Best Year to Visit Disney World?
When to visit Walt Disney World is a common question, and as construction has increased, readers have been asking about the best year for a Walt Disney World vacation instead of months or weeks. At this point, it’s whether to wait or go for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021?
With a slew of Opening Dates & Details for Resorts, Rides & Restaurants at Walt Disney World Announced, the massive Epcot reimagining well underway, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance now open (click here for our spoiler-free ride review), we thought it’d be worth tackling this topic.
It’s been such a frequently asked question and point of concern that we have a separate What’s New & What’s Next at Walt Disney World in 2021 & 2022 post, and mention when to visit in terms of years in our regularly-updated Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide. Suffice to say, for those planning a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, choosing the best time with the most new things open and the least construction is important…
There are some definite upsides to waiting. Walt Disney World is in an unprecedented era of expansion, much of which follows a period of stagnation that occurred in the aughts. Frankly, this is playing catch-up, and should have happened years if not a decade ago.
This huge expansion is the obvious reason to wait, and we’re going to delve into timing these numerous projects to take advantage of the most openings and least construction. However, there are also significant downsides to waiting, as we will also cover here.
We’d hazard a guess that people reading this are going to fall squarely into two camps: those like us who visit annually or more, and those who are planning a first-time (and depending upon how that goes, only time) visit, and wanting to choose the best time.
Rather than posing a question in the post title and not answering it, we will provide two very specific times when those of you in the latter group should visit: late November or early December 2021 and mid-January 2022. Obviously, these are not the only times we’d recommend visiting (to the contrary, we ourselves will take countless trips between those times), but if we had to pick only two times to visit between now and then, those timeframes would be it.
Let’s start with right now. The biggest expansion at Walt Disney World in recent memory is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and that’s done now that the second ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, has debuted. This is the flagship attraction of Star Wars Land, and the biggest budget ride that Walt Disney World has ever built.
Additionally, the Disney Skyliner gondolas are operating, all construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has wrapped up, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is now open. Plus, both Grand Destino Tower and Disney’s Riviera Resort are now open.
Really, any time between now and November/December 2021 is also workable if you simply follow our normal When to Visit Walt Disney World advice to avoid higher crowds. The big thing we recommended waiting for was Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Now that it’s open, there’s less reason to delay. (It was worth the wait!)
Our basis for recommending late November or early December 2021 is because we like Christmas, not because something incredible is opening this fall. October 1, 2021 is the important date, as that’s Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Everything new for 2021 will have debuted by then.
There’s also the downside of waiting until Christmas, and that’s the likelihood of increased construction at Epcot as that park continues the rest of its huge reimagining. Future World is currently in rough shape, and that’ll likely continue throughout this year.
In fact, this is such an issue that we have a separate Should You Skip Epcot? post that discusses the pros and cons of visiting during this state of transition. We think most people will still want to see Epcot–and World Showcase is pretty much free of construction–but it’s still worth reading that and seeing all of the photos to mentally prepare yourself for how Epcot looks right now.
Magic Kingdom is another park that will likely see more work done in the next year or so, especially as it gears up for enhancements set to debut during the nostalgia-heavy Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.
One of these placemaking projects is the Royal Makeover of Cinderella Castle, which is now finished. We anticipate more around Magic Kingdom following that in preparation for the park’s golden anniversary. Speaking of which…
Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, meaning that its 50th Anniversary will occur on October 1, 2021. It might seem logical for its anniversary celebration to begin on that date, but this is not official. It’s just as likely that an 18 month celebration would begin slightly before then.
If the 50th Anniversary celebration is underway by September 2021, that would be an ideal time to visit. It’s the heart of off-season, and will have lower crowds than October (albeit less desirable weather).
We anticipate October 2021 to be incredibly crowded, with many longtime fans planning ‘homecoming’ style family trips to celebrate the momentous occasion. There is always a surge of guests for any 5 or 10 year anniversary, but the 50th should see a significantly greater influx of crowds–especially if Walt Disney World puts on a meaningful event.
Irrespective of crowds, we will be among that group. As with many other longtime fans, we’re eager to pay tribute to a magical place that has meant so much to us. If you’re a first-timer, infrequent visitor, or just averse to crowds, going in October 2021 may not be as appealing to you.
Accordingly, mid-January 2022 is a time during the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration when many of the big additions will be open. It’s also during a season when the crowds should generally be lighter and when the weather is nice.
