When do YOU want to go?

So, you’ve decided to visit Walt Disney World.  Now what?  The first thing you must decide is when you want to go.  Walt Disney World is a 365 day/year vacation destination.

There are a lot of things you must ask yourself.  What are your priorities? 

·         Do you need to go when the kids are out of school?

·         Is it most important to avoid crowds?

·         Is pleasant weather your highest priority?

·         Do you want to visit during the least expensive time?

·         Do you want to take advantage of special events?

·         Are there special events you want to avoid?

None of these things are mutually exclusive, but they will help you narrow down the best time for your trip.  Some times are better for deciding your trip than others.  Let’s take a look at these various aspects that can help you decide when the best time for your trip is.

Vacation Schedules

You know your children’s vacation schedule, but do you know the vacation schedules of children across the country?  Sometimes we forget that different school districts have different plans.  Some states have fall breaks in addition to spring break.  Spring breaks also vary; almost any week in March or April is someone’s spring break.  Then there is “Jersey Week.”  Generally, near Veterans Day in November, New Jersey teachers have a conference.  Many parents take advantage of this to take their kids to Walt Disney World during the off season.

Crowds

Crowd levels vary through the year at Walt Disney World.  Obviously, times when numerous children are out of school will increase crowd levels.  Summer and Christmas is much more crowded than spring break, as spring breaks vary, but summer vacation is fairly stable.  When adults tend to also have time off, like 4^th of July, crowd levels go up even further.    Thanksgiving week, Memorial Day weekend, Presidents Day weekend and Easter week are also extremely crowded. 

March has fewer spring breaks than April, typically.  And, August seems to be a lower attendance summer month, along with the first week or two in June, at Walt Disney World.  Take that with a grain of salt though.  Sometimes the difference between 18,000 and 21,000 just isn’t that noticeable.

The lowest crowds at Walt Disney World can be found most of November (except Thanksgiving week) and the first part of December.  You will also have fewer people there in September (prime hurricane season and school just started) and October.  Mid January to Presidents Day weekend in February are also low times.  Just beware: When the crowds are lower, more rides are refurbished, so you might miss out on something you just must absolutely do.

Weather

Some months are better for weather than others for visiting Walt Disney World.  October is quite pleasant.  The first few weeks of May start to have the heat turn up.  But July and August are amongst the most sweltering.  And don’t think just because you live in the south or a high humidity area, you can handle it.  There is something different about Florida.  January and February can be mighty pleasant or downright cold.  September is also quite hot, or fairly pleasant.  But always keep in mind that August and September are the prime time for hurricane season, although hurricane season is June through November.  March and April are absolutely beautiful.  Of course, any week, especially for areas located near water can have an anomaly when it comes to weather.  I’ve been to Walt Disney World at Christmas time wearing shorts and both in March October dressed in a winter jacket.

Seasons

No, not spring, summer, fall, and winter.  That would be too easy for Walt Disney World.  Disney has its own special season when it comes to pricing resort rooms, and other hotels in the Disney World area follow closely.  As a rule of thumb, the more crowded, the more expensive.  Ironic, huh?  To make matters even more confusing, different resorts have different seasons at different times.  The best thing to do is to go to http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/, click on your resort and then compare resorts to start finding which season your dates fall under. 

Special Events

There is always something going on at Walt Disney World.  In March there is ESPN weekend.  In March through May there is Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival.  In May and June there is Star Wars Weekends.  In September and October there is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.   In September through November there is the Food and Wine Festival.  In November and December there is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Osborne Family of Lights, and The Candlelight Processional.  Don’t worry; Walt Disney World is a large place and spreads out its events.  Differences in crowds can be planned for, or are not noticeable at all.

Additionally, there are other groups that hold events at Walt Disney World.  These events include Cheerleading competitions, Pop Warner Week, Gay Days (this is easily avoided if you might take issue with it), Grad Nights, the taping of ABC’s Christmas Parade, and the Brazilian Tour Groups that come during the summer.

All of these things can affect when you want to plan your Walt Disney World trip.  I will go more in-depth later on many of these topics.