Help, need advice/ opinions on when to go?.

[lor]

Hello, I am in the midst of planning a trip , we are totally flexible as to when we can go , anytime really, but trying to decide on when to go, was looking at the least crowded times( ha I know that’s prob not easy). was thinking of January 2020 but wondering with the new Star Wars land would it be better to wait? Like possible September 2020? Or better to wait until January 2021? I was looking online and it seems the new Star Wars restaurant is already pretty much booked for January so maybe that means it will be crowded, ugh I hate making a decision on when . Welcome to all options and advice thanks!,

 

[MomOTwins]

January 2020 will have higher than normal crowds due to SWGE/RoTR.
For least crowded, your best bet will be early September, after labor day weekend. Most people don't like to pull kids from school that early in the school year. January 2021 probably won't be too bad, but it's hard to say since early year has been hit or miss with crowds in recent years.

Weather is probably a wash because September is hot and has a risk of hurricanes, but January can get cold (some days even had temps in the 40s in recent years).

Another factor is that September will have Halloween parties at Magic Kingdom--a separate paid event that closes the park early at 6pm to regular guests. This can be a fun thing to do, but expensive, and can be annoying if you don't plan to go but have to deal with the reduced hours.

One thing to note is that there is a difference between low crowds and low wait times. Both of those times are "off season" which means you are more likely to see rides closed
(thereby diverting people to other rides)
or rides operating at less than full capacity (e.g., only one side of Space Mountain) which can mean high wait times even though there are lower crowds on the actual streets of the park.

 

[lor]

January 2020 will have higher than normal crowds due to SWGE/RoTR.
For least crowded, your best bet will be early September, after labor day weekend. Most people don't like to pull kids from school that early in the school year. January 2021 probably won't be too bad, but it's hard to say since early year has been hit or miss with crowds in recent years.

Weather is probably a wash because September is hot and has a risk of hurricanes, but January can get cold (some days even had temps in the 40s in recent years).

Another factor is that September will have Halloween parties at Magic Kingdom--a separate paid event that closes the park early at 6pm to regular guests. This can be a fun thing to do, but expensive, and can be annoying if you don't plan to go but have to deal with the reduced hours.

One thing to note is that there is a difference between low crowds and low wait times. Both of those times are "off season" which means you are more likely to see rides closed
(thereby diverting people to other rides)
or rides operating at less than full capacity (e.g., only one side of Space Mountain) which can mean high wait times even though there are lower crowds on the actual streets of the park.

Thanks for your info . Yes I forgot about hurricane season ,which I shouldn’t have, the last time we were there we were in the big hurricane , got evacuated early with our airline and never did get to see Pandora and the new rides

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I think there really are no low crowd seasons anymore but rather crowded and more crowded. Our top two favorite times to visit are Feb around President's Day, it's crowded but not out of control and the weather is great and middle of November; after Jersey Week is over, and you get christmas activities/decor but it's not as crowded as around thanksgiving. I would likely not pick Feb 2020 due to SWGE though. Really if you can go anytime, why not consider early May, let SWGE die off some, kids are still in school and you might be able to hit Flower and Garden too.

I would not pick either Jan or Sept 2020 but if I had to, I would do January for the better weather but I'd be on top of my park touring plans to mitigate the crowds.

 

[mrd7896]

as PP stated i would consider May 2020. I am personally weighing between May 2020 vs September 2020.
Most likely am choosing Sept simply because of Halloween decor that i've never seen.

I also love Christmas time. First two weeks of December are surprisingly mild in terms of crowds and weather too.

 

[Alesia]

I would pick early May over any other time of year. Good weather, manageable crowds, the park hours are decent

 

[JennyDrake]

The first week in May is a good time as is the first (full) week in December. January (if you avoid marathon weekend and federal holiday) and February (avoid federal holiday) also work well. January, February and December can be a crap shoot for weather but I'd take them over September for sure.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I agree with early May. We found the weather to be wonderful and the crowds on the lower side.

 

[TCups4Me]

If you can avoid hurricane season and the stupid hot weather that comes with it, I would. But I wouldn’t postpone until 2021. If you have the means, the time, and desire to go in early 2020 then do it! You never know what curveballs life will throw. And maybe you’ll go AGAIN in 2021!

 

[Sara_H]

We are going January 2020 because chances are the weather will be decent (it was in 2018 so I'm hoping for a repeat). I'm sure SWGE will bring in some more crowds than normal but I'm also hoping that those crowds may stay at HS. The timing works well for us because our kids have off the Monday we will be gone and a late start the Wednesday so they will only miss 3 1/2 days of school. Like someone said above, I wouldn't postpone until 2021 because due to the anniversary, more rides will be open which will bring more crowds...there pretty much is never a "low crowd" time anymore.

 

[Mousetopia]

Keep in mind that Jan - Feb is major refurbishment season. A lot of attraction taken down for maintenance, etc.

 

[CJJenkins]

My favorite time to go is late September. Kids are in school so the crowds are lower than during summer or holiday times. Food and Wine festival is in full swing, so there are special offerings in Epcot. MNSSHP is going on so you have the option of attending that. The weather is starting to cool off, but still plenty warm enough to enjoy the water parks. And best of all, FREE DINING! All those free snack credits come in handy at FWF!

 

[sanibellife]

I would definitely not pick September! I think April and May were great times to go. We always had great weather and low crowds when the kids were younger. We also went for a 4 night trip the beginning of December on year. We had unseasonably cold weather but we had a great time.
After everything this week I would not suggest going during hurricane season. Plus if you don't do heat well, pick a cooler time.

 

[Surgie2]

We've gone in late January several times for short trips since we spend a month in FL in February. It's easy to tack on a few days ahead of time for the parks. We have had a variety of weather from cold (high of 50) to very pleasant with highs in the 70s. Crowds were manageable but we always have a plan. We also went for 10 days in early May a couple years back - very nice weather. A couple rainy mornings but pleasant temperatures and lower humidity.

I'd think also about the park decor and parties you are interested in. I'm not interested in seeing the park decorated for Halloween and don't like that there are some many early MK closing days due to the parties so I would not go past mid-August when that decor goes up and the parties start. Plus never September - it seems like every year there are hurricane threats, even though I know the season goes through November for that.

I would like to see the parks decorated for Christmas. So sometime we hope to go in early December for that. Just another factor to consider if your time is completely flexible. I would never let high crowd potential completely rule out a time to visit. Those lower crowd days in January are less staffed. With Fast Passes and knowing how to get more FP in the park, plus a plan to go early or stay late, I think the crowds can be managed pretty easily.

 

[NEGeekymama]

I was looking online and it seems the new Star Wars restaurant is already pretty much booked for January so maybe that means it will be crowded, ugh I hate making a decision on when

Oga's Cantina is 99% a bar, and not a full fledged restaurant. And what food they do serve is along the lines of bar food, if that helps your decision making at all.

When booking our trip(s) I rely heavily on the crowd calendars on Touring Plans. They've been featured in magazines for having the most accurate prediction formulas, and are consistently within a +/- 10 minute window on their wait time estimates.