Wondering WHEN is the BEST time to visit Disney World? There’s many opinions about WHEN exactly is the best time to visit Disney World in Orlando Florida….check out these tips for picking the perfect time to take your family to Walt Disney World.
Welcome to the Surviving Disney series where I’m sharing all sorts of tips and tricks to surviving Disney with a toddler. Granted many of these tips and tricks are valid for ANY age, but since I’m traveling with a toddler and I’m in the process of surviving toddlerhood I tend to focus specifically on toddlers.
Table of Contents
So, the MAIN component in surviving Disney World with a toddler is timing! When is the BEST time to visit Disney World? Well, there are several factors that go into play here– so let’s get started!
Going to Disney During the Best Weather
October through March are what I consider the PRIME season when it comes to weather…these months make up the BEST time to visit Disney World.
If you’re not familiar with Florida then you don’t understand the heat. Florida heat is not normal heat. Yeah, you may be use to 100 degree weather in the Summer BUT in Florida the humidity will suffocate you! It’s just too hot at other times of the year. Heat and children just don’t mix well at all….grumpiness tends to multiply when sweating to death.
The extreme humidity tends to break in October and you’ll have warm days with cooler evenings. The weather can be unpredictable during these months through March. Most days will be warm and sunny with average daytime temperatures in the 70s. But, you can get the occasional cold snap or rainy week.
The crowd levels will fluctuate based on special events happening at the parks and school calendars. But, October through March have always been my favorite time to visit Walt Disney World Resort!
The Least Expensive Time to Visit Disney
Getting a good deal at Disney is all about timing! The least expensive time to visit Disney World is going to be when most public schools are in session. Historically, the lowest hotel rates are the end of August through September when most schools have started back.
Make sure you also check out the Special Offers Page on the Disney website…they are always releasing new deals, especially during the off season.
You can SAVE THOUSANDS just by going to Disney during their off season! Not only are the room rates cheaper to begin with, a room that’s rack rate is $198 a night in low season can have a rack rate of $350+ a night during prime season, that’s over $150 a night difference already! So, during the off season you can get the cheaper rack rate AND a highly coveted discount to make your Disney DREAM vacation an extremely affordable option!
Go to Disney During the Holidays
During these off seasons Disney hosts a bunch of different events that transform the parks into completely new parks!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party kicks off in August and with the kick-off comes a transformation to the Magic Kingdom! There will be Halloween decorations all over the place…even though it’ll still be 100 degrees, you can feel like fall has begun! Read: Taking a Toddler to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Disney limits the number of tickets they sell to the party so the park is not crowded at all! It may seem like you get “less time” in the park, but in reality the park shuts down to anyone who doesn’t have a party ticket at 7pm. But, when you have the special ticket they will usually let you in a few hours before the “party” begins… make sure you check the website or call and find out how early you can get in! We were able to enter the park at 4pm and it was open until midnight! That’s 8 hours of park time!!! And because of the limited number of people with tickets the lines were shorter and we were able to do EVERYTHING we wanted (a few things twice) and still left before the end! The longest wait time we had for any ride was 10 minutes!!!
The end of August through November you can experience the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. If you can grab the highly coveted free dining plan during this event you’ll really luck out! Your snack credits can be used for many of the yummy dishes at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.
Whenever EPCOT has a festival they also have concert series…and the concerts are included with your ticket! This past year we got to see The Beach Boys and Rick Springfield perform during the Flower and Garden Festival. Make sure you check out the festival information to see who’s playing during your visit… or plan your visit around one of your favorite bands.
Hot Tip: If you’re going when there’s a highly popular band performing grab a Concert Series Dining Package to get guaranteed seating in the pavilion.
Once the fall season ends at Disney, the Christmas holiday season begins and Disney goes ALL OUT for the winter holidays!
The Magic Kingdom will transform (practically overnight) to a winter wonderland with Christmas decorations all down Main Street USA. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party kicks off at the beginning of November and continues on through early January.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event but it has so many extras you won’t get during a regular day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. During the party they limit admission so crowd levels are much lower, ride lines are super short, there’s specialty snacks only available during the party, the parade is exclusive to the party, and there’s a holiday themed fireworks show.
Go to Disney During Low Crowd Levels
The lowest crowd levels are said to be the weeks after Labor Day (but the heat is still pretty crazy), after Thanksgiving weekend, and after New Year’s. You want to go during low crowd levels ESPECIALLY when you have a toddler!
Toddler’s don’t understand the concept of waiting! So the less wait times the better!! We were waiting in line to see Goofy and Little Man got so upset because he saw Goofy and didn’t understand why he couldn’t just go up and hug him. He watched the other kids go up to hug and talk to Goofy but his mean horrible parents were making him stay behind the rope in the hot sun….no fair! Needless to say a tantrum quickly ensued.
Go BEFORE your child turns 3 and they’re FREE!
Most people don’t realize that if you plan a Disney vacation before your child turns 3 everything for that child is FREE! Even if you plan the vacation on their birthday….as long as they don’t turn 3 until after you check in to the hotel they are FREE!
Unfortunately, there is no PERFECT date to go to Disney World but there are best times to visit Disney World based on your family, priorities and situation.
For me the perfect time to visit Disney World is the end of October… low crowds, cooler weather but still warm enough for swimming, fun events, and just a little more money than value season. Comfort is important for me.
Score a Bounce-back Offer During Your Disney Trip
During your initial visit to Walt Disney World, make sure you check your email for a bounce-back offer. These are typically the highest discounts Disney offers and can sometimes include the dining plan for free. The catch is, you have to book a bounce-back offer within 7 days of checking out of your Disney resort.
My Recommendations for the Best Time to Visit Disney
October/November
Anytime in October and November– the weather is PERFECT! Warm enough for the pool during the day but not too hot to enjoy the parks and cool enough at night for a light jacket. The crowds are lower– and they seem friendlier….maybe it’s the whole heat and grumpiness thing but the cooler weather brings out the niceness in people.
January
January is a great time if you’re not too concerned with the water parks or going to the pool– although you’re limited to a week or two in January because of the marathon. January also boasts the cheapest rack rates– so if price is a worry then January is YOUR time.
February
February….at least until Valentine’s Day is a great time as long as you don’t care about the pool or water parks. The pricing is at Disney’s lowest and the crowd levels are at their lowest but the weather will be chilly– so take a coat. Yes, it does get cold in Florida….granted their winter only lasts about 4-6 weeks but they do get a winter. This is also the beginning of competition season so double check the calendars for any resorts with conference centers to see what groups may be visiting.
We experienced Cheer competitions at All Star Sports last winter and it was overwhelming for a non-cheer family. The cheerleaders start practicing in the main areas the minute quiet hours stop (7am) and practice at top volume all day until quiet hours begin (11pm). So if you’re traveling with kids who need naps and early bedtimes…this would not be the resort for you.
When is your favorite time to visit Disney World? Share when and why in the comments below….
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Vickie@Vickie's Kitchen and Garden
Monday 11th of May 2015
Sounds like great suggestions...it's always great to know how to save money at such a big attraction. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty
Becky
Sunday 10th of May 2015
Great tips! Thanks for sharing at Motivational Monday. Hope you will link up again tonight!
Amber
Saturday 9th of May 2015
I'd love to go when it was less busy, but my kids can't miss school.
One day I'd also love to go in December to see the decorations.