When is the best time to go?

[twinton]

Hi we have just got back from DLP & now we are thinking of going to WDW. we have twins who start school in September so can't really take them out of school so was wondering when the best time is to go? ie when we are on school hol's but the schools in USA are not.

also when it's good weather but not storm time
we had our honeymoon in sept & it was wet for a few days so dont' want that again.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi,

Unfortunatley the ideal times to go in terms of weather and crowds are not necessarily during school holidays.
Many of us are in the same situation.

With no restrictions on when to go personally I would choose late April/early May (avoiding Easter), or October through to early November - both provide a good balance of manageable crowds and nice weather (not too hot/wet).

I guess Easter time, when it's busy but the weather generally ideal or Summer time when the level of crowds can vary plus the weather very hot are the times a lot of us are restricted too.
October half term is also quite popular, and a good time to go - we tend to go when we can for 3 weeks so it's not really a possibilty for us. My wife is teacher and it's common for the school dates to vary from my son's.

June through September are the times where you are more likely to see heavy rainfall, especially late afternoon storms and showers.

In the summer the US schools break up in June, earlier than in the UK and naturally go back earlier too , hence in theory from mid-August to the beginning of September the parks shouldn't be that busy.
The heat is the main problem in the summer, July and August are extremely hot with temperatures in the mid 90s likely, in addition showers/storms are a common occurrence.

The 6/7 weeks off in July/August often make these dates the obvious choice, however having been in August the last 2
years we found it far too hot and possibly not the best time to go if it's your first time....I have posed more questions than answers here haven't I - sorry.

Is October half term an option? if so that could be your best bet I feel.

Florida is a brilliant place to visit, but the heat/crowds can affect the fun when you are visiting the parks, getting that ideal balance of crowds/weather is very difficult if you have children at school.

 

[chip n dale fans]

i think the best time to go is in september but if it has to be during school holidays then i would go in the october holidays.
we went during first two weeks of october and it was still nice weather and low crowds.

 

[wicket2005]

We have only been in February and July, both times of the year have been fine for us. Weather can be variable at any time of the year. February we had one overcast day one holiday, a few rainy days another and the last one very hot weather.

For our first holiday in July we were expecting huge downpours of rain everyday and we only experienced 2 showers at the beginning of the holiday but to be honest we would have welcomed a shower to cool down because it was very humid. Last year, again we only experienced one thunderstorm at 9.30 pm, and a couple of showers. The rest of the time lovely and hot but not quite as humid as the previous year. Also it does depend on where you are in Orlando. I know from reading trip reports from the same holiday period that some people had experienced a heavy downpour whilst we hadn't seen any rain on that day. If the downpours occur they are usually welcome and brief.

Crowd levels have been busy for the July holidays but we are up early and hit the parks at opening times. If you can do this you will find that rides are walk ons or with minimal wait times. If you wait till say 11.30 am onwards the crowds are considerably greater and the line times can be about 45 minutes upwards. But if you get in first, you can be half way round the park before the main crowds hit the park, then you can jump out after lunch have a relax by the pool before jumping back into another park or the shops late afternoon.

We are stuck to college/university holidays still. Once the kids hit senior school we stopped taking them out in that February half term week + a school week because of the possible affect on their school work. Going in the summer holidays also has the advantage of being able to get over jet lag without having to be up for college/university which is handy. However, it obviously is expensive going in the summer holidays.

Some people have also said that due to the Disney Eating Plan (free meals) starting in the second week of August that those 2 last weeks are now a lot more busier than they used to be.

This year we go in the first two weeks of August which is a new time for us.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Some people have also said that due to the Disney Eating Plan (free meals) starting in the second week of August that those 2 last weeks are now a lot more busier than they used to be.

We found this definitely to be the case last year, to a degree crowd levels in August are now more difficult to predict.
Which is a shame as you hope for low crowds to counter against the high temperatures.
I probably should have mentioned this in my earlier post - though I probably said enough I think!

 

[heatherbelle]

Personally, I would take the children out of school for a week and go in October half term. The weather, is lovely and warm, it can be cool on a morning and an evening, you may need sweaters, but during the day, it is lovely.

If you want to take the children out of school, and miss the school holidays altogether, then go late April - Early May, or September.

I have taken my child out of school twice now. The first time was in June for 7 days When he was in year 1) and last time was in October for 12 days, (when he was in year 3). I have been lucky and he hasn't been poorly and missed any schooling other than holidays, so the head teacher didn't object. He kept a diary whilst he was there and had to read parts of it out to his class when he got back. Don't worry too much about taking your children out of school, when they are young, they will gain many experiences at Disney.

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

I wouldn't worry about taking your kids out of school - the experiences they will learn out weigh a week of missed lessons. I know the school system differs here from in England but I have taken my kids out of school nearly every year (without any problems). With your half term break in October that would a great time for crowds and weather. Early May is also a great time - don't you have a school break then sometime aswell?

Take advantage of them being in primary school - I know I am going to have some difficulty now my eldest is transferring school.

 

[KK Cat]

Seeing as the kids don't start school until this coming September, the ideal solution rolleyes1 ) is to go this May

Pity you didn't do Florida instead of DLP this time, but never mind, plenty of time yet. As others have said October half term, or even May half term are your best bits. If you are open to the idea of keeping them out of school for a few days at either side of the half term, it's probably easier do that in May than October.

 

[mickeydumplings]

Some people have also said that due to the Disney Eating Plan (free meals) starting in the second week of August that those 2 last weeks are now a lot more busier than they used to be.

Hi

When do the free meals start??

Thanks

Debb ie

 

[dismom58]

but just thought it might help. Florida passed a new law requiring all schools to go back no earlier than 2 weeks before Sept. This may affect the parks in August. Hope you find a perfect time to go and have a wonderful trip. I'm totally jealous of all the British that are able to come to Disney. I would love to visit your country since its been 20 years since my last trip. Maybe someday. Good luck with the planning.