Best Dates To Go To Disney World 2026 + FREE Printable Calendar
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The ultimate guide to picking the best time to go to Disney World plus a free printable calendar!
If you are planning a visit to Disney World you might be wondering what’s the best time to go for low crowds and great weather.
I have been to Disney World over 30 times in every season of the year and there are definitely some times of year that are better to visit than others!
In this post, I’ll share my picks for the best time to go to Disney World, but first be sure to fill out the form below so I can send your free printable calendar right to your inbox.
Best Time To Go To Disney World: Cost, Crowds, & Weather
The three factors to consider as you plan your visit are cost, crowds, and weather. Since I’m a cheapskate at heart, I’ll start with cost.
The price you’ll pay for a hotel room and tickets at Walt Disney World varies wildly depending on the time of year during which you travel.
For example, the “rack rate” for a standard room at Disney’s Pop Century Resort in 2026 ranges from $180 to almost $400 throughout the year.
Yep, that same exact room costs more than DOUBLE during peak travel season compared to other times of the year.
So we aren’t just talking about a few extra dollars – we talking about cutting the cost of your lodging almost in half by traveling at off-peak times!
The second reason I suggest planning your travel dates carefully is to avoid horrendous crowds at the theme parks.
Nothing ruins a vacation like shuffling through the parks at a snail’s pace surrounded by throngs of frustrated tourists. Or seeing 1+ hour wait times for all of the popular attractions.
The third reason you should plan your travel carefully is the weather.
Don’t underestimate the heat and humidity of central Florida in the summer months!
If your vacation plans include pool time, you might want to avoid a visit in January or February, when pool days are rare.
Also, traveling to Florida in hurricane season can be dicey, so all but one of my recommended times to visit fall outside of that time of year (roughly June until the end of October).
I’ll give you my four favorite times of year to visit the parks below, but be warned: all but one take place when kids are traditionally in school.
Your kids will get SO MUCH out of a trip to Disney World in terms of new knowledge and life experience that in my honest opinion it’s worth taking them out of school.
Ok now on to the details!
#1 Best Time To Go To Disney World: Late Summer Thru September
My first pick for the best time to go to Disney World is the beginning of August through the end of September.
While the summer USED the be a no-go time for me, crowds after July start to fall off considerably nowadays.
This crowd calendar from Thrill-data.com shows the average wait times at Magic Kingdom and September brings the lowest wait times of the entire year.
While it is VERY hot this time of year, the lower cost and crowds might make it worth it for you.
This is also hurricane season, so if you are making a large investment in your trip and don’t have flexibility I suggest cancel for any reason travel insurance.
I have visited Disney World during this time for five out of the last six years for the following reasons:
1) Awesome pool weather (we spend LOTS of time at the pool)
2) Relatively low crowd levels
3) Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
4) September is one of the cheapest times of year to stay at Disney if you are renting DVC points.
5) Some of the cheapest dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party discount tickets
Folks sometimes ask me why I prefer this time to October. October brings somewhat heavier crowds thanks to the Halloween party and peak Food & Wine Crowds, plus slightly higher costs.
But overall, October is a great time to visit, too!
We love to rent DVC points this time of year for a stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, our favorite resort.
We pay $200/night for a Deluxe Studio Villa which would cost over $500 if we booked it directly through Disney (read about how you can rent DVC points to save money on your trip, too).
It is pretty hot this time of year, with highs in the upper 80s, making it sometimes unbearable in the sun. But as long as you plan for a break in the middle of the day, the heat is manageable (at least for me).
If I want to stay in a Value or Moderate resort, then I book through Priceline to get additional discounts on top of Disney’s discounts.
#2 Best Time To Visit Walt Disney World: After Easter Until Memorial Day
My second pick for the best time to go to Disney World is the period after Easter up until Memorial Day.
The weather is the big draw this time of year.
Visiting the warm and tropical lushness of Florida after a cold, gray winter is just completely incredible. Plus no chance of a hurricane ruining your well-laid plans!
Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival takes place this time of year, adding more color and beauty to your trip. Crowds stay lowish, with averages of 4-5 out of 10 for the whole time period.
As far as cost goes, this is a more expensive time of year to visit compared to fall and early winter by about 25%. But it may be worth it to you for the fantastic weather.
If you want to rent DVC points, I suggest visiting in May as opposed to April for significant savings.
