Busiest Times of Year at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world. Planning the right time of the year to go is very important. If you want to get the most out of your vacation, you should definitely avoid the busy times of year. Not sure when they are? Here is a guide of which dates you should avoid if you don’t like big crowds. 

runDisney Events

runDisney events bring huge crowds to the parks. Not only are the parks very crowded around this time, but so are the hotels around the area. Traffic tends to get pretty backed up during these events as well, so if you have a dining reservation, it is best to give yourself a lot of extra travel time. runDisney events usually last for a few weekends throughout the year but the week leading up to the races, (including the weekend of the race) are generally very busy too. If you happen to be in Walt Disney World during any of these events, be prepared for long wait times for rides. The runDisney events for 2022 and 2023 are as follows:

2022

• Jan 5-9: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
• Feb 24-27: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
• March 31- April 3: runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend
• Nov 3-6 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon
• 5 Weekend

2023

• Jan 4-8: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
• Feb 23-26: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
• April 13-16: runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

Spring Break

Another time of year that you may want to avoid is Spring Break. Spring Break varies throughout the country so it is hard to pinpoint an exact time where it will be extra busy. I would say, from experience, to be wary of the beginning of March to the end of April. Many colleges have their spring breaks in March, while public schools usually have their spring break sometime during April.

Weekends in May

Weekends in May tend to be very busy at Walt Disney World. This may be because many schools in the South end their school year by mid-May. Colleges also end their spring semesters anywhere from the middle to the end of May.

Summer

Summer is a very busy time for Walt Disney World as well. Most schools have summer break and that’s when a lot of families take their vacations. Summer break crowds last from the beginning of June to the middle of August. 

Holidays

Whenever there is a holiday, you can be certain that the crowds will be either near or at capacity. The busiest holiday times, however, are from the week of Thanksgiving through the week of New Years. You can count on Thanksgiving and Christmas crowds to be extra full. I have never seen Walt Disney World busier than the week of Christmas to New Year’s Day. It is almost impossible to get a park or dining reservation anywhere during that time. 

WDW 50^th Celebration

On October 1, 2021, Walt Disney World kicked off their 18-month long 50^th anniversary celebration. It is a very magical time to visit the parks, but it is also a very busy time to visit the parks. Be prepared for unusually crowded parks and hotels throughout the duration of this magical celebration. The celebration will run through March of 2023. 

Unusually Busy 

This year has been an unusually busy year for Walt Disney World. The times when the parks are usually empty in past years, are nearing capacity this year. After talking to a few Cast Members throughout the parks, many of them have said that they think it may be because of the 50^th Anniversary Celebration and the fact that the pandemic changed many people’s vacation plans. Many guests had to postpone their vacations when the Covid variants were ramping up which caused them to reschedule at a time when they believed the parks would be less busy. It seems that everyone had the same idea because the parks haven’t really had a quiet moment this entire year. 

Overall

Anytime in Walt Disney World is always a magical and fun time. We made this list to help you if you want to avoid the very busiest times. Hopefully this guide will help you make the most of your vacation! What is your favorite time of year to visit the parks? When do you tend to avoid the parks?