Disney World Planning Basics: When To Visit

So you've made the exciting decision to go to Disney World! Now the next question is when to go. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding what is the right time of year for your family to visit.

1. Prior Commitments These could be work events like a conference or business trip and family events like weddings, birthdays, kid's sport seasons or the school year.
2. Weather Does the temperature or rain in Florida make a difference to your family? Historically, June, July, August and September are the hottest and wettest months of the year. The average high temperatures can reach well into the 90's and it is normal for Disney World to receive seven plus inches of rain each of these months. On the flip side, it can get very cold in Orlando during the winter months. I have been there in January when the high was only 40 degrees and our entire family had to buy coats! 
3. Disney World Events During the year, Disney World has several seasonal events that take place. In January, there is the Walt Disney World Marathon. During the spring months, Epcot hosts the International Flower & Garden Festival. In June, Hollywood Studios has Star Wars weekends. Then during the fall months, Epcot has the International Food & Wine Festival. There are also special parties during certain times of the year at the Magic Kingdom. During September and October, you can attend the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and in November and December, there is the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. These are just a few of the many celebrations that Disney World has throughout the year. You may want to keep these dates in mind in order to attend or to avoid the extra crowds. For a complete list, check out Disney World's events.
4. Crowd Levels Although, Disney World is busy every day of the year, there are certain times that are more crowded than others. As you would expect, major holidays and any time kids are out of school will be the busiest. However, it can also be very busy during minor holidays like President's Day weekend and during the special seasonal events listed above. Typically it is least crowded when kids are just returning to school after their summer, winter and spring breaks. Great times to go when the crowds are the lowest are mid-January to the beginning of February (exceptions are Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and the Disney Marathon weekend), just after Labor Day until the beginning of October and the week after Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas.
5. Disney Hotel Pricing Another thing to consider if you are going to be staying at a Disney World resort is their pricing structure. As you can imagine, the hotel rooms are more expensive when the parks are busier. The pricing has several different levels. In order from most expensive to least they are: Holiday (all of them even minor ones), Peak (spring break and just before winter break), Summer, Regular, Fall and Value (least busy times of the year). You will also find that weekend nights are generally more expensive than week nights.

My Thoughts: For my family, the best times to travel to Disney World are during June and October. My kids are old enough that missing school is now difficult for them to make up, so we reserve our trips to when they are on break. We find that June is nice, because even though the crowds are starting to pick up, it isn't quite as hot as July or August. We are also very fortunate to live in a school district that has a fall break during the month of October. This is by far our favorite time of year to visit Disney World! The weather is still warm, the crowds are lighter and we can enjoy Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival plus the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom!

There may seem like a lot of things to think about when deciding when to go to Disney World, but the most important thing to remember is that any time you go to Disney World will be a great time!

What about you? Have you been to Disney World before?

When is your favorite time of year to visit? Please leave a comment below!