May is part of “Dream Season” which has rates only slightly higher than the two cheapest seasons. You will pay about 30% more in April, so wait for May if you can!
Spring is a busy time of year so you’ll want every advantage – click here for my guide to using the Disney World Lightning Lanes and get your free cheat sheet printable.
#3 Best Time to Visit Disney World: Early December
My third pick for the best time to visit Disney World is the period right after Thanksgiving through the first few weeks in December.
The main reason for a visit this time of year is to soak up the incredible Disney World holiday magic without paying any more than you would other times of the year!
This is one of the more affordable times of year to visit, whether you are booking a resort room with Disney or renting DVC points.
Crowds are around 6 out of 10, though they spike a little on the weekends with locals visiting for the holiday decorations and special events.
The weather starts to get unpredictable this time of year, so you could catch highs in the 70’s or you could need parkas.
But as long as you pack for anything, this is such a wonderful time to visit the parks.
Click here to get my ultimate guide to Disney World Christmas for details on the special holiday events plus tips for celebrating Christmas at Disney!
#4 Best Time To Visit: Early November
My fourth choice for the best time to visit Disney World is early November.
This time of year has fantastic weather, average crowds, and low room rates.
Plus you’ll catch the tail end of the hugely popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, my favorite event at Walt Disney World!
Average highs are around 80 degrees so you can likely still get some time in at the pool and it’s not scorchingly hot at the parks. Hurricane season is almost always over by now.
Crowds aren’t too bad (about 4-5 out of 10) and this time of year is part of the rate category Disney calls “Fall”, which is one of the lower-cost times of year to visit.
For comparison, a standard room at Pop Century costs $165 during the “Fall” season, which is second only to “Value” season in January in terms of affordability.
Note: There is a cost increase and increase in crowds associated with the Veteran’s Day long weekend, so avoid those few days if you can.
Runner-Up Best Time To Go To Disney World: January and Early February
I felt like I had to mention one more time of year to consider for the best time to go to Disney World.
January (after marathon weekend) and early February (up until President’s Day weekend) offer the lowest prices AND lowest crowd levels of the year. You’ll have to contend with “winter” in Florida, which is totally mild of course.
Keep in mind there is a surge in crowds that weekend before Martin Luther King, Jr Day.
But, if you aren’t concerned with visiting the pool and want to avoid crowds/save money, consider a trip in the first two months of the year! Plus, you’ll get to experience Epcot’s Festival of the Arts, which is included with park admission.
We love the warm weather and special events of the previously mentioned time periods, so we tend to avoid these months.
It is also important to note that resort hotel rooms are almost always cheaper Sunday through Thursday night.
If you are planning a 5-night stay and can make it happen with work schedules, go during the week to avoid the additional 10-25% cost increase of Friday and Saturday night stays.
I hope this post gave you some helpful hints for the best time to go to Disney World. Any questions? Please leave a comment below or join the discussion on my free private Facebook group!
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Any recommendations, or follow same reasoning, for Disneyland.
Sorry Heather, I’m not familiar with crowd patterns at Disneyland. I’m hoping to make my first trip there next year!
I do Disneyland at least once a year (this year I’ll have 4 trips!) My first choice is mid September. The fall decor is up, the weather is not as hot (probably low 80’s) and crowds are not bad mid week. My next choice is end of January-park can be u crowded and only once have we gotten rained on (but it may be too cool for outdoor swimming). I also have enjoyed a trip during the first week of December. Magical decorations and not crowded. I rarely visit on weekends, but even when I did Labor Day weekend and Mother’s Day (Disney half marathon weekends) it wasn’t insanely busy. I’m headed to DLR this weekend, so hopefully even though it’s a weekend, it won’t be too busy. Hotels near the park are always spendy, the best you can get at a decent place is going to be at least $100 (probably more like $149). I’m headed to Disney World the first week of November, so here’s hoping for no hurricanes!
