Best/Worst Time of Year to go to WDW?

[KIfan73]

I have been really wanting to make my first trip to WDW for awhile. I don't know why I haven't posted this question here earlier. Whats the best/worst time of the year to go to Disney World? Thanks for any help.

[OHpki]

Stay away from WDW during the holiday season. It gets packed! The summer is usually okay, but it can still get crowded. The best times to go would probebly be in the fall or in January or Febuary.

[PKIVortex]

I agree, February of 2007 I took a trip to Orlando and visited Universal, Sea World and MGM, and it was a great time to go. The only downside though taking a trip during the off season though is, some rides may be closed for rehab. I didn't have those issues though, although Jaws was Universal was closed till Wednesday of the week I went, but at least I still got to ride it.

[Dalefan]

Best time to go is before the hurricane season starts. Which starts alot last part of July first part of August and goes though November. It keeps you from loosing money if you go one day and have to leave. But before school lets out for the year is best time to go too. Just take alot of money cause they charge alot of money. $72.00 a person not counting food. This is without the package deals.

[Erosarrow05]

The best times to go to Orlando are one of two times. The last week in April and first week in may are the first weeks of "slow" - or the time immediately following spring break. Hotel rates are drastically lower yet water parks and virtually if not all rides are open. The other time is the 3rd and 4th weeks in september, when school goes back in session...

While it is florida and Orlando is a worldwide destination - those times are not a zoo... I had a great time at Universal and WDW - absolutely spectacular 7 days and i never waited in a line longer than 25 minutes...

[Avatar]

That usually depends on your availability to go and the three times of year that WDW is slower due to school schedules. 10th of January to Presidents day are low crowd times but guests complaining about colder temps during that time. Most of May is also good but it tends to be Hot. Very Late August through September is also a great time to go for low crowds but as mentioned in another post it is hurricane season, so if you go then stay on property and buy the trip insurance to cover your costs if a hurricane disrupts your trip.

We went last year and are planning another trip this year for the end of September. Last year we did not wait in hardly any lines plus we got the cheapest hotel rates offered for that year. If by chance you plan a trip in the early fall keep in mind Disney offers a Free Dinning promotion during late August through September. Basically you pay the lowest rack rate for your on property Disney hotel room (this year our rate is $82.00 per night)

This is what we receive for that rate of 2 adults &2 children under 18.

* Disney picks up our luggage at baggage claim and puts it in our room, and when leaving they take our bags from our room to our airline for us

* Free Buss transportation back and forth from the airport to our hotel, Busses show a Disney informative video while in route.

* Transportation to and from our hotel to all WDW destinations.

* Hotel Room

* Free Meal plan for each member in our party everyday which includes 1 snack 1 counter service meal (drink, meal, desert) and 1 Table service (waited on , menu) which includes for each person an appetizer, entrée, drink and desert choice. Because it’s Disney they also cover the taxes and tips for the waiters.

So for $82.00 a night it covers all the above mentioned perks for my whole party.

As far as tickets go we get the 7 day pass for $223.65 which breaks down to $31.95 a day.

IMHO Disney is very affordable when you go off season and look for the deals. We will continue to try to go during September as long as they continue the current Fall promotion.

I suggest the DIS site http://www.wdwinfo.com/chat.htm for general WDW information and TGM site http://www.tourguidemike.com/index.asp for paid inside information about WDW tips and tricks.

Good Luck - Have Fun Planning

[KIfan73]

Wow, thanks for all the great info. I've talked to a few people I know, but I always got different answers...then, I thought to ask the experts!

Great pics, BTW, Avatar!

[Kenban]

For me the Best and Worst times all occur in the same month. The Best time of year in my view is the first week of December. I have made two trips to Orlando during the start of December and both were amazing (I was there just last year the first week of December). The weather normally is great but it can get cold. You have to look for the lines at Universal while over at Disney there are lines but they are often very short and with some use of fast passes you can spend very little time in line. I was able to do EVERY attraction in Epcot in a single day (or any of the other parks for that matter). Plus all the holiday decorations are already up and Disney is running the after hours Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom.

