 16% higher–the regular season–begins 2/22/15
• 33% higher–the peak season–begins 3/6/15
• 45% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/29/15
• 16% higher–the regular season–begins 4/12/15
• 12% higher–the summer season–begins 5/29/15
• 1% higher–near-lowest of year–the value season 2—begins 7/12/15
• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 8/16/15
• 12% higher–the regular season 2–begins 9/25/15
• 10% higher–the fall season, with low prices, begins 10/18/15
• 25% higher during Thanksgiving begins 11/24
• 8% higher–the fall season, with low prices, begins 11/28/15
• 16% higher–the regular season–begins 12/11/15
• 33% higher–the peak season–begins 12/18/15
• 55% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/25/15

2015  DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: MODERATE RESORTS

• Lowest of year–the value season—begins 1/4/15
• 30% higher–the peak season–begins 2/12/15
• 20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/22/15
• 30% higher–the peak season–begins 3/6/15
• 45% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/29/15
• 20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/12/15
• 15% higher–the summer season–begins 5/29/15
• 5% higher–near lowest of year–the value season 2—begins 8/16/15
• 8% higher–The fall season, with low prices, begins 9/11/15
• 30% higher for Thanksgiving begins 11/21/15
• 8% higher–The fall season, with low prices, begins 11/28/15
• 30% higher–the peak season–begins 12/11/15
• 50% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/18/15

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 2015 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2015 Week Picker, see this
  • For 2016 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
• For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For the 2015 Crowd Calendar, click here
  • For the 2016 Crowd Calendar, click here
• For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For 2015 price seasons, see this
  • For projected 2016 price seasons, see this
• For weather at Walt Disney World, see this

Want a second opinion?  Then check out my book lol.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

PICKING THE BEST TIME IN 2014 FOR YOUR DISNEY WORLD VISIT

Earlier this week I published the 2014 edition of this site’s famous “Disney World Week Picker.”

It’s the second most popular tool on the site for deciding when to go to Disney World in 2014–only the 2014 Disney World Week Rankings are more popular.

But these are different tools, and meant for different users.

The Week Rankings (I’ll come back to the Picker in a second, I promise!) are designed for first time visitors who may never return, and for that reason ding some weeks that returning visitors would just love, based on factors like the ride closure and hurricane seasons.

Moreover, the week rankings are based on my judgment on how to weigh tradeoffs between prices and crowds, and–other than that whole hurricane thing–don’t incorporate the misery of summer weather, or the potential absence of pool days in December.

The 2014 Disney World Week Picker, in contrast, puts all the tradeoffs among crowds, prices and weather in your hands. All you need to know is what kind of prices, crowd levels, and weather you want to avoid, and the best weeks that meet those criteria will be shown.

This makes the Week Picker especially appropriate for returning visitors, and for those who want to make their own tradeoffs, rather than use mine.

You can even “not care”–that is, get your weeks based just on prices and crowds, ignoring weather, or just on crowds and weather, ignoring prices. Give it a try!

The results you get will look like the image at the top of the page. That’s an example of weeks with low crowds, low or moderate prices at the value resorts (you get an answer for each resort type as their price differences vary), and avoiding winter.

Wondering when to go to Disney World in 2014?  Then check out the 2014 Disney World Week Picker!

MORE ON WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

• For when to go to Walt Disney World, see this
• For the next best dates, see this
• For the best and worst times to visit, see this
  • For 2013 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2013 Week Picker, click here
  • For 2014 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2014 Week Picker, see this
• For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For the 2013 Crowd Calendar, click here
  • For the 2014 Crowd Calendar, click here
• For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For 2013 price seasons, click here
  • For 2014 price seasons, see this
• For weather at Walt Disney World, see this

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter!!

yourfirstvisit.net’s 2014 Disney World Week Picker is an alternative to the 2014 Week Rankings particularly suited to returning visitors or first-time visitors with specific weather concerns.

The way it works is that on this page there’s four ways to think about wait times, and underneath each four ways to think about prices.

Find how you think about crowds, then click the link underneath that fits how you think about prices.

That link will take you to a page asking what you think about weather.  Click the link on that page, and you’ll get your results!

Ready?  The 2014 Walt Disney World Week Picker starts now!

Click the link that best matches what you think about crowds and prices:

You wish to consider only weeks with low crowds, and:

• Low prices
• Low or moderate prices
• Low, moderate or high prices–just not the highest prices
• You don’t care about prices

You wish to consider only weeks with low or moderate crowds, and:

• Low prices
• Low or moderate prices
• Low, moderate or high prices–just not the highest prices
• You don’t care about prices

You wish to consider weeks with low, moderate, or high crowds–just not the highest crowds, and:

• Low prices
• Low or moderate prices
• Low, moderate or high prices–just not the highest prices
• You don’t care about prices

You don’t care about crowds, but are seeking:

• Low prices
• Low or moderate prices
• Low, moderate or high prices–just not the highest prices
• Damn…you don’t care about prices, either

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!