Best Time to Visit Disney World 2025 & 2026 – Months Ranked

Planning a vacation is difficult enough as it is, and perhaps you are wondering “When is the best time to visit Disney World?” To figure out when you should go to WDW there are many factors you need to take into consideration and in this guide, we’ll explain when the best time to go to Disney World is in 2025 & 2026 including the best and worst months ranked.

Even though there is never really a bad time to go to Disney World, picking the right time can make the experience all the more magical. We’ve visited in every season of the year for as long as we can remember and though we always have fun, there are definitely certain times of the year when Disney World is better.

Most people say that the best times to go to Disney World are when the crowds are the lowest. While that is a big factor, there are so many more things to consider besides that. We think a Disney World Crowd Calendar is very important, but it’s only the first step in deciding when to go.

What is the best time in Disney World for the weather, the cheapest time, the best events, etc? What about the park hours, special events, and festivals? A combination of all of these things should weigh heavily on deciding the best time of the year to visit and not just when the crowds are the busiest.

Disney World Update in 2025

Talk about a crazy world that we are living in right now. Trying to figure out when to go to Disney World is always hard, but the last few years have been some of the hardest ones in the history of Walt Disney World. 

You’ll be happy to know that most of the really difficult and annoying changes are now long gone, and even changes like Park Pass Reservations, have disappeared for the most part. When you visit in 2025 you will pretty much have a normal Disney World experience once again.

At this point in time, the biggest obstacle to most families that keeps them from visiting WDW is the high cost. With the economic situation worsening for many, a lot of families just can’t afford a trip right now.

Even though there are many changes that factor into your vacation right now, including some entertainment and experiences still not back at the moment, we’ve really had a great time in these past few years and have found the Disney Cast Members going above and beyond to try to make the best guest experience for everyone.

Also, while we aren’t getting the all-time low crowd levels that we had back in 2020 and 2021, crowds in the parks were down overall last year. From a crowd perspective it was the best time to visit in a few years because wait times were down across the board and there were a lot of good deals to get people to visit.

That said, it’s not a guarantee it will be the same in 2025.  A lot of that depends on the economy and how much money people have budgeted for vacations. My guess is that we will see crowd levels come back up some, but not as high as 2 or 3 years ago.

Also, it can be confusing and hard to know if you are getting a good value for your trip. Some people might decide it’s not worth it right now and avoid going altogether. This has been an increasing sentiment among Disney fans after all the recent price increases we just had.

Obviously, this is going to be your call and you must decide if it’s within your budget to visit Walt Disney World at the moment and if it’s worth your hard-earned money. We can say from our experience that things are mostly back to normal and despite some small inconveniences, it’s been an overall good experience over the last couple of years.

Towards the end of this post, we’ve updated our rankings of the Best Months to Visit Disney World, taking into consideration the park closure up to this point. We’ll keep you updated on all this as we find out more info.

Now let’s get to all the best and worst times to visit over the next couple of years.

Best Times to Go to Disney World in 2025 & 2026

Figuring out the best time to go to Disney World is often closely connected with the school calendar. It only makes sense that if kids are in school, the parks tend to be less crowded, if they are out of school the crowds will be heavier.

This is no different in 2025 or 2026 and the first step is to look at a calendar and determine when children are least likely to be in school.

As much as people want to look to crowd calendars to figure out when to visit, they are often unpredictable and require a closer look at what’s happening throughout the year. Now that Disney World is almost back at 100% again, let’s look at the recent past.

One important consideration is the construction and debuts of new attractions. Whenever new lands like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge or when new attractions open, there is always an immediate influx of guests to the parks, no matter what season it is.

For example, when Rise of the Resistance opened it would have normally been the “off-season” at Disney World. Instead, it turned into a planning nightmare with people waiting in line at Hollywood Studios for hours before the park opened every day.

This repeated itself with the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Hollywood Studios, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT, and TRON: Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom.

That is why you need to take a balanced approach when deciding the best time of the year to go to Disney and consider the weather, park hours, crowds, special events, and entertainment altogether.

Choosing when you’ll visit based on a mix of weather, special events, seasonal entertainment, and crowds is a more pragmatic and balanced approach.

In general, we find that January and September are the best months to visit Disney World.

These have the best balance of crowds, cost, and weather. Kids are very likely to be in school during both of these periods and therefore the crowds will be low and Disney will have some nice offers on vacation packages.

There won’t be any notable new attractions opening in 2025 that will bring big crowds, however, we will have the re-imagined Test Track at some point which will be very popular for sure. If you are interesting in riding it, we recommend planning a trip for the end of the year, or even pushing it off until 2026.

