It's a Whole New World --when to go post-school

[erinch]

After 30 years of timing WDW visits around school, our youngest graduates college this year. If you were planning a 2 week trip for post May 2018- all of 2019 when would you go? Want weather warm enough for swimming and shorts and best crowd management.

We've always gone in July-August and Now can think New thinks. Thanks!

 

[Sona99]

If you can go any time, I suggest October, skipping Halloween. The weather here is wonderful and the crowds are low. Just remember that yes, there may be rain and yes, the park hours are a bit shorter.

 

[randumb0]

2nd week of September

 

[Dis703]

My favorite time of year is probably end of April to early May. Warm sometimes a bit hot, but not anything like summer weather yet. Flower and Garden Festival is going on at Epcot during this time and crowds are average to low average. Next to that we usually look to go mid November. After Jersey week but before Thanksgiving. If you cut into the tail end of Jersey week you can still catch a couple days of Food and Wine, but for cost and crowds mid November is great. Weather can be a tad unpredictable but is usually still warm enough to swim.

 

[ghtx]

For low crowds, hard to beat mid-September. Plus you get F&W and Halloween party.

 

[twoplustwins]

November is my favorite.
It was warm enough for water parks and resort pools. The parks were decorated for Christmas. The crowds were very light in the mornings and manageable in the evenings.

Weather changes from month to month, year to year. Maybe we were lucky, but the weather was perfect.

 

[Alesia]

Early May - low crowds and gorgeous weather!

 

[bdiddy]

My favorite trip was the first week of December. The weather was perfect and we were still able to swim. Slightly chilly at night but nothing a light hoodie couldn't take care of. The crowds were low and it was decorated for Christmas.

 

[kniquy]

Probably end of April beginning of May - kids are still in school, weather is warm but not unbearable, flower and garden is going on at Epcot. And it is usually away from any major holidays. There is no real slow time to go because Disney does something to draw people in all year long. Looks like crowd levels are around a 3-5 - so very manageable. I just went for flower and garden this year and if you are a foodie then you will love it. If i were you i would plan various times of the year to capture the park in different stages. If you have never done Christmas time -- you HAVE to go. Probably your best time for that would be earlier November or early December. It is still warm enough to swim if you want the castle draped in icicles is amazing!!

 

[hakepb]

Early May - low crowds and gorgeous weather!

I'd also look beginning of May. Flower and garden, swim weather, most kids not out.. (I've had questionable swimming weather mid Nov through early April)

 

[kathy884]

This is our first year like this too. DS 21 is going with a friend mid September for a mini trip. That is a more hot/humid time than I would prefer (I'm not going though), but if you are used to July/Aug it would most likely be similar to that, but lower crowds. I was blown away at the inexpensive airfares they were able to get (including baggage and fees just $79 pp to fly down direct, and $84 pp to fly back - at their preferred times too). This is about 1/2 what we normally have to pay. I know on their MK day, the crowd level prediction is 3 our to 10, pretty nice. They were able to get a good deal on their accommodations too -- it's definitely low season. This is probably the least expensive and lowest crowd wise time to go.

And then in November, my mom and dad said they had a condo for two weeks in Orlando and dad said come on down and even sent me a check for airfare and tickets, so how could I say no -- twist my little finger. DH isn't all that fond of the parks/Orlando and isn't going, but DS 21 and I will go down for a mini trip for a long November weekend then the 10th - 14th. We were in Orlando last November when DH had a seminar at Universal. It was still a little humid I thought, but crowds were definitely more moderate than the spring break time we have done so often when we were tied to the school schedule. I didn't like the weather as much as spring break, but crowds just have gotten really heavy then I think, so don't really see us going there then with no tie to the school schedule.

It's been a long time since I went in May -- back when DS was 3, but it really was a lovely time I thought. So I think you are on the right track there.

Anything not during school breaks is really going to be a nice change from a crowd standpoint.

 

[barbliny]

Just was in the same situation - youngest graduated college in May of this year. We went down to Disney (me, dh, dd1 and dd2) the first week in June and it worked out pretty well weather and crowd wise. It was definitely better than our usual August trips. Since you said post-May 2018 and all of 2019

Other things to consider ...

If this is a family trip and you are bringing the new graduate - you should probably consider going in the beginning of June. If said graduate gets a job before graduating - getting vacation time becomes an issue. So, it is easier to just pick a start date after vacation. If they do not have a job lined up, they will need to get out and start looking!! Having a couple of weeks relaxing before starting the job search may be nice. Otherwise, I would consider scheduling the 2-week vacation at least 6 months later - bordering on almost a year. Even with that, they may not be able to take a solid two weeks off from work in the first year of employment.

And in case you want to encompass some of the new projects ...
Toy Story land is supposed to open summer 2018. It is conjectured to open Memorial Day weekend 2018 - similar to Pandora.
Star Wars Land is conjectured to open late 2019.
Gondola system might open late 2019.
Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway (in now-closed GMR in HS) in fall 2019.

 

[Micca]

Straddled late April/early May this year. It was still plenty warm (a bit too much) but crowds weren't bad. September is good for crowds but it's still 100% summertime. Trying November this year, hoping it's cooler for F&W.

 

[anniemae]

early may would be first choice, followed by early January.

 

[Harambe]

We are in the same boat. This past Jan trip was the last between-semesters trip (really the first one we managed to take at all during the tuition payment years!), and next trip will be me and DH. I've picked second week of December because I always wanted to go to Disney at Christmas time. Although we've been three times in early January, seeing only half the decorations and it being after Christmas wasn't the same. Also the ginger bread houses that I long to see don't stay up much past Christmas and I"ve never seen those.

 

[Hopefully]

If you can go any time, I suggest October, skipping Halloween. The weather here is wonderful and the crowds are low. Just remember that yes, there may be rain and yes, the park hours are a bit shorter.

October is NOT low crowd time anymore.
I agree, early May

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I'm in the opposite boat (kids haven't started school yet), and we love to travel October and November. Weather is not too hot but still meets your shorts/swimming criteria, relatively low crowds, Food and Wine Festival, Halloween Party, etc.

 

[Amanda Hall]

November! Still warm enough for shorts but not as muggy or as crowded as spring.

 

[PSUGuy]

We used to go on the Spring break at the university where I work which happened at the same time our daughter's schools closed in March. Since their graduation we switched to Food&Wine in Oct to early Nov. Warm, occasionally hot and we've not had a lot of rain over the years and F&W is a great time to be there. Avoid Columbus Day and the weekend prior and crowds are not bad at all and check out the concert series.

Bill From PA