Mar 2023 vs Aug 2023

[slbgnb]

Hello -
We have gone to Disney many times, but ALWAYS in Sept or Oct. We have not been since 2016 and are going next year. Kids are older of course (20, 18, 15) and with 2 in college now, we can't go out of school times. Amazingly all 3 schools they attend have the same spring break (Mar 20-24). Or we could go in Aug. Having never been during the super busy season, I'm terrified of the crowds. Especially with all the new ways of riding rides. Not FP anymore, so I'm in the process of learning all that. But, in Aug - I'm worried about the heat and hurricane season. Would love opinions on which would be the better time to go. Thanks!

 

[CarolynFH]

Personally, we would rather deal with the crowds (via planning, Genie+, etc.) than with the August heat and humidity! Most of our trips were the week before yours, due to how our kids’ Spring Break fell, and it wasn’t that bad. Not nearly as crowded as Christmas and New Year’s!

 

[Nabas]

We’ve been during both months.

Weather in March can be a little cool in the evenings. (A sweater might be needed.) August is always sweltering.

However, the most crowded I have ever seen the Magic Kingdom was in March 2019 during Spring Break. It was difficult to walk anywhere. Even Swiss Family Treehouse had a line that stretched past Sunshine Tree Terrace.

End of August has become one of the least busy periods at WDW.

Pick your poison - heat or crowds.

 

[CarolynFH]

Pick your poison - heat or crowds.

That is truly the choice to be made!

 

[set88]

I've had this exact debate with myself - good weather on a 10/10 crowd day or atrociously awful weather on a 2/10 crowd day?

I live in Florida - it's so hot right now that it is only kind of tolerable to take a 20 minute evening walk (after the sun has set). Still gonna get sweaty and overheated and any longer is a no. If it rains a lot, it may be slightly better in the evenings but then you're dealing with rain during the day. I honestly do not know how anyone does a theme park in this weather. Seriously, I cannot fathom how it is fun. You'd have to pay me to get me in a theme park in Florida in the summer. OTOH, a 10/10 crowd day also sounds pretty darn miserable.

If you are willing to spend the money on Genie+ and to use it effectively (this means a 7am start for someone as well as keeping on top of it during the day), and you are willing to do the very early morning/stay til close thing, crowds can be potentially be manageable. But I would definitely adjust my expectations regarding the eventuality of lines and not being able to do everything in a day.

I personally would probably pick the 10/10 crowds and good weather because even if you have to stand in long lines, at least you're not completely miserable. Whereas in August, even if there are no crowds, you still have to walk around in 95F 3000% humidity. (Honestly, in August, you've still got to do the early start/late night thing just to try to get a break from the heat.)

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Definitely March 2023. We will be there that time too, and having done March 2022 (and February 2020, in the before times) the weather is fabulous. We went swimming almost every day of our trip and the crowds were not bad. (Feb 2020 crowds were tougher than Mar 2022 ones!)

With that being said I decided to be spontaneous yesterday and just booked a trip to Disney for September 1-5. So… we will see. Maybe my vote is both? Lol. But given one choice I pick March for sure.

 

[Nabas]

Definitely March 2023. We will be there that time too, and having done March 2022 (and February 2020, in the before times) the weather is fabulous. We went swimming almost every day of our trip and the crowds were not bad. (Feb 2020 crowds were tougher than Mar 2022 ones!)

With that being said I decided to be spontaneous yesterday and just booked a trip to Disney for September 1-5. So… we will see. Maybe my vote is both? Lol. But given one choice I pick March for sure.

Theme park attendance was below normal in February 2020 (the start of trip cancellations due to Covid) and March 2022 (huge Covid spike).



I respectfully suggest these months are not representative of what the theme parks will be like in March 2023.

Our last two trips were March 2022 and June 2022. There was a noticeable increase in crowds for the June trip.

In March 2019 (the last spring break before Covid), crowds were insane.

We mostly stayed at the hotel pool (where the water was a little chilly) rather than deal with the theme parks.

We’ve done Christmas week twice before Covid - March 2019 crowds were worse.

 

[slbgnb]

If you are willing to spend the money on Genie+ and to use it effectively (this means a 7am start for someone as well as keeping on top of it during the day), and you are willing to do the very early morning/stay til close thing, crowds can be potentially be manageable. But I would definitely adjust my expectations regarding the eventuality of lines and not being able to do everything in a day.

