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View Full Version : Favorite month to visit WDW?



kristenk
07-22-2007, 10:11 PM
I'm starting to think about our next family trip to WDW even though it's well over a year away! LOL

I had been thinking about going in early December or late January/early February to avoid some of the crowds. Then I remembered that DH and I decided on our trip this past February that we were not going to plan pricey vacations during cold & flu season. Now, I'm not sure when to go. I was wondering about September.

The trip I'm planning is for when DD is in 4yo preschool so we can go pretty much any time of year.

What's your favorite time of year to visit WDW?

AddiesMom
07-23-2007, 05:47 AM
I am so used to going when there are no crowds, and I will probably never go during peak season again! Here is when I have gone, and the pros and cons:

We go in Jan, the 2nd or 3rd week every year to escape the winter. The weather can be unpredictable in FL but typically cold weather doesn't last the whole trip. This year we lucked out and was warm the whole trip.

I also love early Dec, park is slow and all of the Christmas decorations are up. One year we went it rained the whole time, not drizzles but flooding rain.

September is great since the kids are in school, weather is nice. Restaurants will be packed since they were offering the meal plan for free in Sept (can't book anymore for this year) so if you had you heart set on certain restaurants it might be difficult to get a reservation.

October is also great! They offer the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party which is fun. Might be busy over Columbus Day.

I recommed the Unofficial Guide to Disney. Most libraries have it.

kimbe
07-23-2007, 06:54 AM
September and beginning/mid October!!!! We have had the best luck going then! We've been there twice at those times and there have been no crowds. In fact, when we took DD last September, we were able to take a picture of her in front of the castle with no other people around! We also have a picture of her standing near the end of Main Street and she is the only person on the street!

Ditto with pp about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. They set it up a few weeks before Halloween so it is less crowded if you go before Halloween.

HTH.

egoldber
07-23-2007, 08:23 AM
Early December and January. Hands down. The crowd levels are as low as they ever are and that is the most important factor (IME) for an enjoyable Disney trip.

Other than that, early November is good and still quite warm. Early October and late April are good but can be really hot. We went lare Feb./ early March one year and that was nice too.

momtoB
07-23-2007, 08:39 PM
We have been in January, April, May, September, October, and the end of Nov, early December. We have experienced pretty chilly weather in Dec/Jan so it's good to be prepared for either - dressing in layers works well so you can layer up if its cold and peel off layers if it starts to warm up. April/May has very nice (warm) weather but the crowds can be a little on the heavy side due to spring break and other events going on. September is nice weather too, on the hotter side, and crowds are usually very managable due to it being the start of school. I would agree w/the pp's comments about planning ahead for dining if you go this time of year because there are likely to be more folks utilizing the Disney Dining Plan w/the free dining promo from earlier this year. October was lovely weather and the crowds, again, very managable.

Overall, I think that October is one of my favorite times to go. This year, we'll be spending two weeks in October during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival (yummy). Can't wait!

www.wdwinfo.com and www.allearsnet.com are both good sites to look at to see what events are happening when.

hth!

Momof3Labs
07-24-2007, 12:35 PM
Our favorite is early December. Early January is good, too. We went at the end of September 2 year ago and won't ever do that again - it was sooooo hot; we were miserable! But the crowds were very light. We love the holiday decorations in December, plus the low crowds and mild weather (we've experienced mostly 70's-80's during 4 trips that time of year, but have also experienced mid-40's and windy).

xmasbabycomin
07-27-2007, 02:36 AM
I don't think there is one clear cut best time to go, but I'd say avoid mid-April through September b/c it's hot. We went the first week in March and were pleasantly suprised...I guess everyone else thought there'd be spring break crowds but there weren't. We're going late Jan this time.

kristenk
07-27-2007, 05:59 PM
I didn't think that September would be hot. I mean, I know it is here, but I wasn't thinking too much about heat/cold. Ugh. I REALLY want to avoid the heat.

It seems like if I want to avoid the heat and be there during a value time, I'm back to traveling during cold & flu season. Double ugh.

Maybe travel insurance is in order... :)

babybear
08-01-2007, 10:37 AM
It is hot until November. We live 1.5 hours from Disney and this past Halloween my kids sweated their butts off. The peak of the heat is the end of July, beginning of August. September is still hot. Also the rainy season is the summer but this year we have a drought. Also hurricane season is over in November. I would go from Jan. -March. December is nice but the closer to Christmas the more crowded it is.

HTH,

colleenfs
08-05-2007, 08:43 AM
We were there this past January, the 7-13. Julia turned 5 on the 10th, and she had the time of her life! We arrived the day after the marathon, and we left on the Saturday of MLK weekend. The only day that we found super crowded was that last Saturday. The weather was great - not one drop of rain. We were in shorts in the 80s 4 days, 3 days in capris, and 1 day in long pants and jackets. Nights were chilly, but we packed accordingly. I'll take a little nip over hot and sticky any day! And it was still much warmer than it was back home in Boston!

~Colleen
Julia, 1-10-02
Emma, 7-27-05

“I do believe in fairies. I do, I do.�

kristenk
08-05-2007, 07:22 PM
Thanks for all of the responses. I think that we'll try for another late Jan/early Feb trip. I'd love to be there for her 5th birthday, but her birthday is the Friday of President's weekend. I'm thinking an early celebration is in order! :)

jmac588
08-10-2007, 03:00 PM
Went with our kids a few times in Jan/Feb/March, but had the best experience when we took them in late November. It was the week before Thanksgiving and the parks were empty, plus it was the week that the holiday decorations went up. How beautiful they were! Worth the trip at that time of year to see them.

Jill
DS6
DD4

dms619
08-13-2007, 11:32 PM
>Went with our kids a few times in Jan/Feb/March, but had the
>best experience when we took them in late November. It was the
>week before Thanksgiving and the parks were empty, plus it was
>the week that the holiday decorations went up. How beautiful
>they were! Worth the trip at that time of year to see them.


I totally agree! We are going back this year - same time again! Also, the Food and Wine Festival is going on at Epcot then...a real treat for the adults! Watch out for ABC Super Soap Opera weekend during the second weekend in November. It only effects MGM Studios, but make the cost of airline tickets go up in NY and CA.

Debbie from NY