Your experiences at different times of the year.

[Jabroniville]

Hi all! I was just curious about people's experiences at different times on the calendar at WDW. I plan nearly all of my vacations for spring owing to weather and work considerations (and I'm going in late April this year), but I'm interested in what it's like at other times.

Busy or not? Good or bad weather? I once spoke with a Floridian in line who couldn't BELIEVE tourists came during the summer time owing to the terrible heat ("Even WE don't stay here in the summer!")- as a Canadian, I don't think I'd risk it, lol. I see late May has some better park hours at MK, but I'm not sure I'd brave even that. Even mid-May last year was rather brutal for me on most days, plus we hit an unusually big love-bug season for a couple of days there.

Some people I know from around Florida say that the fall is best, but I kinda fear the Halloween parties and early park closings.

Thank you!

 

[Heluvsme]

We have been during nearly every month and the only time the weather was unbearable was August, of course that is a highly personal preference. We like Mid-May, and we like very early December the best.

 

[twinmom13]

We went the last week of November 2018, the week after US Thanksgiving. It was cooler than I expected, but comfortable with a jacket, and it only rained one day for a few minutes. The crowd level was very light. The best part: Christmas decorations. Everything was beautifully decorated in the parks and the resorts.

Last year we went in mid-October. The weather was mostly great -- 70s and 80s most of the time, with only one rainy day. That one rainy day was actually a tropical storm, so to call it merely rainy is a bit of an understatement, but it cleared out by mid-afternoon. It was more crowded than our November trip, but still manageable. The best part: Halloween decorations. We did one Halloween party and had a fantastic time. Why do you fear the parties? If it is the crowds, they are definitely manageable if you have a good plan.

 

[diser_fam]

We have been mainly in February, October and November. Weather was always comfortable for the most part. Last year was our first June trip. We went the 2nd week of June and I was very concerned about the heat. We were pleasantly surprised. It was hot, but nothing like I imagined. I will say that we rope dropped the mornings and went back to the resort around 1 and then came back to the parks in the evenings so we weren't out in the worst part of the day. Only got caught in the rain once and that was less than 30 minutes.

We enjoyed June so much that we are going back again this June. We liked going during the school year, but as the kids got older, it became difficult to do. We did it through my daughter's sophomore year of HS. My son plays on a couple of summer golf tours and going in June knocks him out of a tournament or two, but he would never put that over a Disney trip. LOL!

As far as busy or not, they all seemed about the same except for a few years ago when we went the week before Thanksgiving. It was great! Noticeably less crowds.

 

[Orionreplay]

We have bounced all over the calendar, but typically are winter/fall months. Our last trip in November had two very warm days, luckily one was our arrival day and then the next day when it hit 86. After that it quickly dropped to the low 50s. We are always surprised how back home in Maine, we'd be in shorts and t-shirts in those temps, but in Florida it's a whole new level of coolness. We were hunting for sweatshirts and fleece tops. We saw all sorts of coverings in the parks to include people simply wrapping in blankets and wandering from line to line.

We have found Septembers to be quite warm and muggy, in between dodging hurricanes.

 

[Jabroniville]

We went the last week of November 2018, the week after US Thanksgiving. It was cooler than I expected, but comfortable with a jacket, and it only rained one day for a few minutes. The crowd level was very light. The best part: Christmas decorations. Everything was beautifully decorated in the parks and the resorts.

Last year we went in mid-October. The weather was mostly great -- 70s and 80s most of the time, with only one rainy day. That one rainy day was actually a tropical storm, so to call it merely rainy is a bit of an understatement, but it cleared out by mid-afternoon. It was more crowded than our November trip, but still manageable. The best part: Halloween decorations. We did one Halloween party and had a fantastic time. Why do you fear the parties? If it is the crowds, they are definitely manageable if you have a good plan.

Oh, I went to the Disneyland one years ago and it was INSANELY busy. Also, it cuts into park hours unless you also buy the extra ticket (which a LOT of people evidently did back then), so it's pricier. I also kind of prefer the "generic" park decorations, not seasonal ones.

Thanks for the answers, everyone! I was fine in 2014 or so in April, and last May was okay in terms of crowds. My only fear this April is that the FastPasses seemed to be unusually full when my 60 days arrived, particularly in the 20-24 of April, and others have had the same experience, so I was a bit worried that it's going to be INSANE there. A few crowd calendars are anticipating them as 8/10 days, while others are still saying 5-6/10, so I'm not sure if it's just a random burst of crowding.

 

[Boopuff]

The last few times we've gone the first week in December. Fantastic. Low-ish crowds, great decorations nice weather (compared to Chicago) I have been in early June, May (nice!), Aug (yowza!) but no matter when it's been fun!

 

[Oneanne]

I used to only go in early Spring... coming out of the PNW it was a lovely way to re-set from winter and get some sun. But in recent year I've gone in the fall, which I really enjoyed due to the weather and decorations and at during the holiday season.