The best times to visit Disney World in 2026 are:

• Jan 2-9 (excluding marathon dates)
• Jan 19-Feb 5
• May 1-22 (Weekdays only)
• Aug 10-31
• September (the whole month)
• Nov 1-13 (avoid Veteran’s Day)
• Dec 1-11 (Weekdays only)

Again in 2026, we follow the same pattern for the best dates to go to Disney World, avoiding all major holidays and the majority of the Summer.

There will still be plenty of festivals to attend and possibly some new rides and attractions to enjoy!

Worst Times to Go to Disney World in 2025 & 2026

The worst times to go to Disney World are when the parks are the most crowded and when the weather is the hottest. You’ll see in the dates below that we skipped all major holidays since that’s the most likely time families will go with kids since they are off from school.

We also skipped most of the Summer, because Central Florida is just too hot and even though you’ll still have a good time, it can be very draining and unpleasant most days.

The worst times to visit Disney World in 2025 are:

• January 1 (New Year’s)
• January 17-20 (Martin Luther King Weekend
• February 14-23 (President’s Day)
• Mid-March – Mid-April (Spring Break & Easter)
• June – August 10
• November 21-30 (Avoid Thanksgiving Week)
• December 12 -31 (Avoid Christmas and New Year’s Weeks)

The 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are always the worst times to visit Disney World.

The worst times to visit Disney World in 2026 are:

• January 1 (New Year’s)
• January 16-19 (Martin Luther King Weekend
• February 13-22 (President’s Day)
• Mid-March – Mid-April (Spring Break & Easter)
• June – August 9
• November 20-29 (Avoid Thanksgiving Week)
• December 11 -31 (Avoid Christmas and New Year’s Weeks)

We follow the same pattern in 2026 as in 2025 and avoid all major holidays and the Summer.

Now again, I don’t want you to think that if you go during any of these times of the year, you will have a bad trip. It’s all about expectations and your personality. A lot of people like going during the holidays, but they realized there will be longer waits than usual.

Usually, if you have a good itinerary, you can still make the most of these “worst days.”

Crowds

Crowds and Disney World go hand in hand like Mickey and Minnie, and there isn’t any time of the year when the parks are not busy. Walt Disney World is after all the most-visited vacation resort destination in the world with over 52 million guests annually.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing anymore as a Disney “off-season” and guests have caught on to the times of the year when you used to actually have short wait times for the rides.

It also is helpful when making your dining reservations and it will be a lot easier to score a table at Space 220 or Oga’s Cantina if there are fewer people competing with you for one.

Busiest Times of the Year

So when are the busiest times of year in Disney World? Again, follow the kids.

The busiest time to visit is when kids are out of school during holidays or Spring and Summer breaks. Parents are generally more hesitant to have their kids skip school, and therefore have no choice but to schedule a trip during that time.

The busiest holidays in Disney World are Easter, the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The crowds usually start coming in 3-4 days before those holidays begin, and stay for 2-3 days after, or at least through the weekend, before returning home Sunday or Monday.

Of these, the absolute busiest you will see at the Magic Kingdom, and the other theme parks are the weeks of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Those should be avoided at all costs in our opinion as there are always wall-to-wall people and the parks often fill to capacity.

Also in 2025, one of the busiest days of the year at the Magic Kingdom will be Halloween (for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party), that day always sells out of reservations early.

Lastly, if you go to the parks on the day a new attraction is opening, that also will be extremely busy and we recommend skipping that park and coming back the next day instead.

Least Crowded Times

The least bust times in Disney World are always when kids are in school. The end of August through September tends to be one of the best months to visit because kids have just gone back to school.

January also is one of the least crowded months since kids go back to school after New Year’s. It doesn’t get too crowded again until President’s Week (the 3rd Monday in February).

Thankfully my parents always took us to Disney World in September, and though the teachers were not always happy about it, very rarely were the parks too busy.

It’s also important to know the least crowded Days to go to Disney World. As a general rule, weekdays are less crowded than weekends. This is especially true in EPCOT if one of the festivals is going on.

Cheapest Time to Visit Disney World

Finding the cheapest time to go to Disney World can be an even bigger motivator than basing your decision on the crowds. Thankfully, these two are also connected and the cheapest time to go is also when the crowds are the lowest. Disney knows this which is why there are always offers to try and entice guests to visit during those times.

Going to Disney World when the cost is lowest will save you money on hotel rooms, theme park tickets, airfare, and even food. You could potentially be saving thousands of dollars just by changing the dates.

