Walt Disney World Resort

Crowd calendar

Updated February 17, 2026

Our crowd calendar shows what to expect each week — experiences, weather, crowds, and cost — so you can compare weeks and pick the best days to visit. For a deeper look at each factor, explore when to visit.

How to read the calendar

Each week uses four columns: Experiences lists festivals, ride openings, and closures. Weather shows the typical forecast. Crowds flags holidays and blockout dates that push wait times up. Cost lists room offers, ticket deals, and packages from Disney. Pick a date, scroll to that row, and see what is going on.

Winter 2025–2026

Winter is one of the biggest swings on the calendar. Christmas and New Year’s are the busiest weeks of the year. But once the holidays end, January and February are some of the quietest. Prices drop, wait times shrink, and Disney often runs room deals. The Festival of the Arts and Marathon Weekend add extra reasons to visit.

Spring 2026

Spring starts with the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. It warms into the 80s. Mid-March through mid-April gets busy with spring breaks. Easter week is one of the peak stretches at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. After that, late April and May calm down. Wait times fall and Lightning Lane slots open up. Disney runs room and package deals through most of the season.

Summer 2026

Summer is hot, rainy, and crowded. School schedules drive the rush, and all four parks stay packed once breaks start. Prices are at their highest. Disney makes up for it with offers like the Buy 4 Get 2 Free Package and free water park days. If your Disney World vacation falls in summer, plan for pool breaks and use Lightning Lane to skip long lines in the heat.

Fall 2026

Fall draws repeat visitors for good reason. The weather cools into the 70s and 80s. Crowds thin out after Labor Day. Two of the biggest events run for weeks. Halloween Party nights fill Magic Kingdom Park. The Food & Wine Festival runs at EPCOT. Both give you plenty of dates to choose from. Late September through mid-November is some of the best time to visit all year.

Dates listed above are based on historical patterns, official Disney announcements, and industry insights. All events, openings, blockout dates, and offers are subject to change. For the most accurate and up-to-date details, speak with one of our Advisors.

What drives crowd levels

Several things shape how busy Walt Disney World Resort gets each week.

School schedules matter most. Summer break, spring break, and holiday weeks draw the most families. Weeks when most schools are in session are the quietest.

Holidays cause short spikes. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and the Fourth of July all push crowds up. Disney blocks certain annual passes during these peaks. That signals high demand.

Special events bring extra visitors. EPCOT festivals, party nights at Magic Kingdom Park, and runDisney weekends all add to the totals. Disney includes some events with park admission. Others need a separate ticket.

Weather plays a role too. Some families want pool weather and don’t mind the heat. Others prefer the cooler months — October, November, and early December — when the parks are more comfortable for walking.

No single calendar can tell you exact wait times. But these patterns repeat each year. The tables above map them all so you can compare weeks at a glance.

Weeks with the lowest crowds

The quietest stretches at Walt Disney World Resort follow a clear pattern.

Mid-January through mid-February. The holiday rush is over. Kids are back in school. Room offers and lower ticket prices make this one of the cheapest times to visit, too. The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs during this window.

Mid-September through mid-November (before Thanksgiving). Summer breaks have ended. The weather starts to cool. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs for weeks. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party adds even more to do — all with thinner crowds.

The first two weeks of May and the first week of December are also low-crowd windows.

Weekdays are almost always less crowded than weekends. If you can, plan your biggest park days for Tuesday through Thursday.

Strategies for shorter wait times

Even during the busiest weeks, a few simple moves help you get more done.

Arrive early. The first hour after park opening has the shortest lines of the day. Head to the most popular rides before the crowd builds.

Use Lightning Lane. Lightning Lane Multi Pass covers several rides per day for a flat fee. Lightning Lane Single Pass lets you pay per ride for the top attractions. Both save time in long standby lines. Our Lightning Lane overview breaks down how each option works.

Pick your park days with care. Each park has its own rhythm. Magic Kingdom Park tends to be busiest on weekends and holidays. EPCOT draws bigger crowds during festivals. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park tend to be calmer midweek. Check the Crowds column to see what drives attendance each week.

Take a midday break. Lines peak between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Head back to your resort for a pool break or a rest. Return in the evening when crowds thin out and the parks light up.

Book dining early. Popular restaurants fill up fast. On-site guests can book 60 days out. A reservation means less time waiting and more time at the table.

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