Best & Worst Months to Visit Disney World
Choosing when to visit Walt Disney World can be difficult, balancing crowd calendars, seasonal events, park hours, weather, and more. This guide does exactly that to rank the best & worst months, plus some of our favorite weeks.
If you’ve yet to narrow down when you want to visit to a specific month or season, our 2026 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars will help you choose dates based on attendance and average wait times, but that’s it. Accordingly, we recommend many readers consult this resource for the “broad strokes” on when to visit Walt Disney World. Here we’ve re-ranked the best and worst months based on a variety of mostly qualitative and some quantitative factors.
This considers a variety of variables in conjunction with our evolving expectations about Walt Disney World’s attendance. To that end, we regularly share big updates, discounts that are released by Walt Disney World, crowd levels change, etc., we send out email notifications. To receive these, subscribe to our free email newsletter. 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.
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!
As such, these rankings eschew the typical Walt Disney World crowd calendar in favor of a more holistic approach that takes into account more than just crowds when choosing when to visit Walt Disney World.
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, for example, which ranks #8. That’s obviously not great, but summer vacation demand usually fizzles out after the first week, making the two-thirds of the month much better than the first half. Even then, it’s hard to rank August higher due to the weather, and since September is such a superior alternative.
There are similar stories throughout the list. November and December have become busier, but these are such qualititatively pleasant and fun months that we’re hard pressed to rank them poorly even given the higher crowds. 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. 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. In recent years, summer has ceased to be peak season at Walt Disney World.
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.
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.
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.
10. March – Early March is one of our “sleeper picks” for low crowds. Or at least, it normally would be, but for Mardi Gras falling in March instead of February. Consequently, there should be a briefer respite than normal before spring break, but not long enough for March as a whole to rank too highly.
Spring break is the major downside to the second half of March, even with Easter occurring in April this year. In particular, avoid Orange County’s spring break 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.
9. 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, 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!
Starting the Tuesday after Easter, April should improve considerably. Whether crowds drop by enough to move it higher on this list is debatable–but the point is that the last week and a half of April is much better. If that were its own month, it’d rank on the top half of this list.
8. 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. Annual Passholder blockouts lift in August, causing a slight spike in locals, but it’s usually not bad.
The big thing is that 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 there’s typically a large lull in crowds from mid-August through the end of September. August is a tale of two months–still slightly busy as vacation season winds down to start, but significantly better during the second half. Overall, it’s one of the lowest crowd months of the entire year. It’s the weather that drags it down considerably.
7. 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 before that. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party also throws a monkey wrench into Magic Kingdom attendance (but the upside is that it makes heavy crowds easier to predict and outsmart!).
Our expectation is that October marks a return to normal, as was more or less the case this year. That means some spikes around Columbus Day for fall break, with conventions and youth events also resulting in larger crowds. Other than that, the month is only slightly above average–albeit much worse than September.
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 alone, but it’s not a bad subjective choice when Halloween, Food & Wine, and more are added to the equation.
6. 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. That was once again true last year, with Mardi Gras and Presidents’ Day coinciding to make the second half of the month incredibly busy. Several days were so bad that Lightning Lanes sold out.
It’s not likely to be much different next year, even though Mardi Gras moves to March. We expect this month to be slightly worse than January on that basis. However, if you can avoid the dates around holidays, February is still a decent time to visit.
If you’re looking forward to February, the first and last weeks of the month are definitely the ones to choose. Those should see lower crowds, pleasant weather, along with two different EPCOT festivals.
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 to be a repeat of this year and the year before that. Which is to say, that January is a “Tale of Two Seasons.” This year, the month as a whole ended up being 7/10 on the crowd calendar, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story. The first 7 days of the month were on par with the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Crowd levels were 10/10 every day during that stretch…and would’ve been even higher than that if the scale went higher. Attendance spiked again over the MLK Day holiday weekend, too.
