2022-2023 Best & Worst Months to Visit Disney World
Choosing when to visit Walt Disney World usually means consulting statistical crowd calendars, seasonal events schedules, park hours, and more. This guide the best & worst months in 2022 and 2023 provides info & tips to help you choose, plus our top 4 weeks. (Updated July 11, 2022.)
The last couple of years have been a veritable roller coaster of changes at Walt Disney World, upending most traditional crowd forecasting in the process. Seasonal events, school breaks, and more were cancelled, and travel plummeted. Now, things are returning to normal and, along with that, pent-up demand and changing visitor dynamics is once again making things interesting–and the parks much busier!
Given that our Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars are less reliable, we’re recommending most readers consult this resource for the “broad strokes” on when to visit Walt Disney World. Accordingly, we’ve re-ranked the best and worst months to visit here based on a variety of mostly qualitative and some quantitative factors. This considers a variety of variables in conjunction with our expectations about Walt Disney World’s attendance for 2022 through the first half of 2023…
If you’re still in ‘wait and see’ mode, determining when to book a Walt Disney World vacation, one thing we’d recommend is following our regular updates from the parks and WDW news to track what’s happening and on the horizon–because a lot is changing.
This will give you a good idea of what things are like ‘on the ground’ at Walt Disney World, as well as what to expect in the future. We regularly share big updates, discounts that are released by Disney, crowd levels change, etc., we send out email notifications. To receive these, subscribe to our free email newsletter.
As noted above, these rankings eschew the typical Walt Disney World crowd calendar approach, which has become less reliable in the last few years. Quite simply, too much has changed–and will continue to change. Instead, we’ll use a more holistic approach that takes into account more than just crowds when choosing when to visit Walt Disney World.
Unfortunately, Walt Disney World crowd levels can vary, and can not be forecast with 100% accuracy. As such, you should choose when to visit based on other comfort and enjoyment factors in addition to Walt Disney World crowd projections. It’s more pragmatic to choose when you’ll visit based on a mix of attendance levels plus weather, seasonal entertainment, and special events!
Low crowds during a time when temperatures are sweltering, humidity is off the charts and there are no special events should not trump moderate crowds during a temperate time of year with a special event. Few people evaluate their vacation’s success by some statistical ‘fun quotient’, so why not do likewise when planning, and perform a qualitative analysis when choosing travel dates?
To cut to the chase, the point of this post is to rank every month of the year for visiting Walt Disney World in light of all variables that (we feel) are important with adjustments made for the ongoing reopening of the parks & resorts, operations scaling back up, capacity increasing, and entertainment returning.
Even months with significant and obvious downsides might have tremendous upside. Take August 2022, for example, which ranks #10. That’s obviously not great, but summer vacation demand usually fizzles out mid-month, making the second half of the month much better than the first half.
There are similar stories throughout the list. November and December have become progressively busier over the last several years, but these are such qualititatively pleasant and fun months that we’re hard pressed to rank them poorly even given the higher crowds than August or May. You’ll have to decide for yourself how you weigh those countervailing factors–we’re just giving you some insight into our thinking and methodology.
Anyway, here is our personal assessment of the best and worst months to visit Walt Disney World in 2022. We’d recommend reading the description of each month carefully to make an informed decision about which time frames are best and worst for you…
12. July – This month ranks dead last due to uncertainty and upside, or lack thereof. Last July was the busiest month of the year at Walt Disney World as the parks got hit by an onslaught of pent-up demand. That’s not normal–in recent years, summer had ceased to be peak season at Walt Disney World.
However, Americans made up for lost time during summer vacation, and Florida was one of the top destinations. Thus far, July 2022 has gotten off to a surprisingly slow start, as it appears pent-up demand isn’t nearly as strong and travel is starting to slow down due to inflation, rising gas prices, etc. Obviously, a lot could change between now and July 2023, but we’re expecting above-average crowds.
The big reason behind the low ranking is that July is not a good month to visit Florida because of heat and humidity. The near-certainty of poor weather plus the uncertainty of heavy crowds puts July in last place. With that said, once you plan for the realities of a summer trip, remember: “even a rainy, potentially crowded day at Walt Disney World is better than a perfect day at home.” Don’t get too down on trip–it’ll still be a great time so long as you go in with good strategy and realistic expectations.
11. April – James Franco could make a sequel to Spring Breakers set at Walt Disney World, and it would make the events of the original film seem perfectly tame. Okay, maybe not, but that doesn’t change the fact that Spring Break at Walt Disney World is a time to be avoided if you can.