Going during this off-season month will help blunt the (anticipated) increase in overall crowd levels between now and 2021. However, as we discussed at length in our Peak Crowds in Winter “Off-Season” at Walt Disney World post, crowds in the doldrums of winter have been surprisingly bad for the last two years.
The good news is that Walt Disney World is anticipating huge crowds and has projects in both Epcot and Magic Kingdom to help absorb those crowds, and pull guests away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The bad news is that the earliest of those large-scale projects will open in Summer 2021, with other projects debuting in 2022.
Another potential, significant downside to waiting is cost. As demand and attendance increase, so too will prices. While it’s impossible to prognostic exactly how high room rates will surge, it’s easy to envision a scenario with a 25% across the board increase between now and 2022. We’ve already seen more significant bumps at the Disney Skyliner resorts.
The thing is, Walt Disney World prices do not exist in a vacuum. There are also scenarios where such price increases are not sustainably in light of larger economic circumstances. In the last several years as consumer confidence and the markets have soared, so too have Disney’s prices.
It remains our belief that an economic ‘correction’ is on the horizon at some point in 2021 or 2022, and that would undermine Disney’s ability to continue such price increases unabated. Accordingly, you might actually be able to enjoy an improved guest experience and the above-mentioned amenities while actually pay less than current prices. Or perhaps that’s a pipe dream on our part. Everyone has their own perception of the economy, so don’t substitute our judgment for your own.
Of course, all of this is speculation on our part. The only thing we know for sure is that Walt Disney World has a history of price increases, would undoubtedly like to increase prices more, and will do so if the market will bear it. If the market won’t, prices will decline. Unfortunately, if a recession does occur, it could also impact your ability to travel. But we’re veering too far off-topic now.
Suffice to say, we think there’s really no time like the present to plan a trip to Walt Disney World. For the last two years, we’ve been advising a lot of vacation planners to wait, so it’s good to finally be in a position where the fruits of all this construction are (mostly) about to come to fruition. While there is some upside to waiting until Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021 or visiting in early 2022, there are also a lot of unknowns about that, and the biggest expansion in WDW history is already complete. In the immortal words of the Sherman Brothers:
“Now is the time now is the best time
Now is the best time of your life…
Yesterday’s mem’ries may sparkle and gleam
Tomorrow is still but a dream
Right here and now you’ve got it made
The world’s forward marching and you’re in the parade!”
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 recommendations for visiting Walt Disney World in the next few years? Are you looking forward to visiting once big additions, including Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, are open? Will you wait until Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Any thoughts or predictions of your own to add? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Do you think September will see a surge for the new Toy Story land? I guess that may depend on when it actually opens. We are planning 2nd week of September 2018. I have also been wondering if having 2 hurricanes close down WDW in the last 2 years will impact crowds during peak hurricane season. What do you think?
I always wait for your article every week it is always filled with helpful information. We are planning WDW March 28 – April 3. Should we hope to be offered some discount, like Play, stay and dine ? Thank you
We just got back and while we had a great trip (4 park days, non-hoppers) we are bone tired and that was with 2 littles, so we didn’t tour open to close. Pandora was wonderful and Flight of Passage was incredible, but as a family we felt less excited by the other 3 parks. MNSSHP was a waste of money with little kids who passed out while waiting for the 1st parade. Right now, I can see holding off until 2021, when Star Wars, Toy Story Land, Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ratatouille should all be open, and maybe save up for a one day VIP tour. The only thing about that plan that makes me sad is that my youngest will have missed that sweet spot for character interactions where they are old enough to not be scared but young enough to really believe in the magic.
We went back and forth about September or November for 2018. We went in 2014 and 2016 but we want free dining this time with the bad Canadian dollar.
We tentatively booked for September 8 2018 at Coronado hoping to get free dining. If not it’s end of November. Then a break until the 50th in 2021. Time to see some other sites.
Hoping that week in September will still be bearable crowd wise!
I booked for that same day because it’s supposed to be such a small crowd week. I hope that stays true too!
The only reason I’m waiting until 2019 is so I can save up some money for the trip. I could plan a trip for 2018 but my budget will be tighter. I’d rather wait and be more relaxed and not worrying as much about paying for the trip. I probably won’t go to the Star Wars Land anyway. I’m a Trekkie!
