Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

2013 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The analysis of 2013 school breaks is done, and based on that, I’ve updated my 2013 Disney World crowd calendar.  It should–barring typos or cataclysms–now be stable through 2013. [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD 2013 SUMMER CROWDS: THE PRINCIPLES

Walt Disney World summer crowds are governed by two factors:

• Public school summer break calendars, which have start and end dates more varied than you’d think
• The beginning of the peak of the hurricane season, in mid-August

Pretty much all kids are off all of July. As a result, July is the busiest summer month, and during it, the week that includes the 4th of July the busiest week.

Varied dates for when summer breaks begin means June can start well (but see below), and then build to high crowd levels.

August has the opposite pattern, beginning with high crowds, but, through the combination of a trickle turning to a flood of back-to-school dates, and savvy travelers avoiding the peak of the hurricane season, it ends quite un-crowded.

Families that can only visit in the summer (for example, school teachers) should go as early in June or as late in August as their schedules permit. [Read more →]

OVERVIEW: FEBRUARY 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews February 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, operating hours, adds a few other notes, and ends with week by week summaries.

[Read more →]

2013 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS UPDATED

Barring possible typos, I’ve got the Disney World 2013 price seasons updated, and so have removed the “projected” language.  Find them here.

For some commentary on 2013 resort hotel prices, see this. For an overall view of Disney World 2013 price and value, especially in the light of changes to evening Extra Magic Hours starting in January, see this.

AVERAGE DISNEY WORLD NIGHTLY PRICES BY ARRIVAL DATE AND LENGTH OF VISIT [Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD SPRING BREAK CROWDS: THE PRINCIPLES

Walt Disney World Spring Break crowds are governed by two and a quarter factors:

• Public school Spring Break calendars, which are still largely framed around Easter
• The demand of snow-belters for a break from winter weather, which peaks in March, and
• The quarter factor, the date of President’s day.  Later President’s Days (which can range from February 15 to February 21) tend to make the first part of March better

An early Easter combines the first two factors, making for more than the usual horrible crowds in March but a great April; a late Easter spreads the first two factors out, yielding some good later March and early April weeks.

Easter 2013, on March 31, is early in the possible range. President’s Day 2013, on February 18th, is in the middle of its possible range.

As a result, 2013 Spring Break crowds at Walt Disney World will be fine the last week of February, iffy the first week of March, and  bad from March 9 through April 6, with the peak crowds (rated 11 on my 2013 crowd calendar) happening the weeks beginning March 9, March 23, and March 30.

2013 PUBLIC SCHOOL SPRING BREAKS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON WALT DISNEY WORLD CROWDS [Read more →]

OVERVIEW: JANUARY 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews January 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, operating hours, adds a few other notes, and ends with week by week summaries.

[Read more →]