Given that Easter will be in April every year until 2024, it’s a month that we recommend avoiding if you don’t like long lines. The entire month will be above average, but the weeks abutting Easter will be DEFCON 1. You’d better have some fast fingers (and a fast internet connection!) when trying to book a Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog Dash!
The last two weeks of the month, April 2023 should improve considerably. Whether crowds drop by enough to move it higher on this list is debatable–but the point is that the back half of April is much better. If that were its own month, it’d rank on the top half of this list.
10. June – In a typical year, June starts out slow and gets progressively worse as more schools get out and families begin taking their summer vacations. Crowds start in above-average territory and are high by the end of the month. That’s not what happened this year (summer crowds peaked in mid-June), but our expectation for June 2023 is a return to that familiar pattern.
Another normal downside to June is the weather. Obviously, it’s a hot month, and the average monthly rainfall in June at Walt Disney World is over 8+ inches, and the probability of rain on any given day is above 50%. The upside to June is that it’s typically the less busy of the summer months, with most summer vacations happening in July or early August.
9. August – Feel like Mission: Space is insufficient at simulating a visit to outer space? Then you’ll love August in Walt Disney World, when every day feels like a veritable trip to Venus or Mercury! August sees the mercury rising in Central Florida, and that hot, humid, and rainy weather alone makes August among the worst months to visit.
August is qualitatively the worst month to visit Walt Disney World. Quantitatively, it’s harder to say. August marks the end of “Peak Season” ticket prices, meaning people who postponed their visits to save money will start heading to the parks. On top of that, Annual Passholder blockouts lift in August, causing a slight spike in locals.
However, summer vacation demand starts to burn out by the second week of August as families prepare to head back to school schedules. This results in an overall drop-off in attendance and a lull in crowds from mid-August through the end of September. On balance, August is a tale of two months–somewhat busy as vacation season winds down to start, but significantly better during the second half.
8. March – Early March is one of our “sleeper picks” for low crowds–and will be once again come March 2023 with Mardi Gras moving forward to February. Consequently, there should be a brief respite before spring break, but not long enough for March 2023 as a whole to rank highly.
Spring break is the major downside to the second half of March, and what prevents the month from leapfrogging January and February. In particular, avoid Orange County’s spring break (March 10-19, 2023) as that’ll be the worst week-plus of the entire season, since that local school district has the most outsized impact on crowds.
On the plus side, weather is typically temperate by March, as evidenced by the start of Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival at the beginning of the month. Regardless of the year, we are fans of March dates as a great time for cool weather, moderate crowds, and Epcot coming into bloom.
7. February – For the last few years, February has seen high crowds at Walt Disney World–to the point that we no longer call them “atypically” high crowds. See Winter is Not Off-Season at Walt Disney World or the Most Crowded Month in Two Years at Walt Disney World, both of which break down what happened with winter wait times this year at Walt Disney World.
Aside from the week of Presidents’ Day, this would not “naturally” happen–at least, not to this extent. The winter months of January and February are Florida’s off-season. However, Walt Disney World leverages special and sporting events to boost crowd numbers.
Whether January or February 2023 will be “better” really depends upon the week you choose. If you can avoid the dates around holidays, February is still a decent time to visit–it just sees overall crowd levels that are slightly elevated. The first week of February is definitely the best of both worlds, so if you’re planning a visit in February 2023, that’s the week to choose. (The last full week of February 2023 won’t be attractive since it’ll encompass both Mardi Gras and the Princess Half Marathon.)
6. October – For the last several years, October had been dropping. Thanks to a variety of holidays, school breaks, conventions, and other events, October had become one of the busiest months of the year at Walt Disney World in terms of average wait times. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party–which is returning for October 2022–also throws a monkey wrench into Magic Kingdom crowds.
Last October wasn’t bad at all, but there’s reason to believe it was an anomaly, with spiking case numbers driven by Delta and fears of the 50th Anniversary driving record attendance causing cancellations. Special events, group bookings, and conventions are already returning to Walt Disney World in a big way. In recent history, October has been a big month for those. Our expectation is that October 2022 sees a significant year-over-year increase in crowds as a result.
Nevertheless, October remains attractive for its seasonal events at Epcot and Magic Kingdom and improving weather. We can’t recommend this month from the perspective of crowds, but it’s not a bad subjective choice when Halloween, Food & Wine, and more are added to the equation.
