What’s the worst time to go to Walt Disney World?
The worst time to go to Walt Disney World® Resort is a major holiday week. The biggest are Christmas through New Year’s, Thanksgiving, the weeks around Easter, and the Fourth of July. If your dates can move at all, shift them by a week or two. If they can’t, a good plan beats a busy week.
Shift one week off the holidays
Busy times at Walt Disney World Resort follow school calendars more than anything else. When most schools break at once, all four parks get crowded at the same time. Disney even plans for the rush. Some annual passes don’t cover the biggest holiday dates at all. That alone shows how full Disney expects the parks to be.
The least crowded time to go to Walt Disney World Resort sits only a week or two away. Mid-January through mid-February is calm. So is mid-September through mid-November. The crowd calendar compares every week of the year. Weigh crowds together with weather, cost, and events when you pick your dates.
When the holiday weeks are worth it
- Your family wants the holiday itself. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs on select nights from late summer into fall. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the decorations follow in November and December. If the celebration is the reason for the trip, go. Party tickets are limited, and some nights sell out early. Have your travel advisor book tickets as soon as they are available.
- Early December. The first week of December is one of the quietest of the year, and the decorations and party nights are all running. It is the week our advisors pick for families who want the holiday season at the parks.
- School breaks are your only window. Plenty of families can only travel when school is out, and those trips still work. Early Theme Park Entry gives resort guests a head start each morning, and Lightning Lane passes cover the big rides.
Picking the calmer week
When your dates sit near a school break, compare the week before with the week after. Crowds thin out fast once a holiday ends, and room offers show up in those same weeks. If both weeks work for your family, book the one after. Tuesday through Thursday run calmest in any week you pick.