When's the best time to go?

Just returned and was there during the food and wine festival and a race weekend. Then leading into Jersey week. I will be avoiding this time on our next trip.

Next trip is a few years out. But I have to start thinking about it!

So this weekend felt busy. We will go 7 days next time. Otherbodea we had is do parks on weekdays abd leave the weekend for resort days.

I’m curious for opinions when the best time to go would be. Summer is out for us because we wouldn’t be able to deal with the heat. So besides Summer when’s the best time to go? We would like to use pools but not get too overheated while touring. We had no problem RDing.

You can find plenty of articles around on this :slight_smile:

1 Like

One of the best times is the week following Labor day. It is when most kids go back to school, so families aren’t willing to take their kids out at that time to go. (We homeschool, so we pick our weeks exactly during such times.) When we went the week after Labor day, it was probably the lowest crowds I’ve ever experienced at Disney.

Last trip, we went during last week of October. It was also quite nice overall, except WS at Epcot (due to Food and Wine festival) not QUITE as nice in terms of crowds, although temperatures are better than September.

Thank you! The crowds in September are tempting, I’m just not sure how we would do in that heat!

Past trip food and wine really soured epcot for us. But maybe it was more having three things going on at once…

True true thanks for posting!

We just got back from an Oct. 20-24 trip; weather was perfect–never too hot. Crowds were good except yes, WS was busy at EP for FW, even on a weekday. Crowds at MK were low b/c we went on MNSSHP days (we did not do the party), but the counterside of that is that park closes at 6 pm. So, we caught HEA on a non-party night, on a day we spent most of in another park, hopping to MK at night. I was happy with that plan. I would go this time of year again.

1 Like

P.S. I would be concerned with a September trip b/c of hurricane season. Hurr. Michael came through in early October, I think.

True. While not for our 2016 trip, but for the trip before that (we did Universal instead) we were there that week in September and had a tropical storm go over us. We hunkered down for a full day, and half of the previous day we had to leave early because of the torrential rain. But once it passed over, it was beautiful again. Kind of a risk.

1 Like

What about like first week of May? Seems to a lull time. I wonder what it’s like then.

1 Like

Our next trip is planned for the week of Mother’s Day. Based on past CLs, plus Disney’s own new ticket pricing, that appears to be one of the lowest weeks of the year. Sandwiched nicely between Spring Breaks and School’s Out!

1 Like

We were there right after @staceyrose55 Oct 24-28. Weather was perfect and we had every permutation—bordering on too hot (close to 90 degrees with high humidity), rain, sun, staggering humidity, nice breeze, cool enough for pants on our last park day. Low crowds on party days at MK were nice. And we loved F&W. Noticed larger crowds after 4pm on Friday night but no bad behavior or super long lines for food/wine booths, although we left right as Illuminations were starting.

Have also been in mid-May (and although it rained for many parts of every day of our trip), it was a great time to be there–exactly when @ryan1 is planning (we arrived on Mother’s Day). Bad luck on the weather for us but it was great. The week before the Thanksgiving week is good too. Warm enough to swim in the afternoons but not unbearably hot.

We are stuck will school schedules now for a bit while kids in HS but will avoid summer like the plague–too hot for me and I love summer in the south, just not in line with 5000 people all day.

1 Like

Will have to
Follow your trip… we wouldn’t got until 20 or 21. May might be nice. Warm
Enough to swim… kids are still little so missing school is okay for now.

Now to predict DHs schedule by then…

We love early Feb, low crowds, but the trade off is, it’s kinds cool, we start and end they day in sweatshirts. The pools are heated, so swimming isn’t a problem. (other then it’s chilly after you get out at night). We’re going last week of Feb this year and hoping it’s a little warmer, but not too crowded

1 Like

Back in high school, I went during that time period and found the same. It was hot during the day, but once evening came, the temperatures were so cold that the souvenir shop was flooded with shoppers buying sweatshirts (us among them!).

This past February (first week), we were there (at Universal) and had absolutely lovely weather, even in the evenings. So, who knows what you’ll end up with!!! :slight_smile:

Crowds were great, though, for sure, at Universal at least. Can’t speak to Disney crowds.

1 Like

We found our early November trip two years ago to even be a little cool for swimming other than in the middle of the day. I’d imagine that getting out of the pools in Feb is quite a chilly affair!

We’ve also been in mid-May, 2015, and crowd and weather wise, it was pretty nice.

1 Like

We just did Oct 31-Nov 6, and had a wonderful trip. Mk on Monday the 5th was fantastic. We hopped to MK after EMM at Hollyweird and just kept getting good fatspass after fastpass up until 4pm. We did Epcot on 11/1 and even tho TT and LWTL were both down for half of the AM, we altered course and ultimately did everything we wanted to with the exception of only doing TT once instead of twice, and not getting a Dole Whip at the refreshment port (grrr!)

11-2 was Hollywood day for EMH and the SW dessert party the rain cleared that place out BIG time. We watched the rain pattern in the afternoon, and headed back over about 30 minutes before the rain was supposed to stop, and basically did TOT three times in a row with a 10 minute wait each time, then ST a few times in a row with no wait.

11/3 was AK emh, with MK fastpasses in the afternoon - again, we got REALLY good 4th, 5th, 6th fp’s it was great.

11/4 was AK am fastpasses, and a chill afternoon at the pool

11/45 was Hollyweird EMM, and Mk fp’s in the afternoon, and we CRUSHED extra fastpasses all day. we basically Ping-ponged BTM, Splash, Space along with Speedway, which, is fine by me. Didn’t score a 7d, but I’m guessing I would have if I didn’t snag the others as soon as they popped up. I like BTM, Space, and Splash more anyway.

We are from PA, so we’re used to chilly weather :wink:

I went this year in September and last year in November. Overall, the crowds were low both times (though by the crowd calendar, Nov was higher than Sept). But the heat in mid-September was nearly unbearable—we planned midday breaks but were still zapped by the heat by like, noon. And in places like Epcot and TSL, where there’s less shade and not as much indoor stuff, it was REALLY. HOT. (Seriously, Toy Story Land was like being on the surface of the SUN. How is it possible for that one spot to be EVEN HOTTER than the rest of the park?!)

November, on the other hand, was wonderful. It got a bit cool in the evenings (I brought a light zip-up), but it was warm and lovely during the day. I hope (!!) we’ll try to go back sometime next year, but definitely not in the hot summer months. It was just… too hot.

Honestly this last trip nov 1-6 we were hit most Day! So September is prob out for us. Our kids get hot fast too. Need it to be warm but not above 82. Haha

We were there Nov. 9-14, I think, and it was in the high 70s/low 80s during the day, but got down into the 60s at night. I’m an always-cold person who lives up north and is in a perpetual state of brrrrrr from like, November to April, so that temp was perrrrrrrfect for us. All my friends were green with envy at my poolside pics. :blush:

1 Like