Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

(This page is one of a series explicating Walt Disney World lingo, abbreviations, and FAQ for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.)

DISNEY’S 2012 INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL AT EPCOT

Every year from roughly early March through mid-May, Walt Disney World presents the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.

In 2012, it’s scheduled for March 7-May 20.

The gardens at Epcot are almost always lovely, and they are at their loveliest during this period.

Disney’s own wonderful landscaping is supplemented by additional plantings, topiary, and specially themed gardens.

Also presented are special programs presenting gardening tips, and weekend concerts.

See the official Walt Disney World web page for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival here.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: APRIL 2012 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews April 2012 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 →]

EASTER 2012 AT DISNEY WORLD

2012 Easter crowds (and prices!!) at Walt Disney World will hit a very high peak in the week beginning March 31, 2012, and be as high for most of the week beginning April 7, 2012.

Try your best to avoid Walt Disney World during these two weeks.

For specific 2012 Disney World Easter events (as they are announced)–ranging from where to find the Easter Bunny at Disney World to Easter Sunday services at Disney’s Contemporary Resort–see this page on MouseSavers.com.

For off property Easter services, see this for places of worship near Walt Disney World.

At Walt Disney World itself, typically Easter services are held in the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny greet kids at the Magic Kingdom, and Epcot has Easter Egg hunts.

In addition, many Walt Disney World resort hotels hold “candy scrambles” Easter morning.

Check with your resort when you check in for more details.

[Read more →]

THE 2012 SPRING BREAK SEASON AT DISNEY WORLD

The spring break season at Walt Disney World begins a few days before Presidents Day and extends through the week after Easter.

In 2012, that means from February 16th through April 14.

Crowds will be high from February 16 through February 25, and again from March 10 through April 14.  They will be good in late February, early March, and the second half of April.

For the gory details on crowds, see 2012 Spring Break crowds.

Prices will be very high during the same periods that crowds are high, peaking the weeks before and after Easter, and will be high during the lower crowd periods.

For more details on these prices, see 2012 price seasons.

WEEK BY WEEK COMMENTS ON SPRING BREAK 2012 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD [Read more →]

2013 WEEKS TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD, CONTINUED

This is the second page of these rankings. For the first page of 2013 weeks to visit Walt Disney World, ranked in order, click here.

2013 WORSE WEEKS

The remaining 2013 weeks are not recommended—but still presented in order: [Read more →]

BEST WEEKS FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013 RELEASED!

Yesterday I published my first draft of the recommended weeks of 2013.  You can find it here.

The week rankings are based on the current drafts of the 2013 Disney World Crowd Calendar and projections for 2013 Walt Disney World price seasons, as well as other factors.

When actual 2013 price seasons are released  and more 2012-2013 school year calendars are published (typically in the summer), I’ll update these week rankings.

In 2013, Easter (3/31) is early, and both Columbus Day (10/14) and Thanksgiving (11/28) are as late as they can be. This means fewer good March and October weeks, and more good April and November weeks.

The 2013 week 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, the January and early February weeks would be ranked much higher–with the Marathon and Martin Luther King Day weeks being the worst of these.

WHEN CAN YOU BOOK A 2013 VISIT TO WALT DISNEY WORLD?

Disney won’t let you book a 2013 trip unless it’s within 500 days of the date you book. See this. As I write this, rooms are bookable in all of January 2013 but no later.

Here’s a table of when arrival dates are 500 days before:

Arrival Date    500 Days Before

• 3/1/2013        10/18/2011
• 5/1/2013        12/18/2011
• 7/1/2013          2/17/2012
• 9/1/2013           4/19/2012
• 11/1/2013         6/19/2012
• 1/1/2014           8/19/2012

(See this for 2011 weeks ranked in order, and for 2012 weeks, see this.)

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 2011 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2011 Week Picker, see this
  • For 2012 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
  • For the 2012 Week Picker, see this
  • For 2013 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
• For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For the 2011 Crowd Calendar, click here
  • For the 2012 Crowd Calendar, click here
  • For the 2013 Crowd Calendar, click here
• For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
  • For 2011 price seasons, see this
  • For 2012 price seasons, see this
  • For 2013 price seasons, click here
• For weather at Walt Disney World, see this