Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World

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Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World

Credit: Inside The Magic

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is one of the most visited theme Parks worldwide (Magic Kingdom is the number one visited theme Park). Are there the best times to visit Disney World?

But with recent Spring break crowds descending upon Disney Resort, people all over the internet are clamoring and wondering which are the best times to visit Disney World to experience smaller groups, shorter wait times, and an overall better Disney experience.

There are tons of articles out there giving you information on when you should be visiting Disney World.

But they’re outdated and lack concrete, definite information to help you determine the best times to visit Disney World.

Like other articles, this article won’t be specific to 2023 or 2024. Nope, my information will be helpful to you for years to come!

So if you’re planning your next Disney Resort vacation and want to avoid those large Disney World crowds, long wait times, and hot, muggy Florida heat, you’ve come to the right place!

I’m going to break things down accordingly so you will be able to digest the information more accessible and quicker:

  • Does Disney Have a Peak Season?
  • What Are the Worst Times to Visit Disney World?
  • Is Disney Cheaper During Their Off-Season?
  • Does Disney Have an off Season?
Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World
Credit: Disney

Does Disney Have a Peak Season?

Before we can answer the question of the best times to visit Disney World, we first need to understand that, YES – there is, in fact, a “peak season” for Disney.

Like any other famous place in the world, there are down times and peak times. According to the latest information publically available, the highest peak times when Disney World is packed with crowds and increased wait times are the following:

  • Spring Break (late March – early April)
  • Summer break (pretty much June, July, and August – any summer month)
  • Winter Holidays (think Thanksgiving week, the before and after Christmas, New Year’s week, etc.)
  • Disney-themed holidays (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in October during select nights)

The information listed above can be used to determine the worst possible times to visit Disney World. Not everyone has the luxury of choosing dates to visit Orlando and the theme Parks and plan a Disney vacation.

But, I highly advise that you do your absolute best to try and get to Disney outside the timeframes listed above for the best experience you and your family can have while on holiday or vacation.

The wait times for most attractions during the timeframes listed above can be as high as 200 minutes, especially for those popular rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run, Expedition Everest,  Avatar – Flight of Passage, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash, and Haunted Mansion.

*Want to know the best (and worst) queues at Walt Disney World? We’ve got you covered!*

Besides the deathly long wait times, you’ll also deal with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. You won’t have much room to take those Instagram-worthy pictures or breathing room in each Disney Park’s sights, sounds, and smells.

Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World
Credit: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

What Are the Worst Times to Visit Disney World?

Now that I covered the peak times for Disney World, we can focus on the worst times to visit the theme Parks in Orlando.

This might sound like the same question as the one we just answered, but it’s not (I mean, it kind of is, but here’s why it’s not).

In the question I answered before there one above, we looked at the peak times that will have large crowds and high wait times within all four Parks at Disney.

Now, we will look at the exact days and times you should avoid if you want a relaxed, money-worthy Disney holiday or vacation.

For the best experience at Disney World, you’re going to try your best to avoid the specific times and days listed below:

  • Weekends (I know, this is kind of obvious, but seriously, avoid Saturdays and Sundays if you can, even those pesky Fridays if possible)
  • Mornings during peak season (DUH) because of those rope-drop folks (they take Dsisney VERY seriously, do not mess with them)
  • Afternoons (this one is based on the fact that, even in the off-season, afternoons tend to be the times when most people are up and at it after catching up on sleep)
  • Special events of any kind (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and other events like the Wine Festival, Garden Festival, EPCOT Festival, International Festival, or any other special event)

I’m sure there are other times and days that you will want to mention to me (which you totally can in the comment section below). But I found these times and days to be the most obvious choice for when to avoid Disney World during its peak season and even its off-season.

I am also not saying to avoid those times and days forever. No, I recommend being at rope-drop just because it’s an experience all on its own. The weekends are sometimes best if your holiday or vacation is too short and you want to tack on some days for extra Disney time.

Before booking your next visit to Orlando for their theme Parks, make sure to read the above information thus far, as it will come in handy when you want to plan a trip that will leave you and your family on good terms with Disney rather than having a terrible experience, as this family did.

So you now know the worst times to visit Disney and whether or not they have a peak season. You can always hop online and check out a crowd calendar to confirm this information!

Regarding their off-season, is it cheaper to visit Disney during such times? Let’s find out below.

Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World
Credit: EPCOT

Is Disney Cheaper During Their Off-Season?

As we get ready to answer the question of Disney’s off-season together, we must first look at whether or not visiting Disney World during their off-season is even affordable or worth your time and effort.

The short answer to the question above is… YES!!!

Yes, flying, driving, and staying in Orlando during Disney World’s off-season is cheaper.

But actions speak louder than words, so I pulled some information for you all regarding saving money during Disney’s off-season. Let’s look at it together.

During the seasons when people are less likely to visit and vacation at Disney World, the ticket prices for the parks tend to drop. Let’s take a look at Disney’s official website.