Last holiday trip, two years ago, it was cool and rainy and felt just like home which I enjoyed while I was there, but after the trip I felt like I would have liked some sun/warmth. The focus of the trip was holiday decor and special holiday events and it was a lot of fun.

Last year I went in June and the weather was oppressively hot, humid and stormy... several days I didn't make it back out after mid-day breaks to get out of the storms, because I was so worn out. I've gone once in August, and it was also hot and stormy but I had my Nephew with me, and we were having so much fun it wasn't challenging to keep going.

 

[Miffy]

January: I used to always go in January, my birthday month. It was EMPTY at WDW. I loved it. Then they started the marathon and that was the end of January. It was sometimes pretty darn cold in January, like winter-coat cold, but it can also be kinda pleasant. Totally unpredictable.

February: So I started going in February, except not during the Presidents holiday. But after a couple of years of really heinous weather--winter-coat cold and raining--and KRR in refurb every time--I stopped that.

March: March is good if you can somehow skirt the crowds, avoid a blizzard in your Northeast state that will ruin your car or train trip and schedule and vacation, and also avoid getting sick ahead of time or, worse, while you're there. Yeah. I stopped going in March too, but especially after KRR was STILL closed for refurb the last time I did this!

April: Haven't been in April since the MK-and-Epcot-only days. Back then it was awesome, uncrowded, inexpensive, and fun. That was over 30 years ago. I used to stay off-site. Imagine that! And rent a car! And do other non-WDW things. Those days are gone gone gone.

May: I've been going the first week in May for a couple of years (actually sometimes starting the last day or two of April), and it's pretty good then. The weather can be awesome or it can already start to be getting too horribly hot for me, but usually most of that week isn't too horribly hot. Crowds are variable. I always have a hopper, so I just escape if I can't stand the crowds. Going again in a coupla months.

June: I've been in the very very beginning of June only, and only once. There was a deal that spanned Memorial Day weekend (this must be ancient history!) and I jumped on it. It was too too too too hot for me. I spent a lot of time at the resort or in the pool. The parks were a bust for me. Which is why I've never been in July/August/September/October. I don't do heat.

Late November/early December: This used to be an awesome time to go and I still often go the 2nd week or December or so. But the parks are crowded. Weather can be pretty good. Very few rides will be closed for refurb. This past December we had great weather, not-too-terrible-crowds, and RotR to entertain us.

I hear it's great around Labor Day, if you don't mind sweltering and the possibility of hurricanes. Apparently it's the last remaining not-too-crowded time of year. That and late August.

But the real answer to your question is: It doesn't matter. WDW is still great! And if August or September were the only time I could go, I would go. I love WDW.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

The only months we haven’t been are October, November and July.

Lowest crowds: Right after Labor Day. This is still a much lighter time of year, but it is PEAK hurricane season. Our last trip during this time of year was disrupted by Hurricane Irma. We will not go during peak hurricane season again.

This year, we went 1/31 - 2/6. We had moderate crowds, weather ranged from cool to hot (highs ranged low 60s to mid 80s). I would go at this time again. It only rained on one day. It got much more crowded after we left and as Presidents Day approached.

We love early May. The weather is warmer, it’s not as hot and rainy as later in summer. We had beautiful weather in 2018. A few rainy spots but overall very nice.

We do not pay extra to do holiday parties. So, those times of year are not attractive to us since MK closes early for them.

Right now, our favorite times are late January/early Feb. and early May. We also like June, and that is when we will probably go to WDW from now on since I don’t want to pull my kids out of school after kindergarten.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

As a kid, we only ever went over Christmas which was a ~madhouse~, so I vowed never to do that to myself again.

My partner and I have gone in early March, early December, and January, with mid-January being most frequent. I love it, but it has gotten a lot more crowded as the races have become more popular. The weather never fazed us (though we laughed at the local weathermen having to describe frost warnings and windchill when we ended up on-property during polar vortex!), but the shorter hours and lots of refurbs could be frustrating. Early December was a nice compromise: still cool-ish (long pants and maybe a sweater for the evenings), everything up and running, all lit up/decorated, but almost no crowds because no one was going to take the kids out of school the week after Thanksgiving.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

We did 4 trips last year on our ap’s

2nd week of December- weather was pretty good, Chilly at night but not bad. First time seeing the Christmas decorations.

march- will never ever do this again. Crowds were unbearable due to spring breaks. Weather was nice.

September- best Disney trip out of the 4. We arrived 3 days before the hurricane that never came was supposed to hit. No crowds. Virtually everything was a walk on. I love the heat but it was pretty brutal during the day but the nights were beautiful. Obviously, you can’t plan a sept trip hoping for a hurricane

1st week of December- very crowded. (ROTR opening week) very, very cold most of the trip.

