When is best weather and crowd wise - end of Jan or end of Feb?

[Deanie1]

We are just in the process of planning a long awaited trip at WDW. I have only ever been at spring break, May (pretty hot!), mid Oct and late Nov after Thanksgiving. We are quite flexible with our dates. Right now, we are looking at the end of Jan or else going somewhere around Feb 23 to Mar 6 or 7. We we staying about ten days. We are coming from a cold climate so we would like something reasonably warm where we don’t have to wear winter coats, we would like lower crowds (I know, impossible nowadays), and we would like to come when most refurbishments are completed for the spring. I would love all of your opinions and insights. TIA
I have not been since 2017 and there are so many changes. we had to cancel our last trip for Covid. This is likely our last trip due to our health, so we’d like to make it a good one.

 

[brockash]

We'd go later in Feb. for better chance of warmer weather. We've been end of Jan., end of Feb. 3 times and 2nd week of March and unfortunately that time of year just isn't very predictable. During our Jan. trip we had some really warm days, but then some pretty cool ones. 2 of our Feb. trips we had absolutely gorgeous perfect weather, but this last one was very hit/miss. The week we went in March was actually quite cool for FL and windy on some days, so not the best.

There's no way to guarantee, but logically the later you go the better chances of warmer weather.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would anticipate crowds and weather to be fairly similar those two sets of dates. You might have a bit warmer weather end of Feb but there is no guarantee.

 

[CoasterGT24]

Late February/early March was quieter crowd wise this year.

 

[bdrex28]

Coming from Oklahoma where it's hot and Dallas prior to that, also hot, we want the coldest weather possible at WDW

We have gone to WDW:

Late August; hot and low crowds. we had a bit of rain but nothing crazy.
Mid - Sept (3x) - still hot and daily rain, but lower crowds outside of the evening in Epcot with festival.
Early March- Warm but not hot, didn't rain on that trip.
Late Nov (2x)- pretty good weather and even light jacket with shorts at night. The one time during Turkey week was VERY crowded. Week after Turkey wasn't too bad crowd wise. No rain either trip.
Mid May- surprisingly warm, bordering on hot. Decent crowds but not crazy. we had a bit of rain but nothing terrible.

Future plans: End of Oct and End of January. Both trips booked. Just comparing weather. I'm quite looking forward to January. But I suspect end of Oct could be a mixed bag.

I consider Hot anything over 92. As I sit here in Oklahoma City right now it's 99 with a real feel of 108. Not so awesome.

 

[georgina]

Agree there are no guarantees. Late Feb was relatively cool in Orlando in 2024. (And early May was very hot). I have been in mid-Feb a few times with lovely warm weather, this year was definitely cooler.

 

[tampabrat22]

Jan is our coldest month and is very busy around Pro Bowl and MLK weekends, Feb is busy with Marathon crowds, March is Spring Break across the entire State of FL so lots of locals and AP holders. Our coldest temps would probably not even phase you (47-57 in the mornings but warms up to the 70s by mid afternoon).

 

[beccasmom]

We have experienced warmer weather in late February. The crowds begin ramping up then due to spring break, but we haven’t found it to be too crazy.

We have a trip scheduled for late January next year. Our last trip in January was in 2020 (just before the pandemic closed everything down) and it was overcast and chilly. We are hoping this time will be a bit warmer (and sunnier ).

 

[loislane]

I vote for February if you want more guarantee of warmer temps.

The coldest day we ever had in WDW was this past January. We were there for a quick overnight Jan. 13-14 and while it was ok during the day on the 13th, as soon as the sun set, it got chilly. I left my hoodie back at the hotel and ended up buying one because I was so cold. Came in handy the next day because DH wore that one because it was just cold all day then. Rainy and windy.

 

[WSobchak]

I vote for February if you want more guarantee of warmer temps.

The coldest day we ever had in WDW was this past January. We were there for a quick overnight Jan. 13-14 and while it was ok during the day on the 13th, as soon as the sun set, it got chilly. I left my hoodie back at the hotel and ended up buying one because I was so cold. Came in handy the next day because DH wore that one because it was just cold all day then. Rainy and windy.

Second waiting until February for warmer temperatures. We were there Jan 15-22 and it was the same: overcast and rainy, some nights it even dipped into the 30s! Wild looking back at our pictures and seeing people in winter hats and scarves. I only wore shorts one day.

Still went in the pool though; the pools are heated but man was it freezing getting out. My son and I justified going when we saw it was one of those deep freeze weeks (temps in the teens and 20s) in CT.

