When would you go in 2020?

[sabrosahindley]

I am trying to plan the perfect trip for my extended family (five of them have never been to WDW) and I know their experience will be based on crowd levels. We are a family that doesn't have much patience. lol. So... which week in 2020 would you recommend if you were only basing your decision on crowd levels?

Any general advice for booking fast passes with large groups? Especially when half don't like rollercoasters

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Klayfish]

First, I'd get the "perfect" trip out of your mind. There's no such thing. I know you probably didn't mean literally, but just as a suggestion I'd be careful with the expectations or "bar" you set. I absolutely love WDW, but there is never a perfect trip.

As for when to go, others may disagree but I think you'd have an easier time figuring out when NOT to go. If huge crowds are the concern, that's going to be a tough one. WDW is busy year round, 365 days per year. I'd just avoid the times that are the most busy. Those would be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break. Beyond that, I don't honestly think it matters if you pick a random week in June, February or October. Go whenever fits your group best. It'll be busy, but if you have some patience, you'll be fine.

If half of your group doesn't like coasters, I'm guessing they may not like simulators either? If so, you'll be ruling out some of the most popular attractions right off the bat...7DMT, FoP, Space Mountain, SDD. Pick the ones you DO want and prioritize those first. So many other ones are easy to get any time, any day. There is a FP+ FAQ here that will help give you an idea of what FP+ are the most popular.

 

[LSUmiss]

I am trying to plan the perfect trip for my extended family (five of them have never been to WDW) and I know their experience will be based on crowd levels. We are a family that doesn't have much patience. lol. So... which week in 2020 would you recommend if you were only basing your decision on crowd levels?

Any general advice for booking fast passes with large groups? Especially when half don't like rollercoasters

Thanks for all your help!

Unfortunately, I think the consensus is that it’s always crowded now & with SWGE it will always be that way for a long time. My only advice would be to avoid holiday weeks...presidents week, Mardi Gras
Week, easter week before & after Easter, maybe memorial day but crowds weren't that bad when we went 3 years ago that week, July 4th week, all of October, thanksgiving, & Christmas break. Sept used to be the last of traditionally slow times left & was the few times we went. But there was also a hurricane threat that contributed to it all of those times. I would try to keep in mind that the other times are still very very busy even if they’re “low crowds”. The best thing we ever did was stop chasing lower crowds b/c we were always disappointed. What we do now is things that we feel help mitigate crowds like where we stay, eat, fast passes, etc.

 

[Alesia]

Your trip isn't going to be perfect -- that kind of thinking is a recipe for disaster.

I would pick sometime in the first half of May.

If you want to reduce wait times, having a good touring plan is going to make a much bigger difference that when you go. I rarely wait for than 20 minutes (and never more than 30,) but that's because I put a lot of thought into my touring plan

 

[WRLeGrand]

Honestly, if heat and humidity are not an issue for them, summertime is actually not a bad bet. Clearly, you will want to steer clear of July 4th week. Summer has really become a time which is not "over crowded" by most accounts. The down side is that there is typically the afternoon shower that can last from literally minutes to all afternoon.

 

[helenm29]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

 

[rteetz]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

No

 

[WRLeGrand]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

If heat is not an obstacle for you/your family, then I would say you are not crazy. It seems when traditional schools go back, there is a dip in crowds.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

Its very hot/humid at that time of year, and also has been known to be hurricane season as well, so bring ponchos. Crowds though, my husband swears its the best time to go after Labor Day because the parks are so empty. That was before SWGE though.

 

[rteetz]

Like others have said there is no perfect trip. You have to be flexible. You may have a plan but don't expect everything to go 100% to that plan.

I definitely would avoid periods like Spring Break, Christmas, and New Years. That is when things will be most crowded.

 

[skippytx]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

I wouldn't be a fan of that time. The hours get a little shorter and it's going to be really hot and humid. If you're not used to it, it can be overwhelming. Its going to be hot all summer though so nothing you can do about that.

We generally take a midday break to avoid the peak crowds in the afternoon/early evening and the worst part of the heat of the day. To offset that though we like to go when the parks are generally open later at night to maximize evening time.

Late August/Early Sept most folks are back in school so the park hours aren't quite as late, and the parties start up which take MK out of the plans several nights a week unless you're going to one of them.

Just my opinion on things though.

A little later in September might not be bad, after labor day everyone is back in school and things should be quieter for a while. Watch out for the first couple weeks of October, it was much busier than I expected last year. I wasn't aware of several states that have week long Fall breaks. I swear half of Kentucky and Tennessee was at WDW when i was there last year.

