While Disney World is full of exciting festivals and events year-round, there are definitely certain weeks and months you should avoid thanks to the crowds. Be honest; Would you rather wait 120 minutes to ride Splash Mountain during the hottest part of the day, or would you rather loop the ride over and over again in the evening with your best friends as fireworks explode in the distance? We thought so.
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While the exact crowd levels at Disney World vary year-to-year and park-to-park, we’re here to give you a general idea of when you should and shouldn’t visit Disney World based purely on the general crowds of every month. Just note that our ranking is approximate and that you should pay attention to the special events, holidays, and festivals happening on the day of your visit.
Also, as a general rule, avoid July and December altogether if you're looking to keep away from the crowds. July is crazy busy and hot, and while December has better weather (and the first week of the month has light to moderate crowds), the guest count goes up quickly.
With that said, here are the months you should visit Disney World, ranked from most crowded to least.
10 June
Smack-dab in the middle of summer, June is a popular month for vacationers. Unlike July, however, the crowds tend to ease into June. You’ll likely have more luck if you take on Disney World earlier in the month rather than later.
It’s also worth noting that while summers have been historically crowded at the parks, in recent years, they’ve been a little lighter. Disney’s high prices and holiday events have likely contributed to this.
9 March
March brings moderate crowds thanks to spring break. Florida schools’ spring breaks are scattered, so you’ll likely find the parks filling up throughout the mid-to-later weeks of March.
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The first couple of weeks of the month aren’t as bad, however, there tend to be a lot of cheer and dance competitions going on nearby. While this can bring crowds to the parks, early March is still preferable to late March.
8 May
May has its fair share of crowds scattered throughout several weekends (including the one nearest to Memorial Day), however, the month also has several light-to-moderate days.
If you go near the middle of the week in May rather than on a weekend, you are likely to avoid high numbers of guests. It is also recommended that you visit earlier in the month rather than later. As the beginning of summer approaches, so do the crowds.
7 April
Like March, April will see many spring break visitors pass through. Because of this, it’s smart to avoid the beginning of the month, especially in 2020 as Easter crowds will also be flooding the parks. If you can hit April sometime in the middle, though, you might have some luck.
There are cheer and dance competitions scheduled in Orlando near the end of April that will bump up the guest-count, but visiting in these weeks is still preferable to the summer surge that comes after that.
6 August
While August is a mixed month when it comes to crowds, it has some noticeable dips in attendance scattered into its schedule. While it's best to avoid the lingering summer crowds at the beginning of the month, they start to die down by the second week and will continue to decrease as anticipation for the Food and Wine Festival builds.
Many will wait to return to the parks until Epcot’s star event occurs. If you can deal with the heat, the end of August isn't so bad.
5 November
Avoid Thanksgiving at all costs if crowds aren't your thing. Like seriously, just skip that entire weekend.
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If you can do that, you’ll find November to be a decent month in terms of crowds. Veterans Day will see a spike in attendees, and you might also see more visitors during New Jersey’s school break the first week of November in combination with the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. The rest of the month is light to moderate.
4 February
The first step to facing February is to avoid the days surrounding President’s Day and Mardi Gras. Also, do your best to skip the parks around The Princess Half Marathon, which is set to occur near the middle of the month in 2020. Do that, and you’ll be fine.
Sure, this is another month that has its scattering of dance and cheer competitions. However, general visitors are less likely to stop by in February, making lines shorter than average.
3 January
January is historically one of the best months to visit Disney World, however, you’ll still want to avoid the first couple of weeks of the year. At first, you’ll be fighting some heavy crowds who are still on school break and lingering in the aftermath of the holiday season. Soon after you’ll be facing the crowds from Disney’s Marathon Weekend.
If you can get through all of that, though, you’ll see a significant drop in park guests. If you can visit on a weekday, especially, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to get on rides compared to attractions during the more crowded months.
2 October
While Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party attracts guests on select nights, the days at the parks aren’t too bad during October. The most crowded weekend will likely come around Columbus Day, and some schools will also have fall break in October.
Despite this, you’ll be happy to see lower than average crowds for the majority of the month. The weather is also warm-to-cool and you can check out Epcot’s International Wine & Food, so October’s is one of the best months when looking at both crowds and special activities.
1 September
Outside of Labor Day weekend, September is by far the least crowded month at Disney World. This is due to the fact that with summer over and school having just started, few people will be taking a break to vacation.
Additionally, the weather is slightly improved compared to the rest of summer, the waterparks are fully functional, and hotels have some of the lowest rates of the year. If you’re looking to experience Disney with the least amount of crowds possible, this is when you need to be there.