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 2021 & 2022 depending on events, crowds, weather, and more.
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. Most people say that the best times to go to Disney World are when the crowds are lowest. While that is a big factor, there are so many more things to consider besides that. One big factor is checking if Park Pass Reservations are available. To enter a theme park, you will need a park reservation and valid admission for that park—for each day you’d like to visit.
Even though there are many changes that factor into your vacation right now, we’ve really had a good time this past year and have found the Disney Cast Members going above and beyond to try to make the best guest experience possible right now.
In some ways when Disney World reopened, it was the best time to visit in a long time because of the much lower crowds than in normal years.
The best times to visit Disney World in 2021 are:
Jan 5-14, Jan 25 – Feb 11
Feb 16-25
March 1-12
April 19-30
May 3-14 (Weekdays only)
August 9-31
September (the whole month)
Most Weekdays in October (WDW 50th Anniversary begins)
Nov 1-21 (avoid Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Week)
Weekdays in December 1-17 (avoid Christmas and New Year’s)
As you can see, we avoided all major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and also Spring break when the crowds are also very high. The Fall is usually an ideal time to go as parents don’t like to take their kids out of school in the first couple of months of school. This makes for a great opportunity to go.
Don’t expect 2021 to be a normal year though because when the 50th Anniversary starts you will see larger than usual crowds. Just how much is hard depends on many factors, but we’ll keep an eye on this when Disney releases the official dates.
The best times to visit Disney World in 2022 are:
Jan 3-14, Jan 24 – Feb 10
Feb 21 – March 4
April 18-29
May 2-13 (Weekdays only)
August 15-31
September (the whole month)
Most Weekdays in October
Nov. 1-18 (avoid Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Week)
Weekdays in December 1-17 (avoid Christmas and New Year’s)
Again in 2022, we follow the same pattern for the best dates to go to Disney World, avoiding all major holidays and the majority of the Summer. The Disney World 50th Anniversary will carry on through all of 2022, so there will be plenty of festivities to join in on, and plenty of new rides and attractions to enjoy!
The busiest 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 "not so favorable" times to visit Disney World in 2021 are:
January 1-3, January 16-20
February 13-21 (President’s Day)
March 19 – April 11 (Spring Break & Easter)
May 29 – August 22
November 20-28 (Avoid Thanksgiving Week)
December 18 -31 (Avoid Christmas and New Year’s Weeks)
The 5 holidays of Easter, the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are always the busiest times to visit Disney World.
The "not so favorable" times to visit Disney World in 2022 are:
January 1-2, January 16-19
February 13-21 (President’s Day)
March 18 – April 17 (Spring Break & Easter)
May 27 – August 14
November 18-27 (Avoid Thanksgiving Week)
December 19 -31 (Avoid Christmas and New Year’s Weeks)
We follow the same pattern in 2022 as 2022 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.
The "not so favorable" time to visit is when kids are out of school during holidays or Spring and Summer breaks. Parents generally more hesitant to have their kids skip school, and therefore have no choice but to schedule a trip during that time.
The busiest times to visit Disney World in 2021 and 2022:
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.
The least busy times in Disney World are always when kids are in school. From 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).
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.
Here is a list of dates for Holidays in 2021 & 2022:
New Year’s Day – Jan. 1
Martin Luther King Jr – Jan 18, 2021, and Jan 17, 2022
Valentine’s Day – Feb 14
President’s Day – Feb 15, 2021; Feb 21, 2022
St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
Easter – April 4, 2021, and April 17, 2021
Memorial Day – May 31, 2021, and May 30, 2022
July 4th
Labor Day – Sep 6, 2021, and Sep 5, 2022
Columbus Day – Oct 11, 2021, and Oct 10, 2022
Veteran’s Day – Nov 11, 2021, and Nov 11, 2022
Halloween – Oct. 31
Thanksgiving – Nov. 25, 2021, and Nov. 24, 2021
Christmas – Dec. 25
New Year’s Eve – Dec. 31
If you have to go to Disney World on a holiday, here are the least crowded holidays for 2021 & 2022:
Valentine’s Day – Feb 14
St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
Labor Day – Sep 6, 2021, and Sep 5, 2022
Here is a list of all 2021 Disney World Special Events to consider:
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival: March 3 – July 5, 2021
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: 2021 Dates TBD
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: 2021 Dates TBD
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary: Oct 1, 2021 – March 2023
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays: 2021 Dates TBD
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: 2021 Dates TBD
In 2021 and 2022, the biggest event is going to be the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. This will be a celebration lasting 18 months and includes big upgrades to some rides as well as completely new attractions.
Weather in Disney World by 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 70’s. This is actually good news and we prefer to visit the parks when the weather isn’t as hot as 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 80’s. 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.
Fall – Autumn is a beautiful time in Walt Disney World, and though daytime temperatures are still quite high in October, things cool down some in the second half of the month and get even better in November and December. Average daily high temperatures are in the 70’s, again great for going to the parks.
Daylight is still good in early Fall, just remember to bring a light jacket or sweater at night as temperatures drop significantly compared to the daytime.
After considering all the various factors, the best weather in Disney World is in the Fall and Spring seasons. This is when you will find a good amount of daylight, lower rain totals, and warm temperatures, but not the extreme heat you find in the Summer.
If you are ready to start planning your magical Walt Disney World Vacation, reach out to your previous
planner or click the link below:
What is your favorite time to go to Disney?