Hi Michelle! My kids are also at the ages where I can't pull them out of school for Disney vacations like I used to do when they were younger. Like you, I prefer to visit Walt Disney World at less crowded and less expensive times of year, and while summer and holidays are often periods of high attendance at the Disney parks, you can still find times to visit that are less crowded and less expensive. The weeks around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter are traditionally periods of maximum attendance levels at Disney World and discounts are scarce then, so you'll want to avoid those holidays. Holidays in general cause an increase in attendance at Disney World, and as a result often an increase in resort room rates too, so I tend to shy away from visiting then, but the crowds at holidays like Labor Day or Martin Luther King weekend aren't as big as the ones during Spring Break. Check your children's school calendar for vacation days that don't coincide with the rest of the country. If they have a Fall Break, plan your trip then since fall is traditionally a period of low crowds and low prices.
Unlike major holidays, summer can offer deals and more moderate attendance. July can be crowded, but you'll often find lower crowds in June and August. Early June and late August are particularly good times to visit since in many areas of the country schools are in session during those weeks, which means lower attendance levels. If your children are out of school during the first two weeks of June or the last two weeks of August, visit Disney then. In addition to lower attendance, you'll often find reduced resort room rates or special vacation packages. (The popular Free Dining Plan offer often starts in the last few weeks of August; keep an eye on the
Special Offers page of the Disney website for discounts such as this one.)
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