Hi there!
If you are someone who is planning your next trip to WDW and can’t decide when to go, this post is for you. There are a few factors that you need to consider when planning your stay:
- Weather/Season
- Crowds
- Price
- Holiday
- Resort
I have done PLENTY of research surrounding trips to Walt Disney World, because, well let’s face it, is there ever a BAD time to go to Disney World? So, let me start off by saying that last time we went in mid October, all of the crowd calendars I looked at (and I looked at a LOT) said that the days were all moderate to light crowds, so I thought we were good. As long as we didn’t have any heavy days in there we were fine. Boy, was I wrong. We had a double stroller and we could barely push it through the crowds one day. It was tough. If you want the parks to be very lightly crowded, you have to go during off season.
Ok, so let’s start off with the off season. The absolute best times to go would be January, May, and September. These three months have the least crowds. January and September are considered off season, so the rooms are a good bit cheaper per night.
Here are the exceptions:
- First Week in January
- Martin Luther King week
- Run Disney Weekend
- 2nd half of May
- Labor Day Weekend
One thing about the off season is, Disney likes to do their renovations when there are fewer people at the parks, so keep that in mind if traveling during off season. Disney is usually pretty good at keeping you informed if a ride or show is currently closed on their website, but you do not want to be disappointed when you show up.
If you are someone who is not used to the Florida weather, January can be warm, or it can be freezing and rainy. May will be warm, but it shouldn’t be unbearable. September will be horribly hot and humid, and it is still hurricane season. You may also want to keep that in mind when considering a date.
Now, any time the children are out of school, the crowds are going to be crazy and the prices are going to skyrocket. I would try my best to avoid going at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter holidays, Spring Break, and during the summer. I have found that even going just one week or a few days before the holidays gives you just those extra few days before the crazy crowds.
Only you know what is best for you and your family to have a magical vacation. 🙂
Until Next Time,
-M