 

[Deanie1]

Jan is our coldest month and is very busy around Pro Bowl and MLK weekends, Feb is busy with Marathon crowds, March is Spring Break across the entire State of FL so lots of locals and AP holders. Our coldest temps would probably not even phase you (47-57 in the mornings but warms up to the 70s by mid afternoon).

You are right $ those temps do not faze me at all and actually sounds about perfect! But when is Pro Bowl? Is it for several days?

 

[OKW Lover]

We are local so we visit the parks all year about. Weather is a bit cooler at the end of January as opposed to the end of February. That's not to say that the weather at the end of February is hot though. Rain is seldom an issue in either month.

Crowd wise, end of January is lower attendance than end of February.

 

[hertamaniac]

I've lived (and still do) in central Florida for the past 20 years and found that visiting WDW, weatherwise, is wonderful between mid-January to mid-February.

It's sort of funny, as we are now looking forward to any morning low temperature that is below 72 degrees over the next month or so.

 

[Disneydawg74]

You are right $ those temps do not faze me at all and actually sounds about perfect! But when is Pro Bowl? Is it for several days?

The PRO Bowl was in Orlando last year. The venue and date have not been selected for 2025, so it’s not definitive that it will be in Orlando again. Last year it was held February 1-4, with the game being held on the 4th. They will probably try to have it the weekend before the Super Bowl for 2025, but things are changeable.

 

[OKW Lover]

The PRO Bowl was in Orlando last year. The venue and date have not been selected for 2025, so it’s not definitive that it will be in Orlando again. Last year it was held February 1-4, with the game being held on the 4th. They will probably try to have it the weekend before the Super Bowl for 2025, but things are changeable.

Orlando hopes to host it again in 2025. The Camping World Stadium is anticipating January 29 - February 2nd. Be aware though that this is not definite.

 

[tampabrat22]

You are right $ those temps do not faze me at all and actually sounds about perfect! But when is Pro Bowl? Is it for several days?

The previous two posters answered this, I don't watch football so they are probably more knowledgeable than me. When we were passholders 2016-2019 it was in Orlando those years and I ended up at the parks on those weekends. We just renewed our passes last year and lo and behold it was Pro Bowl weekend on our first visit! I just can't seem to escape them!

 

[HeiHei2018]

We used to go the week after MLK. We typically wore shorts, but one year I wore two fleeces p (and someone who didn’t layer ended up buying a second sweatshirt). If the temperature in Florida gets below freezing, it’s a big deal, and there are freeze warnings (orange trees can’t survive a freeze). The crowds were reasonable, but Disney decreases staffing during low crowd times. So they would only run one side of a ride (or load half the cars on People Mover), making waits longer. Check the event calendars to avoid the RunDisney and ProBowl and Wide World of Sports crowds. (We were once at All Stars with 1000 cheerleaders who were all practicing outside.)

 

[kdka421]

I personally (as an upstate-NYer, who understands cold) have had to wear winter coats in FL in both mid-Jan and mid-Feb before (it dipped into the 30s both trips). It's really a toss up both months. That said, those were fluke days and most of the rest of both trips were very very comfortable! I'd focus on crowds/events over weather personally.

 

[Justrose]

We went in January one year and I had to Amazon warmer clothes to POP - we thought coming from WI, Disney World temps would feel like paradise, but that was not the case. LOL

 

[DVC Gma]

We used to go the week after MLK. We typically wore shorts, but one year I wore two fleeces p (and someone who didn’t layer ended up buying a second sweatshirt). If the temperature in Florida gets below freezing, it’s a big deal, and there are freeze warnings (orange trees can’t survive a freeze). The crowds were reasonable, but Disney decreases staffing during low crowd times. So they would only run one side of a ride (or load half the cars on People Mover), making waits longer. Check the event calendars to avoid the RunDisney and ProBowl and Wide World of Sports crowds. (We were once at All Stars with 1000 cheerleaders who were all practicing outside.

I personally (as an upstate-NYer, who understands cold) have had to wear winter coats in FL in both mid-Jan and mid-Feb before (it dipped into the 30s both trips). It's really a toss up both months. That said, those were fluke days and most of the rest of both trips were very very comfortable! I'd focus on crowds/events over weather personally.

Late to this party subject, but being from Michigan we would have to wear a winter coat to the airport I think, esp the kids.
We need to reschedule our trip that should be right now, due to Hurricane Helene. So thanks for the Mid Jan to Mid Feb experience. We are looking at this time frame. We will have a 5 yr old and 2 yr old & normally I travel in May w/o kids.