When to Visit Walt Disney World
If the weather is cold where you are, you might be suffering a bit from cabin fever this time of year. Although late January isn’t the typical time to plan a vacation, your mind may be on thoughts of getting away from it all for a little while. If you have kids, you might even have thought of taking a vacation to Walt Disney World, and maybe you’re planning one for their next school vacation. Living within a few hours from central Florida, I can tell you that there are certain times of year that it’s better to visit Mickey and his friends, and unfortunately, the kids’ spring break might not be one of them. Here’s the scoop on the best time to go to Walt Disney World in 2013:
- If your kids have off on Presidents Week (February 18-22 this year), think twice before you fly to Orlando if you’re planning to go to Disney World. This, along with the last couple of weeks of March and early part of April, is one of the weeks that is absolutely swarming with families and children.
- If you can manage a getaway between now and mid-February, though, then jump on it! The crowds will be low, and so will the prices (well, relatively so… it IS Disney World, after all). Another good time that’s coming up is at the end of April and the beginning of May. The kids are back in school after the break, and most people aren’t vacationing.
- June through August are not only going to be super-crowded, but the weather in central Florida is very hot and humid. It also rains nearly every afternoon, which brings a brief reprieve from the humidity, but if thunder and lightning are involved, and they usually are, then some of the attractions may be closed.
- September through mid-November boast low crowds. It will also be nice to visit during the first half of December, when the holiday decorations are up but attendance is on the low side.
- The week of Thanksgiving as well as the week between Christmas and New Years will be very busy. The holidays add to the magic of Disney, but it comes at a cost!
Remember than when crowds are high, so are hotel prices: It’s all about supply and demand, after all, and when rooms are in high demand, they’re in lower supply, making them worth a lot more.
My family is planning a weekend away later this month; if you live within driving distance, you might be able to go just for a couple of days and only have the kids miss one or two days of school. If your school is year-round with staggered vacation times, this is another way you could take advantage of the lower crowds at certain points of the year.
Are you planning a Walt Disney World vacation in 2013? When will you be going?
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Disney World is on my kids list. It is just so hard to pull them out of school. If they miss a week of school it’s like they never get caught up.
I would rather go to Walt Disney World when the crowds are not so packed, and when kids are in school. This is a place that we have been wanting to go to for some time now. Great tips for helping me with deciding when to go.
I haven’t traveled much but I have heard that going in the winter can save you a bundle and if you are going to an amusement parks, you can fly right through the lines. If I ever do make it on a vacation, Disney World sound like a fantastic place to go and I will be sure to take your advise!
Wish I could afford to take my child.
Thanks for the tips! Don’t want to be there when its to crowded 😉
thanks love to take my kids there if i could afford it
thank you for the tips. Iam still planning to go even though i have never been and i dont have the money
thanks for the tips. we are planning a trip.
i lived in florida for awhile, loved disney we would go there during our winter seasons.. in florida it still can be quite busy tho , because of the snowbirds and family visiting them..also if you buy your pass ahead of time it is cheaper..
No plan for Disney in 2013, but we’ve only ever been in the summer.
Thanks for sharing this great info! It really helps with planning a trip to Disneyworld!
I SO love Disney, and my husband promises that we will go within the next year AND stay at a Disney hotel on-site (yee-hoo!). I also just read a great post about a book about the secrets of Disney and will get that before we go. Thanks for the tips on timing!
I have visited Walt Disney World twice with my husband and daughter and her family. Its a place where small kids could spend there all day.
I love Disney World. My mom,sis,brother lives in Orlando so we have gotten to visit DW a couple of times. One day is just not enough to see everything though..Thanks so much for the tips on when to travel there.
Thanks for the tips. My family is planning a trip to Orlando this year.
Our kids are a bit young still for this trip. But I am glad to have found your tips for when we are ready to take this vacation! Thanks!
Thanks for the tips! Don’t want to be there when its to crowded
Thank you for the tips! It’s always a bonus to hear from a local (or close to) about better times to visit! Disney World (Orlando in general) is definitely a ‘must visit’ on my family’s list!
