Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

2021 RESORT PRICE SEASONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The material below shows Walt Disney World resort hotel price seasons at different times of the year in 2021.

Resort prices can be more than twice as high during some periods as they are at others. The information on this page helps you identify lower and higher cost periods.

Ticket prices also vary by date. Much of the time, you’ll find higher ticket prices at when resort hotel prices are also higher, but there are nuances to this, as the hotel market is more competitive, and for moderates and deluxes in particular, are affected by both the tourist and convention markets. 2021 Disney World ticket prices are here.

In the below, I compare 2021 hotel prices over the year for each hotel class to that class’s lowest price of the year. I don’t have as many different hotels in the analysis set as I do most years, because many key hotels have not yet re-opened.

Grouping of dates is based on “price seasons,” a grouping tool Disney World no longer makes public, but which can be identified analytically, and named (sorta) based on past practices. Disney charges based on the actual price of the actual nights, so if your visit straddles price seasons, you’ll pay the prices of each price season.

The charts average prices over the next seven nights, by arrival date.  This eliminates what would be otherwise be incomprehensible bumpiness from Thursday/Sunday and/or Friday/Saturday upcharges. For exact prices by night by room type by date, see MouseSavers.com here.

Price patterns over the year are similar to those of prior years, with the exception of the fourth quarter, when–compared to the rest of the year–they are higher in early October, and do not get quite as low as they used to get after Thanksgiving into early December–while still being low these dates than the holiday dates before and after.

One distinct change that affects the early October pattern is that October 1 and October 2 see a new set of higher prices, which I have named the “Anniversary Season” in honor of Disney World’s 50th anniversary–expected to be celebrated beginning October 1, 2021.

2021 DISNEY WORLD RESORT PRICE SEASONS: VALUE RESORTS

When a range is given, the higher end applies to Fridays and Saturdays, and the lower end to Mondays through Wednesdays. Sundays and Thursdays vary, but are typically closer to the lower end. Disney’s Pop Century Resort prices used to illustrate value resort prices.

• The lowest prices of the year–the value season–begin 1/3/2021
• 40% higher prices–RunDisney rates–begin 1/7/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/10/21
• 40% higher prices for the Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend begins 1/15/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/18/21
• 55% higher –the spring season—covers 2/11/21
• 80% higher for the long weekend of Presidents Day begins 2/12/21
• 50-80%% higher –the spring season—begins 2/15/21
• 80% higher–RunDisney rates—begins 2/18/21
• 30%-65% higher–the regular season–begins 2/21/21
• 50-80% higher–the spring season–begins 3/5/21
• 85% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/28/21
• 50-80% higher–the spring season–begins 4/11/21
• 65% higher –RunDisney rates—begins 4/15/21
• 30-60% higher–the regular 2 season–begins 4/18/21
• 65% higher over the Memorial Day long weekend begins 5/28/21
• 40-65% higher–the summer season–begins 5/31/21
• 70% higher over the long 4th of July weekend begins 7/2/21

• 40-65% higher–the summer season–begins 7/5/21
• 25-55% higher–the summer 2 season–begins 8/8/21
• 15-40% higher–the fall season–begins 8/22/21
• 55% higher over the long Labor Day weekend begins 9/3/21
• 15-40% higher–the fall season–begins 9/6/21
• 30-60% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 9/12/21
• 75% higher—the Anniversary season—begins 10/1
• 30-60% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 10/3/21
• 70% higher over the long Columbus Day weekend begins 10/8/21
• 30-60% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 10/11/21
• 20-50% higher–the fall 3 season– begins 10/24/21
• 50% higher–RunDisney rates, I expect—begins 11/4/21
• 20-50% higher–the fall 3 season– begins 11/7/21
• 60% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/20/21
• 20-50% higher–the fall 3 season–begins 11/27/21
• 30-55% higher–the fall 4 season–begins 12/3/21
• 55-90% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/10/21
• 100% higher–the holiday 2 season–begins 12/17/21
• 110% higher–the holiday 3 season–begins 12/26/21

2021 DISNEY WORLD RESORT PRICE SEASONS: MODERATE RESORTS

When a range is given, the higher end applies to Fridays and Saturdays, and the lower end to Mondays through Wednesdays. Sundays and Thursdays vary, but are typically closer to the lower end. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort prices used to illustrate moderate resort prices.