However, most of the rest of January was much less busy, with lots of 2/10 and 3/10 days. If you can go after Orange County’s winter break and the Walt Disney World Marathon, January should be a great time to visit. Basically, aim for the second week or thereafter, and skip the mid-month MLK Day holiday weekend. Outside of those red flag dates, January should see fairly low crowds, pleasant weather, and EPCOT Festival of the Arts fun.
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 the cast of Encanto, and they wrote a whole song about how they don’t talk about December crowds.
Suffice to say, the secret has gotten out about December. 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. If you can’t do mid-November, we think early to mid-December is still well worth it from a subjective perspective. And in fact, it might be worth it from an objective perspective, too. Last year, crowds didn’t get truly bad until December 19. Almost every day before that had a crowd level of 5/10 or lower. After that…well…like Bruno, we don’t talk about the chaotic crowds of Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
3. 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. On that basis, September had been our #1 month of the year at Walt Disney World for ages.
But these are qualitative rankings, and I just can’t give September the nod anymore. Not after last year. Even with seasonal events and low crowds–the likelihood of brutal weather is just too much. Heat and humidity make being outdoors unpleasant during September, and it’s a high point in the storm season. (We highly recommend reading Is It Still Worth Visiting During the Fall Off-Season at Walt Disney World? before booking August or September.)
Despite that, it might be worth bearing with the weather to take advantage of those low crowds. That’s doubly true when you consider the fact that prices are cheaper in September and events are held at EPCOT (Food & Wine Festival) and Magic Kingdom (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.) Even in the current era of unpredictable crowds, September should be relatively reliable.
2. May – The entirety of May 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.
In all likelihood, May should be slower at Walt Disney World. Even with the Memorial Day holiday weekend factored into the mix, crowds are typically below average in May as a whole. 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.
1. 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. Early and mid-November are usually good times to visit Walt Disney World, and the week after Thanksgiving is exceptional.
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. If that is make or break for you, visit in the last week of November (which technically also includes part of December).
With the first half of December seeing lower crowds in the last couple of years, the gap between the two months is closing, but November should still retain its #1 ranking as an overall superior pick. Again, so long as you about the aforementioned holiday weeks. Only the week of Thanksgiving is truly bad in November (although Jersey Week is a close second!), whereas only the first two weeks or so of December are truly good.
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. That means arriving on November 28, 2026. (You might actually consider arriving Friday to make your first park day Saturday–last year the entire weekend was slow.)
That’s the sweet spot for the best prospects of good weather, moderate crowds, and experiencing all of the Christmas festivities. For the last couple of years, that week has seen truly low crowd levels–not just moderate. We wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers rebound a little and crowds are in the 4/10 range. If lower crowds are of paramount importance, you can also target mid-November after Veterans Day–just go before the week of Thanksgiving. That week should be slightly less crowded and offer most Christmas entertainment, outside of Epcot.
Beyond this recommendation for our favorite week of the year, we’d refer you to our 10 Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2026 & 2027. Those lists were actually inspired by this, and offering a range of recommendations beyond just the months here. That contains recommendations of dates to visit (and avoid!) in virtually every single month of the next two years. It should be helpful for picking dates, regardless of whether you have maximum flexibility or are locked into weeks when school is out of session.
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 2026 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!
Last time we were at Disney in the summer time was July of 2006. This year we are braving the last week of August going into a few days into September. Although I enjoyed reading the above article and will revisit it for future visits…. I am now starting to feel a bit anxious about 88 days away from our trip. It doesn’t feel good that my upcoming trip ranks 2nd to the lowest but hey…. Just like you said Tom ‘a rainy day in Disney is always better than a sunny day at home’ 😉 so here’s to hoping everything will be fine for my trip and for all the other people braving the not so popular times of the year.
We have been in July and August. You go when you can. As long as you are prepared for the heat (mentally and physically) you’ll be fine. Make sure everyone is fed and hydrated. We would get to the parks when they opened, go back to the resort midday for pool time and to relax a bit, and then head back to a different park for dinner and their nighttime show. We have the best memories from both trips. Have fun!