• The cheapest times of the year to visit Disney World are August, September, and January after New Year’s is over into early February.

Since crowds have slowly been shifting from the Summer months into October/November, we’ve also noticed good deals on certain dates in June and July so that’s worth considering.

Our guide to the Cheapest Time to Go to Disney World is invaluable in helping you pick dates if you are on a budget.

Also, read our post “How Much Does a Disney World Vacation Cost?” for the average price of a Disney Vacation, and then look at our Best Disney World Money-Saving Tips to reduce the cost as much as possible.

Hotels

• Value Resorts (Low Season) around $140-$250 per night
• Value Resorts (Peak Season) up to $300-$400+ per night

• Moderate Resorts (Low Season) around $280-$320 per night
• Moderate Resorts (Peak Season) up to $500+ per night

• Deluxe Resorts (Low Season) around $550-$850 per night
• Deluxe Resorts (Peak Season) up to $800-$1300+ per night

Those are huge savings and can’t be ignored!

Hotel rooms always cost more on the weekend, so if you are going for more than 7 days, try to only include Friday and Saturday once and this will save you money.

Our articles Disney World Hotels List and the Best Disney World Resorts will help you make a decision about where is the right place to stay during your visit.

Park Tickets

In the last few years, Disney World has introduced a surge pricing model for their theme park tickets, much like they already do with hotel room prices. As the crowds get bigger, park tickets get more expensive. When there are slower periods for crowds, Disney drops the ticket prices.

This means if you come in January or September, you will find the cheapest prices, whereas coming during the holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas will have the most expensive tickets.

Pricing is done from day to day, which means a Saturday ticket in a “slower” month like September can still be higher than a weekday in a busier month like July. The same month can have 3-4 different prices for tickets depending on which day you go.

Prices for all 4 Walt Disney World Theme Parks are the same so it doesn’t matter if you go to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or the Animal Kingdom, the price is the same.

Here are some ranges between the lowest and highest prices for Disney World Base Tickets in 2025 (Taxes NOT included):

• 1-Day Tickets: $119-$199
• 2-Day Ticket Cost: $124 – $180 per day ($242 – $342 total)
• 3-Day Ticket Cost: $123 – $177 per day ($354 – $504 total)
• 4-Day Ticket Cost: $119 – $169 per day ($464 – $640 total)
• 5-Day Ticket Cost: $103 – $152 per day ($500 – $720 total)
• 6-Day Ticket Cost: $89 – $133 per day ($516 – $762 total)
• 7-Day Ticket Cost: $79 – $117 per day ($532 – $784 total)
• 8-Day Ticket Cost: $74 – $106 per day ($568 – $808 total)
• 9-Day Ticket Cost: $68 – $97 per day ($594 – $819 total)
• 10-Day Ticket Cost: $63 – $90 per day ($610 – $840 total)

Prices are not out yet for 2026 tickets, but you can expect them to increase from here.

A family of 4 can save more than $300+ on 1-Day tickets by going in the off-season instead of peak season. They can save more than $800 on 5-Day tickets by going in the value season! If you are really interested in saving big, check out our Discount Disney World Tickets Guide.

Food

One way you’ll save money on food by not going to Disney World during peak season is taking advantage of special promotions like Disney Free Dining. This is an offer Disney releases multiple times a year to draw people to the resort when crowd levels are projected to be lower and can save you money overall.

During this promotion, you get the Disney Dining Plan included in your package without having to pay extra. In our guide to Disney Free Dining, we post the latest offers and the pros and cons of using it.

Disney JUST recently released information on the Disney Dining Plan, which was just released. For more information, check out my post here.

An underrated factor in deciding when to visit Walt Disney World is the park hours. While the parks may be less crowded during the off-season, park hours are going to be much shorter which means you have less overall time to spend in the parks each day.

Disney World park hours are the shortest after New Year’s Day in January and stay short until Spring Break starts in mid-March.

Park hours are extended in March through mid-August when they start shortening again. They stay short in September and October and then get longer around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In January the Magic Kingdom typically closes at 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm. Hollywood Studios is usually open until 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm, and the Animal Kingdom closes early, usually by 7:00 pm. EPCOT stays open until 9:00 pm.

In July the Magic Kingdom closes between 10:00-1:00 depending on the day, while the other parks close between 9:00-10:00 pm.

So while going during the busy season will definitely have more people, Disney makes up for it somewhat by giving people more time in the parks. If you like to stay out late, this can be an advantage that you can use.

However, if you typically go to bed on the early side and won’t take advantage of the late park hours, then a time like January or September is definitely better.