• The lowest prices of the year–the value season–begin 1/3/2021
• 20% higher prices–RunDisney rates–begin 1/7/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/10/21
• 20% higher prices for the Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend begins 1/15/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/18/21
• 35% higher –the spring season—covers 2/11/21
• 55% higher for the long weekend of Presidents Day begins 2/12/21
• 30-45% higher –the spring season—begins 2/15/21
• 55% higher–RunDisney rates—begins 2/18/21
• 25%-40% higher–the regular season–begins 2/21/21
• 30-45% higher–the spring season–begins 3/5/21
• 60% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/28/21
• 30-45% higher–the spring season–begins 4/11/21
• 55% higher –RunDisney rates—begins 4/15/21
• 25-45% higher–the regular 2 season–begins 4/18/21
• 50% higher over the Memorial Day long weekend begins 5/28/21
• 25-35% higher–the summer season–begins 5/31/21
• 45% higher over the long 4th of July weekend begins 7/2/21
• 25-35% higher–the summer season–begins 7/5/21

• 25-40% higher–the summer 2 season–begins 8/8/21
• 25-40% higher–the fall season–begins 8/22/21
• 50% higher over the long Labor Day weekend begins 9/3/21
• 25-40% higher–the fall season–begins 9/6/21
• 35-50% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 9/12/21
• 60% higher—the Anniversary season—begins 10/1
• 35-50% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 10/3/21
• 50% higher over the long Columbus Day weekend begins 10/8/21
• 35-50% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 10/11/21
• 30-50% higher–the fall 3 season– begins 10/24/21
• 50% higher–RunDisney rates, I expect—begins 11/4/21
• 30-50% higher–the fall 3 season– begins 11/7/21
• 50% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/20/21
• 30-50% higher–the fall 3 season–begins 11/27/21
• 40-50% higher–the fall 4 season–begins 12/3/21
• 45-60% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/10/21
• 80% higher–the holiday 2 season–begins 12/17/21
• 85% higher–the holiday 3 season–begins 12/26/21

2021 DISNEY WORLD RESORT PRICE SEASONS: DELUXE RESORTS

When a range is given, the higher end applies to Fridays and Saturdays, and the lower end to Mondays through Wednesdays. Sundays and Thursdays vary, but are typically closer to the lower end. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort prices used to illustrate deluxe resort prices.

• The lowest prices of the year–the value season–begin 1/3/2021
• 25% higher prices–RunDisney rates–begin 1/7/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/10/21
• 25% higher prices for the Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend begins 1/15/21
• Lowest prices of year–the value season–begin 1/18/21
• 40% higher –the spring season—covers 2/11/21
• 50% higher for the long weekend of Presidents Day begins 2/12/21
• 40-50% higher –the spring season—begins 2/15/21
• 50% higher–RunDisney rates—begins 2/18/21
• 30% higher–the regular season–begins 2/21/21
• 40-50% higher–the spring season–begins 3/5/21
• 50% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/28/21
• 40-50% higher–the spring season–begins 4/11/21
• 40% higher –RunDisney rates—begins 4/15/21
• 30% higher–the regular 2 season–begins 4/18/21
• 35% higher over the Memorial Day long weekend begins 5/28/21
• 20% higher–the summer season–begins 5/31/21
• 30% higher over the long 4th of July weekend begins 7/2/21

• 15% higher—the summer season 2—begins 7/5/21
• 5-10% higher—the value season 2—begins 8/20/21
• 20% higher over the long Labor Day weekend begins 9/3/21
• 5-10% higher—the value season 2—begins 9/6/21
• 30-35% higher–the fall season–begins 9/17/21
• 45% higher—the Anniversary season—begins 10/1
• 30-35% higher–the fall season–begins 10/3/21
• 40% higher over the long Columbus Day weekend begins 10/8/21
• 25-40% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 10/11/21
• 35-40% higher–the fall 3 season– begins 10/29/21
• 40% higher–RunDisney rates, I expect—begins 11/4/21
• 25-40% higher–the fall 2 season– begins 11/7/21
• 45% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/23/21
• 25-40% higher–the fall 2 season–begins 11/27/21
• 30-50% higher–the fall 4 season–begins 12/3/21
• 45-55% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/10/21
• 75% higher–the holiday 2 season–begins 12/17/21
• 80% higher–the holiday 3 season–begins 12/26/21

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 160+ stays in them

Kelly, the long-time travel agent partner of this site, can book your Disney World vacation at any Disney World hotel!  Contact her using the form below.

