• On Feb 9, 2022
    Taylor from AL Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Taking our son for his first Disney World trip within the next year! We will also be bringing all the grandparents, so we are trying to determine when Disney World has its lowest crowds of the year, we have full flexibility to travel during the week!

    Taylor, 

    Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!

    It is great that you have the flexibility to pick your time to travel to Walt Disney World. That can help make for an even more special visit. Walt Disney World never seems to be empty, but there are certainly more and less crowded times of the year, so let me give you some pointers on when to schedule your visit.

    School Rule: The "School Rule" tells you that if school is in session, the parks tend to be lighter. If school is out, the crowds get larger. Summer months, as well as the Thanksgiving and the Christmas-to-New Year holiday seasons range from busy to extremely busy. If you can visit at a lighter time of year, that would be great. 

    EPCOT is for Weekdays: EPCOT hosts a number of festivals, like the famous EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Because of these festivals, and even when there are none on the calendar, EPCOT is busier on the weekends. Locals also love to drop in to enjoy some of the great World Showcase restaurants for a weekend dinner out. Knowing all that, when you visit Walt Disney World try to schedule your EPCOT day in the middle of the week, not the weekend. 

    It was all started by a MOS: This is all my opinion, but I think the best months to visit are May, October, and September. Get it? MOS, like "mouse"? I love these times of the year because they fall squarely within the School Rule. The weather is also more like a nice summer climate, but without the extreme Orlando summer temps. If you can pick from the three, October is the best because it falls outside of the rainy season, and you can still enjoy a weekday visit to the Food & Wine Festival. 

    Avoid Holidays: Even within the MOS rule, try to avoid any national holidays, as more and more guests will fly down for a long weekend, again increasing crowd levels. 

    So those are my initial suggestions. Please feel free to write me back with a few dates you are considering, and I can help you choose a final time frame, and get you ready with other planning tips.

    Have a Magical Vacation!

    Doug
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Meet the Panelist: Doug, Indiana

I am one of the Dads on the planDisney Panel, and I love to help parents plan their vacation, with a focus on showing them how it can be fun for them too. I am also here to help Dads plan some nice surprises for the Moms in their life (they deserve it!). Learn More About Doug

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