These articles have all the info about park hours, early entry, and how late you can stay in the parks:

• Magic Kingdom Park Hours
• EPCOT Park Hours
• Hollywood Studios Park Hours
• Animal Kingdom Park Hours

When is the Best Weather in Disney World?

Disney World has great weather for most of the year with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures almost year-round. The Florida sunshine is definitely positive, but the extreme heat and humidity that comes with it, not so much. That’s why finding out when the weather is best in Disney World can make your trip infinitely better.

The weather in Disney World can be extremely unpredictable, with temperatures in the 90s and a blazing sun one minute, followed by severe thunderstorms and lightning the next, only to see the sun come back out 30 minutes later. On rare occasions, you can even get hurricanes in Walt Disney World. The only thing you won’t find is snow!

Packing for the weather is key when visiting and depending on when you go, you could need clothes for the heat, rain, and even at times a sweater or jacket. Here is an overview of the weather in Disney World for each season.

Weather in Disney World by the Season

Winter – The majority of the year is t-shirt and shorts weather, but in the winter months, it can be chilly some days, and definitely at night. At that time of year, a jacket and sweater are both good ideas, yet bringing lighter clothes in case the temperatures are mild.

The average daytime high temperature in Dec, Jan, Feb, and March is in the low 70s. This is actually good news and we prefer to visit the parks when the weather isn’t as hot as in the Summer. The negatives are that it isn’t great pool weather so not as much to do around the hotels. The Resort’s flowers and trees aren’t as beautiful in the Winter and this has the least daylight of any season.

Spring – This is another great time to visit Walt Disney World and if you visit in March/April the average daytime high temperature is in the low 80s. This is good pool weather and good for the parks. Temperatures in May get significantly higher and reach close to 90 degrees.

Another good thing about Spring is it’s not an overly humid time of year with moderately low rainfall. There is also more sunlight in the Spring, which allows for longer hours in the parks every day.

Summer – This is the worst season for weather in Central Florida with extreme heat and humidity on a daily basis. This outweighs most benefits of longer daylight, longer park hours, and more entertainment options than other seasons. Summer lasts from May to September with average high temperatures over 90 degrees, even reaching 100+ degrees on some days.

Humidity is off the charts in the Summer months with an average of 60% or more. Disney World has 13 rainy days per month on average in the Summer, and 6.4 inches of rain.

Out of these seasons, our favorite months for the weather in Disney World are November and March. They are warm enough where you can still go in the pool most of the time, and perfect park weather in the mid to upper 70s.

Worst Weather

It should be no surprise that the worst season for weather in Disney World is the Summer.

Unless you live in Florida or have visited Disney in June, July, or August, you will have a hard time understanding just how oppressive the heat can be during this time. Nearly every time you are outdoors during the Summer, you will be sweating profusely, even if you aren’t doing any activity whatsoever.

If you are going to the Disney parks in Summer, we suggest you get an early start to the day by rope-dropping the parks, then go back to your hotel after lunch for a pool break/nap, then make your way back to the parks in the evening. This will help you avoid the excruciating mid-day heat which is unbearable.

Special Events, Festivals and Holidays

Now that we’ve figured out the cheapest times, the least crowded times, and the best weather, you definitely want to look at the calendar for any holidays, special events, or festivals that might be going on in Walt Disney World each month.

There are so many cool events happening each year that you and your family might want to plan your trip around.

Holidays

Many families plan their trip to Walt Disney World around the holidays, even if it means the crowds are going to be bigger than other times of the year. Easter, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are the most popular ones guests are likely to plan for.

Here is a list of dates for Holidays in 2025 & 2026:

• New Year’s Day – Jan. 1
• Martin Luther King Jr Day – Jan 20, 2025, and Jan 19, 2026
• Valentine’s Day – Feb 14
• President’s Day – Feb 17, 2025, and Feb 16, 2026
• St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
• Easter – April 20, 2025, and April 5, 2026
• Memorial Day – May 26, 2025, and May 25, 2026
• July 4th
• Labor Day – Sep 1, 2025, and Sep 7, 2026
• Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Oct 13, 2025, and Oct 12, 2026
• Halloween – Oct. 31
• Veteran’s Day – Nov 11, 2025, and Nov 11, 2026
• Thanksgiving – Nov 27, 2025, and Nov 26, 2026
• Christmas – Dec. 25
• New Year’s Eve – Dec. 31

Keep in mind, if you visit the Disney parks on the exact days of these holidays, you are going to find the biggest crowds all year long. The parks will be overcrowded and they will likely reach full capacity for the day. You have been warned.