Kiersten Rives
Personally, I think anytime would be a good time to visit, time (and finances) permitting. We have almost become annual visitors (3 trips in 2 years), after telling my then 6 year old not to think we would be going to WDW every year. Of course, with our 10th wedding anniversary coming up and planned second honeymoon (this time, with our child), we are actually going to skip a year (or two), meaning our next trip it should be fairly new (to us).
Also, I guess the question of to wait or not depends on weather or not you are a fan of what is being added. Toy Story, yes (as of now); Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy, my little one has never seen (other than commercials for the latter), so that’s not an issue for us.
I am from Australia and have currently visited every 2 years since 2013 and will be back in May 2018 so will just miss all of the action but am still very excited. In 2013 the AUD matched the USD but now every US$1.00 is AUD$1.30 which means $250 room rates for you guys is $325.00 for us. It gets harder and harder for us to come as prices rise unfortunately. We will still probably go still though because it’s my favourite place on earth!
We are looking at a first week of November 2018 trip right now. Our last 2 (and only, so far) trips were Sep 2015 and Jan 2016, so it will have been a while.
We decided not to wait until 2020 or later because our last trips were so amazing and we still talk about them. Our first trip was our best family vacation ever (although Aulani this summer comes close).
Some other stars are aligning just right for the trip. It will be our son’s 10th birthday, and we will hopefully run in the Wine & Dine too.
As Southern California residents, we tend to do Disney passes on a one year on, two years off schedule so that it’s fresh and new when we come back. If we time it all right, our passes will end just after Star Wars land opens here, so we don’t mind visiting WDW before it’s open there.
Great post!! We are planning our first trip from Finland for September 2019, before Star Wars. Looking for cheaper prices and low crowds. Do u think Mickey’s ride will open before Star Wars?? Would it have any. Impact in crowds??
Honestly, no clue whatsoever as to when it’ll open. That’s one thing I’ve heard zero rumblings about. I suspect it won’t have a huge impact on overall crowd levels, although obviously it will be incredibly popular.
We are heading to Naples, FL for a family commitment in April of 2018. Being in CA, we don’t get to FL very often, and we had no hesitation planning to visit WDW on that same trip (this will be my kids’ first WDW trip, and my husband’s and my first since 2005.) I made these plans knowing full well that there would be construction, that many feel DHL is not worth it, and that there would be new major openings in the time immediately following our visit. But the way I figure it, even a “suboptimal” WDW trip is better than no WDW trip, and I know my sons (who will be 4 and 9) will absolutely delight in everything about it.
I go about every other year. I’ve been so often I never feel rushed as I don’t have to do everything all the time. Prices keep rising and my budget gets tighter. Sometimes I’ll just need to get out of our winter cold. drive to Florida and sit on the beach, but I’ll still book a day at a park, 2 at a different resort try a new restsurant and continue my little get away. The advantage of being retired and close enough (about 17 Hours) away.
This post has made me so relieved that we’re going Last week of Oct and first week of November! Close enough to your prediction anyway
I had been focusing in on a possible early Dec. 2019 trip for my 40th birthday. If that ends up being the target for Star Wars Land opening I don’t know about being able to handle the chaos and the probable price spikes and competition for rooms. It’s making me think a Dec. 2018 trip for the 39th may be a better idea. Maybe I can do Disneyland (my home park and heart) instead for the 40th. It’s far closer to home and if SWL opens earlier there it may be a little calmer. (Not much calmer, but at least I know DL)
‘There is no time like the present’. ‘Save your money for a rainy day’. Which one do you live by? A little of each probably. You need to plan for a vacation the same as you do for Christmas. One can actually be the answer to the other. There is no better gift than a family trip to WDW (albeit, not during Christmas week).
In 1973, without knowing much about Disney World, I booked a trip. Money was in short supply, but we planned and saved. That trip was the first of many. It is also the one we talk about most. My son and I just spoke about it today. Although he and his brother were just four and seven, they remember every part of it.
Time passes, children grow. One cannot get the years back. I’m so thankful I had the foresight to make those reservations. I learned a valuable lesson from an uncle, who never took a family vacation, saving his money for old age. On the first day of his retirement, he passed away. Maybe that was the impetus for me to pick up that phone, I don’t know. But you get the message. Plus, on the practical side, prices are certainly not going to go down.
I don’t know if your question was rhetorical, but we do live by both. I’ll add another cliche to the mix that encapsulates our philosophy: “collect memories, not things.”
We try to spend as little as possible on ‘stuff,’ while simultaneously saving money and traveling.