The worst time of year is the period between Christmas and New Years. It is the busiest time of the year and from what I have heard last year was worse then normal even. At times 3 of the 4 Disney parks had to close their gates because they had reached capacity (I think it was Epcot that was able to keep its gates open). There are other times of the year I would not want to visit such as the summer (I have done this before and felt it was too hot and there are a lot of long lines), and spring break (again crowds).

Something else to think about are the many festivals and events that occur and it might make sense to visit during a certain time of year just so you can have that experience. I enjoy October because of Halloween Horror Nights over at Universal, or you can do Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney. Epcot has the Food and Wine festival in October and you have very short lines at all the parks. The Epcot flower and garden festival is late March or any time in April. I have yet to get down there to see it but I have enjoyed pictures online. Star Wars weekends occur in June and I am sure that I forgetting a few other events.

Plus if you don't make frequent trips don't forget about the many tours and other extras that you can experience. There is a walking tour of the land pavilion in Epcot, diving in the Living Seas, morning tour of the countries at Epcot on a Segway (before it opens your the only people back there), behind the scenes tours at all the parks and many more. Disney can be a lot of work to plan but try to leave yourself enough time that your not just running around the whole time make sure you can sit down and relax.

[welchce]

* Free Meal plan for each member in our party everyday which includes 1 snack 1 counter service meal (drink, meal, desert) and 1 Table service (waited on , menu) which includes for each person an appetizer, entrée, drink and desert choice. Because it's Disney they also cover the taxes and tips for the waiters.

Free Meal plan? How did you get it for free? It costs $40 per night per person. Maybe it was included in the overall plan you paid for but I'm sure that you paid something for it.

You can usually tell when the "best/worst" time of the year (when talking crowds) to go to WDW based on their hotel prices. They fluctuate around the year (cheaper when normally less people are there and more expensive when there are greater crowds). The 07 year for the Value resorts started off with Value Season (1/1 - 2/14) and went to Peak Season (2/15 - 4/14). Next was Regular Season (4/15 - 5/23) followed by Summer Season (5/24 - 8/4). Then comes another Value Season (8/5 - 10/3) and another Regular Season (10/4 - 11/24). The year is ended with a third value season Value Season (11/25 - 12/19) and Holiday Season (12/20 - 12/31).

Value Season for Value Resorts (All-Star Music/Movies/Sports and Pop Century) is $82 a night. Regular Season is $99 a night. Summer Season is $109 a night. Peak Season is $119 a night. Holiday Season is $129 a night. For a better breakdown of Disney hotel prices go here.

When my family has gone in the summer I thought early June was rather good whereas when we've gone in July and it was flooded with groups from Brazil. It's hard to miss them since the groups are usually wearing matching shirts, have a leader with a stick and a flag on top, and have been known to sing/do chants in ride lines. My parents have gone to WDW for the marathon in early January and have loved it since most of the Christmas stuff is still up.

But like Kenban said, you can also look for different events if they interest you. I know this summer and last summer they've had an event called "Sounds like Summer" where they've gotten cover bands to play at the theater in front of the American Adventure at EPCOT.

I hope you have a great time.

[Kenban]

* Free Meal plan for each member in our party everyday which includes 1 snack 1 counter service meal (drink, meal, desert) and 1 Table service (waited on , menu) which includes for each person an appetizer, entrée, drink and desert choice. Because it’s Disney they also cover the taxes and tips for the waiters.

Free Meal plan? How did you get it for free? It costs $40 per night per person. Maybe it was included in the overall plan you paid for but I'm sure that you paid nothing for it.