100% will get Genie+ and we are always at RD - although staying off site, so we will have that 1/2 hour delay issue since on site gets to enter early.
After reading posts, definitely leaning towards Mar. Was so nice when the kids were younger and could just pull them out of school!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

We've been in both months a couple times each and I will say March has best weather for sure. But August is fun too if you want to use the pools and relax. On our August trips, we did early morning parks, pool from 1-4p every day, dinner, and then back to parks in the evening. If you want to go commando, I'd probably say do March so you don't get drained by the heat

 

[RoseGold]

After going in early Dec, not even peak crowd time!, I would pick heat over crowds. The heat never bothered me anyway.

 

[Fulcrum]

My family used to go in October/November but we have been going in August for years. Despite what others might say, the weather is 100% bearable. Considering how much time you spend indoors, you will have a chance to cool off even if it does get to you. However, be prepared for it to rain. Pack ponchos because you will need them. In recent years the weather has been kind to us, but there have been trips where it has rained every day for extended periods of time. It isn't all that bad though because crowds will typically clear because of this, and you will enjoy lower wait times for attractions.

I would rather deal with weather than crowds. The parks are already crowded enough during "low" times, and so I cannot imagine going during peak times.

 

[slbgnb]

Man - it really is a hard decision. As of now, we are Mar - we have booked our VRBO and plan on using G+ and ILL. I really don't mind the heat - I'm actually from Ft Lauderdale (have lived in OH since 96 though). But, man my husband and kids are crybabies. lol. But, they have NEVER been to Disney any time other than Sep/Oct......so ugh.....they have no idea what "crowded" is....Now, I just don't know!

 

[Shellyred8]

If your August dates are somewhere in the last two weeks of August, I would vote for August. I've been watching the wait times on the Disney App and this past week the wait times have been down. Yesterday, FOP was listed as a 15 minute wait for in the middle of the afternoon.

That being said, it is HOT! So, you really have to plan for that and make sure you choose the right clothes and shoes and have a hydration plan for everyone in your party.

 

[Benoit]

I would choose first week of March (Feb 27 to March 3) after Mardi Gras and before Spring break.

 

[Mle8308]

March. August this year was awful, crowds and the heat seemed much worst - and we go in August every year. Maybe it's revenge travel, but the crowds combined with the heat & humidity meant for a lot of grumpy people. And I mean A LOT of people. Go in March when it's pleasant and use Genie+ and rope drop to navigate crowds. It will be much more bearable.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

We were there in March and August this year and I vote March if you'll be in the parks a lot. Most of our August trip we went to the parks in late afternoon thru evening only due to the heat. AK was really tough the day we got there in the morning as so many attractions are outdoors only. The other parks have lots of indoor attractions so you stay cool in the A/C.

We're doing New Years and August in 2023 but we'll spend a lot of time in the pools in August.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We've been at both times and many other times of the year and you really just have to decide what's more important to you. August- Lower crowds, still crowded though, it won't be dead, unless you go at the tail end of August and then crowds do drop off. March- better weather but crowds out the ying yang.

No matter what crowds have looked like the last 3 years, March will most certainly be busier than August as this coincides with spring break for so many schools in the south. I'm pretty sure Orange and Osceola Counties are March 10-17 but from that point on, it will be peak crowds leading up to Easter and the week following.

August is hot, but I wouldn't worry about hurricanes. It's always a possibility but overall odds of a hurricane is a lot less worrisome than the fact that it will definitely be hot and humid, that is a guarantee. We've been at Disney every August for the last almost 8 years and we've only had one weather issue and it was a non event tropical depression, it rained for most of one night and it was fine. Can it happen, sure, odds it will wreck your vacay, slim.

There are ways to mitigate crowds and have a great time and they're are ways to mitigate the heat and have a great time. You have to decide what you prefer and what your family prefers- heat or crowds??? Also, do keep in mind March will more than likely be a costlier trip as summer trips are not near as expensive given it's not the crazy crowded season it used to be.

 

[Frozen2014]

Leaving today (boo) and so just experienced August. It was hot but not too crazy. Brought fans, cooling towels, hydration packs , ponchos and UV umbrellas. Of all of these , the fans really helped for the heat and ponchos for the rain. Definitely recommend bringing both. Also in terms of the heat, many rides /queues go inside with AC on (often I found it too cold).

One negative...as predicted, it started out sunny and then every day it rained. A couple days it was just rain for 10 minutes and then it cleared. But a couple days it poured for an hour or so . .then it was off and on. And so a negative of this is that outdoor rides will close...even before the rain comes. On the positive, we got a lot of Anything Lightning Lane passes.

A huge plus of end of August....crowds were great. Headliners weren't bad and a lot of others were walk on.

I would have no issue going in August again. Definitely great on the crowd front.