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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We’re thinking about going October 8th-12th. I noticed October wasn’t recommended; can you tell me why?
Hey Laura! October is overall a good time to visit since schools are generally in session. There are higher crowd levels in October than late September and early November due to both Food & Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party being in full swing. If you use a crowd calendar to plan your park days carefully you will have a great trip!
I am planning on going either April 29th – May 6th or May 6th – May 13th for my birthday. I’m happy to see that these are highlighted in green! It will be my first time there đŸ™‚
That’s fantastic, Sabrina! After Easter and before school lets out is one of my favorite times to visit! I went the week after Easter last year and it was perfect. Hope you have a great time celebrating your birthday at Disney World.
Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear that and hoping to avoid major crowds to make the most of my trip!
Hi! Can you tell me what you think the week of 03/19/2017 might look like?? That is the week Im going to WDW for the first time. Im willing to move up a week or so if it will help to go during lower crowd times. TIA
Hi Suzanne! You are looking at peak pricing at Disney resorts from 3/10 through 4/8. You would save pretty substantial money if you were able to go prior to 3/10, but pool weather can be iffy at the very beginning of March. Crowds will also be higher the second half of March compared to the first half due to spring breaks. The week of March 5th through the 11th looks great for crowds and prices. Hope that helps!
I’m going 3/12-18/17. Is this going to be one of those super crowded weeks or can I count on, hopefully, moderate to slightly busy crowds?
Thanks
Hi Lynn! I checked out the crowd calendar at Undercover Tourist and it looks pretty busy that week, about a 7/10. I suggest planning which park you will visit on which day using a crowd calendar like I suggest in this post: https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/never-wait-line-disney-world-still-ride-everything/ You can still dodge a lot of the crowds by visiting the least busy park each day! Hope you have a great trip.
What about the first week in April? Is that a good time
Hi Justi! It really depends on when Easter falls. This past year (2016) Easter was early, so we went during the first week of April which was AFTER Easter. We had a great time with overall low crowd levels. This upcoming year (2017) Easter is later in April, so it will likely be very busy and pricey the first week in April. Disney bases their prices on anticipated crowd levels, so the most popular times of year (such as the holidays and Easter/spring break) are going to be the most expensive. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the great tips! We are planning to go November 12-18th in 2017. Just wondering why November 10-12 and 18 are not included in your green (i.e. “best time” dates)? Is something going on at Disney during that time that we don’t know about?
Hi Julie! There is a surge in crowds around Veteran’s day weekend, especially at the Magic Kingdom. I just suggest planning carefully on those dates to avoid horrendous crowds! A crowd calendar such as this one at Undercover Tourist can help: https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/
Also, I think I ended the recommended dates on Nov. 18th because there was a pretty major rate increase associated with the Thanksgiving holiday. Check out the rack rates for your dates here: https://www.mousesavers.com/2017-disney-world-room-rates-season-dates/
My family just returned from our visit this past week (10/15 – 10/21). The weather was perfect mid 80’s and the evenings were gorgeous! It didnt rain once..not the norm for FLA weather. We did dodge the hurricane; however, I did have friends that were there that week and even when the parks closed for the day (which they never do), they said that Disney was more then hospitable and it all worked out fine. For us we were able to spend time at the pool and water park. Blizzard Beach had just closed to start renovations for next year. In fact, the only downside visiting during an off season is that attractions may be closed..but since there is so much to do..you dont even notice! The one pool was closed at our resort as well but we were advised ahead of time. The crowds were fantastic! Of course we worked our fast passes along with the Disney App for wait times and took advantage of the extra magic hours; however, the lines were only long to see the characters. We rode several of the special attractions mutiple times! Many, many years ago my parents would take us the 8th week of the year (February was their timeshare week) and the crowds were similar to what we experienced last week..but no swimming! I will probably always stick to the fall and don’t forget Mickey’s not so scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom..the decorations were awesome! I have to add..my first trip was at x-mas break when I was about 12… the only thing I could remember about that trip was standing in line! It was right up there with wanting to slit your wrist! Don’t forget ….not only are the hotel rates higher in peak season..now the-park passes are higher to help swing the crowds. P.S. about missing school….my son is in K…the principal when she signed off on the excused absent with a smiley face…said “I am sure I will sign one of these every year for a vacation?” Yep! ?
I had a HUGE smile on my face reading your comment, Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing your experience at Disney in the fall! It is such an awesome time to visit, isn’t it!?! Where did you stay? So glad you had low crowd levels, I might have to adjust my calendar if I hear this is a pattern in mid-October.
um I need to leave a comment saying the calendar needs updated because the whole calendar is wrong look at January 2017 the 1st starts on Sunday not Saturday so the whole calendar is a day off
Hi Kendra! The issue is that this calendar starts on Monday instead of Saturday. So while it is correct, it isn’t the usual Sunday through Saturday setup. I’ll look for something easier to read and get it updated. Thanks!
Good to know, I wish I had this knowledge about the END of September earlier! I just got back yesterday, we spent the 13th-18th at WDW and the crowds were terrible! Well, terrible by MY standards lol. All the crowd calendars predicted a 2 or 3, lowest of the year for my dates at the parks, and they were more like a 5 or 6! Oh, and the humidity! We still had fun, but man you really have to NARROW down those dates! Thank you!
Being East coast Canadians, by the end of January we are sick of winter. We took our dirt Walt Disney vacation in January 2014 and loved it! It was not too busy and not too hot (but much milder than the weather back home)! We went again in January 2016 and have January 2017 planned already!!! For us, it’s the best time to visit ?