Planning 101 : When to Go

There are a lot of factors that come in to play when planning a Disney vacation. One thing that must be decided before you can even begin the process is WHEN to go.


This must be done early because pricing and availability fluctuates throughout the year. It’s impossible to get a quote without dates.


There is not a WRONG time to go, but there may be a RIGHT time for your family based on what is important to you. Here are a few questions we process through when choosing our trip dates & some suggestions for when to go based on your answer.


Do we want to go during a certain time of year/season/type of weather?​

​Florida weather is warm, hot & hotter. There is a hurricane season. There are daily rain showers. There are occasionally days so cold that water parks are closed, but those are few & far between.

If you want to avoid heat & hurricane season, travel in November - April.

If you don't mind the heat, you can go in May - July.

If heat nor hurricane season bothers you, travel in August & September.

If you don't like heat & will roll the dice on hurricanes, October is your month.
​
How important is crowd size to us?

Disney World is rarely open & empty. There will be people there all year, but there are definitely some time when crowds increase.

Those times are around New Year's Day, Long Weekends (like MLK Day & Memorial Day), RunDisney Weekends, Spring Break, Easter,  July 4th, Fall Break, Thanksgiving Week & Christmas.

Historically slower weeks are:
January (aside from New Year's, MLK & Walt Disney Marathon)
February (aside from Princess Marathon, President's Day + Mardi Gras)
early March before Spring Break hits
April (aside for the week prior to & after Easter & Star Wars Run Weekend)
May
August (after school's are back in session)
September
mid-late October
early-mid November
early December

One out of the ordinary in 2021 is February. The Super Bowl is in Tampa, Florida  during the first weekend, which will most likely increase guests. The 2nd weekend is a lead into a Valentine's Day, Presidents Day, Mardi Gras back to back combo. The 3rd weekend is the Princess Marathon.

When do we get time off work and/or school? Do we have flexibility?
You may be locked into a Spring Break, Summer Break, Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break calendar... and that is totally fine! It narrows down your options early.

Maybe you have some flexibility to take off the Wednesday-Friday BEFORE break starts to get a jumpstart.

Any of those scenarios work- just be aware of them when choosing your dates.

Are there any travel promos or offers that we would like to schedule our trip around?
Free Dining, Room Discounts, Kids Dine Free Packages, Bounce Back Offers- Disney rotates through promotional offers & I am yet to find a time of year where nothing has been offered. Sometime the booking window for these promotions are small, but it's always worth considering scheduling around these if your dates are flexible.

Do we want to be there for a certain holiday or do we want to avoid certain holidays?
Disney at Christmas may sound magical to you... or you may love being home for Christmas. Thanksgiving at Liberty Tree Tavern may be perfect- or perhaps you want to be part of the Egg-Stravaganza at EPCOT during Easter week. 

Holidays are great because usually you have time off work, so if you do not mind slightly increased crowds, the magic of Disney on a holiday may be perfect for you.

Are we going for a special event (such as a Run Disney race or Dapper Days Weekend) or do we want to avoid those special events?
Sometime you don't choose the date- the date chooses you. If you are heading down for something scheduled by Disney like a race or a sporting event at ESPN Wide World of Sports, you do not have to think through dates as much. You may want to think about arriving a few days early or staying a few days later to take in more.

Do we want to go before having kids/ before one of our kids turns 3 / after all of our kids are a certain age/height?
This is the golden question. I've gone before kids, visited while pregnant, planned trips for special birthdays, taken a 6 month old & been so thankful my 2 1/2 year old did not require a park ticket.

Before kids was amazing.
While pregnant was fun & I could still do so many things.
The special birthday trip was a dream & my daughter vividly remembers turning 5 at the Magic Kingdom.
My 6 month old doesn't remember a thing, but she was a champ In a baby carrier & I will remember how much fun It was to see her scoot on the HUB grass in front of the Magic Kingdom.
My son had a blast at 2 1/2. He doesn't remember much... but we didn't have to buy him a ticket or pay for him at buffet meals (this is true until they turn 3), so he gets a pass.

You need to decide if you are a one & done family to answer these questions. If you plan to only go once, go when your kids are old enough to remember it & tall enough to ride almost everything (40 inches gets them on all but 5 rides... 48 gets them on everything.)

If you are going to go multiple times, it's fine if you do a shorter trip when they are young or don't go to every park. It's okay if they are not tall enough or don't remember it all.

Do we want to go to celebrate something big like a birthday or graduation?
For us, it is the 5th birthday. I can tell you exactly when 2 of our upcoming trips will be because it is based around a birthday.

Do we want to plan our trip for the 50th Anniversary celebration at the Magic Kingdom?
We still do not have full details of when this celebration will begin or how long It will last, but we know that on October 1, 2021, Cinderella's Castle & the Magic Kingdom turn 50. 

There will be new rides & attractions as well as things to celebrate the occasion. If you want to be a part of it, then when the range of celebration happens, you will narrow in on it.

If you think that is a level of crazy you want no part of, you can plan on going before it all starts or after it is over.

Do we want to go during a certain festival at EPCOT?
My answer is always YES (because all the food & extra activities), but that may not be your cup of tea. 

If you are PRO-Festival, they generally occur:
mid-January to early March : Festival of the Arts
mid-March to early June: Flower & Garden Festival
late-August to mid-November: Food & Wine Festival
late-November to early-January: Festival of the Holiday

Do we want to travel/arrive on certain days of the week?

This may change season by season, but this is something we consider. Do we have any sports or extracurriculars we don't want to miss (may mean a Sunday-Friday trip)? Do we want to get home & go right back into regular life or have a day to rest & adjust? Do we want to go midweek for cheaper room rates (prices tend to go up slightly on weekend nights)?

Sometimes If you know the days of the week you want to travel, you can naturally find a spot on the calendar a little more easily.

Ready to start planning your next Disney Destination Vacation? I'd love to help!
Fill out an interest form or shoot me an email at kristi.sullivan@mickeyvacations.com

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