A visit to Disney World is always a happy occasion, especially if you plan ahead to maximize your time and avoid long lines. The weather is at its peak in the spring and fall, but Disney World’s exciting attractions during the holidays are incomparable. Book a stay at a Lake Buena Vista vacation rental near the parks so you can arrive early each day. Feel free to also return to your vacation rental in the sunny afternoons to relax before returning to the park for evening fun. Take a look at the pros and cons of visiting Disney World during each season.
Visiting Disney World During the Summer
If you plan a vacation to Disney World during the summer, you’d better prepare to deal with crowds and heat. Disney World is at its most crowded during Fourth of July week, and every summertime week brings throngs of Disney fan. Plan ahead by downloading a wait-time app so you can stay on top of the lines for your favorite rides without trekking back and forth across the parks. In addition, many websites, such as UndercoverTourist.com and TouringPlans.com, offer calendars that show which weeks and even days are more crowded; shifting your stay by even a week could make a drastic difference in your experience.
Summer is hot in Orlando, and you can expect highs in the 90s and a good chance of rain. Put storm ponchos and hats on your “what to pack” list, but don’t stay away from the park just because it’s raining. Rainy days keep crowds away and can be a great time to get your Disney on.
The good news about going to Disney World in the summertime is that the park hours are longer than any other time of year. Plan to arrive an hour before the park actually opens (don’t be surprised if the gates open earlier than the announced opening time, and be ready to go right through), and take advantage of the relatively empty early hours to go on your favorite rides before lines form. In addition, summertime brings many fun events to Disney World. Check out the Sounds Like Summer concert series at Epcot, and look for the extra scheduling of shows and parades throughout the parks.
Visiting Disney World During the Fall
Fall can be a truly magical time to visit Disney World. Crowd levels drop as kids go back to school, and temperatures drop as well, resulting in some of the most pleasant weather of the year. However, since fall is also hurricane season, be aware that, while Orlando is rarely affected by hurricanes, major storms could throw an unexpected kink in your travel plans.
Disney World is packed with fun events and attractions in the fall. Many of them are ultra popular and require separate admission or reservations, so make your plans and book your reservations early. Each fall, the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot fills up early, so plan ahead. In addition, top Christian music artists perform during September’s Night of Joy, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a big draw for families who want a Halloween experience that’s fun rather than frightening. This is one time of the year when adults can wear costumes inside the park. You can also enjoy Christmas a little early with a November visit to Disney. All the decorations will be up in the park before Thanksgiving, so you can start your holidays early before the crowds arrive.
Visiting Disney World During the Winter
A wintertime visit to Disney World has a bit of a split personality, depending on whether you visit during the holiday weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years or after New Years weekend has passed. While Disney World is filled with parties, parades, special shows, fireworks, and breathtaking decorations during the holiday weeks, it’s also filled with people — millions of people, all waiting in the same line you’re in. If you plan a holiday Disney trip, it becomes even more vital to plan ahead, using line-wait apps and touring plans to minimize your time spent on line and maximize your relaxation. Arriving early is crucial, both because you need those early, less packed hours to get to rides and because sometimes Disney World actually shuts down when capacity is reached. Make sure to schedule some down time back at your vacation rental to unwind.
If you visit after New Years weekend, you experience a completely different park. In fact, Disney World often offers promotions to get people to the parks during this markedly uncrowded season. Other than the three-day weekends in January and February, you can expect a more relaxing visit, even getting to ride your favorite attractions many times in a row. You still need to plan ahead to get dining reservations at special restaurants, but you stand a better chance of getting the time you want. The only downside to visiting in winter is that park hours are shorter and some attractions may be down for maintenance.
Weather is changeable during an Orlando winter. You might enjoy balmy 80-degree days, or you could wake up in the morning needing gloves and scarves to deal with near-freezing temperatures. Pack plenty of layers so you can flex with the weather.
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Visiting Disney World in the Spring
Avoiding crowds at Disney World in the spring is almost a week-by-week decision. Take a look at crowd calendars at TouringPlans.com to help choose a week that avoids students on spring break if you want a calmer visit. One big draw during spring is the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. During this festival, the park looks spectacularly beautiful.
During spring, weather starts to warm up, but it still hasn’t hit the heat and humidity of the summer, so you don’t have to plan around finding air-conditioned rides or water attractions to stay cool in the middle of the afternoon. Because the weather is so pleasant and the landscaping so beautiful, many people consider March and April the prime months in which to visit the parks.
When Is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?
The best time to visit Disney World depends on what kind of experience you want. While most people would recommend avoiding the parks in the summer if at all possible, you may want to take advantage of the late night shows and parades. Holiday trips at Christmas and Halloween put you in the parks at crowded times, but deliver exciting experiences that can’t be duplicated during less crowded periods. In general, many longtime Disney fans recommend September and October as the best months to visit, with late February through April close behind. Your own tolerance for heat, humidity and crowds can help you determine when it’s your personal best time to visit the Happiest Place on Earth.
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