Hi Patricia,
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad you asked your question today about budgeting for your next Walt Disney World vacation because that subject is near and dear to my heart as a Mom of 4 kiddos who is always looking for a way to stretch the budget. My motto is that any money that I can save in one area will be a Disney dollar I can spend somewhere else!
Patricia, as luck will have it, typically the times of the year in which it is more economical to visit are also the times in which there are fewer crowds. It's a win-win! My rule of thumb is that if the typical U.S. public school is in session, then it is a more favorable time to visit. For example, prices and crowds tend to be higher during U.S. holidays and the summer months when school is out of session. In general, the months of January and February (except for the days around Presidents Day weekend) are usually priced lower than during mid-March through April when many schools have spring break. Early May is also a good time to visit as well as later August and also September. October is also lovely, but take into consideration that prices can increase during Halloween as well as when Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party occurs. Early November is also nice but crowds and prices start increasing the weekend before Thanksgiving week and the crowd levels usually continue for a few days after Thanksgiving weekend.
Since you are considering your budget when making your Walt Disney World Resort vacation plans, I advise you to bookmark this page for
Special Offers, Deals & Discounts and check back frequently since new offers appear periodically. I usually go ahead and book my vacation once I have decided on my dates and then if I see a Special Offer pop up that includes my dates, I check if the offer can be applied to my booking as soon as possible. Each offer has a limited capacity and the early bird gets the worm in these cases! I have been very lucky in the past and have been able to upgrade my Disney Resort hotel category from a
Moderate Resort hotel to a
Deluxe Resort hotel for just a little bit more than my original booking. I also have been able to add the
Disney Dining Plan at a great discount by applying a Special Offer to my current booking.
I hope this information helps you with your Disney vacation planning! As you continue with your vacation plans, please be sure to come back and visit us here at planDisney with all of your questions. We are always excited to help you plan your next Magical adventure!
See Ya Real Soon,
Brenda