A better alternative is to make the days the holidays fall on a pool day or do one of the many other non-park activities during those days, and go to the parks on other days during your trip.

If you have to go to Disney World on a holiday, here are the least crowded holidays for 2025 & 2026:

• Valentine’s Day – Feb 14
• St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
• Labor Day – Sep 1, 2025, and Sep 7, 2026

Special Events and Festivals

Besides the holidays, there are plenty of special events and festivals to keep track of when planning your visit.

Here is a list of all 2025 Disney World Special Events to consider:

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: Jan 8 – Jan 12
• EPCOT® International Festival of the Arts: Jan 17 – Feb 24
• Pro Bowl Weekend: Jan 30 – Feb 2
• Cheerleading & Dance Competitions: Jan 17-19, Jan 31 – Feb 2, Feb 7 – 10, Feb 14 – 17, Feb 28 – Mar 2, Mar 7 – 9, Apr 25 – 28, May 1 – 5
• runDisney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – Feb 20 – Feb 24
• runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend: April 3 – April 6
• EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival: TBD (Early March – Late May/Early June)
• EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival: TBD (Late Aug – Mid-Nov)
• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: (Early Aug – Oct 31)
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend: Oct 30 – Nov 2
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: TBD (Early Nov – End Dec)
• EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays: TBD (End Nov – Dec 30)

If you are going from August to December, Disney’s Magic Kingdom runs 2 special hard-ticketed events, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which are very popular with guests.

This year, we don’t have any of the big Anniversary parties at Walt Disney World that we’ve seen in recent years, but you should expect some festivities for sure, and potentially elevated crowd levels at certain times.

Overall these events can be really fun and definitely worth planning for your Disney World trip, just realize that many will also have higher crowds, so make sure you know going into it. If you want to go to any of the EPCOT Festivals, go on a weekday, it will be much less crowded.

Refurbishments & New Rides

One thing that might not come to mind when trying to find the best time to visit Disney World is the attraction refurbishment schedule. This is important because there are certain times of the year when Disney likes to do extended maintenance on the rides, which means your favorite could be closed.

The last thing you want to do is show up at Disney and find that Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean is down for refurbishment. How can you do this if you are planning your trip many months in advance?

• The most popular time for big Disney World attraction refurbishments is in January or February.

Disney wants all the big rides open in the busiest periods of the year, which definitely includes the Summer and the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. After New Year’s, crowds lessen which is a good time for Disney to work on any rides that need a tune-up. In this case, going to Disney World when the crowds are the heaviest ensures the majority of attractions will be open.

The water parks are also likely to be closed in parts of January and February, so don’t expect to go to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach during that time.

As for new rides, there isn’t much coming in 2026. The only thing of note is the new re-imagined version of Test Track in EPCOT coming later in the year.

Last year wasn’t much better with only Tiana’s Bayou Adventure being the only new attraction of note. A couple of years ago was more interesting with the opening of the TRON Roller Coaster at the Magic Kingdom, and Moana: Journey of Water and the new Luminous fireworks show in EPCOT.

There are major expansions going on in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom at this time, but unfortunately, none of them will be completed in 2025 or 2026, we still have a while to wait.

You also will definitely want to check what’s new in Disney World and all upcoming attractions to see if you can plan your trip around a new ride you’ve been waiting to go on.

Is 2025 or 2026 a Good Time to Visit Disney World?

If you’ve been to Walt Disney World in the last couple of years, or if you haven’t been for many years, 2025 and 2026 are both pretty similar years for planning a trip, and with all the recent changes it has become a great time to go. You may be wondering if it’s the best time to visit Disney World right now…

Here are a few things to consider:

Pros: There are a few big reasons why you should visit right now:

• It Never Gets Cheaper – While I can understand putting off your trip because you are trying to wait until just the right moment, the sad truth is that the longer you wait, the more expensive it will be when you do decide to go.  I’m not advising to go massively into debt for it, put you will save hundreds or more by going in the next couple of years instead of 3-4 down the line.
• New Attractions/Experiences – As we mentioned, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replaced Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom opened last year, and in the last 2 years you also have TRON, Moana: Journey of Water, as well as 2 new fireworks shows. There is also Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway if it’s been 5 years or more since your last trip.
• Nice Discounts – Since overall attendance at Walt Disney World was lower last year than prior years, Disney started offering some pretty deep discounts on hotels and vacation packages. We expect those discounts to continue in 2025 which could mean even more ways to save money on your trip.

This is my favorite part, ranking each month in Disney World in 2025 from Worst to Best.