I am a little familiar with this. Its a deal thats offered in the winter/spring for fall bookings through a coupon code. There are a limited number of rooms in each hotel for the deal and once they are all booked your out of luck. The only requirements are that you pay the standard rack rate for the room and that every member of your party gets a park ticket for at least one day (plus they all have to be there at check in).

The only costs are really the park tickets and the difference between any discounted rate and the rack rate. When I say rack rate it is the current standard seasonal rate for the day you check in. Avatar said his rate will be $82 a night where the discounted rate is $69 for the value resorts in September (there are other discounts but thats the public discount code) so the meal plan is costing his party $13 a night total. You can say its costing something but its not much.

In short to my knowledge the meal deal discount is the best deal offered all year at Disney World. Last year it was offered in December to guests staying on site who were willing to book 9 months in advance. Then there was a public code a few weeks later.

[Avatar]

For the past two years and this being Disney’s third. They have offered the Disney Dinning Package for free to entice guests to come during their slow time and also because of the hurricane season in which Disney is a certified hurricane ready facility and has only shut down a few times because of them.

As you said in your post it costs 10 and over $40.00 a day and those under about $12.00 per day. Our last trip we paid $79.00 a night and received the Disney Dinning Package at no charge worth $132.00, not to mention all the free transportation included in our room rate. It does sound to good to be true but that is what they offer so we will continue to take advantage of this deal when ever they offer it. Keep in mind Disney dining plan also tips the waiter 18% for you.

Here is one of our free entrée that we had using the free Disney Dinning Package

Mine

Wife’s

Copied from the DIS site more info regarding the special promotion.

Starting Monday, April 9th, 2007 .. Disney Visa Card Holders will be able to book Free Dining for the fall of 2007. You must have a Disney Visa card to book, they will ask for it.

Starting Thursday, April 12th, 2007 .. The General Public may call to book the Free Dining promotion.

There are room blocks dedicated for Disney Visa AND for the General Public

Free Dining will be offered 08/26 to 09/22. Your check-in date must be on one of those days to receive free dining. Period. The only way around that is to split your reservation if you arrive before 08/26. If your check-IN date is 09/22, you can get Free Dining for the duration of your stay at your check-in resort. Moving resorts mid-stay under these circumstances would terminate your free dining.

The main indications are that this will be for THREE nights minimum.. same as before.

You must purchase a package that includes at least a one day base-ticket for each person staying in the room. All persons in the room must purchase the same level of ticket. (These can be upgraded separately after you check in if you wish)

The last day to book is scheduled to be June 24.

The code for DISNEY VISA CARD HOLDERS ONLY ... is ZHQ. Non-Disney Visa card holders should NOT try to book with this code. The GENERAL PUBLIC code for FREE DDP is ZHU

Also I am including a link that explains the details about the DDP

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=19...amp;postcount=1

[welchce]

In short to my knowledge the meal deal discount is the best deal offered all year at Disney World. Last year it was offered in December to guests staying on site who were willing to book 9 months in advance. Then there was a public code a few weeks later.

How do you get this code? My friends and I are planning on going to WDW Dec. 08 during Christmas break so any discount would help us greatly. I'm willing to book now if I can get the code

[Avatar]

Sorry my friend, if you are going to go over a Christmas Break form school then you will be into their holiday rate season. During the holiday season they rarely offer any discounts and as mentioned in a earlier post, there are times when it is necessary to close some Disney parks due to crowd sizes.

As far as looking for codes I recommend two sites

MouseSavers.com http://www.mousesavers.com/

DIS http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

[jondrewfoo]

lol we go when there is a hurricane on the horizon. like if we see a hurricane coming near orlando, we head down there... beleive me, the park is empty. we just stay at a hotel with a backup generator... we went to universal studios and the 2 days before the hurricane, were walkon almost everything, especially the second day. we didnt even need our vip pass we had lol

[Outdoor Man]

if you can plan on the fly and want to maximize your riding experience- the BEST time to go is days before a known hurricane is to hit. I know it sounds stupid... but if the NWS is predicting a hurricane to make landfall in florida... usually you can get those notices 10 days out. and you can slip into Orlando and our 2 days before landfall... the few days before then the parks are EMPTY!

