March or May?

[Gretchasketch]

Hi all, we are planning our first trip to Disney World with our kids (6 & 9) and I’m having a ridiculously hard time deciding when to go.

Our options are the first week of March (Feb 28-March 4th), but not even 100% sure it will work since I’m not supposed to tack on more vacation to a preexisting break (I’m a teacher and we have the week before off but my husband can’t go that week). This is something I can talk to our head of school about and it might be able to work. This week we have cheer competitions to contend with (there is a competition the 12 & 13th).

The other option is the 1st or 2nd week of May (May 2nd-6th or May 9th-13th). The ONLY issue with May is I’m very concerned about the heat & humidity! We are from NY so we do have heat but the humidity is significantly worse in FL!

May is the easier option for us but again I'm very concerned about the humidity and having cranky kids cause they are uncomfortable!

Any personal experience would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sponica]

May. I've been in early May and while it was hot, the humidity hadn't caught up to the heat. It's also a sweet spot crowd wise (after all the spring breakers but before the southern tier gets out of school)

Edited to add: I'm from the northeast so we prob have the same definition of humid.

 

[_19disnA]

We went in early May in 2019 and the weather was warm but not excessively hot. March might be a problem with Spring Break since not every part of the country takes their breaks at the same time. Honestly, Disney is crowded the entire year since at least before covid people would travel here from all over the world. Even when we were there in early May, some parks were wall-to-wall people on certain days making walking around a challenge. I honestly think Disney should let fewer people into the parks and it would be a much more enjoyable experience for everyone, but doubt they will ever do that.

 

[Gretchasketch]

May. I've been in early May and while it was hot, the humidity hadn't caught up to the heat. It's also a sweet spot crowd wise (after all the spring breakers but before the southern tier gets out of school)

Edited to add: I'm from the northeast so we prob have the same definition of humid.

I'm glad to hear you say that! I looked up the weather for the last few years for May and it doesn't seem terrible! I did go one year in Oct and they were having a heatwave and it was fairly miserable. I've been wondering how crowds would be since I figured people would also be getting in the trips they missed during Covid.

 

[Gretchasketch]

We went in early May in 2019 and the weather was warm but not excessively hot. March might be a problem with Spring Break since not every part of the country takes their breaks at the same time. Honestly, Disney is crowded the entire year since at least before covid people would travel here from all over the world. Even when we were there in early May, some parks were wall-to-wall people on certain days making walking around a challenge. I honestly think Disney should let fewer people into the parks and it would be a much more enjoyable experience for everyone, but doubt they will ever do that.

We also have a Cheer competition to contend with if we go in early March. There is a competition the day after we leave. I think that doesn't bode well for crowds.

 

[Specter]

I guess I'll be the voice of dissent and say March. DW is also a teacher and like you, she can't add days onto the front or back of school breaks so we always go at Spring Break, Christmas Break, or next year for the first time, Thanksgiving Break.

Unlike you we are from the Houston area of Texas so we are well acquainted with heat and humidity, which is why we don't even entertain going in the summer months. We get enough of that weather at home.

Her Spring Break is typically the second full week in March. In our experience the crowds are not too bad then, especially at the beginning of the week. The parks are by no means empty, but the crowds and lines are all very manageable in our opinion. We have also had good luck, weather wise, with very little to no rain during our multiple March trips. We often find that we start the trip with light jackets and jeans and are in shorts and t-shirts by the end, but that's because it's sunny and in the 80's. We've gone swimming in the resort pools and not felt like we were hypothermic on the walk back to the room, too. Plus, we enjoy checking out the food booths that are set up for Flower and Garden festival and have made a walking meal of those some days.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Dakota731]

Our trip in May was very hot - in fact worse than our August trip. But that sometimes is just luck. You can have a mild May or a brutally humid week. Weather can be a crap shoot in Orlando. We had forty degree days one December, then high eighties the next year during the same week.

 

[sponica]

I'm glad to hear you say that! I looked up the weather for the last few years for May and it doesn't seem terrible! I did go one year in Oct and they were having a heatwave and it was fairly miserable. I've been wondering how crowds would be since I figured people would also be getting in the trips they missed during Covid.

I've been in January, March, May, August, and Early October. I feel like the trips with the most uniform/pleasant weather were May and early October. Of course it's all luck what weather you get. I had a coworker go the week after my may trip and it rained the entire week...

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I think it's a gamble either way weather wise. Weather in March is usually cooler but it can still get hot and same for May, you can have a nice mild day one day and the next day is 89, you just never know.

We've been a bunch during both those times and we prefer March weather wise but don't prefer the crowds during that time of year so we usually avoid March visits unless it just happens we end up around Disney for one reason or another so we make a few quick trips but we don't usually book our longer visits around March. Earlier in March should be better than later/further from Easter but it's always a toss up crowd wise especially now post covid.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I’d opt for the latter date in May. The hottest and most humid time we’ve been to WDW was July 3 to July 15. The most rain and chill was December 2018 thru January 2019.

As other posters have noted it’s always crowded but holiday timeframes are the worst, pre-pandemic. Of course it never stopped us from having a good time, LOL.

Have fun no matter when you get there.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

March = spring break crowds. Not the worst, but busy. When is Disney not busy though right? Weather is usually nice with little chance of rain and low humidity. Temps stay below 90ish so that's nice.

May = hotter and higher potential for rain. Not as bad as say June, but it's getting there. Crowds tend be be a bit lighter then though.

Florida has potential for rain at any given day of the year. And there is really only 2 season, really hot, and slightly less hot with chilly days sprinkled about.

As a native Floridian, you can't pay me to go anywhere near Disney Between late May and Early October. That's for tourists!! LOL