I will also be there on that week. Arriving the 29th leaving Sept 3. I’ve heard that this is a great week to go in terms of crowds. I was also able to get free dining. I’m hoping the weather is not too hot but I made sure I got the water park option. I’m so excited to finally take my family I’m the only one who has been there many many years ago. I hope they enjoy it. Have a great trip!
YAY! Planning a trip in late September early October (the kiddo has a Fall Break that first week of October) and glad to hear that it will be warm but hopefully not that warm. We’ll be coming from Hawaii so we know a thing or two about humidity and rain but I know Hawaii’s heat, humidity, and rain are not in the same league.
We are heading down the last week of august taking advantage of the free dining plan. We just went in april and the disney bug has got us. Is the last week in August one of the better weeks in august even though the whole month is a low rating?
Any tips or advice for that week?
By the way love reading your blog great job!
That’s when I advised someone to book the other week. Because the crowds are meant to be less.
It’s very hot, but the crowds are very low. We enjoy going then. We just hit the water parks or the resort pools when we need a break. 🙂
This is exactly the type of list I was looking for! The only other factor for us is resort prices, since we’re on a smaller budget. Any differences in the “top 3” times you mentioned in pricing? We were looking at end of Jan-beginning of Feb due to pricing and crowds. Opinion? Tips?
As a child, my family’s favorite time to go was the week after Thanksgiving: low crowds, great decorations!
As a Disney visitor since its opening, I have been every time of year, even the dreaded Christmas through New Year’s, with stage 3 closings (is that real?)! And that was possibly the most fun I ever had! With a good sense of humor, anytime can be great. I agree that years ago, October was the go-to month, but there seems to be no off time now at WDW. F&W is a good time if you avoid the weekends and college drunks; October at MK is great with the Halloween decor as long as it isn’t too close to the 31st; March can be downright cold some years as well as crowded; July and August are out unless you enjoy sweating all day pressed against complete strangers; September is still iffy with tropical storms and high heat, along with rabid football fans taking side trips for the kids; I have only been on day trips during January and February, but lots of rides are down during those months for refurbishing… Wow. Sounds like I don’t like Disney. Fact is, I love it!! My point is that you can’t find a “perfect” time, just a time that is right for you! Consider the factors and what you can tolerate. Enjoy!
We are heading down for a 2 week stay at Fort Wilderness from Sept 30 to Oct 14. Glad to see October ranked so high! We will probably hang at the campground on weekends to avoid the crowds at the parks and hit the Food & Wine festival and MNSSHP during mid-weeks.
It’s hard to argue with those rankings. But I do place some personal longer hours. Even though you can accomplish as much in shorter hours with lower crowds, there is something special about being in the Magic Kingdom past midnight or riding Dumbo by yourself and being one of the last ones out of the park at 2:30 AM. So if I could only plan 1/2 weeks, mine would probably be different than yours.
I think I’d pick late November/early December as a first choice with Christmas decorations and still pretty long park hours. For a second trip, probably late February like you suggest. Seeing real sun after 3 months of grey misery in Ohio is nice.
Similarly, I’d go later in October – end of September/early October is typically perfect weather in Ohio and it’s tough to leave that for the sweltering heat of Orlando.
I’m really excited that October is ranked so high. My husband and I are going the 22-29 of that month and I am really excited. I know it will probably be busier than it the beginning of the month, but my birthday is the 25 so we are doing the MNSSP that day too. I’m literally counting the days now.
I so hope your right- I was just reading your newsletter to my husband and we cheered as after much research and debate we just had our ADRs date today for our 11/27 arrival ( to 12/4 ) not only are we happy with the week we chose we managed to snag free dining for it! We also after a lot of agonizing are going to follow your other advice and attend the 12/1 MVMCP! Also thinking of upgrading to annual passes while we are there so hopefully we can do more research – thanks for all your great information we really treasure it!