If we look for tickets in June for any of their four theme Parks for one day, this is what comes up:

Here Are the Absolute Best Times to Visit Disney World
Credit: Disney

The little plus next to the price is the tax not included in the total cost for this day or any other day in June. As you can see, the price tends to be higher in the $150 – $170 range. This is just for one day, without the Park Hopper option included. When you add more days at Disney World, your overall price does go down regarding your Disney World tickets. See the photo below as an example:

Is Disney Cheaper During Their Off-Season?
Credit: Disney

So with the price for Disney being so high during their peak season, what are the Disney ticket prices during their off-season? Let’s take a quick look at the days in September. Following the same pattern I observed above, you can see the cost of Disney World in what is a small portion of their off-season:

Credit: Disney

As you can see above, the ticket price is much lower for a one-day, non-Park Hopper ticket to Disney World in September. The price is still high through the 4th, but that is because Labor Day weekend is another worst time to visit Disney.

Yes, the weekends are still up there in terms of pricing, but remember, weekends will always be more, no matter what time of year you plan to visit Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, or EPCOT).

What about spending more time in the most magical place on Earth? Is it cheaper during the off-season too? Well, not really. The price remains about the same in terms of staying longer. But still, ticket prices, in general, are relatively lower and more affordable during their off-season.

How about flights? What do they look like in terms of flying in June vs. flying in September? Well, now flights will look relatively cheaper if you’re flying in June vs. in September. This is because a couple of months away, and Seper is still about five months away.

Airlines know that people want to book ahead of time so that they will hike the prices for months farther away. Months like June are just a couple of months away, meaning Airlines can keep those prices cheaper since, chances are, you won’t be booking a last-minute trip to a place like Disney World, where you need time and research to plan.

According to industry insiders, the best time to buy a flight is six or eight weeks before your trip, on a Tuesday.

Lastly, let’s look at resorts during June and September to compare pricing. For this test, I did hotels near Walt Disney World, for a Sunday through Saturday, for 4 Guests (two adults and two children) through the Expedia website:

Credit: Expedia

 

Credit: Expedia

As you can see, the pricing for hotels near Disney in June is a little on the high end, costing as high as $7,000 and as low as $1,500 for a whole week. But, this is still cheaper than staying on property, which, I know, most individuals and families seek to do.

Time to look at the same timeframe for the same type of family, but in September:

Credit: Expedia

 

Credit: Expedia

Although sort of the same results from June, September still offers more prices within the range of $1500 or less for the same amount of time with the same type of family structure.

After all this digging and discovering, you can see that it is cheaper to head over to any of the four Disney World Parks in September instead of going during their peak seasons or worst times and days.

With all this information out there for you to research with your loved ones, it’s time to find out about that off-season finally I keep talking about for Walt Disney World Resort.

Off-Season for Walt Disney World Resort
Credit: Hollywood Studios

Does Disney World Have an Off-Season?

The answer to this is a resounding YES – Disney has an off-season where Guests can enjoy low wait times, fewer crowds, and beautiful Florida weather.

We already know it’s cheaper to visit Disney during their off-season, but now it’s time to find out when that off-season is so you can plan accordingly and ensure the best times for you and your loved ones.

I want to break this down by months, holidays, days, and times, so you can decide what is best for you and your family. Let’s take a look at months first. Which are the best months to visit Walt Disney World Resort? Their off-season is considered as the following:

  • January (this one is easy, January has excellent weather, and everyone is back home from their holidays or vacations throughout the Christmas season)
  • February (like January, February is a beautiful time for families all over the country and world to head down to Disney to experience their favorite attractions and experiences)
  • May (although things do pick up towards the end of the month, May is still considered part of Disney’s off-season as families return from Spring and Easter break)
  • September (the end of the summer means Fall, which means kids are back in school, and prime time to visit Disney is just starting! But watch out for the week before and after Labor Day! And watch out for those Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween event dates; they will bring crowds to the Parks, although those larger crowds will arrive in October) ***although September is their off-season, you need to also be on the lookout for bad weather. Hurricane season is another item you need to research before your trip. Not to mention those high volumes of rain, a.k.a. rain season too!***

What about the best holidays to visit Disney World during their off-season?

  • Martin Luther King Jr Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Right after New Year’s Day

The holidays above can vary, but I found the ones to be the best regarding fewer wait times for rides and fewer people entering the Parks.

Best days?

  • Any day of the week during the off-season
  • Most weekends during the off-season

As I said, as long as you’re avoiding the big crowds, any day would work best, even those pesky weekends I discussed.

Best times?

  • Mornings, right before rope drop during the off-season

There’s nothing like experiencing Magic Kingdom during rope-drop (or any other four Disney Parks). It is a lot of fun for the whole family, and the Cast Members make it truly special for anyone waiting in line right before they let everyone in.

As mentioned before, however, families tend to visit the Parks later in the early afternoon. Still, if you’re visiting Disney during their off-season, you’ll find any time of day enjoyable as rides, crowds, and everything else will be manageable for anyone who comes with you.

Remember, the key here is to try your best to go during their off-season, which will not only be more manageable, it’ll save your wallet from reaching ungodly amounts of money if you were to go during their peak season. Don’t forget to check the Orlando weather before planning your trip; watch out for that hurricane!

You can never go wrong with following the information I provided in the content above. Take your time and do your homework; you might find even better days or times to visit Disney World this year, next year, or the year after!

Please drop a comment below and let me know what you think about the information provided for you. Do you have more to add to this article? What times, days, or months do you enjoy visiting Disney World with you or your loved ones?

Let us know if you have another Disney World tip!

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