Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
Disney does not publish any kind of crowd-level estimate calendar. But there are ways to figure out when Disney parks will be at their most, and least crowded. Let me give you some planning strategies for that, and we can work from there.
Scheduling Tip #1: School Vacations Matter. If schools in North America are out on break, the crowd levels will be higher. When they are in session, crowd levels lower dramatically. Think of Summer Break, Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, Spring Breaks, and quicker vacations across holidays like Labor Day, and the like for those busier times. Lighter crowds are famously better in the September and October timeframe, and early December is often overlooked as a great time to go.
Scheduling Tip #2: Check the Calendar. While the purpose of the calendar on the Walt Disney World website for purchasing tickets or
reserving a hotel room may not be official crowd-level estimates, there is information to be gleaned there. If the room rates for a week are significantly higher or lower than other dates you are considering, you can surmise that it is a busier time of the year.
Scheduling Tip #3: Ask around. There are several sites that provide crowd-level estimates, though none are official. As you check a few, you will start to see some patterns emerge. Again, lower crowds in that September through mid-November timeframe and early December are great for the later parts of the year. Mid-January to mid-February, as well as April through May, excluding Easter, are great earlier options.
Scheduling Tip #4: Ask planDisney! Sure, you already did that. But now that you have a pretty solid roadmap for narrowing down dates, you can write us back with more specific dates that you have in mind, and we can help you choose between a few options. When you do that, we can also tell you about any special events that might occur during potential visits, like the
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug