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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Hello! Thank you for the information it is very helpful. I am planning our trip for the week before thanksgiving. I’m expecting busy parks. However, do you know if the holiday decorations will be up at that time? Would hate to miss that! Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica! The holiday decorations will definitely be up in the Magic Kingdom since there are Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties during your visit! The decorations there are wonderful so I’m glad you get to see them. The other parks are hit or miss. Trees, etc. won’t be up in the resorts at that time. Hope that helps.
I am planning a trip April 27th- May 5th. Glad to see these are good days to visit.
Hi Samantha! Yep, you will have awesome weather and pretty low crowds. Be sure to check out Flower & Garden at Epcot, here are my suggestions for visiting with kids (if you will have little ones with you on your trip): https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/why-kids-will-love-epcots-flower-garden-festival/
Planning a trip Feb. 4-6, we will be at the park Sunday through Tuesday and need advice about what parks to do in what order. Didn’t get a park hopper and want to visit AK, Epcot, and MK. Thanks in advance.
I’d definitely go AK, EP, then MK. Those days look the best and that happens to be the order I prefer anyway!
How does late May look? I’m looking for less crowds because my son is autistic.
Late May is an awesome time to visit if you are looking for lower crowds. Just make sure you are gone by the Thursday before Memorial Day when crowds start to ramp up!
If planning a WDW family (6 adults 2 year old, 4 year old and a 12 year old) vacation in April or May 2018 when is the best time to book.
Disney should release its rates for both room-only and package stays for 2018 in late June. I suggest working with an agent over at Destinations in Florida who can help you book as soon as rooms become available, at no extra cost to you: https://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=321282&u=986111&m=32351&urllink=&afftrack=
Hi Leah, thanks for your post, I found it very interesting since your point of view considers weather, crowds and price. My main concern is finding low crowds in the parks. I checked in 4 websites and I found the second half of august and first days of september has moderate to low crowds (and also that fits well with the time we have for vacation), but I don’t find that dates in your recommended times to visit. Could you tell me what is your opinion on visiting disney on late august?
Thanks a lot.
I think you will find overall low crowd levels in the parks after August 30th and throughout September. The exception would be Labor Day weekend (September 2nd through 4th this year) which will have very high crowds. It will be very hot but if you can handle the heat then its a great time to visit! Thanks for stopping by, Lucio!
Hi Leah,
When you stay at a resort, are you able to access all of the pools/public amenities at that resort, or only the ones closest to your room? For example, if we stayed in a Little Mermaid room at the Art of Animation Resort, would we be allowed to swim in The Cozy Cone Pool or the The Big Blue Pool–or would we only be allowed into the Flippin’ Fins Pool?
Thanks!
Hi Chrissy! You can use all of the pools at your resort, regardless of your room location! At some resorts you can even use “sister” resort’s pools, such as you can use any pool at the All Star resorts if you are staying in one, or the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House if you are staying at Kidani Village. I’m actually at an All Star resort right now and can confirm that the sign at the pool says it is for guests of the All Star resorts.
That’s super helpful–thank you so much! 🙂
Thank you for all your great tips. I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I am a teacher and therefore, cannot travel during your recommended dates you provided. This, of course, makes my heart very sad. So, we were planning on Thanksgiving week, what do you think? Also, do you think it’s best for me to go to a travel agency or try to book everything separately and on my own?
Thank you!
Hi Norma! I think of all the school breaks, Thanksgiving is the least crowded. Definitely less so than Christmas! Also the weather is usually nice and mild. It really depends on how much time you have to spend learning about all of the aspects of planning a Disney vacation. If you have the time and you like to DIY, then you can likely save money planning yourself. But if you don’t have the time or patience for planning the trip, a travel agent is the way to go! I recommend Destinations in Florida, an established no-cost agency that specializes in Disney travel: https://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=321282&u=986111&m=32351&urllink=&afftrack=
Give me some good news..March 19-22 and we are staying at one of the other value resorts, that movie one, have you ever been there?
Yes! All Star Movies is actually my favorite of the All Star resorts! Are you traveling with little ones? The kiddie pool area there is really fun. Be sure to walk around the resort and check out all of the areas, the Toy Story courtyard is fantastic. I think you will encounter moderately high crowds but nothing like Easter week. Be sure to plan your visits to the Magic Kingdom carefully. I generally avoid Saturdays and Mondays there.
My family is going March 2 thru the 8, any idea how this should be?
Hi Megan! Should be great, especially at the beginning of your trip since it is before most spring break crowds arrive!