As I said, I would never do March again and probably wouldn’t do December again because the weather is just to unpredictable.

parties and early closers are pretty much the new norm now. You didn’t say if you have children, if you don’t, my best suggestion is to make sure there are no school breaks during the time you are thinking about going. Also avoid long weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of july.

 

[Jabroniville]

parties and early closers are pretty much the new norm now. You didn’t say if you have children, if you don’t, my best suggestion is to make sure there are no school breaks during the time you are thinking about going. Also avoid long weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of july.

Oh, I don't have kids- I usually go solo, which is why I can always pick times during school and things like that, though I have to check calendars for American holidays- one time my family got caught on I think President's Day back in the '90s! It was the only time we could make it out.

I'm pretty careful to choose weeks that have a lot of weekdays in between American holidays- it makes it much easier on me.

Our last trip during this time of year was disrupted by Hurricane Irma. We will not go during peak hurricane season again.

Do they actually close the parks during hurricanes?

I thought about going in winter, but yeah, the refurb calendars always have SOMETHING big going on at that time. I try to avoid refurbs as much as possible. That and holidays are my two biggest concerns when choosing times!

 

[beccasmom]

Summer is really tough if you can’t handle the heat and humidity, but it might be the only time some can plan a visit. My preferences are April/May (avoiding Easter/Memorial Day) and late November/early December.

 

[Grumpylarr]

I agree with those who recommend early December. The weather is great and the decorations are gorgeous. Also the crowds are low.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We went the third week in December coming back home 3 days before Christmas. The weather was awesome crowd levels were good. When we were leaving the park was filling to capacity.
All of our other trips are first week of March (end of February as well). We like March because the weather is still good but its warm enough to have a beach day. The crowds are ok most people do not have spring break until later in the month. Everything is going to be different this next year with covid pushing everyones vacation.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Here are my experiences with different months to visit:

January- 3rd week. Temps were too cold to swim. Needed gloves and coat one night. Other days/nights were not so cold. Seems to be hit or miss. I thought the crowds were horrible, especially in MK. The park closed at 7PM. The wait times were terrible for all the rides, worse then when we go in June. A big Pro was the DAH event at MK, it was fantastic. Low crowds and I was able to go on everything that I could not prior, due to the insane crowds and early closing times.

April-1st week. I thought the weather was perfect. Hot enough for a swim. Low humidity, great hours for parks and "normal" crowds.

May- 1st wee. Hotter than April, but not too hot. Low humidity and really low crowds. Great park hours.

June- tried all weeks. June is hot and humid. It can be tolerable and can be unbearable. We prepare for extreme heat and humidity. The crowds are better the earlier in June you go. The Big Tour Groups which were a problem, and maybe will be a problem again?? They come the last week of June, July and into the beginning of August. Great park hours.

July-2nd week. Never again! The BTG were outrageous and we would choose a different month to go if at all possible. Heat and humidity was off the charts. Great park hours. Very crowded.

August- 1st week. Never again! The heat and humidity was impossible for me. I had a mild heat stroke event. I was out for 2days in the hotel. It was horrible. We prepare for the heat and humidity, but this was too much. Crowds were great, the BTG were gone or leaving. Good park hours.

Sept- 3rd week. Temps are mixed. We have had some cooler days and some hotter than hot days. The humidity is brutal, even at night. But we love Halloween, so we try and go every year.

Oct-2nd week. Temps were still hot but better. Humidity seems hit or miss. Crowds over Columbus day were huge, so I would avoid that Holiday.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

We've been the following times:

January - Great though it does get crowded around race weekends. It was nice and empty for the most part, and people around us were cold but a) we were living in DC at the time so it was balmy compared to home! and b) it was during the polar vortex so Florida was unseasonably frigid. Didn't bother us at all. The biggest downside was that a number of food places closed early so there was nowhere to eat while waiting for fireworks at MK. Otherwise fantastic and our usual go-to for trips if we can.

Early March - Nice weather, a bit more crowded but still livable. When we went, it was Flower and Garden festival which is always pretty. We also went during a week that wasn't peak spring break, so watch out for that.

August - Don't. It's a zillion degrees and pours every afternoon. I went for one day during a work trip and never again.

End of November/Early December - Pleasant weather, though still had one rain-out day. Crowds were great, so it was easy to ride everything multiple times if we wanted. Everything was done-up for Christmas, if that's your thing. The biggest downside was the holiday events that limited park hours and kind of shoved everyone into the same park at once - e.g. MVMCP meant that only half the nights had MK open to the public, so those evenings were much more crowded. MVMCP nights things were more crowded at DHS and EPCOT. The buses got a bit wonky as a result, which meant more waiting than usual in the evenings as one park closed and people wanted to hop to another. It wasn't remotely enough to stop us from going then, though. It may be when we go this year.

Christmas/New Years - Don't. It's 3x as expensive with 5x the waits. Not worth it.

In general our favourite time is January, but between Thanksgiving and Christmas is really nice as well.