5. January – This is the “holiday hangover” at Walt Disney World. It’s sort of like Walt Disney World ate too many Christmas cookies and is too lazy to get off the couch and take down the decorations, with this mentality continuing long after the tree is dead to the point where its wife is embarrassed when it finally throws out the tree. (Not that I know from experience or anything.) On the plus side, January offers mild weather and the Epcot Festival of the Arts is fantastic.
When it comes to crowds, expect January 2023 to be a repeat of this year and 2020 before that. Which is to say, that January is a mixed bag. Avoid Orange County’s Christmas break, the MLK Day holiday, and 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon. Basically, target the week of January 22, 2023–hopefully, that will see moderate or even low crowds.
4. December – If Disney Vacation Club is the “Best Kept Secret,” the beginning of December being the best time to visit is “Disney’s Second Best Kept Secret.” Unfortunately, there’s just a pinch of sarcasm here. It’s as if the both ‘secrets’ were entrusted to Harvey Levin, and have been plastered everywhere.
The secret has gotten out about early December, and that coupled with Disney’s more strategic use of blockout dates and dynamic ticket pricing has shifted attendance somewhat. Crowds are still not as bad as other peak seasons, but it’s no longer the ghost town that it once was. We still view the first two weeks of the month as desirable times to visit, even despite being about as “secret” as the In-N-Out Secret Menu.
Pleasant weather plus Christmas decorations & entertainment are the big highlights here. It also helps that Pop Warner has moved to Universal, so that won’t contribute to crowds. However, a lot of Walt Disney World fans delayed annual holiday visits last year, and that plus it being one of the final few months of the 50th Anniversary could lead to December 2022 being well above-average. If you can’t do mid-November, we think early to mid-December is still well worth it from a subjective perspective, even if that means 8/10 crowd levels.
3. May – The entirety of May 2023 will fall before summer tourist season and our expectation is that–after several months of consistently high crowds for one reason or another–May will be another return to normal as the calm between Spring Break and Summer 2022.
Even with the Memorial Day holiday weekend factored into the mix, crowds are typically below average in May. Most schools aren’t out of session this early, and there’s a lag between when kids get out of school and families take their big summer trips, anyway.
The main downside to May is that heat and humidity can really start intensifying in May, but still not as bad as the summer months that follow. However, May is the first month of the year during which it’s not uncommon to see the temperatures broach 90-degrees and the humidity reach high levels.
2. November – Save for Thanksgiving and Veterans Day weeks, neither of which are as bad as the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weeks in terms of crowds, November is similar to December. Mid-November is usually a decent time to visit Walt Disney World, and the week after Thanksgiving is exceptional if you don’t mind elevated attendance.
The upside to November are that the weather is generally more temperate. The downside is that not all Christmas entertainment starts until after Thanksgiving (specifically at Epcot), and some resort hotel decorations are not up during the first half of the month. However, in the last few years crowds have spiked significantly in December, making November 2022 an overall superior pick so long as you about the aforementioned holiday weeks. Essentially, the 1st, 3rd, and final weeks of November 2022 are all solid times to visit, whereas only the first week or so of December 2022 will be good.
1. September – Every single month that was once the off-season has seen soaring crowds at Walt Disney World in recent years, with one exception: September. Nothing has moved the needle on fall off-season crowds–not the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, not the anticipated pre-50th Anniversary lull, and not perpetual picks by crowd calendars that September would be the slowest month of the year.
When judged solely on the basis of crowds, September is always the best month of the year. Aside from Labor Day weekend, September is relatively slow, especially earlier in the month. While Walt Disney World has been able to manipulate crowd levels in other off-season months, that has not happened with September. After Labor Day, the entire month is off-season, with the lowest crowd levels of the year.
September remains resilient and “crowd-proof” because most people simply cannot visit during the month due to school going back into session, or don’t want to do so because of the weather. Speaking of which, heat and humidity make being outdoors unpleasant during September, and it’s a high point in the storm season. Despite that, it’s absolutely worth bearing with the weather to take advantage of those low crowds, especially later in the month. Even in the current era of unpredictable crowds, September 2022 should be relatively reliable.
The culmination of all of this? That our favorite week to visit Walt Disney World is the Sunday after Thanksgiving through the first Saturday of December. For this year, that means arriving on November 27, 2022. We think that’s the sweet spot for the best prospects of good weather, moderate crowds, and experiencing all of the Christmas festivities.
Note that crowds will not be low during this week. At best, you’re looking at numbers in the 7/10 range. If lower crowds are of paramount importance, instead target November 13-18, 2022. That week should be slightly less crowded and offer most Christmas entertainment, outside of Epcot.