Awesome advice, Steph! Thanks so much for sharing, now I am even more excited to check out Disneyland. The first week in November is my hands down favorite time to visit WDW! Nice choice. 😉
I totally agree with your best dates! I also would rather swim with sharks than deal with crowds and heat, so my family and I have never visited in the summer. I would love to spend Christmas at Disney World, but never have because of the crowds and prices. About five years ago, before Veteran’s Day crowds were crazy, we went over Veteran’s Day and were at Magic Kingdom when they turned on the holiday lights at the castle for the first time that holiday season. It was magical. We’ve also visited at the end of September and the beginning and end of January. Recently my husband and I went for a few days at the beginning of February. I think it’s the most affordable time and crowds are at their lowest. I am hoping to plan another February trip for he and I in 2017. My daughter and I went in early May and enjoyed the Flower and Garden festival with low crowds. I also totally agree with you that it is worth it to take the kids out of school for a week to go when crowds are low. And I am a teacher!:) The memories you will make as a family and the experience they will get is definitely worth it. Thanks for continuing to give great advice on how to make a Disney World trip affordable!
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences at Disney, Laura! Glad you too have had good trips during these times of year. I really want to get down next spring for Flower & Garden festival at Epcot as I haven’t been to that event in years.
Ditto on the sharks! I love January at Disney World, it has been so much nicer to us.
We went September 13-20 in 2015. I loved it! Crowds weren’t bad, and I pretty much walked right up to the Space Mountain ride. Their were some waits, we did a lot of kiddie rides for my 2 year old daughter, I think our longest wait but most enjoyable wait was the Winnie the Pooh ride, thankfully they have tons of activities while you wait. 🙂 Stores weren’t crowded heavily either and Downtown Disney was a dream! I really dislike large crowds full of arrogant people who seem clueless of manners. That being said the most crowded area was main side, we double timed it the castle and the crowd reduced greatly.
So good to hear, Anastasia! I am heading down for a quick trip September 17-19 so I hope for similar low crowds!
Planning my first family Disney trip for next year. Just curious, why not October? I was thinking first 2 weeks of Oct. Would it be worth it to plan for sept or nov? Also: when does the free dining generally run?
Thanks!!
Hi Ellen! The reasons I suggest end of September or November as opposed to October is crowds and availability of Free Dining. It is slightly more crowded in October with both Food & Wine AND Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party in full swing. But October is still not nearly as crowded as other times – maybe a 5 out of 10. The dates for Free Dining change every year and the offer is typically released in the spring (April/May). For the last two years, most dates in October have been excluded. For example, this year the dates for Free Dining were 8/14-10/1, 11/15-11/21, and 12/10-12/21. It is likely the dates for Free Dining next year will be similar, if Disney does indeed offer the promotion again next year! Hope this helps!
hello, just wondering where i would find the info about the free dining. Also do you know when the halloween stuff starts? we were looking to travel in mid october for that particular reason so the kids could enjoy all the halloween things. and one more thing, having only visited disney once briefly is it best to book at an actual disney resort or a condo nearby? any info/tips much appreciated!!
Hi Nicole! Free Dining for the fall is historically released between March and May. As soon as I hear anything I will be sure to share it here on the blog! The Halloween party usually starts the first week in September on certain days. It isn’t likely that free dining will be offered in October (it hasn’t for several years) but there is a chance there could be some dates in September. I recommend staying on Disney property and just shared a post about this topic here: https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/on-property-vs-off-property-hotels-at-disney-world-what-youll-get-for-100night/ Thanks for stopping by!
I would have to disagree with the end of September. I’m a Disney travel agent, and I sell a lot of vacation packages during that week. I would recommend arriving the day after Labor Day for a week. I have gone several times during that week, and the crowds are about a 1-2, and the weather is almost perfect! The last week of September/first of October is a lot more crowded.
Thanks Monica! I’ve never been during those weeks since it is before Food & Wine starts and that is our favorite event of the year. F&W Fest begins a week earlier this year (on September 14th) so we are going to try going during that week this year. Maybe the crowds will be less than we are used to? Thanks again for your input!
From Cali. Planning a NY/PA road trip next year then Florida on our way home. Which will put us in Florida first week of October. What do you think?
The first week in October is a great time to visit Disney, Deanna. The only reason I don’t suggest October is slightly higher crowd levels than surrounding dates (though the crowds are nothing compared to peak times of year!) and the fact that free dining hasn’t been offered in October lately. The weather will be great though still very hot (highs around 85). Perfect for the pool!
I disagree with mid October it’s too hot I know because I was there last year going in late March through early April next year
You are right Brenna, it is still pretty darn hot in Florida in mid-October! I bet you will like the weather in late March better.