Hello again, Kathleen!
For a first-time visit to
Walt Disney World, looking to get the most out of your Disney Dollar while navigating the lightest crowd is a smart game plan. Well done!
As a general rule of thumb, lighter crowds and lower hotel rates often fall a few days
after holiday crowds have gone home and kids are back in school. As such, a week after New Year's, the weeks between three- and four-day weekends and days after Easter/Thanksgiving tend to be lighter than at other times. Early September, once schools are back in session, tend to see lighter crowds as well. You might find resort accommodations that are half the price of a holiday stay by looking at dates that avoid peak season such as those mentioned previously. If the hotel rate is lower, expected crowd levels are likely lower as well.
A great read on this subject is the unofficial website TouringPlans.com. Their crowd calendars are quite accurate, and may give you an idea of how attendance swells at certain times of year. On that site, read the post entitled "Crowd Levels"; there is a lot of information there that will help you educate yourself on the best time of year for your family to visit.
In general, weekends during
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival,
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and
runDisney events bring crowds, too.
Happy planning, Kathleen! As you think of many more questions while putting together your most magical first trip to Walt Disney World, be sure to send them our way. We love to help!
Andrea H