We want to give you a look at each month compared with the others, and take into consideration all the various aspects we’ve already gone over in this guide. These rankings tend to be similar each year but can change slightly depending on how some holidays fall and other events going on.

As a disclaimer, this list looks much different in 2025 than in some years. With new changes in the parks, new attractions, and anniversary celebrations, at least a few of these months find themselves either higher or lower than they normally might.

We don’t anticipate that many changes coming this year, but we’ll update this list later in 2025 to reflect any changes to the schedule.

Ok, now on to the best months at Disney World in 2025…

12. July

Normally July is either the worst or second-worst month to visit Disney World, and that’s where it comes in again in 2025.

Just like in June and August, July is a terrible month for weather in Disney World, with temperatures rarely under 90 degrees and with unbearable humidity.

It’s also one of the rainiest months of the year with over 10 inches annually. Ponchos become your best friends in Disney World in July, and you need plenty of extra socks.

The 4th of July is always one of the busiest days of the year for the parks, and heavy crowds carry on throughout the whole month. This should be the same in 2025, as many families have returned to traveling again, and July is right when kids have off from school.

• Pros: Long Park Hours, Lots of Daylight, Potentially Good Deals
• Cons: Extreme Weather, Higher Crowds

See our guide to Disney World in July for more details.

11. June

June hasn’t changed at all from our original list and is always one of the worst months to visit Disney World in 2025.

The weather is excruciatingly hot and humid so make sure to bring sunscreen and a towel to dry yourself off. The rain also picks up in June with approximately 5 inches annually. That means you’re likely to get caught in quite a few thunderstorms on your trip.

Crowds are lighter in the first half of the month and then pick up when kids start getting out of school. On the plus side, June benefits from long hours of sunshine and extended park hours, and entertainment offerings.

In 2025, we expect crowds to be heavy once again after the May lull, and wait times should increase. That mixed with extreme summer weather makes us stay away.

• Pros: Lots of Daylight, Most Attractions are Open
• Cons: Extremely Hot Weather, High Crowd Levels, Thunderstorms

See our guide to Disney World in June for more details.

10. April

For many years, April in Walt Disney World fell somewhere in the middle of the pack for us, but in recent years it’s gotten worse. The most important factor when deciding to go in April is finding out when Easter occurs that year. 

If Easter is in March, April turns into one of the best months, with very low spring break crowds. If Easter is in April, that becomes less attractive, especially in the first half of the month. 

If Easter is early in April (or the very end of March like last year), the second half of the month can be a joy to visit Disney World with warm temperatures and moderate to light crowds. The gardens and flowers are at their best as well, with Walt Disney World perhaps at its most beautiful.

It just so happens however that in 2025 Easter happens on April 20, which means that April crowds will still be around in full force throughout the entire month.  That means you should avoid it as much as possible. The only good option is to go during the last few days in the month, which should be a great time to visit.

• Pros: Great Park Weather, Beautiful Landscaping, Lots of Daylight
• Cons: Heavy Crowds depending on the year

See our guide to Disney World in April for more details.

9. August

8. March

March is a good to a mediocre month to visit Disney World depending on how Easter falls. If Easter happens in late March, then avoid that time at all costs. If Easter is in April, the first half of March can be a wonderful time to go with spring break crowds hitting in the second half of the month.

The weather in March might be the best you will find all year long. Temperatures are usually in the upper 70s to low 80s and good for any activity you want to do. It also rains very rarely in March in Orlando, which means you don’t have to worry about getting wet.

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival also begins in March, one of our favorite events of the year.

I do have to warn you though, if you go in the second half when Spring Break is in full swing, it can be a terrible time to visit. The crowds are absolutely packed even if Easter isn’t until mid-April. 

This year Easter is April 20, which means the first half of March 2025 should be a pretty decent time to visit. Even so, the great weather can’t save March from the masses of crowds for most of the month. Be very selective of your weeks if you decide on March.

• Pros: One of the Best Months for Weather, Beautiful Landscaping, Low Crowds in the first half
• Cons: High Crowds in the second half, High Prices

See our guide to Disney World in March for more tips and info.

7. February

February is another month we’ve had much higher in recent years, and in 2025 we raised it a couple of points. Yes, it is a great choice for visiting Disney, especially in the first half of the month. February has some of the lowest crowds all year, and you just need to avoid President’s Day week, which is very busy.

The weather is nice and perfect for visiting the theme parks. Some weeks it’s even warm enough to go in the pool. You also benefit from off-season pricing, again as long as you avoid going around President’s Day.

