One consideration in planning a Walt Disney World vacation is just how busy are the theme parks. While anticipated crowds can vary from year to year due to a number of factors – including the economy and unseasonable weather – these Walt Disney World’s peak-season periods are based on historical attendance.
February: Presidents Week
A federal U.S. holiday, Presidents Day takes place on the third Monday in February (between Feb. 15 and 21). Many elementary and secondary schools offer an extended weekend or weeklong vacation during this period.
Mid-March to Mid-April: “Spring Break”
Date vary for spring break depending on the region of the educational district and a school’s calendar. Normally, however, spring break takes place between mid-March and mid-April. Another peak occurs over Easter weekend.
May: Memorial Day Weekend
A national U.S. holiday for those who died in military service, Memorial Day falls on the last Monday in May. The holiday also unofficially marks the beginning of summer and increasingly serves as a three-day (or more) weekend for leisure travelers.
Mid-June through Mid-August
This peak period covers summer vacation for elementary and secondary schools. While some districts don’t start until after Labor Day weekend, crowds begin to lighten throughout the second half of August. The period around the 4th of July holiday is especially busy.
November: Thanksgiving Weekend
Walt Disney World serves as a family holiday vacation destination for Thanksgiving, which is observed in the U.S, on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of Walt Disney World’s holiday season, which means the parks offer special (primarily) Christmas events and entertainment, and are decorated for the holiday period.
December: Christmas through New Year's Day
The peak season of Walt Disney World’s peak seasons occurs between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Theme parks and resorts are extremely crowded for the holiday, even more so than Thanksgiving or 4th of July, to celebrate the season and enjoy Disney’s special festivities.
Although the theme parks – as well as the resorts and restaurants – are busy and crowded during Walt Disney World’s peak season, there are benefits for touring for guests who vacation during such periods. Disney generally pulls out all the stops during its busiest periods, for instance adding extra hours to its operating schedule and increasing the amount of shows and other live entertainment.
For a better sense of the anticipated crowds for a particular period of time, Disney travelers can check Walt Disney World’s operating hours for a rough indication – the busier the season, the longer the hours at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
A crowd calendar is also available at "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" online planning site, TouringPlans. A complement to the book, TouringPlans offers free access to its crowd calendar for the upcoming 30 days. TouringPlans’ year-long calendar and other feature of the site, including "The Unofficial Guide’s" recommended itineraries, are available for a yearly subscription fee.
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