Nearly 58 million people visit Disney World each year and greater Orlander sees more than 72 million annual visitors. All this makes Orlando, the most-visited city in the entire United States.
With all those people flooding the area, you need to ask: “What’s the best time to visit Disney World?”
The answer to that question is much more complicated than “the off-season.” With its year-round pleasant weather, Florida doesn’t have an off-season. People flock to the Sunshine State in the winter to enjoy shorts weather in February, and they come in the hotter, more humid summer months because that’s when they have vacation time.
That stated, visiting the Happiest Place on Earth may have more to do with personal preference than it does with ideal timing.
Also, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the park, and you should expect an uptick in crowds all year long as some people come for special 50th-anniversary events.
In the following article, we’ll discuss visiting Disney World and planning a vacation to the Magic Kingdom.
Disney World Basics
There are four individual theme parks at Disney World. Over the park’s 40-square miles are Disney’Disney’s Kingdon, Disney’Disney’sood Studios, The Magic Kingdon Park, and the Epcot Center.
You’ll encounter rare, exotic, and endangered wild animals in the Animal Kingdom. Also, the park features show animals, water rides, and fantastic rides and roller coasters. Lastly, the Animal Kingdom also includes cinematic flights of fancy with Pandora – The World of Avatar ride.
Disney’Disney’sood Studios park is a portal to the world of The Incredibles and a galaxy, far, far, away. Among the most significant new attractions to Disney World is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Here you’ll walk among iconic starships and sets where the iconic movies come to life.
Not to mention, you could stay at the Galactic Starcruiser experience take a 3-D motion simulated flight to iconic Star Wars destinations.
If Star Wars isn’t your thing, Hollywood Studios also has Toy Storyland, where you can dive deep into rides inspired by Pixar’sPixar’sory or classic Disney characters.
Epcot Center allows you to tour the world underneath the center’s iconic metallic dome of Spaceship Earth. For example, you can visit Morocco and then stop to explore the wonders of China.
Epcot has so much to explore, including simulated trips to space and deep dives to the depths alongside characters from Finding Nemo.
Lastly, the Magic Kingdom Park offers up the world of Disney with all its spectacular rides, attractions, and characters.
Above all is the iconic CindereCinderella’s, Main Street USA, rides like the Jungle Cruise, “It’s a Small World,” and The Haunted Mansion. This original park still has as much magic as it ever did but is augmented by the three other destinations just a short ride (or longish walk) away.
Smaller Crowds
While there is no off-season for the most popular vacation destination on the planet, there are some expected times in 2022 when you may get smaller crowds.
Here is a list of projected less crowded times to visit in 2022:
- Jan. 5-8, 10-15, 24-31
- Feb. 1-14, 22-28
- Mar. 1-6
- Apr. 25-May.1
- May. 8-15
- August
- September
- Oct. 1-7, 11-16, 18-22, 24-29
- Nov. 1-6, 8-10, 14-19
- Dec. 1-4, 6-11
The Thanksgiving holiday week, Christmas week and New Year’s Eve should be avoided if you want to avoid massive crowds.
Can You Handle the Heat?
Some people in this world can handle temperatures hovering around 80 to 92 degrees and high humidity. However, they watch their hours in the sun, wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, and don’t overdo it.
If you can manage your time in the heat, then August is a great time to visit Disney. But if you’re the type of person that needs to stay cool (even a little bit), then August in Florida is probably not for you, especially in a park where traveling from one outdoor venue to the next is a must.
September also has some high temperatures in Florida, contributing to its lesser crowds. But the driving factor is that kids are gearing up or have returned to school that month. First, however, ask yourself: Is it more important for your child to miss some of the start or school or the final exams?
March- April, June, and July
After the first week to the end of April, the chunk of time is typically spring break. Parents worldwide take this “Easter Break” and head to Florida and other southern climes to get the winter out of their bones. And many of these people are heading to Orlando.
Spring is an excellent time to head to Florida; with warm temperatures, lower humidity, there are some mosquitos but not as many as the height of summer, and it seems like the whole state is open for business.
June and July are the most significant months for a family vacation in the entire year, and if your family likely couldn’t vacation in the tight window of Spring Break, they are likely eye-balling these months to get to the Magic Kingdom.
Like August, high temperatures in June and July hover around 80 to 92 degrees. With those high temperatures of June, July, and August, expect heavy afternoon rain showers to roll in.
COVID Protocols
These days you cannot plan a trip to Disney World without downloading the park’s app. Not only will you be able to check ride times and buy express passes, but you’ll get the latest on operational schedules.
This is particularly important because you’ll want to know of any schedule changes and cancellations due to virus outbreaks.
Also, you’ll be informed of any precautions required for entrance and riding the rides. On other sites, you can check on all the park’s timeshare deals through a Disney Vacation Club Points chart.
More Info on The Best Time to Visit Disney World
A Disney Vacation can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 depending on where you stay and how long you stay, among other factors. So determining the best time to visit Disney World isn’t an easy question to answer when you have so much money on the line.
But if you have a sense of what your priorities are and put some time aside to enjoy the experience, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind vacation at one of the world’s premier destinations.
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