Good overview – we don’t have kids, so we avoid school break times – the last few years, we’ve gone mid- to late September – still HOT but not crowded…we are thinking about a cooler time of year for the next time, though – probably next year this time!
Anytime!!!
I have never visited Disney so I appreciate all these tips – if I can afford it sometime soon.
I’d love to visit Disney World this time of year. I don’t mind the crowds so much, but the hot, humid weather in the summer can be really exhausting.
Im not going this year but me and kids are going next yr,maybe around mid-october.Me and hubby went in July it poured everyday
i will like to visit disney my kids want and will love to go
I’m so glad to get this information I plan to go one day 🙂
I cant wait until I can take my granddaughter here one day!!!
Yes! We plan to go this summer. Hopefully our plans, and our budget, pushes through.
Thanks for positing. I always wanted to go to Disney so this are good tips if I want to go someday and when I should plan to go. Thanks!
As a native of Florida, I would have to agree with your assessment of the best times to visit the park. We learned our lesson as one year, while the children and grandchildren were visiting from the midwest… we went to the park the week between Christmas and New Year. I can tell you that that will never happen again. As we are only a couple hours away, so we have the liberty to visit the park for the day instead of paying the hirer prices for rooms, but it makes for a very long day to do it that way.
I love Disney World and anytime is a great time to visit there.
Not planning a trip just yet, but we usually go in the lat summer.
Thanks great for future reference we went a few years ago and plant to go back within the next couple of years
wow!quanto vorrei andarci!!!!!!!spero presto!
I have never been to Walt Disneyworld, but would love to go when it isn’t so hot. I think if I went mid January would be a good time. I realize that I risk the weather being chilly, but it would be much more comfortable for my husband who really doesn’t handle the heat or the sun all that well.
We took our son during his break one school year and it worked very well. We are hoping to go back in the future 🙂
Disney World is the best place for kids of any age to go. It truly is Magical.
Thanks for the tips on timing. I have been thinking more along the lines of Universal as we want to see the Harry Potter attraction. I live about 7 hours away from Orlando, but still have to plan due to gas cost, etc. and I hate being caught in huge crowds.
I have hear that you can save money by going in the winter months. It is a great idea. I can’t wait to take my grandson and share the fun with him when we do get to go. Thanks for post.
Love the tips! It’s definitely nicer to go when it’s not super crowded.
Oh man…I SO WISH I had the money to go right now! It’s 18 degress in NY, and I’ve never been to Disney. Anyone want to bring me? LOL
Awesome, this is something we really want to plan for.
man would LOVE to go to Disney World hopefully one of these days and will remember this thank you!!!
i love disney world
I have friends that go for Halloweeen every year!! And also during strange times of the year, guess they know when the best times to go are too 😉
i would love to take my family if i could ever really afford it
I will keep this tips I want to plan this trip and take my granddaughter,Thanks for all your are Sharing.
Thanks for the tips! Im 30 and have never been and I want to take my daughter but I really aint up to fighting the crowds or the hot weather! Thanks again!! I’ll keep this in mind!
Last time I went was about 10 years ago and it was the week after New Years. It was wonderful there was little to no wait for the rides. The weather was cool without being cold. We all had a grand time. I remember going to Disney when I was very little in middle of July and the grumpiness of waiting in line forever in 100% humidity. Stick with the cold months it is worth it!
My husband has never been, so I’m planning to go with him in late October/early November. I think he will love it!
We went the week before Christmas and the lines were not that long. If I remember correctly the longest we had to wait in line was 25 minutes. That’s nothing compared to the 50 to 90 minutes at other times of the year. Thanks for the information.
Love Walt Disney World
We went the 1st week in March one year and it was great. Hardly nobody there. Everyone goes during February when their children are off on break.
The best time we had at Disney was on New Year’s (long time ago). We’re planning to go again next year.
These are so helpful! Thank you!
The very beginning of June, like the first week, isn’t too crowded. But goodness gracious, don’t go in high summer. YOu’ll die of heat prostration.