Mom With Kids After Run
  • On Jan 2, 2010
    Chris Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    We are preparing for our first trip to WDW with out daughters (age 10 and 13). We were considering several different time frames, but my question is this..what are the off season dates? We would rather not go when the lines are the longest!

    Hi Chris,

    A simple but fairly accurate summary would be that Walt Disney World is busiest when children are out of school and at the lowest crowd levels when children are in school.

    The week between Christmas and New Year is historically very busy, along with Easter week and the July 4th weekend.  After that, my experience is the next busiest times are mid-June through mid-August, Thanksgiving week, and Presidents week in February.  Of course, any particular day may or may not be busy.  I've been there during Christmas week when it's feels like the Magic Kingdom is overflowing with guests, and I've also been there on a day that week when it was fairly empty; perhaps everybody else was visiting another park that day.  The weather can also impact the crowd levels.

    My favorite times of the year to visit are January, February, May, October, November, and the first two weeks of December.  The first two weeks of December are especially nice as the crowds are thin and all of the Christmas decorations are up; Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is also held in the Magic Kingdom during this time and it's a lot of fun for families.  October is also a great time to visit as Epcot usually holds its International Food and Wine Festival during that time and the Magic Kingdom offers Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

    Write back if you have any more questions and have fun planning your first trip!
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Meet the Panelist: Bernie, Maryland

I am an engineer with NASA with prior Air Force service. My wife and I have two boys, ages 13 and 8. At home, I'm known as the "Disney Guy" and I've enjoyed helping guests plan their Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland vacations. Learn More About Bernie

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