Backtracking a bit, our next favorite time is during the last week in September 2022. This starts September 25, 2022 and capitalizes on the lower crowds of September while also increasing the odds of milder and hurricane-free weather. This also hits both Halloween and Food & Wine seasons.
While we don’t expect anything special for it, October 1, 2022 is Walt Disney World’s 51st Anniversary and Epcot’s 40th Anniversary. There’s an outside chance TRON Lightcycle Run will debut on that date, along with other entertainment, and perhaps a small celebration. Don’t count on any of that, though.
Next, we’d do the last week of January and first week of February 2023 as our third choice. All dates after MLK Day in January and before Presidents’ Day weekend in February should be pretty good, but we view this as the sweet spot. There are no holidays, no runDisney events, and the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts will likely be in its second week. Weather should be better than early January, but still mild and comfortable.
Even if winter crowds follow the elevated pattern of 2020 and 2022, this particular week still looks good and should see below average crowds. It should also be a far above-average qualitative time to visit, which counts for a lot.
For week #4, we’d look to the first full week of March 2023. This would likely hit the start of the 2023 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival, which is a lovely event. It also hits the gap between Mardi Gras and spring break season, which should be advantageous from a crowd perspective.
Ultimately, that’s a rundown of the good & bad of crowds at Walt Disney World. As you might’ve gathered by reading the entries, the various months don’t really demarcate attendance levels. To the contrary, it’s really more about school breaks and holidays, and the stretches before and after those.
Consequently, mid-January to mid-February is more of a distinct window than either January or February, late April has more in common with May than with early April, mid-August is more like September than early August, and the last few months of the year are all about holiday breaks (or the lack thereof).
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our 2022-2023 Walt Disney World month by month rankings? Are there any months you think are better or worse than we have them ranked? Any specific ideal weeks that you’d recommend people visit Walt Disney World? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Welp. I just visited during the exact dates in September you recommended (Sept 26th-Oct 1st) and guess what? The crowds were low, but the hurricanes were not. Thanks, Ian!
Hi there, we have to schedule our next visit around the kids’ school calendar. Either the summer months (which we did in July of 2020- unbearable crowds and sub disney experience all around) – or crowded holiday weeks. We are planning an Easter Week Visit this year, but reading the above comments, maybe we should rethink it? How bad is it? Any upside? Also, any thoughts on staying at Bay Lake or Beach Club? Thank you in advance!
Stay at the Beach Club. Just spent 2 weeks at the Poly as preferred our previous holiday at the Yacht club due to location.
Have been to WDW at Easter and it was very crowded the week leading up to the Bank Holiday but the weather was much better than August.
If it’s only a week or so, I’d just have the kids miss a few days of school and go during optimum weather and crowd times.
Hi,
We are currently booked 3/24/23-3/31/23, does anyone have opinions on the crowd possibilities for that week. We were hoping it was post spring break and pre Easter crowds. We could move it it the last week of April. Not sure
We have been going the last week in April, first week of May for decades and have found that to be one of the best and least crowded times to visit. Easter and spring breaks are over and children are still in school. Weather is usually perfect too.
Totally agree with Barbara, the last time we visited was the last few days of April and first week of May 2017. Crowds were LOW. There were cheer groups but they didn’t effect the parks at all. Hot but not too bad. If you are planning on going the last week of March you will still have Spring Break crowds. Our next vacation is the week before the Thanksgiving week 2023. We want to see Christmas and maybe better weather.
Meant to say we want to see the Christmas decorations in November 2023 🙂
Thanks for this review. I am between going early may of 2023 or first week of march 2023. It seems like from your post you think the March week for this year would be better? Is that more because of weather that you prefer over May? which do you think will be less crowds
We are considering April 5-10, 2023. This is the week before Easter and we are hoping that we would have Wednesday (5th), Thursday and Friday during the day with less crowds. I imagine crowds will pick up Friday night (7th). Are the parks usually busier the week prior to Easter or the week after Easter?
Hey Angela,
Spring breaks are at all different times now in California. Depends on the district, therefore anytime around Easter may prove to be more crowded. My favorite tip is to visit Tuesday + Wednesday before Memorial day weekend. Also, starting January 1 if you are a Southern California resident you can get the 3 day pass for pretty inexpensive as this is the only time of year they offer that. Also, they currently are running an $83/day promo. Seriously the best deal is to purchase tickets at a grocery store, especially Ralphs or one that you may have credit card grocery reward points or fuel rewards at. The tickets add up and getting airline miles, fuel rewards, cash back etc. using your credit card is a game changer. You can buy at Ralph’s, Smart and Final, Raleys, Target, Cardenas, Superior and Super A. The tickets are sold through ScanIt where you find the giftcards. Scan the QR code, select your tickets, enter your email and a barcode is generated. Reservations are really open right now!!
Also, Target is offering a $20 instant rebate right now if you buy their current promo in their stores!!
Your tips are the best. Mid November is my favorite for the reasons you have said. The crowds seem to be good, the weather is beautiful and many of the Christmas decorations are up. We did go in September once and I really liked that month too. The crowds were low & the Halloween party was my favorite, but it was pretty hot. It worked out well for us, because we hit the beach for a couple of days.
I love May too!
you forgot to warn the readers about Jersey Week! All fo New Jersey shows up at WDW =P
Going late August and banking on lower crowds due to return to school, and hitting the big parks on weekdays to keep the locals away
As a h.s. teacher in Ontario, I end up in some of the worst crowd times. March 2022 was awful for crowds, though great weather. Then there’s mid August. Yup…that’s my trip.
I’m booked for the first week of may 2022. Any thoughts on crowds for that week?
Hello, I don’t know if this will help. We went the first week of May in 2017. And it was Perfect for low crowds. Cheerleading was going on, it did NOT effect crowds.
Just wondering what days of the week are best for each park? Thank you
We bought into DVC in 2008 and since 1998 ( our first visit) we have been to WDW 16 times, so we have seen the changes over the years. We are two days into a six day stay and I have to say WDW has very nearly ruined the attraction of going to WDW. Mainly due to having to purchase access to the rides, unless you want to grow old while in the line. I understand the need to make $$$ to pay for all the expenses that WDW incurs, but one would think that would come with the price of admission. I have a very novel idea…why not just have 2 stand by lines instead of one stamd by and one lighting lane? Then everyone would be on an even playing field.
I totally agree. We are frequent visitors but doubt we will be anymore. Trying to book rides that Have to pay extra to get into is absurd. Then if your phone pukes or the system crashes you are totally out of luck. I can’t wait to go home tomorrow and I thought I would never say that. Disney is no more magical.
SHHHHHHHH!!! The Sunday after Thanksgiving week has been my go to for years. Way to blurt that out there Harvey! In all seriousness, we usually target this week and usually begin our stay on Saturday, even if that means a split stay. We drive (DC metro area) and made the mistake one year of arriving on Sunday. 4AM departure and traffic was non-existent until we hit the GA border and from there I95 was a nightmare. A typical 12 hour drive was extended to 16 hours and we almost missed out late dinner reservations. Never again!
I’m very surprised April ranked as a bad month
Most states in the USA have spring break in March—not April???!
When Easter is in April many schools have spring break at that time. Especially private schools. It’s common where I live.
@Melissa- April is Easter break and most elementary schools have some days off with many having the full week for the holiday even if not the whole week so there’s about a two week period surrounding the holiday where folks have some flexibility in school schedules so it ends up being a busier time
We live in MA and most northeast states have April Vacation. It’s the week after Easter this year. I think it doesn’t usually occur down south, but since our schools don’t get out till end of June it’s a popular vacation week.
We booked first week of April based off your previous prediction of match spring break ending and 3 weeks before Easter. Wish us luck – hoping it’s a sweet spot.
We’ve been the last week in Sep for the last 8 years and it is always wonderful. It is hot and humid but the crowds being low really makes up for it. Our school district has that week off and it has been fantastic every year!
I’m not sure this prediction on September will hold true this year. A lot of the resorts are booked up, and it’s next to impossible to rent DVC points for anything ‘cept Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. I’m hoping you’re right and I’m wrong, though. We’ve planned a trip for September simply because of expected low crowd levels.
As someone who visits the parks frequently, I feel like the pandemic letting up has made everyone flock to the parks. So the crowds are higher constantly. I have been going at times when normally it hasn’t been crowded and most rides are walk ons. I have yet to hit the mark on that this year. The lines seem to be over an hr even for the dinky little rides no one really goes on. It’s very unpredictable right now. And the bar for whats considered “low crowds” is very very different than pre-pandemic. That being said, the DVCs, resorts and restaurant reservations being booked, are mostly due to a staffing shortage. Them being booked, doesn’t necessarily mean those rooms are actually booked.