When is the Best Time to Visit Disney in 2022?

When it is time to start planning your Walt Disney World dream vacation one of the first, and most important, decisions you are going to have to decide is when to go. Disney crowds can greatly affect the quality of your vacation and knowing what the crowd levels will be like can save you time and money!

When you travel to Disney during peak travel times and with heavy crowds, you may get stuck spending most of your day waiting in long lines, miss out on visit attractions, and find prime reservations may be booked up. Hotels typically have great deals and discounts during less busy times. Even ticket prices to Disney can be cheaper when they are expecting parks to be less crowded.

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This graph represents each month on a scale of 1-5, with one being the lowest crowds, and 5 being the highest crowds. Disney does not release official attendance numbers. This graph is based off holidays, school schedules, special Disney events, hotel and ticket pricing, and days Disney hits maximum allowed guests at parks.

There are many factors that come into play when Disney is going to have high attendance levels. Some of the biggest factors that can come into play with crowds are school calendars, holidays, Disney special events and many more. It is important to remember Disney is never NOT crowded, even with lower lines you will still have wait times for rides and may have a hard time finding reservation dining. Here is a list each month of what events may be going on a when the best time each month.

January

January is a great time of year to visit Disney for many reasons. It is usually less crowded than most other months and in the beginning of the month they still have the Christmas decorations up! The busiest weekends will likely be New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. weekends.

Events going on In January:

  • New Year’s Day
  • EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts
  • Walt Disney World Marathon
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Read Also: Disney World in January

February

February is one of the quietest times to visit Walt Disney World and is the month that has some of the lowest crowds. February is a great time go and skip the Florida heat! With cooler weather, you will want to make sure you dress warm and don’t forget your jacket for those firework shows. The times it will be more crowded will be Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day Weekend. If you miss these times, chances are the crowds won’t be too heavy.

Events going on in February:

  • EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
  • Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
  • Valentine’s Day Weekend
  • President’s Day

Read Also: Disney World in February

March

March is the kickoff of spring break, so usually the second week of March it starts to get crowded quickly. With spring break lasting through April, the rest of March stays busy and will be crowded. March is one of the busiest months of the year to visit Disney. The weather in Central Florida is still chilly, and it is usually not rainy in March.

Events going on in March:

  • EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
  • Spring Break

Read Also: Disney World in March

April

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Easter Eggs at the Grand Floridian, Check out the topiaries in Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival

April will start out busy, as spring break will still be going on. Spring break crowds usually are high through mid-April, then start to die down as spring breakers go back home and back to school. Easter is going to be a high-crowd holiday at Disney and will be a week you will want to avoid if possible. The end of April will be lower crowds and is the best time to go during the month.

Events going on in April:

  • Easter Bunny meet and greet at Magic Kingdom
  • EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
  • Spring Break
  • Easter

Read Also: Disney World in April

May

During May, the Disney crowds are at about moderate levels for most of the month. As the month goes on the crowds usually get busier and busier during the month of May. With Memorial Day at the end of the month, many people are wanting to start their summer vacations early and decide to go to Disney towards the end of the month. This is also the last month before hurricane season, veteran Disney-goers may try to visit in May to avoid the harsh summer weather.

Events going on in May:

  • EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
  • Memorial Day

Read Also: Disney World in May

June

With schools letting out and summer starting, June is a month that has medium-high crowds. As the month goes on and more schools let out for summer, Disney Parks will gradually become more and more crowded. June 1st is the first day of hurricane season, so expect a daily afternoon shower.

Events going on in June:

  • Schools let out for summer
  • EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

Read Also: Disney World in June

July

July is the busiest time of the summer to visit Disney! July 4th is usually one of the busiest days of the year to visit Disney and that week is one you will want to avoid. The Florida summer heat can be hard to handle for many guests. EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival ends July 5th, and many people flock to Disney to kick off the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival which starts July 15th.

Events going on in July:

  • EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
  • EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
  • The 4th of July

Read Also: Disney World in July

August

August is the month were the summer crowds finally start to slow down! As many people start going back to school Walt Disney World Parks become less crowded as the month goes on. In the beginning of the month the crowds are moderate-high, but by the end of the month the crowds are moderate-low. Magic Kingdom usually starts their Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party select dates in August, but most visitors wait until October to attend. If you are looking at attend the party, August will be the time that will have the least crowds. Many people also do not want to visit Disney because of the weather. August is the hottest month of the year in Central Florida. With the heat and the wet, summer weather, standing in line for rides or walking across the parks can be unbearable.

Events going on in August:

  • EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
  • School starts back; crowds lessen over the month

September

The month of September is typically a great month to visit Walt Disney World! Labor Day Weekend you will find very high crowds, but the rest of the month is a great time to visit. The Central Florida weather is still hot, but it is usually starting to cool down a bit and the rain starts to lessen. Select dates of September Disney will hold their Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. September is a great time to attend, as crowds are low most days. September is the perfect time to visit because it is right in between the summer crowds and the holiday crowds.

Events going on in September:

  • EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
  • Labor Day Weekend

October

October is the hidden gem of when to visit Disney. The crowds are typically low, the parks are “Disney Quality” themed in beautiful fall decorations, and the weather at Disney in October is perfect. October is a perfect time to come stroll the parks and enjoy the day at Walt Disney World.

Events going on in September:

  • EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
  • Halloween

November

The beginning of November has lower crowds, and as it gets closer to Thanksgiving, the crowds will become heavier and heavier. Disney starts their Christmas decorations near the beginning of November. With the Christmas decorations and Christmas weather starting to come in, many guests who do not want to come for the Christmas crowd decide to visit in November. EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival also comes to an end in November. Many guests decide to visit the festival before it comes to an end, so EPCOT can be extremely crowded around the last day of the festival. November also kicks off EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

Events going on in November:

December

December is by far Walt Disney World’s busiest time of the year. With holidays and schools being out, this is when many people decide to bring their families to Disney. Crowd levels are at their highest and many days the parks must stop accepting entry to the park because they meet their maximum number of allowed guests. With the holiday season, many guests want to stop by to see the special holiday shows and parties. It is highly recommended you wait until January to visit, as Disney’s holiday décor is still up for you to see, and the weather is still great.

Events going on in December:

You will want to keep in mind there are other factors you will want to consider when planning your trip to Walt Disney World. You will want to think about visiting during Hurricane Season, which will be hot and wet weather. During off-season, many rides and attractions are closed for refurbishments. Every year one of the water parks are closed for refurbishments during the winter months. Make sure you check ahead of time to see if the attractions you are wanting to visit will be open.

So, when are you going to plan your next visit to Disney? Are you going to visit when the weather is cool and crowds are low in January, or when kids go back to school and summer is still here In September? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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