Also no such thing as a perfect trip, so do the best you can and have fun.

 

[monkyby87]

First, I'd get the "perfect" trip out of your mind. There's no such thing. I know you probably didn't mean literally, but just as a suggestion I'd be careful with the expectations or "bar" you set. I absolutely love WDW, but there is never a perfect trip.

As for when to go, others may disagree but I think you'd have an easier time figuring out when NOT to go. If huge crowds are the concern, that's going to be a tough one. WDW is busy year round, 365 days per year. I'd just avoid the times that are the most busy. Those would be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break. Beyond that, I don't honestly think it matters if you pick a random week in June, February or October. Go whenever fits your group best. It'll be busy, but if you have some patience, you'll be fine.

If half of your group doesn't like coasters, I'm guessing they may not like simulators either? If so, you'll be ruling out some of the most popular attractions right off the bat...7DMT, FoP, Space Mountain, SDD. Pick the ones you DO want and prioritize those first. So many other ones are easy to get any time, any day. There is a FP+ FAQ here that will help give you an idea of what FP+ are the most popular.

This really is the best advice nowadays. It used to be there were certain times during the year with noticeably low crowds, and it stayed that way for a long time. But those days are over, and with Disney adding and changing things yearly (with no concrete end in sight), we won't get back to a stable, crowd-predictable time. As such, the best you can do is avoid the times we do know are bad, then go what works best for your family in those remaining times.

 

[helenm29]

I don't do heat and humidity well but I also work retail so December is out of the question. Maybe first/second week of November? UGH! I'm having a terrible time with this!

 

[Klayfish]

I don't do heat and humidity well but I also work retail so December is out of the question. Maybe first/second week of November? UGH! I'm having a terrible time with this!

Don't overthink it. Pick the times that work best for you. You don't have to "do" heat and humidity well, even if you travel mid-summer. There are plenty of ways to avoid sweltering. So many of the attractions at WDW are air conditioned, many of them even have a/c queues. Mid-afternoon is the perfect time for those...things like Philharmagic, CoP, Dinosaur, Soarin, Muppets, etc... You can avoid the worst of the heat and humidity and only be "outside" as you walk from place to place. Do the outdoor attractions in the morning or evening.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I'm looking at end of August to the beginning of September...am I crazy?

The biggest downside to this time of year is that it is peak hurricane season. You should go in with realistic expectations that your travels could be interrupted by a hurricane. We enjoyed going at this time of year until Hurricane Irma derailed our trip. We won’t risk it again.

 

[YawningDodo]

I am trying to plan the perfect trip for my extended family (five of them have never been to WDW) and I know their experience will be based on crowd levels. We are a family that doesn't have much patience. lol. So... which week in 2020 would you recommend if you were only basing your decision on crowd levels?

Any general advice for booking fast passes with large groups? Especially when half don't like rollercoasters

Thanks for all your help!

Okay, I think you've gotten the general "there is no perfect trip" and "everything is crowded always" advice from enough sides. I'd just add runDisney weekends to the list of "worst" times to make a point of avoiding (assuming you're not interested in running). I don't know if the crowds are much worse, but road closures for races can mess up traffic pretty badly. My own choice is to go at the end of January 2020; end of January/beginning of February has historically been a low crowd time but I'm not counting on it for 2020 (particularly after January 2018 was such a mess, and with SWGE still being pretty new...yeah). I still think there's a decent chance it'll be one of the better times to visit in 2020, but I could be wrong (and I know that the weekend that falls at the start of my trip will see higher crowds at Epcot for the Festival of the Arts).

Advice regarding Fastpasses and traveling in large groups, since I don't see that being addressed as much in this thread:

1. As with a group of any size, you're going to have the best shot at FP+ that are in high demand if you're staying onsite, and you'll see an advantage if you book FP+ for the last day of your trip first and work backwards--at 60 days you can make FP+ reservations for the full length of your stay. Say you're going for 7 days, that means you're booking last day FP+ at 67 days out.
2. Decide whether your family is the kind of family that's happy following a step-by-step plan for the day (i.e. a detailed touring plan, which will tell you the exact order in which to ride attractions and help you plan your day down to ten minute increments), or if you're happier having a loose itinerary and winging more things. A lot of people swear by detailed touring plans, and I have no doubt that they can save time when planned well and followed faithfully, but it's not for everyone (it's super not for me!). A more spontaneous itinerary may mean you get fewer things "done," but depending on the personalities in your group, spontaneity might lead to higher overall satisfaction even if you don't get to ride absolutely everything multiple times. So think about your priorities!
   