Don’t thank me yet. My advice might prove horrible, you could have a miserable time, and end up cursing my name for years. On the plus side, I offer a money-back guarantee (on the advice, not the trip)! 😉
Kidding aside, I’m sure it’ll be a great trip–have fun!
That’s why are back up plan is annual passes – all kidding aside we really enjoy and look forward to your newsletters! Thanks!
We are from New Zealand, and are going to Disneyworld 4th Jan – 11th jan 2017. School finishes just before Christmas for the summer holidays here and don’t go back until the end of January which is the reason we are going in this period. I am hoping it is not too cold, and most of the attractions are up and running.
On average, that’s about as cold as it get in Florida. On the plus side, *usually* the post holiday refurbishments don’t get started until after Marathon Weekend, so there’s that.
This year we will be heading over September 11-17. We are from Louisiana, so the heat never bothered us anyway! My main concern are the potential for hurricanes!
The last two times we went were in January and it was great. In 2010 we arrived the day after New Year’s and had a wonderful time. The parks were empty. Then in 2014 we went for Mardi Gras, not knowing that President’s Week was going to be as busy as it was. The parks were packed!! And it was really cold, for us anyway. We are rope drop people and we froze our tails off waiting for the park to open in 30 degree weather. Once the day went on it got better though.
Living in the Midwest most of my life, I’m pretty acclimated to cold weather, but I *swear* 30-degree weather in Florida is actually more like 15-degree weather anywhere else. Sort of like how it always feels hotter than it really is!
I’d switch November with December. Actually, it would be a combination of both months. I’d go the Friday after Thanksgiving and stay for eight nights. The airfare is slightly lower, and you’re off work anyway. Unless retail is your job ( think Black Friday). Weather is still good at that time of year, and the holiday immersion is right up there with Christmas Day, but minus the horrendous crowds. It really is a good time to go.
Aside from the Friday part of that (in our experience, the parks are pretty busy that Friday and Saturday), your recommended time is exactly what we list as the best week of the year to visit. 🙂
We went last year at the end of August and again in January of this year. It was crazy hot during the first trip, but it rained every afternoon, and that actually made the day more pleasant. My wife was actually cold most of the time because of the constant air conditioning indoors everywhere. It was not crowded at all and we had a great first trip.
The January trip was fun also, much colder and it didn’t rain until the very last day – but that day made up for the whole week. All of our bags got soaked as we were taking them from our room at Port Orleans Riverside to the lobby. The storm started as we were walking and we got drenched.
It wasn’t very crowded in January either. You’re right about the Christmas decorations. Some were still up at the beginning of the trip, and they started disappearing each day. By the end of the trip, they were gone everywhere except Hollywood Studios, which was still fully decorated and even playing Christmas music on January 14th.
One thing to consider is that park hours are different during different months too. In January, the parks closed a lot earlier than late August/early September. We actually didn’t mind, as we have a fairly young son (8 years old). We watched the fireworks at 8:00 and then headed back to the hotel most nights.
You’re absolutely right about park hours. We don’t focus on it in this post, but it’s discussed at length in each of the individual monthly posts. On the plus side, when park hours are shorter, you can accomplish as much or more in those shorter hours, and still have a lot of time late at night to enjoy Disney Springs or other entertainment outside the parks.
It used to be the case that ALL of the Christmas decorations were taken down within 1-2 nights. Now, I think it’s more spread out so they can avoid paying overtime. IMO, that’s a pretty lame excuse for having Christmas music and decor up in the parks until mid-January.
Couldn’t agree more with November and December up top. Christmas is great, the weather is perfect, and crowds aren’t terrible (outside of holidays). I would always rather brave Thanksgiving week crowds with the cool weather over a hot summer week.
Louisiana teacher here 🙂 I see you’ve ranked the last week of February, beginning of March relatively high in a few articles–which is where Mardi Gras falls in 2017. Do you have any experience with Mardi Gras crowds? We’re planning a trip for that time period, knowing there will be many South Louisianians flocking to WDW. I just wonder how those crowds compare to others throughout the year.