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I’ve color coded the start dates of the various base ticket lengths in Disney World’s date-based ticket pricing system to indicate less and more expensive ticket dates in 2021, compared to prices in all of 2021.

The prices I show are pre-tax, per ticket day, and rounded to the nearest dollar. For 2021, I left out 1 and 2 day tickets, as they are of less interest and technically harder to color code.

In what follows, compared to other dates for the same ticket length

• The more and the darker the green, the better
• The more and the darker the red, the worse.

Dates with black text on a white background are everything else–you can think of them as “typical” or “average” for that ticket length. The technical details on how I color coded are at the end of the post.

I begin with an overview of the year see you can see the flow of 2021 price colors in one spot, and then move to two-month calendars.

If you compare 2021 colors to 2020 colors, you’ll note that while the rough calendar of reddish and greenish periods is the same as 2020, there are more red dates in the fourth quarter of 2021 than I have ever seen before.

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

MARCH AND APRIL 2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

MAY AND JUNE 2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

JULY AND AUGUST 2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER  2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2021 DISNEY WORLD TICKET PRICES

TECHNICAL DETAILS OF COLOR CODING

For each ticket length:

• Ticket prices approximately in the bottom 10% have darker green fill and black text, with the very lowest bolded
• Ticket prices approximately in the next lowest 10% have a lighter green fill and black text
• The next approximately 10% of prices has white fill and green text
• Dates with prices approximately in the 70th to 80th percentile have white fill and red text
• Prices approximately in the 80th to 90th percentile have a light red pinkish fill and black text
• Prices in roughly the top 10% for the year have a darker red fill and black text, with the very highest bolded
• Every other price in between has black text and white fill.

Note that my work is largely based on the rounded per-day prices Disney published. As a result, the “10%” breaks are not exact. Prices shown are also pre-tax.

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WHAT IS OCTOBER LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

Late October has some of the best times of the year to visit Disney World, with nice weather, low-ish crowds, low-ish prices, and fun special events.

The rest of the month is not so good, as

• The first two weeks are still in the peak of the hurricane season
• The second through fourth weeks see extra crowds from fall breaks, and
• The weekend beginning 10/9 sees both higher crowds and higher prices from Columbus Day.

Note also that picking the right park to visit each day is critical at this time of the year. See this, and use the comment form below to ask me about your specific dates!

[Read more →]

WHAT IS SEPTEMBER LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

September at Disney World combines lower crowds with low prices, and typically also has nice deals as well.

This makes it a great month for returning visitors.

But it has lousy weather, combining continuing summer heat and humidity with the peak of the hurricane season, making me not so keen on the month for first time visitors who may never return.

Note also that picking the right park to visit each day is critical at this time of the year.  See this, and use the comment form below to ask me about your specific dates!

[Read more →]

WHAT IS AUGUST LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

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 (and most prices) go down later in the month–but that’s also when the peak of the hurricane season kicks off.

Hotel prices begin the month low at the deluxes and stay low all month long. Prices begin the month OK at the moderates, and high at the values. Values prices drop to lower levels 8/9 and on 8/23 prices drop to among the lowest of the year at the values. Moderate prices also change these dates, but stay within the general band of 10-25% higher than the lowest of the year.

Ticket prices are low in the second half of the month.

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WHAT IS JULY LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

Because pretty much every US schoolkid is on break in July, while shorter periods the rest of the year are more crowded, July overall has traditionally been the most crowded month at Disney World.

The last four summers have been unusually good at Disney World in terms of crowds. However, the new rides that have opened in 2019 and will open in 2020 make me doubt this trend will continue, and I’m expecting a rough-ish summer in 2020 at Disney World.

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