There is absolutely no such thing as a bad time to visit Disney World! There are, however, some times of the year that are better than others to visit for varying reasons. If you’re like me and you like to avoid large crowds and long wait times then this article is just for you! Here are the top five least crowded times of the year to visit Disney World.
- Beginning of May – At this point schools are still in sessions and many families may not want to pull their kids out of school so close to the end of the year. This means minimal crowds! This is an especially great time for those that don’t have kids, no need to worry about school. The longer daylight hours at this point in the year are also a bonus meaning more park time!
- September – Early November – Not only are the crowds low at this point in the year the temperatures are also perfect – not too hot and not too cool. Kids are in school, and a lot of parents don’t want to take their kids out for vacation, and now-a-days schools don’t want parents to take their kids out either. So if you don’t mind taking your kids out of school, or your kids aren’t in school yet, or you don’t have kids then this is a great time of year to visit. Low crowds, perfect weather, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party through October, Christmas decorations in November, and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival spanning parts of all three months – what could be better!
- Early December – Disney World is incredibly busy over Thanksgiving and during the winter holidays at the end of December, but early December gives you the same atmosphere in the parks with much smaller crowds.
- End of August – Many kids go back to school in the last week of August, so this is a great time to visit to avoid large crowds. After all, no one wants their kids to miss the beginning of a new school year. So, if you have younger kids that aren’t in school yet or don’t have kids this is a great time to visit! Be aware, though, that is will still be quite hot out.
- January – February – This is my favorite time of the year to visit. At the beginning of January there are moderate crowds due to the Disney World Marathon weekend, but these crowds are nothing compared to those that had been there a week earlier for the winter holidays. Early January also offers guest the opportunity to catch the end of the Christmas decorations without having to deal with the crowds of the price. That’s right, not only are these two months less crowded they are also part of value season! If you want small crowds, avoid marathon weekend, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, and President’s Day. Even with these few days bringing in slightly larger crowds these two months are the perfect time to visit.
When is your favorite time to visit Disney World? Do you like the low crowd times or do you love the big crowds of the summer and holidays? Let us know in the comments!
My name is Miriya Whitaker, I am a travel agent with World of Magic Travel, a writer for Chip and Co and Disney Addicts, and I love to visit Disney World during the times of the year that bring low crowds! I would be more than happy to help you figure out when the best time is for you and your family to visit and to help you plan and book your next magical vacation! Contact me at miriyawhitaker@worldofmagictravel.com to start planning and follow me on Facebook for more Disney and travel information!
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I agree with Angie. We normally go mid November, and the crowds used to be better than they have been the last couple of years. While we enjoy seeing the Christmas decorations, this time of year can no longer be considered a lighter-crowds time.
We like to visit the first week of December and Jan and Feb are also our favorite times. Our whole family also likes to visit over Night of Joy weekend!
Unfortunately the last 4 years we’ve discovered that late October / early-mid-November are no longer low-crowds, we believe due to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, the festival marathon, and also, we think, free dining during those periods. Each year it’s gotten worse. We take our kids out of school specifically to avoid crowds and it’s gotten worse until last year it was downright miserable. We swore that would be the last time we went during the Food and Wine Festival (which seems to last longer and longer!). The crowds are bad, we had to spend many hours online and on the phone trying to secure a a DVC room (and our friends had a hard time reserving a resort room), we had a hard time getting dining reservations for our favorite places way in advance, and World Showcase itself, which is our favorite place on WDW property, is nearly impassable, especially in the evening. No more during that time frame!