Planning a Disney Vacation

Planning a Disney vacation is a lot of fun! One of the biggest decisions you will make is when to go to Walt Disney World.

When To Go

When you are planning your Disney vacation consider the following:

• Weather
• Crowds
  
• Special Events

Weather

Orlando, Florida has a subtropical climate with hot, humid summers. During the summer the daily high temperatures frequently top 90 degrees. The summer afternoons are characterized by brief daily afternoon thunderstorms that quickly clear. 

Winters in Orlando are warm and dry with highs averaging in the low 70's, though it can get much cooler. The weather may feel too cool for swimming in the winter, though Disney pools are heated.

The best weather is generally in the early spring and late fall with highs in the 80's, less rain and lower humidity.

Crowds

Disney World vacations are greatly affected by crowd levels in the theme parks. Crowd patterns at Walt Disney World correlate roughly to the school schedules in the United States. The periods of heaviest attendance are summer, Thanksgiving week, the few weeks around Christmas and New Year, President's Day week and Easter/spring break.Special events and other holidays can also bring increased crowds.

Planning a Disney vacation during the least crowded times will result in more enjoyable park touring. The periods of lowest attendance are September through early November, early December, mid-late January and spring except for Easter and spring break.

Special Events

Disney World planning can also be affected by special events. Walt Disney World hosts a variety of special events throughout the year which can impact crowds. Disney hosts Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in the fall and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party in November and December. Spring brings the Atlanta Braves spring training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival.

There are many special events throughout the year, such as cheerleading championships and Pop Warner championship football. Special vacation packages, such as free Disney dining, have also impacted crowds historically.

Our Recommendation

Expect to pay higher prices for airfare, hotels and even food for Disney World vacations during peak travel periods. On the flip side, during times of increased attendance you will find longer operating hours at the theme parks and more activities and special events.

Also, Disney utilizes the slower times to perform routine maintenance on their rides. One of the water parks is usually closed during the winter for refurbishment.

Our first recommendation is to take Disney World vacations during slower periods. If you must plan Walt Disney World vacations during the summer, we recommend traveling in early June or late August when crowds are lighter. If you are at Disney World during a peak time take advantage of the longer park hours. Even parks that are crowded during the day thin out to manageable levels after dark.

Disney World Planning

Prior to our Disney World vacations we spend some time perusing the best Walt Disney World planning books and websites.

Click for more information on planning a Disney vacation:

• Disney apps
• Disney books
• Disney websites

Prepping for the Parks

To enhance your enjoyment of the parks it is a good idea to become familiar with the most popular Disney movies which are referenced throughout Disney World. The main movies you should focus on for your Disney World planning are:

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Cinderella
• Peter Pan
  
• Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast
• Lion King
• Aladdin

Disney Music

Also check out the Disney music on satellite radio:

• Subsonic radio

• Sorcerer radio

• Mouseworld radio

Also, check out our Disney store at Amazon for some great Disney CD's!

If you are planning a Disney vacation there are a plethora of resources at your fingertips. Disney World vacations are best enjoyed when planning in advance and scheduled during the times of least attendance coupled with the best weather.