(We agree with your sentiment completely, by the way.)
Yes, my question was rhetorical. But if it wasn’t, your answer (“we do live by both”) would be correct.
As a single mom, I cut corners, coupons, and everyone’s hair as a way to save money for Disney vacations, and went many times with my children and grandchildren. Those memories mean everything to me.
The Magicbands came today for next month’s trip. It’s silly how excited I was to see them.
This is such a touching post. It always seems odd for me that there are people who think of Disney as the most cynical kind of consumerism, when what it means to me is family, memories, and magic. I’ve never seen my son’s face light up like he did when he met Elsa whe he was 4. I’ll be going back with them as long as they want to keep going, construction walls or no (we’ll just have to spring for park hoppers to deal with the lack of options at DHS in the short term)
Great article, as always! 🙂 I think you are spot on with the waiting – if ya pushed off a trip every time something new and exciting was announced, you’d be waiting forever. I’ve been trying to encourage friends that they can always go again but they seem bent on waiting until everything they are excited for is open.
This is an aside, but you mentioned a 40% discount added for CMs through March ’18. I’m doing the DCP this spring, so I’ll be a CM in January. I was wondering where you found info on current CM discounts? It would be great to get an idea of what I can expect as a CM! 🙂
I am a current Cast Member, albeit, not at WDW. I’m an out-of-towner who visits WDW or DLR once every 12-18 months. The specifics of your perks may be different. Generally speaking, you get free admission to the parks (with blackout dates), generous discounts on resorts (anywhere from 25-60% depending on time of year) and 20% off merchandise (increases with years of service – I’m at 35%). Food is weird. Very few QS give a discount, while almost all TS do. It seems that resort QS does while park QS does not. Some TS, though, require you visit during lunch or after 8pm to use your discount. It’s generally 20%, though some are at 40%. (Specifics can be found on The Hub once you have your account.) Note that places like the Confectionery are considered merchandise, so your discount works there. My strategy is to keep my ID handy and ask everywhere I go. It can be rather random. (My non-park perks include discounts on Disney Broadway tickets, Disney Store, Disney Cruises, Adventures by Disney, and Aulani. Though, I don’t know if College Program includes all that.) Hope that helps! Enjoy your time and abuse the discounts while you have them!
Thanks Tom for a great article, as always. Just curious, what effect do you think the opening of a 5th gate would have on ticket prices, resort prices, etc. (in a hypothetical situation where one were to open)? Or would it depend on the associated intellectual property represented in that park? It seems only natural that that would be the next project to which Disney would turn after the next ~5 years of expansions/updates are completed. Curious to hear what your thoughts are.
I think there’s almost zero chance of a 5th gate in the next decade. Average duration of visit is what would necessitate that, and American vacation length is decreasing, not increasing. Given that, and due to it being cheaper to add onto existing parks to improve capacity, I think it’ll be a while before another gate is built.
Thanks for the thoughtful analysis. Hotel prices have doubled or tripled GDP and average wage growth for the past several years. I wonder at which point that becomes unsustainable? (We haven’t reached that point for medical expenses or college tuition, it seems).
for DHS, by my count it had 4 “rides” at our visit last week. Along with several shows. The 5 new rides in the next couple of years should really help absorb people.
Consumers are feeling a pinch from every direction. It’s already unsustainable–it’s just a question of when a correction occurs.
The reason to wait is nothing new to see. Why even bother with DHS with half the park closed or in construction. Leaves 3 parks to see and even these parks expect major improvements except for AK. If you’re a Guardians and Marvel fan, why not wait until 2021 or later? Epcot is really in a sad site. I’m looking forward to Ratatouille. I’ll wait.
Thanks for the info Tom like you we go annually and more it may come to a every other year, but right now we will enjoy what we do. At that point we may decide universal for a couple years and then come back again.thanks as always
i hear a lot of people saying they want to go to Star Wars land in 2019. But I don’t think I would enjoy the chaos of the opening months of Star Wars land. So we are panning to go september 2020. I am guessing that since Star Wars land will have been open about 1 year at that point, it will be an enjoyable time to visit.
But since we last went in 2016, I don’t want to wait 4 years between visits. So we are planning on going in 2018 as well.
I don’t know if this changes anything for you, but I think WDW will be pushing it with a December 2019 opening for Star Wars Land. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised to see part of it until early 2020. That might make for some heavy crowds come Fall 2020.
SWGE is opening August 29! My plan is working!