That said, we went at the end of February a couple of years ago during a Marathon Weekend and it was an absolute nightmare. The crowds were horrible and the lines were more than 60 minutes long for everything, and even using the Lightning Lane service we weren’t able to do what we wanted to.

Thankfully, I don’t expect 2025 to be quite like that, but there will be crowds around the holidays.

Another downside is the water parks are often closed for most of the month, and some attractions may be under refurbishment. That said, February is still one of our favorite months as long as you pick the right week.

• Pros: Great Park Weather, Good Discount, Low Crowds in the first half.

Cons: High Crowds around President’s Day and end of the month, Water Parks Closed, Attraction Refurbishment likely

See our guide to Disney World in February for more tips and info.

6. October

In theory, October should be one of the best times of the year as temperatures are lowering and kids should be in school. It used to be one of our favorite months, which now has been dropping lower and lower on our list due to the rising crowd levels. It’s not as bad as during the major holidays, but ride wait times are still very long.

• Pros: Hot but not too hot, Popular Events
• Cons: Rising Crowd Levels, Limited Discounts

See our guide to Disney World in October for more details.

5. December

December is certainly one of the most popular times to visit Disney World, with holiday decorations up and plenty of holiday-themed events happening. However, you will get two completely different experiences depending on the week you choose to go, and it’s subjective to how much you enjoy the holidays.

The beginning of the month has low crowds once Thanksgiving week is over. It might not be as quiet as it once was because of Disney manipulating blackout dates and trying to fill in the lower-attended weeks of the year. The first couple of weeks is still one of our favorite times and most years it doesn’t have bad crowds (although it is trending up recently).

Once you get close to Christmas week, however, things change dramatically where it quickly becomes the busiest time of the year in Disney World. We would definitely recommend you avoid this week all the way through New Year’s week unless you like to stand in line for 3 hours for Space Mountain.

The cost has also risen the last couple of years which is why we dropped December a bit. Prices are still pretty high in early December, and the highest price-gouging all year in Disney World happens from Christmas to New Year’s.

• Pros: Low Crowds (Early December), Seasonal Entertainment, Low Prices (Early December), Long Park Hours (Late Dec)
• Cons: Extremely Heavy Crowds (Late Dec), Exorbitant Prices (Late Dec), Little Daylight

4. January

January is one of our favorite months to visit Disney World because of the light crowds and low prices for the majority of the month. Crowds disappear after New Year’s week which means excellent deals on vacation packages, hotels and park tickets. Also, stay away from Marathon Week if you can.

It also might have the lowest attraction wait times of the year which means you’ll get more done in less time.

The weather is mixed and temperatures are beautiful and great for touring the parks during the day with an average high of 72 degrees. Nighttime can get cold, however, even into the 40s so you will need to dress heavier than normal. We’ll take this any day of the week over the heat in July and August though! Also, very little rain means plenty of sunshine and blue skies.

Don’t expect to do much swimming in the pools, and the water parks are closed. Also, look ahead to Disney’s refurbishment schedule as it’s possible some attractions are down for maintenance.

In our opinion, January is one of the best months to visit Walt Disney World with its outstanding combination of low prices, low crowd levels, and mild temperatures. Give it strong consideration when planning your trip.

• Pros: Low Crowds, Low Prices, Great Park Weather
• Cons: Chance of E-Ticket Attractions being closed for refurbishment, Not Pool-Weather/Water Parks Close

See our guide to Disney World in January for more details.

3. November

The seasonal entertainment options are extremely popular as the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is still going on in the first half of the month, as well as the popular Christmas festivities such as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which lasts all month long.

Christmas decorations go up throughout the parks and hotels early on in November which many people come to see.

The only bad time to go to Disney World in November is during Thanksgiving Week and the few days surrounding it. If Thanksgiving happens earlier than normal like the 22 or 23, the last few days of November are also great times to go once the crowds go home. It’s also best to avoid Veteran’s Day weekend.

• Pros: Perfect Temperatures, No Rain, Seasonal Entertainment Offerings, Long Park Hours (Near Thanksgiving) Low Crowds (First Half of Month), Low Prices (First Half of Month)
• Cons: High Crowds (Near Thanksgiving), High Prices (Near Thanksgiving)

2. May

We usually have May in the middle of the pack, but in 2025 May skyrocketed toward the top of our list of the best months to visit. When the spring break crowds are gone, there is a dip in attendance before school is out and the Summer crowds start pouring in.

Instead of increasing crowds in May, the opposite effect has been happening in recent years and it has surprisingly low crowds compared with March and April. Spring Break is over and most children are still in school in May which makes it a beautiful time to visit.

You also can get some pretty awesome deals on hotel rooms, adding to May’s appeal.

