Favourite time to visit WDW

[5ofus]

Hi everybody!

First things first, let me introduce myself. I have been reading DIS on and off for about a decade and I'm sure I was a member once upon a time, but can't remember my username or email address from way back then. More recently I've been a big time lurker as I'm itching to get back to Disney.

I am currently a mum to 2.5 kids , two boys (3 and 21 months) with #3 due around New Year. I've been to Disneyland x 5, WDW x 3, Tokyo Disneyland x 2 and Disneyland Paris x 1. We're planning on tackling Hong Kong once some the expansion stuff is complete. My DH had never been to Disney prior to meeting me, and has now been to Disneyland twice (he proposed on our first visit) and Tokyo twice. We took our boys to Tokyo in May this year for their first visit with the mouse.

Now onto the future.... we have been planning and saving for a BIG Disney trip since before DS1 was born, we thought 7 was a good age to take him to Disney (and the other kids will be 5 and 3 or 4) so have been aiming for 2014, although now we're thinking of pushing it to 2015. At the moment the plan is to visit DL, WDW go on a Disney Cruise and possibly visit San Francisco and some other West Coast attractions.

Obviously, I like to plan and first things first, I am trying to decide WHEN to go (although WHERE to stay at WDW is also running through my mind).

So my question to you all is; When is your favourite time to visit WDW and WHY?

 

[Caroline NZ]

Hi, I just wanted to say welcome.
I am also a "lurker' ( and occasional poster). I have checked and read the DIS just about every day for the last 2 years though.
I haven't been to WDW so can't comment on the best time of year to go, but we did go to Disneyland last year. My son was 7 and my daughter 4. I think those ages were perfect for a first time visit.
Good luck with your long term planning

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

THe 2 bbiggest considerations for my family are (#1) crowd levels and (#2) weather...

If y ou can do it any time of your, I'd suggest an off season like October, November, January or February. We have been the 3rd week of January for the past 3 yrs but have had several really cold days during this time. It did not ruin a our trip by any means...we just layered on more clothes and kept going. Plus Id rather be cold than hot.We were even able to swim on other days of those trips s o not every day was cold. But when it was cold, it was like 45 degrees...

We went in June 2009 and it was miserabley hot from 8 am to 11 pm---urgh---wont do that again!

here is a link with some general ideas about crowd levels... http://www.dadsguidetowdw.com/october-disney-world-crowds.html

 

[5ofus]

I forgot to mention, the times I've been to WDW have been Sept/Oct, Oct/Nov and early December. At the moment there are no restrictions as to what time of year we will be able to travel.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Excellent! I always like to see lurkers de-lurking.

I always like visiting California in late May/early June. Weather is nice and if you are planning on visiting National Parks, then the baby animals will be about.

If you are also going through to WDW, then I'd recommend you have a look at the events calendar at WDW and decide if you want to coincide your trip with any of them.

I've personally been to WDW in June/July and it was HOT! But the parks are opened for longer and if you have stamina, then a longer opening hours is great.
I've also been in May with the Flower and Garden festival. Beautiful! It was supposed to be low crowds; but that was not my experience.
I'm about to go check out Food and Wine and also MNSSHP in October. Happy to post my thoughts when I return.

And if you've been following the Aussie invasion, you'll realise that the Aussies seem to like visiting in Sept/Oct and then over the Nov/Dec period.

January can be cold in California; especially NorCal. So, it is something to consider if you are planning on going to both WDW and DLR in the same trip.

Enjoy your planning!

 

[Jade+3]

We went for the last 2 weeks in October. It was perfect for us - low crowds, great weather, no rain and not too much humidity.

My first visit many, many years ago was in April. Coincided with spring break and it was hot and humid - or maybe I just thought it was hot as I was living in Tassie at the time.

 

[shaz105]

We went in August it was Hot and Humid there were crowds if I were if go again I would think about October School holidays when its Halloween.

 

[cola]

Are you thinking of a Disney cruise from Florida? Probably best to avoid the hurricane season, which in theory is June-Nov, though most likely in Aug-Oct, which is why Sept/Oct is low season at WDW. July-Sept you're still getting lots of brief afternoon showers even with no hurricane.

I love Oct-Nov for WDW, low seasons, crowds are down, avoids school holidays. Oct you have Halloween, November it's starting to get into Christmas (though you've got to be after Thanksgiving for Christmas everywhere) Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival are both on in Oct, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party runs in mid-Nov & Dec.

Your kids will be school age, so it also depends on how long you want to take them out out school and co-ordinating with Australian school holidays, so Oct could be good

DL that time of year will be lovely during the day and a bit cooler in the evening, not pool weather, but you'll get enough of that on the cruise If you did San Francisco and some other west coast things BEFORE Florida you might still get the sunny weather and should be OK; after the cruise, it could be getting a bit wintery. If you wanted to break up the trip on the way back you could do DL then, but who wants to put DL last?

 

[5ofus]

Thanks for all your replies so far. We are definitely leaning toward October for WDW and working everything around that. I've never been to MNSSHP and I think that would be fun for all of us.

Cola, thanks for reminding me about hurricane season, but I think we'll brave it. I've been on a South Pacific cruise where we were pretty much chased by a cyclone. It cancelled a port or two, but the cruise was still fantastic.

Sept/Oct is the front runner for now

 

[kyl]

Sept/Oct was hot for us. Maybe Nov/Dec might be better or I have heard that April is a good time to go as well?

 

[Oz-kateer]

To avoid crowds, try and go in their very low season, which is basically between the kids going back to school in late August and the Columbus Day long weekend in mid-October.

The weather isn't too bad then, it's warm, but not as hot and wet as it can be in the height of the US summer, when the crowds are mad.

I've been in the Sept/Oct (Australian) school holiday period a couple of times and think it's the best I've seen, I've been there in May, July, November, January and like the end of Sept/early Oct the best.

The Christmas period (which goes from about mid-November through Thanksgiving up until early in January) can be manic.

July was just terrible. If it was my first trip there I'd probabloy have loved it but because I had other visits to compare it to I hated the heat and the long, long lines. Not just for rides but for buses, food and toilets.

 

[Willow25]

We love early December for WDW but Disneyland is a lot busier that time of year with the local AP holders. If I were you and doing both I would shoot for October and hit the Halloween festivities and the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Good luck lots of planning ahead for you.