The answer to this question is significant in regards to many aspects of your Disney vacation. You will have a much different trip if you visit in the middle of June than you will if you visit at the end of January. There is the obvious factor of the difference in weather- and crowds, park hours, and resort room rates and discounts will also vary significantly depending on when you choose to visit the World.
As a child, we typically visited from Christmas until New Years, and again during Easter break. These are two of Disney’s busiest times of the year, but as a kid, I didn’t know any better, and I found it very normal to wait in line for Splash Mountain for upwards of 2 hours (this was way before the Fast Pass ever existed). Now that I'm the one planning our trips, I tend to favor the autumn season, as well as late winter (my son's birthday is at the end of January, and what better time to escape the harsh Midwest winter!!). I choose these times of the year for several reasons, the primary reason being that discounts have always been available at these times of the year.
Beginning in 2009, we started a tradition of a fall Disney trip with my extended family. We have gone in both September and October, and we love this time of year because the crowds are more manageable, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is in full swing, the weather is typically conducive to spending 12+ hours in a theme park, and finally (my favorite reason of all)- FREE DINING!!
Disney is not known to give anything away. And there is a price to pay when it comes to Free Dining- this being that you do not get any sort of discount on your room. But my family loves to eat- not just for the food, but for the social time as well- and so we always find that we save money when we pay the full price for the room and take the Free Dining offer. Depending on your family’s preferences, it may be more beneficial for you to take the room discount that is typically offered along with the Free Dining promotion (you choose one or the other- either the room discount, or the Free Dining offer). I have heard that if you stay in a Deluxe resort, and there are only a couple of people, the room discount can save you more money than the Free Dining offer, but I have never done the math to figure that one out, as we do not stay Deluxe.
Free Dining and/or different room discounts are typically offered from late-August through mid-December, and then again from mid-January through the beginning of March. I would highly recommend visiting during these time periods if you can. While Free Dining was not offered for our son’s birthday trip in late January 2015, there was a ‘Stay, Play and Dine’ offer that provided us with a significant discount on a resort, dining plan, and ticket package.
One thing to consider, however, is that during the ‘slower’ times of year, the theme parks are not open as late as they are during the busier times. When we used to visit at Christmastime, I remember the parks being open until midnight or later every night, and so we wouldn’t even get going until after lunchtime. If you are not an early riser and find it appalling to do so while on vacation, mid-January might not be the time for you, as the parks can close as early as 5-7pm during this time of year.
Please give weather a consideration as well, if at all possible. In July 2012, just before I graduated nursing school, I was offered a job and we decided we would celebrate by taking a quick and very last-minute trip to the World in August. My parents decided to join us, and the 4 of us experienced a VERY warm trip. My husband is NOT a fan of the humidity, and so he was borderline miserable during this trip. I can still remember standing in line with him for Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, still early in the day, and both of us were just drenched (and I do mean drenched) with sweat, with an entire day yet to go at the theme parks. Our January 2015 trip was VERY different, with us needing sweatshirts during the day, and gloves and hats at night. Of course, unseasonal weather can always creep up on you, so whenever you visit, make sure to be prepared and pack for both cold and warm weather just in case!
I have visited Walt Disney World during every month except June and July, and I definitely have my favorites. Early spring is lovely weather-wise, the Flower and Garden Festival presented by HGTV is going on at Epcot, and it’s fun to have a trip to look forward to during those long winter months. Mid-to-late November may provide you the opportunity to see the World decorated BEAUTIFULLY for Christmas, and when I was there around Veteran’s Day in 2007, it was warm enough to sit by the pool during the day, though it did get rather chilly at night. In 2015, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival runs through November 16. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party begins on November 8, 2015, and so it would be possible to include both of these popular events on a trip if you are flexible with your dates.
I hope you have enjoyed reading, as always, if you have any questions or need any help with planning your trip, please feel free to contact me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Happy Travels!
