Mother, Son, Giraffe, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Animal Kingdom, Savannah
  • On Jul 7, 2012
    Brian from NJ 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.

    My wife and I are planning to take our boys, who will be 5 and 4 at the time, on their first trip to WDW. We were going to book in June, but then we were told August would be cheaper and not as crowded. Could you tell me which would be a better time?

    Hello, Brian!

    You've got some great points here regarding price and crowd levels; they do vary in both June and August.

    If your boys can get to Walt Disney World in early June, you might have better luck then. So many families can't get to the parks before the end of a school year, which means that the first two weeks of June are often far less crowded than the last two weeks in June. In addition, the weather is often cooler, less stormy and less humid in early June than in August.

    If you're thinking of going to WDW in August, those crowd levels will decrease about mid-August, and, accordingly, so do many of the prices of accommodations. The weather is typically stormier, as hurricane season has begun in addition thunderstorms which are common that time of year.

    According to a great unofficial crowd-predicting website, touringplans.com, the expected overall crowd level in the parks on Saturday, June 1st, 2013 is 3 out of 10. The rest of the week is 5-6 out of 10. Heading there later, crowd levels rise to an expected 7 out of 10 on Saturday, June 15, 2013 and remain at 7, 8 or 9 throughout the rest of the week. While no predictions have yet been made for August, 2013, we can use this year as a barometer of crowd expectations for comparison. Saturday, August 18th, 2012 sees a prediction of 9 out of 10 in the parks this year, with levels dropping to 6, 7 and then 5 by Wednesday, August 22, 2012. Crowd averages continue to drop through Sunday, August 26, where they hit 2 out of 10, and stay low until Labor Day weekend.

    Bottom line? Late August brings lower crowds than early June but brings hotter, stormier days. Both time periods have pluses and minuses, so choose what's most important for your family's first trip. There are many concessions I can make on our own trips, if making them gives us an added benefit we really want.

    Send more questions as you plan this first exciting trip to WDW! I'd love to help!
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Meet the Panelist: Andrea, Pennsylvania

I am a teacher, wife and mom who has been a member of the Disney Vacation Club since 2003. I love discovering a new favorite DVC resort, fantastic restaurant or hidden gem onboard a Disney ship! I'm a micro-planner who can help you capture your own magic! Learn More About Andrea

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