Category — a. When to Go to Walt Disney World

MADE YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT TO DISNEY WORLD YET?

This site recommends that first time family visitors arrive at Walt Disney World the Saturday a week after Thanksgiving—in 2010, that’s December 4th.

It also recommends that your Walt Disney World plans be firm more than 180 days in advance, because with that timing you can reserve the best—and most quick to book solid—Disney dining venues.

Well, 180 days before December 4 is tomorrow…so have you made your plans for your first trip to Disney World yet?

WHY IS THAT WEEK THE TARGET DATE?

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OVERVIEW

This page outlines December 2010 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, weather, operating hours, deals and discounts, adds a few other notes, and ends with week by week summaries.

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OVERVIEW

The Christmas season at Walt Disney World includes both the best and the worst times to visit, with both prices and crowds at very low and very high levels over the period.

Decorations, special Christmas shows, programs, and events, and Christmas trees are everywhere, making Disney World as special a place to celebrate the holidays as you can find.

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2012 RESORT PRICE SEASONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

The material below shows the different resort prices at Walt Disney World at different times of the year in 2012.

(If you are looking for current deals and discounts, click here. For 2013 prices, click here)

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

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

2012 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS

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THE WALT DISNEY WORLD VALUE SEASON

The only prices at Disney World that change a lot over the course of the year are Disney resort hotel prices.

Theme park admission ticket prices are the same all seasons of the year–although they often have an annual increase in the summer.  Dining prices go up in the peak spring break, summer, and Christmas seasons, but only a little–a few dollars per person per night.

Hotel prices, however, are all over the map–sometimes changing three times in a month–and can vary as much as 95% for the exact same room depending on when you go to Walt Disney World.

Disney has names for these seasons: value, regular, summer, peak, fall, pre-holiday, holiday, mile long, thumper, etc.

However, most people can’t remember any of the names of these seasons except for the value season and the peak season, so this site’s material on Disney World resort price seasons mostly just ignores these names and presents the numbers and the dates.

TYPICAL DATES FOR THE DISNEY VALUE SEASON

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OVERVIEW: WALT DISNEY WORLD IN AUTUMN

Autumn at Walt Disney World—loosely defined as Labor Day in early September through November–is, absent hurricanes, a season with a lot going for it.

The weather begins hot and humid, but moderates over October to some of the best visiting weather of the year.  However, the peak of the hurricane season covers all of September and the first half of October as well.

Crowds are low most of autumn, but with a serious peak at Thanksgiving.

Prices begin as low as they get all year, pop up a bit in October, more at Thanksgiving, and then right after Thanksgiving drop again to the lowest level of the year.  

At the time I write this–early May–deals and discounts are available for September. More may be announced as the season draws closer.

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