You’ve been dreaming of meeting Mickey Mouse for years, and want to know when is the best time to visit the Magic Kingdom, the “best time” could mean many different things so let’s try our best to help you pick the best time for you and your family to visit the most magical place on earth.
When is it the quietest time to Disney World?
Sadly, the truth is, there isn’t a quiet time of year any more at Walt Disney World, while there are indeed “busiest” times that you should try to avoid, mainly Christmas/ New Years Week and Thanksgiving weekend, the rest of the year is generally busy.
That being said, there are some pockets when the crowds are a little lighter, and wait time tend to be shorter than the rest of the year.
January to Mid-February is an excellent time to consider, with the back to back Halloween and Christmas season finished, the parks tend to get a little slower, and the temperature is a little cooler. So while there may not be any special events running in the parks, it’s a great time to experience the parks and Orlando in cooler weather and without any of the seasonal overlays for holidays and events.
September is another great visit, the weather is still good and hopefully, the worst of hurricane season has passed, this is when most schools around the world are in term, so the parks tend to be a little more manageable.
After Thanksgiving and before Christmas Week, the last Thursday of November through to the week before Christmas happens to be our personal favourite time of the year to visit Orlando. It’s so amazing to see the theme parks dressed for the holidays, sometimes, both at the same time! It’s just a magical time to visit with all the fun extra activities and food for Halloween or Christmas.
By visiting during these low-crowd seasons, not only can you save on accommodation, but you can also save big when travelling with a big family by travelling during these rare slower seasons.
What’s the best season to visit Disney World?
The theme parks of Orlando are already world renown for their over the top theming and transporting you away to places never seen before; however, there’s something special about visiting the parks during Halloween and Christmas; usually, Halloween starts in early September, with Christmas beginning November.
All the Orlando theme parks have special holiday events, some are included in your day ticket, others may have an extra charge so speak to us for recommendations on what to look out for around this time.
Being American parks, they doo celebrate July 4th with unique decorations and fireworks, but as these are public holidays in the USA, they are also hectic times to be visiting.
What events are the best at Walt Disney World?
Disney also runs its own events throughout the year, so there’s always something to look forward to year-round.
If you are keen runner, look out for Disney Run Weekends, with races aimed at kids, new runners and full marathons, it’s a great excuse to try and up your run time, while experiencing the fun of Disney. Dates vary each year, so speak to us if you would like to know when the races are running each year.
Epcot International Festival of the Arts takes place at the start of the year, usually during January and February, is a fun look at the world of art with a Disney twist. They often have famous Disney artist offering classes and showcases, as well as performing arts showcases. One that’s not to be missed is Disney on Broadway concert series, where the stars of broadway perform everyone’s favourite Disney hits.
For those out there with a keen green thumb, why not look to visit during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival? Taking place at Epcot, this celebration of all things floral takes place during spring (March – June). With great food, live music and talks from world-renown gardening companies and celebrities.
The big one that everyone looks forward to each year is the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Usually taking place the end of August till Thanksgiving, this fantastic festival is definitely one for all you foodies out there.
With plenty of pop up locations throughout Epcot, but mainly focused in the world showcase section of the park, there are plenty of food and drink options from around the world, you can literally eat your way around the world, and then back again.
The reality is, as one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations, there isn’t a slow time of the year any more, so don’t panic about booking at the quietest time, the parks are designed to manage lots of people, so while you may have to wait a little longer during the absolute busiest times, it won’t be much more than the rest of the year to be worth planning your Disney World holiday around it.
If you are thinking of planning a trip to Disney, then speak to us, we are experts in all things Disney, be it Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland in Asia, California or Paris as well as Disney Cruiseline. We would love to help you have the most magical holiday.