3. Whenever I speak with anyone traveling in a large group, I always recommend being open to splitting the group for a significant portion of each day. A group of two or three people can be very nimble and go from attraction to attraction (or attraction to wandering to attraction, if you like to take in the atmosphere) quite quickly even without a lot of advanced planning. Four or five is less nimble but still manageable. Six or more and you'll probably spend a lot of time having conferences about what to do next; I've always ended up frustrated in groups of that size because so much time is spent negotiating priorities and someone always ends up not being able to do what they wanted to do. Plan a few key things to do as one big group, meet up for at least some of your meals, and remember that you can shuffle groups around so everyone has a chance to spend time with everyone else.

 

[SaintsManiac]

What time works best for you? That is really the question you need to answer first. The rest will fall into place.

 

[eva]

We used to have perfect trips. But alas that was back in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Unfortunately those trips are in the past and we have to learn to be very flexible. As DVC members we are ok with that because we know we will always be back. With a lot of preplanning and patience we find we can still enjoy our trips. Just relax enjoy what you can and be sure to take time to relax during the trip. Nothing will cause stress and frustration more than being worn out and overheated. We like to hit a park near opening time, use our three FastPasses, see two or three other attractions, then head back to the resort around 2:00 for a late lunch, swimming, naps, and fruity drinks by the pool. We head to the room around 5 or so to clean up for dinner. We eat dinner around 7:30 or 8:00. After dinner we might hit a park for a couple rides or DS for some nighttime entertainment. It seems our late night rides may be coming to an end though. The parks aren’t staying open as late as they used to.

Finding the perfect time to visit is getting more and more difficult. The first two weeks of May and the week after Thanksgiving used to always be our favorite times to go. But the crowds the first week of December have really increased and the weather is hit or miss. One year we had sunny and 80, the next year we were wearing coats and gloves. Used to like September until free dining came along. If you are interested in going during free dining, I would look for sometime in September. We Hate Going Then! We are DVC members and do not use free dining. So the crowds, heat, and dumbed down menus do not entice us to go that time of year anymore. This year we are going in October. I know it will be crazy with F&W and SWGE going on. We made the reservations and bought airline tickets before they announced the opening of SWGE. After this trip we will probably go back to May.

 

[jbish]

I agree with others who have said that there's no "perfect" and there are so many variables that you need to consider with your group that only you would know. Having said that, just to make some recommendation, as long as school is not a factor, I would recommend sometime late April (starting two weeks after Easter) into mid-May. The weather is great - warm enough for a swim, cool in the evenings, Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot, before the rainy season begins, "low-ish" crowds. If I could pick any time of year to go, that's what I would choose. Instead, we will go in mid-June after school ends.

 

[kniquy]

I am trying to plan the perfect trip for my extended family (five of them have never been to WDW) and I know their experience will be based on crowd levels. We are a family that doesn't have much patience. lol. So... which week in 2020 would you recommend if you were only basing your decision on crowd levels?

You first have to narrow it down based on when everyone can travel - will there be kids who can't miss school? Do some work and can only take time off at certain times of the year? Start there. If i were looking at the perfect weather time of the year I would choose April. Warm which you can go in the pool but not yet the rainy humid and hot weather of the summer.

Picked based on crowd level is useless now -I'll give you an example- We went in April 2018 (was not near easter) it was busy (crowds of 5-7 based on touring plans) but we managed to not wait very long for any rides with the use of FP and RD. We then chose to go the week after Thanksgiving 2018 for a short 5 day trip - crowds were predicted to be between 1-3 -- we figured great we will get to experience the park with lighter crowds. But what we experienced was that the parks and wait times felt just like when we went in April.

What you can do is gather the availabily from everyone traveling, then look to see when you can avoid any holidays and school breaks (the March-mid April spring breaks are busy) So If i could pick any time of the year to go i would choose the very end of April-first week of May. By this point all school spring vacations will be over, school is still in session for those who might get out in May and the weather should be perfect.

But as others have said -- take the pressure off and try not to look at it as planning the "perfect" trip-- things will not go as planned whether it be a ride going down, someone getting sick, wait times longer than you expected - etc -- crap will happen out of your control. What you do want to plan is a trip where you have a good balance of park time, seeing shows, getting on some of your favorite rides, but also included some down time. If you are in fact traveling with a larger group don't feel bad about allowing free time for each family unit to go about a park like they want to, but then join back up for dinner somewhere. If others are computer savy - then make then responsible for getting FP for their own family.

I am the family planner and there is a lot of pressure on me to make things go well. After you pick your time frame then come back to the boards and get some more tips and tricks for an enjoyable trip.