PS–love reading your blog. You’re our go-to for Disney 411.
Very few schools have time off for Mardi Gras, let alone an entire week. There might be an ever-so-slight spike February 25-28, but I highly doubt there will be much of an impact. It might seem like Mardi Gras has an impact on crowds, but that’s mostly in years when it coincides with Presidents’ Day breaks, and the real reason for the impact is Presidents’ Day…Mardi Gras is just coincidental.
We went during Mardi Gras week this year (early Feb) and it went really well. Crowds were totally manageable. My only compliant was that it was a little colder than I’d prepared for. Otherwise, it’s a great time to go – I would totally do it again!
Wonderful! That’s what I like to read! Hopefully it’ll be a little warmer for us!
When my wife and I started traveling to WDW around 2007 we used to go exclusively in Sept/Oct – but over the years we learned that a) September is incredibly hot and b) that October had been “discovered”. We made our first holiday trip in 2014 in mid-November and were blown away by all the holiday decorations and festivities (RIP Osborne Lights). It was unseasonably cold as well, which was actually kind of fun – there’s something so appropriate about needing a jacket and gloves in MK while watching Holiday Wishes. I’m so happy to see your top week is the same week our trip is scheduled this year! I think this gives us some sort of Dis-nerd “street cred” when family members come to us for trip planning help. 😉
When I was in elementary school, we scheduled our Disney vacations over long weekends in October and November that often coincided with Columbus Day, conferences, teacher in-services, etc. We generally got a solid 3 days to spend in the parks and the weather was perfect for us chilly Michiganders. I still remember my mom’s exclamation “we woke up with snow in the morning and met Snow White in the afternoon!”
Those type of school breaks are becoming more commonplace (and longer) in October, which is a big reason why it’s more crowded than September (and doesn’t offer Free Dining). I agree that the weather is about perfect when you’re coming from Michigan in Oct/Nov, though!
I would have to say October is nice if you avoid weekends at Epcot. Food and Wine turns into screaming drunk fest then. I’ll pick the first week or two in March as my favorite. I was there this year and loved the small crowds during the week. Plus spring training is going on, and several ball parks are within an easy drive. The added bonus was beautiful 70 degree days.
I appreciate the image of Mars as a hot, red, angry planet, but the astronomy professor in me wants to scream out that the highest temperature ever recorded on Mars is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. July/August in Orlando is more like Venus where the temperature is a melting 800 degrees. I’m sure I’ve seen some people melted into the pavement in Dinoland.
I’ll never let facts get in the way of a
goodlame joke. 😉Totally agree about Food & Wine Weekends. Doesn’t really add to wait times at Epcot, but World Showcase is pretty unpleasant on the weekends.
Great list.
As someone who actually loves rain (& storms), hot weather & small crowds, September has been my go to month for the past decade.
But I must admit that my early December trip 5 years back was incredible thanks to the Xmas decorations & music.. (Although the colder temps and lack of rain bummed me out just a bit)
“lack of rain bummed me out just a bit” <- First time that line has (probably) ever been written when reflecting upon a Walt Disney World vacation. Everyone has their personal preferences, but I think you're in the extreme minority on that one, haha!
Your number one is exactly when we took our last trip, all the way back in 2010. While a couple days we a bit more crowded than we expected, the combo of Christmas decorations in every park and resort and great crowds for the most part, made for a great trip. Our first visit was in Feb 2006 and the crowds were even better but it was quite a bit cooler…I believe it got down to freezing one evening. So we’ve been lucky to visit at two of the best times of the year which was very important for us traveling all the way from So Cal with 2 young children knowing our visits would be few and far between.
I think it’s also important when coming from SoCal to avoid dates with high humidity. I’d take 110 degrees in Palm Springs over 90 degree weather (and the humidity that comes with it) in Orlando.