Determining the best time to visit Walt Disney World is fairly straightforward. You need to think about the three things that could ruin your holiday: queues, weather and prices. In this article, we will analyse each of these factors and give them a score to determine the optimal time to visit the most magical place on earth.
Which months are the least crowded at Walt Disney World?
Have you ever been queuing for three hours at Animal Kingdom to go on Avatar Flight of Passage (the best 3D flying theatre ever ⭐)? Three hours is a long time, especially when you’re only there for 12 hours!
It’s common knowledge that the four parks at Walt Disney World are never empty. In fact, crowds are the norm there. But, there are a few times of the year when the Walt Disney World resort is less crowded.
To determine the least and most crowded months at Walt Disney World, I analysed and cross-checked all the data published on the two reliable websites thrill-data.com and queue-times.com.
Historically, the best two times to visit Walt Disney World have been early January and September, both of which are back-to-school seasons. However, if we take a look at the average wait times during the last 12 months on thrill-data.com, it seems that September is the most appealing month for people who can’t stand being in long queues.
On the opposite, July and Christmas season in December are the busiest time of the year. Generaly speaking, the busiest moment of the year align with holiday breaks.
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On which day of the week would you rather come?
Thanks to Thrill-data.com and its exhaustive figure, we can say that the answer to this question depends on which park you want to visit.
- Wednesday : this is the best day to visit all parks except Magic Kingdom
- Thursday : the second best week day to enjoy low wait time everywhere at WDW
- Friday : Friday is almost as interesting as Thursday, with equivalent moderate wait times.
- Tuesday : the second day of the week is particularly a good pick for both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom
- Sunday is the best day of the two weekend days, with the exception of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- Saturday : this is no surprise that Saturday is one of the worst week day to visit Walt Disney World
- Monday : this is by far the worst day to choose to visit all 4 parks
But why Monday is the word day ? This days are often the worst to visit because many families begin their week-long Disney vacations on Mondays. From what I read on various source, Mondays and Saturdays are the busiest days because families are often eager to kick off their Disney experience as soon as they arrive.
A 4-day visit to all four parks is a tight schedule, but if you’re determined to squeeze it in, I’d suggest planning your vacation from a Tuesday. This is especially useful if you want to start with Magic Kingdom. This will save you time waiting for your second park.
Walt Disney World weather by month
I’ve been twice at WDW, each time in August. I recall a time when we were caught in a downpour, despite the fact that the weather had been bright just a few minutes earlier. On our last visit to Orlando Airport, we had to wait for three hours to collect our luggage because the airport team was forced to stop working due to a storm. The weather in Florida can be extremely unpredictable during the rainy season, not to mention on a daily basis.
In order to let you choose the right moment, here are some insights into what each month at Walt Disney World is really like — from weather conditions to seasonal events. This way, you’ll be able to plan your trip with a better idea of what to expect and avoid any surprises.
| Category | Months | Average Conditions | Advantages | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool & Dry Winter | January, February | Mild to cool (10–24 °C / 50–75 °F), low rainfall | Comfortable for walking, low humidity, few storms | Can feel chilly in mornings/evenings, pools may be too cold |
| Mild & Pleasant Spring | March, April | Warm (15–29 °C / 60–85 °F), moderate rain | Ideal park weather, Flower & Garden Festival | Some showers, variable temps |
| Early Summer / Warming Up | May | Hotter (19–31 °C / 66–88 °F), rain increasing | Long days, warm nights | Humidity rises, daily showers late in month |
| Peak Summer Heat & Rain | June, July, August | Very hot (22–33 °C / 72–92 °F), very humid, daily storms | Pools & water rides perfect, longest daylight | Feels oppressive, frequent downpours, hurricane risk (esp. Aug) |
| Storm Season but Cooling | September, October | Hot to warm (19–32 °C / 66–90 °F), rain decreasing in Oct | Lower crowds in Sept, Halloween & Food & Wine | Peak hurricane risk (Sept), still humid early Oct |
| Comfortable Fall & Holiday Season | November, December | Mild (12–26 °C / 54–79 °F), relatively dry | Great balance: festive events, low humidity | Early Dec can be cool; temps swing day to night |
Worst Weeks to Visit Disney World
If you really don’t want to spend your budget in Lighting Lanes or Genie +, here are the busiest weeks at WDW :
- Christmas to New Year’s Week (late December) : Widely recognized as the single busiest week of the year. Crowds hit maximum levels (10/10), with long wait times and packed parks.
- Thanksgiving Week (late November) : Heavy holiday travel combined with school breaks. Festive decorations and special events boost attendance even further.
- Spring Break & Easter Period (mid-March to early April) : One of the most consistently crowded times each year. Overlaps with school vacations across the U.S., leading to huge spikes in attendance.
- President’s Day Week (mid-February) : A winter peak driven by a long holiday weekend. Historically shows crowd levels 20–30% higher than average.
- Fourth of July Week / Early July : Summer travel season plus Independence Day fireworks bring massive crowds. Parks are at capacity on July 4 itself, making it one of the hardest times to visit.
What is the least expensive month at WDW?
We’ve analysed and ranked the 12 months from least to most expensive for visiting Walt Disney World using recent, authoritative analyses of Disney’s date-based ticket pricing (NerdWallet, TouringPlans, Ziggy Knows Disney, InsideTheMagic / DisneyFanatic).
- September – least expansive : Historically the cheapest month overall; late-summer low demand and promotions drive the lowest average one-day prices (NerdWallet reports ≈ $126.73 average).
- August – second best choice : Also part of the late-summer bargain window; average prices slightly higher than September (reported ≈ $133.60). Good deals late August around hurricane season.
- January : After New Year’s, one of the cheapest periods (excluding holiday weeks). Lower room + ticket demand produces frequent discounts.
- February (lower-cost early Feb; but Presidents’ Day week raises averages) : Generally inexpensive outside Presidents’ Day. Overall winter season is pricier than late summer on average, but some Feb dates remain cheap. NerdWallet places winter as the priciest season overall, however individual Feb dates can be low.
- Early December / Late November (non-Thanksgiving dates) : Early December and late November (outside Thanksgiving week) often offer good value with holiday atmosphere beginning but before prime holiday pricing.
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Our top 5 best times to visit WDW
Based on the analysis of Walt Disney World’s crowd calendars, ticket prices, and weather patterns, I’ve compiled a ranking of the 5 most advantageous months to visit in 2025. This ranking considers three key factors: average wait times, ticket prices, and weather conditions, with the following weights:
- Average wait times: 1.5
- Ticket prices: 1.3
- Weather conditions: 1
- September: Offers the lowest crowd levels and ticket prices, with manageable weather conditions, making it the most favorable month to visit.
- January: Post-New Year’s period sees reduced crowds and moderate prices, with cooler temperatures enhancing the experience.
- February: Similar to January but with slightly higher crowd levels and prices, though still favorable.
- November: Before the Thanksgiving rush, this month provides pleasant weather and moderate crowds, though prices begin to rise.
- October: While offering good weather and moderate crowds, ticket prices are higher compared to the other months listed.
| Rank | Month | Wait Time (1–10) | Price (1–10) | Weather (1–10) | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September | 2 | 9 | 5 | 8.0 |
| 2 | January | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7.6 |
| 3 | February | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7.3 |
| 4 | November | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7.2 |
| 5 | October | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6.9 |
Resources :
- https://theparkprodigy.com/slowest-time-to-visit-disney-world/
- https://queue-times.com/parks/6/calendar/2025/09
- https://www.thrill-data.com/waits/chain/wdw/
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