The weather gets significantly hotter in May, often reaching into the 90s, though not usually at the “melt-your-skin-off” levels in the Summer. There is tons of daylight in May, and thunderstorms are quite common.

Overall, even if you go on the weekends, it’s normally a wonderful time to visit due to the lower crowd levels and you need to highly consider visiting during this time. Again, May is our #2 Month for Disney World in 2025 for its almost unbeatable combo of Price, Crowds, Entertainment, and Weather. Don’t miss it!

• Pros: Low Crowds on Weekdays, Parks are Beautiful, Lots of Daylight
• Cons: Hot and Humid Temperatures

See our guide to Disney World in May for more tips and info.

1. September

Last year we had September at #1, and we couldn’t find any reason to change that in 2025. It’s very rare that we ever drop it below 3 or 4, and you know it will always be in contention.

September always has some of the lowest crowds all year in Disney World since kids have just gone back to school and parents are reluctant to take them out at the start of the school year.

Disney always has incredible deals in September, with hotel rooms being close to the cheapest you’ll find all year and good promotions like Disney Free Dining. There are plenty of popular entertainment offerings like the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party both in full swing throughout the whole month.

The only negative is September is still a very hot month, with temperatures often reaching into the 90s and high humidity. The later you go in the month, the less oppressive this is.

September has lots of rain, though usually just a passing storm from 4-5 pm, and then it clears back up. It’s also one of those months where it’s possible to see a hurricane, like our experience when Hurricane Irma hit Disney World in 2017. That is a rare occurrence though, and most years you are fine.

After what we witnessed last year, in September 2025, we expect the crowd levels to be low as they usually are. And honestly, you won’t find a month with fewer people.

Even though there are some negatives with the weather, September is almost always one of the best months to visit Disney World. It should still make for a good time to visit Disney World in 2025, and it’s our personal favorite this year.

Last, but not least, we wanted to share with you what we feel are the best weeks to visit Disney World in 2025 and 2026. If we were planning a trip right now, these are the weeks we would choose above all others.

2025

• Week #3: 1st Week in November – Great combo of perfect weather, low crowds, and good prices that should be back to normal in 2025.
• Week #2: Last Week in September – Always one of the cheapest times of the year to visit and with potentially the lowest crowds all year. You can choose from Mickey’s Not So Scary and EPCOT Food and Wine, so plenty to keep you busy and a great time to visit.
• Week #1: Last Days of November/First Week in December – This week has it all. Popular entertainment, low crowds, low prices, and a beautiful time to visit Disney World.

2026

• Week #3: 1st Week in November – Great combo of perfect weather, low crowds, and good prices that should be back to normal in 2025.
• Week #2: Middle of October – Always one of the best weeks as temperatures cool off slightly, and it has low crowds and low prices. Just make sure you don’t hit it when Columbus Day visitors are there. The end of September is another great choice as usual.
• Week #1: Last Days of November/First Week in December – Just like in 2025, this remains our favorite week of the year due to all the above reasons for popular entertainment, low crowds, low prices, and the sheer beauty at that time of the year.

Summary

While there are many great times to visit Disney World, there is no one “Best” time that stands out way above the others. It comes down to your personal preferences and what you are looking for on your trip.

We personally prefer to go to the parks when the temperature is milder, even giving up our pool time if need be. Our preference is always toward cost and what time of the year will save us money. And we also would rather go when the crowds are lower, even if that means there might be fewer entertainment choices and shorter park hours.

Need Help Planning Your Trip?

We know the entire Disney vacation planning process can be overwhelming at times and the easiest way to book your vacation package is to use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner as they will help you every step of the way. They will listen to your needs and preferences and can help you decide which resort is best for you.

We highly recommend using René Cittadino at Show You the World Travel for your Disney World reservations. That’s who we personally use on almost every trip and they make the experience much more enjoyable.

They will help you to make advanced dining reservations, book special events, and more. The best part is that they are 100% FREE and it doesn’t cost you any more money to use them than it does to book directly through Disney. Instead, they will actually end up saving you money by continuing to look for better deals even after booking your trip.

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That wraps up our ranking of the best months to visit Disney World in 2025. We hope that we gave you enough info to figure out which one is the best for your next trip!

If you are thinking about going to Walt Disney World in the coming future, here are some other popular articles where you will find all the info and tips you need to plan your trip.

• Disney World Vacation Planning Guide
• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Best Disney World Resort Hotels RANKED

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about our choices for the best times to visit Disney World…

• What is your favorite time to go to Disney?
• Which Months or Weeks are your favorites?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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