We did that a few years ago when those 4 hurricanes hit Florida back-to-back-to-back-to-back. We went in between 2 and 3. The hurricane was to hit on a Wednesday afternoon and we left Tuesday mid afternoon.... the 3 days previous to that the longest wait we had for virtually anything was 15 minutes.

And to drum up business they tend to run insane specials.... especially on "time-sensitive" food.

If I am in the place where I can do some last minute planning again.... I shall keep my eyes on the skies.

[Outdoor Man]

GREAT POST "jondrewfoo"-- we must have went at the same time/had the same thought.

[welchce]

Sorry my friend, if you are going to go over a Christmas Break form school then you will be into their holiday rate season. During the holiday season they rarely offer any discounts and as mentioned in a earlier post, there are times when it is necessary to close some Disney parks due to crowd sizes.

As far as looking for codes I recommend two sites

MouseSavers.com http://www.mousesavers.com/

DIS http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

Actually, we won't be going during holiday rate season. I don't know when that'll start in 08 but that winter the last day of exams is tentatively scheduled to be Dec. 12 and the Value Season at the end of the year goes till 12/19. I assume the same will be true for the value season next year which will give us a week to be there.

Thanks for the links.

[Kenban]

In short to my knowledge the meal deal discount is the best deal offered all year at Disney World. Last year it was offered in December to guests staying on site who were willing to book 9 months in advance. Then there was a public code a few weeks later.

How do you get this code? My friends and I are planning on going to WDW Dec. 08 during Christmas break so any discount would help us greatly. I'm willing to book now if I can get the code

I am sorry if I was not clear but if you were staying on site last December there were tables set up in the lobbies of all the hotels to book a 2007 trip. If you booked a trip at that time for this fall around September you were able to get free dining. A general code was offered to travel agents a few weeks later and that was quickly posted on the internet. Free dining for 2007 was only available for stays between 8/5/07 and 9/29/07.

Early December sometimes has discount codes for around $20 a night off the regular price of a value resort. AAA does have discounts year round that are good even during peak times. I get most of my codes and information on discounts from my own experiences and reading Mouse Savers and the DIS boards both of which have already been linked by Avatar.

Since your going close to the holidays I want to point out something interesting about room prices that is often overlooked at Disney. The rate is set the night you check-in for your entire stay. If you check-in during value season you can stay up to 10 nights at that rate even if the end of your stay is at the holiday rate. For example this year the value season ends on the 19th of December. If you check-in on Dec. 19 you can stay at the Value season rate ($82 a night) until the 29th even though the rest of the stay is in the Holiday season (which would be $129 a night).

To get an idea though when discounts normally become available and what dates they are good for check this listing on Mouse Savers. While it does not give you an idea on how big of discounts it should tell you when to start looking for specific dates. Something else to think about is booking a room early then when discounts do become available either try to apply the code to the existing booking or book a new room using the code and cancel the original reservation. Just call Disney directly for this and make sure its a room only booking (you can add extras later if you want) and that you can cancel it with no penalty. There are different offices that do the bookings depending on what you want if its room or a package and they have different policies on cancellations.

[italianchef]

I recall reading that September and October are the best times to visit Walt Disney World.

[jondrewfoo]

GREAT POST "jondrewfoo"-- we must have went at the same time/had the same thought.

haha yeah, just noticed that... but it really is. it was awesome. empty, and then we stayed till after the hurricane, and went on a disney cruise. so many people had cancelled that cruise because of the hurricane, it was amazingly empty. it was like half a ghost ship lol. we got free upgrades to the highest class without getting into the "special rooms" like walt disney suite or whatever. and noone was ever hogging the ping pong tables when i wanted to play that trip.