Your family is ready to start planning your magical vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort. You start looking at work schedules, school breaks, and kids activities to find a week that works best for everyone in your family. You narrow it down to a few options and begin to look at them more closely. “Is summer too hot?” “Is it too crowded during our Spring Break?” “Will park hours be shorter?” When is the best time to visit Walt Disney World? You find yourself back at the drawing board and debating when you should go.
From peak seasons, to special events it can be hard to determine the best season to visit Walt Disney World with your family. While visiting during a special event may be a must for certain guests, traveling during great weather seasons may hold a higher weight for others. Which factors should you take into consideration?
Special Events and Parties
Throughout the year, special events add extra magic throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. The most well-known events may be the festivals that take place at Epcot. Just about every month of the year, festivals featuring food booths with unique menus, specialty merchandise and special performances on the American Gardens stage will bring Epcot to life. While the actual event dates can change from year to year, the months in which the events take place in the same time frame annually.
- Epcot International Festival of the Arts (Jan 17 – Feb 24 , 2020)
- Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (Mar 4 – June 1, 2020)
- Epcot International Food and Wine Festival (Aug – Nov)
- Epcot International Festival of the Holidays (Nov – Dec)
Special events also grace the Magic Kingdom on select nights. Ranging from expansive parties to extra hours just for select guests, these limited-time events can only be found at certain times of the year.
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (Aug – Oct/Early Nov)
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Nov – Dec)
- Villains After Hours (select dates throughout the year)
- Early Morning Magic (select dates throughout the year)
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon has also gotten into the party fun with H2O Glow Nights. These fun parties allow guests to splash the night away with Partysaurus Rex and their favorite Toy Story Pals. These parties only take place in the summer and are a great way to cool off.
- H2O Glow Nights (May 27 – Aug 29, 2020)
RunDisney events are also hosted throughout the year and can be a deciding factor in when the best time to visit Walt Disney World is. Whether you decide to participate in the races yourself, or if you want to avoid all of the runners that come to the parks, planning with these events in mind can be another deciding factor in you travel dates.
- Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (Feb 20 – 23, 2020)
- Star Wars Rival Run Weekend (April 16 – 19, 2020)
- Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend (Nov 5 – 8, 2020)
- Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan 6 – 10, 2021)
If one of these special events is a must, planning your magical vacation during these time frames might outweigh any cons that you may have.
Ride Closures and Refurbishments
To help keep the magic alive, many attractions and pools will close so that magical enhancements can be made to keep all of the magic in working order. While unscheduled enhancements can occur, most are announced months in advance to allow guests the opportunity to plan their vacations around them. For example, if you have a mission of breaking the record for the number of times riding Splash Mountain in a single day, then a visit during the first two months of the year when the ride is typically closed for refurbishment, may not be the best idea.
Weather
Perhaps the most common denominator in the conversation about when the best time to visit the Walt Disney World resort is the weather. Many guests try to avoid hotter months, hurricane season, or even cold months in search of beautiful weather. While we know that no one week is guaranteed perfect weather, many try their best to avoid certain seasons.
In the summer, Central-Florida is known for daily showers. This of course is also widely known as the start of hurricane season. While being at the Walt Disney World Resort during a major storm is very safe, it might be something to keep in mind when purchasing flights.
Winter can be a great season with cooler weather. Though it doesn’t happen often Florida can still be hit with some unseasonably cold days. These cold days can result in pools and water parks closing for guests, even though they are heated.
So when is the best time to go to Walt Disney World? There is only one real answer…. When YOU decide to go! There is no magical equation, or perfect season. Our Dream Designers can work closely with you to help you determine what works best for your needs and interests. We will focus on what is most important for you to experience and make sure that no matter when you travel, you will have a magical and memorable experience with your family.
Be sure to contact your favorite Dream Designer travel agent, or request your free quote by clicking here.
