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 are a family of 6 people, we are flexible on when to go to Disney world but were hoping to go in 2019 and preferably after Aug. 20, 2019. Our kids are young so we can pull them out of school. We are trying to keep cost down, I was curious about the DVC points and if it’s possible for family of 6 also, when would be the best time to go? Are you able to provide options for us>
Hi Dee! The best way to go about renting DVC points if you are new to it is to go through a broker like David’s DVC Rental. Here is a post that walks you through the whole process: https://thebudgetmouse.com/davids-dvc-rental/ My pick for the best time for the end of the year is probably mid-November. Though that will depend on when they open the second attraction at Galaxy’s Edge! If they open it in November that will obviously affect crowd levels.
Hello, I’d love to take my kids as we’re first timers. I want to go in 2020 when it’s not busy and not have to worry about hurraince season. When is the best time you can suggest to go? We’d also like to play in the pool. I have no problem taking the kids out of school, I just don’t want them miserable to have to wait in lines all day.
Hi Tany! Hurricane season is roughly June through October so avoid those months. My picks would be mid-November (avoid Veteran’s Day) and right after Easter through the week before Memorial Day.
Se are planning a trip to Disney the last week in July, right before my kids go back to school. What do you think prices and crowds will be like?
Crowds will be pretty high, likely a 7/8 out of 10. Here are the standard “rack” rates for 2019 for comparison: https://www.mousesavers.com/2019-disney-world-room-rates-season-dates/
Hi! Do you think the crowds will still be lower in September even though Galxays edge is opening up in August of this year? Thanks😊
Hi Krystin! You are right, Galaxy’s Edge will definitely impact crowds this year. I’ve updated the post – thanks for the reminder!
Hi, we are planning our 5th trip to Disney World this Dec 18 2019. this is the only time we can visit, my Daughter is in University and my Son is in High school so they can’t miss time from school. We were at Disny World 2 years ago March 7 to March 22 it was busy but we got through all the rides and shows, will December be Busy like it was in March or Busier. Any tips will be a huge help 😁
Hi Felicia! The first few days of your trip will have fewer crowds than later in the trip, so I’d plan to do Magic Kingdom early in your trip if possible. I expect that starting on the 21st you’ll have pretty heavy crowds, similar to spring break. The busiest week of the year is the week between Christmas and New Years. Hope that helps!
Hey Leah
This is our first time going to WDW and we are going April20-27 if you have any suggests on anything please let me know!!!
I’m so excited about going!!!
Hey Leah, which week in April would be better to go this year, the week of 3/30 or the week of 4/6?
Hi Rick! I checked the crowd calendar and the second option (week of 4/6) looks slightly better. Expect 7/10 crowds as opposed to 8/10 – both weeks will be pretty busy.
Hi Lori! When we travel with my dad we like to get connecting rooms so everyone has their own space but we can be together as much as we want. So that’s one option! We have traveled with other families and shared a two-bedroom villa through renting DVC points as I describe in this post: https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/rent-dvc-points-save-70-disney-deluxe-resorts/ Animal Kingdom Lodge is our favorite resort. A few off-property places I have stayed at that I can recommend with two-bedroom units are Caribe Royale, Sheraton Vistana, and Hawthorn Suites Lake Buena Vista. Though I strongly prefer to stay on Disney property if at all possible!
Hi Natalie! It will be crowded, but not nearly as bad as the holidays. The two keys are to visit the right park on the right day using a crowd calendar and the second key is to really understand the FastPass system and make good use of it. This post will help: https://thebudgetmouse.com/disney-fastpass-everything-you-need-to-know-free-printable-cheat-sheet/ This episode of my podcast would also really help! https://thebudgetmouse.com/episode27/
Hi Leah
We are looking at doing a trip in 2020 (we are from South Africa) – do u have recommended dates for that year or am i being too hasty. My son turns 3 on 3 Nov 2020 so we want to go before that so that he goes into the parks for free. Was looking at September after Labour day but have been warned about the 3 H’s (heat, humidity & hurricanes). HELP!
Hi Vanessa! I think it’s good to start planning now for your 2020 trip and a brilliant idea to take your son before he turns 3! I would suggest a trip at the end of October and even into November. The heat will be more manageable then than in September (though average highs are still above 80 degrees F) and it is the very end of hurricane season. Plus the fall decorations are incredible! The prices are good this time of year, too. Just be aware that Magic Kingdom closes early several nights each week for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Party dates will be released in the spring of that year. Also, you don’t have to show any proof of age when you take little ones, it’s on the honor system. 🙂