I’m often asked when is the best time to visit Walt Disney World.
And my answer always starts with “Depends…”
There are so many variables that go into your own personal decision as to when is “Best.”
Variables Such As:
- Your Work/Deployment Schedule
- The Kid’s School Schedule
- When are the Disney crowds lowest?
- When is it cheapest to visit Disney?
- How hot will it be?
- Are there special events you are interested in seeing or avoiding?
These are among the most important considerations.
The Easy Answer
My stock answer is to go during the school year when the kids are in school. School vacations are the largest factor contributing to large crowds at Disney World. Times to avoid are Summer, Spring Break, and Christmas Vacation. So pull the kids out of school with some assignments to work on while you are on your Disney Vacation.
I like to go when the crowds are low and the temperature is moderate, it makes for a much more enjoyable trip.
Disney Price Seasons
If you are planning to use the Armed Forces Salute room discount be aware that Disney World has many different price seasons. Depending on which is in effect during your stay can vary the cost of your Disney resort room significantly. If you are interested in paying the least for your room you need to carefully select your travel dates. But again a good rule of thumb is it’s cheaper when the kids are in school.
Disney’s Price Seasons:
- Value
- Regular
- Summer
- Value II
- Fall
- Peak
- And numerous short increases based on Holidays or Events
There are two great websites that I use when I begin to plan a Disney World Vacation. One is a free resource and the other charges a small annual fee for their service.
YourFirstVisit.net
yourfirstvisit.net is a website dedicated to helping first time visitors to Walt Disney World plan for and experience a fantastic Disney Vacation. Dave the webmaster approaches a Disney World vacation from the perspective of one who hasn’t visited before and gives all the pros and cons in relation to your first visit.
Dave’s site is very extensive and through! The best parts though are are his planning products. He puts a lot of time and effort into producing these products each year which he offers for free. The products which are currently available for 2011, 2012, and 2013 are:
These links are to the 2011 versions, you’ll see links to the other years in the Key Links section at the top left of Dave’s site.
The Weeks Ranked In Order does just that, each week is ranked from 1 to 52 based on several variables as to which is the best week to visit Disney World.
The Week Picker (My Favorite!) allows you to click on links which express your opinion on variables such as crowd size, cost, and temperature and then produces a list of the best weeks for you to visit.
The Price Seasons post discusses each year’s different price seasons as they change from year to year and are constantly evolving.
And Dave’s newest product, the Crowd Calender projects crowd size for each of the 52 weeks.
Note: If you plan to stay at Shades of Green the Military Resort on Disney property, then disregard the Disney Price Seasons as Shades prices never vary.
TouringPlans.com
TouringPlans.com is the Official website of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. They do charge an annual fee of $10.95 (there are discounts for multi-year subscriptions and a significant discount if you own a current Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World) but the information they provide will be worth much more than that to you during your trip.
I always check their Crowd Calendar, they rate each day on a scale of 1 to 10 for attendance in the various Disney Theme Parks and note special events going on those days. This allows me to plan on the best days for my trip and what days would be best for each theme park.
When I’m on vacation I use their Lines App on my smart phone to check wait times on the theme park attractions.
I’ve been to Disney so many times that when I’m there I make my decisions on the fly based on what I’m experiencing in the parks AND I’m not locked into having to see or do certain things that trip, because I’ll be back. But for those new to the Disney parks it is essential to have a plan. You’ll find many pre-made touring plans on their site one of which is sure to fit your situation. These plans can save you hours of waiting in line by telling you what to do in what order.
Disclaimer: I do have a relationship with touringplans.com
A Good Start For Your Planning
Check these sites out I think they’ll give you a great start on you Disney World Planning!
If you are new to Military Disney Tips Start Here
Disney’s Armed Forces Salute FAQ
Information on Shades of Green – the Military Hotel on Disney World property
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