What is your favorite time to avoid crowds

[jtiggercat]

So, now that I am a Florida resident and can use my DVC points throughout the year rather than planning a year in advance to get my one-week Disney fix (YEAH!), I was wondering when would be a good time to plan on visiting. I know the traditional low-point seasons, but I am really wondering about the crowds. What are your recommendations or favorite times to visit -not necessarily when the points are lowest but when the crowds are lowest!

We've reserved for MLK weekend so far....hoping it isn't horrible then.


jayne

AKA: The new Floridian with a resident annual pass and most of my 2009 DVC points remaining.

 

[DiznyDi]

We will never do Spring Break again ... ever!
Congratulations on your move to Florida!

 

[DonnaL]

We usually visit every year during the first week of January.....usually arrive New Years Day or a day or so after.....depending what day of week NYD falls and depart somewhere between the 8th and 11th. Sometimes the first day or two are a little more crowded than we would like, but, for the most part crowds are very manageable.....although this past January it was extremely cold our entire week.....night time lows in high 20's and day time highs in high 40's and very low 50's!!! Yikes!!! We've also found very early May to be a good time....not too hot and humid yet and a very manageable crowd level. Please notice I didn't use the word "low" crowd level because over the past 10 years or so I think the crowd levels have increased and I don't think there really is every a very low time frame anymore, but, rather very manageable.......you will find certain attractions will always have a wait no matter what the crowd level is.

 

[Mfgs]

Several years ago we had luck with lower crowd levels the week before Christmas. It started out slow, but the closer we got to Christmas day the more crowded it got. We are going again from 12/19 -12/14 this year so we will have to see. Spring break week (early April) has not been too bad, IMO. The very worst we have experienced has been in July. Brazilian Teen Tour Groups!!!! EEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

I agree never spring break! That was nuts last year. We like end of May.

 

[jtiggercat]

I remember being at Disney during Christmas break more than a couple decades ago (ok, many, many decades ago), and I remember it well enough that you couldn't pay me enough to visit the parks at that time!

We were at AK this past Sunday, and one of the CMs told us they expected 30K people in AK on Thanksgiving, and they were only expecting half that on the day we visited. I cannot even imagine it.

 

[jtiggercat]

I wanted to go the first weekend of May for my birthday but Easter is so late this year that April 30 is Premier Season for points. Eeeks! I believe I will celebrate my birthday a week late this year...

 

[com_op_2000]

Have lived my whole life in Fla except for college.
Lowest time periods for crowds:
Between 1/1 and MLK weekend.
Tuesday after MLK and the 1st week of Feb, except for marthon weekend.
After Spring Break until Memorial Day weekend.
After Labor day until start of FF&W & MNSSHP.
2nd week of Nov.
After Thanksgiving weekend and the week of Christmas vacations; DW and I have gone every year since 93 during this time period.

 

[Daddio]

Here are the times that we have found are the lowest crowd levels at the parks.

The second week of January
The first week of May
The week following Labor Day
The week before Christmas

Other slower times:

Try to do a park the morning after it has had an evening EMH.
Try to do Magic Kingdom the morning of any extra ticketed evening event.

David

 

[Sammie]

Have to agree with David, I don't think the week after Thanksgiving is slow anymore. It wasn't last year.

 

[DeeCee735]

January. We LOVE it in January. Never hot, sometimes rain, (giving us the excuse to stay in and RELAX), and never crowded. Last January we had a rainy day, but it was warm enough to be walking around with no jackets, and short sleeves, so instead of staying in and relaxing we spent the day getting on and off the rides with no wait in DHS. And dining reservations were easy to get.

It's our favorite time of year.

 

[sssteele]

I am a retired high school teacher, and my school and others in the area did not have an extended "Spring Break". We had Thur., Good Friday, and Monday off if snow make up days weren't needed. When exactly is Spring Break for public schools, as well as colleges and universities? It would certainly be helpful in planning our DVC trips if my wife and I knew.

 

[Daddio]

I am a retired high school teacher, and my school and others in the area did not have an extended "Spring Break". We had Thur., Good Friday, and Monday off if snow make up days weren't needed. When exactly is Spring Break for public schools, as well as colleges and universities? It would certainly be helpful in planning our DVC trips if my wife and I knew.

Spring Break at Disney runs the last week of February to the last week of April.



David

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Years ago, on our honeymoon in 1992, the parks were deserted. We got married on April 25th...so it would have been from about April 27th to about May 3rd.

Looking back...its kind of funny. We had no idea that nobody was there.

High School grad nights run about that time of year too.

 

[wildernessDad]

Here are the times that we have found are the lowest crowd levels at the parks.

The second week of January
The first week of May
The week following Labor Day
The week before Christmas

Other slower times:

Try to do a park the morning after it has had an evening EMH.
Try to do Magic Kingdom the morning of any extra ticketed evening event.

David

I'll let you all know about the week before Christmas. We're heading to WDW from 12/6 - 12/-18!

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

I think one of the slower weeks is the middle/end of September - right before Food & Wine starts.

 

[Dreamin Disney]

My favorite time to go is during the middle of September ... school has started and the parks are light on crowds. Another good time ... that week right after Thanksgiving ... first week in December. My last recommendation ... the first or second week in January right after the Holidays are over.

 

[materise]

Sunday after Thanksgiving thru Thursday the following week! We ran onto every ride w/ no wait at all !!

 

[Lost in Neverland]

We go every year MLK week. Our kids have a 2 day school week that week and it works out great. Sat., Sun and Mon are a litte more crowded than the rest of the week but the only way I can tell you is that there was only a 30 min wait for Soarin and most everything else was 15 minutes or less. Plus the weather is great.

 

[Sammie]

Sunday after Thanksgiving thru Thursday the following week! We ran onto every ride w/ no wait at all !!

Did you go this time last year, we found it very crowded especially at Magic Kingdom. We must have gone to the wrong park on the wrong days.