Which weeks of the year have LOWEST attendance?

[momtotwinglesx4]

Many factors determine which time of year we prefer to visit WDW. However, if NOTHING--not weather, park hours, rides closed for refurbishment, etc.--mattered at all to you other than lowest possible crowds, which weeks of the year are the best? You know, when you can just walk onto every ride and go around 2 or 3 times without getting off? I know everyone says January is slow, but surely the week of MLK b-day must pick up a bit? And most guide books say that the week after Thanksgiving weekend thru the 1st week of Dec. is the very slowest time, but I'm not sure that still holds true? The slowest time I've ever been was on and the week or so after 09/11/01, but that was not the norm of course. I'd love to hear everyone's experiences!

Sue

 

[drusba]

Well walk on and repeatedly ride something like Test Track or RnR is not that likely anytime of year. Nevertheless, September after labor day is likely the slowest month of the year. January (except for few days after New years and about 4 days surrounding MLK day), and first 10 days or so of Feb is just as good. You will likely never see it as slow again as you did right after 9/11.

 

[4greatboys]

I was there last year at the end of Sept and the beginning of Dec and both were good times. Low crowds, not much of a weight. I would go back either time. This year we are going Oct 7-14, which also happens to be Comubus weekend--I hope we are not sorry. If its crowded when we go I have already decided to go back the first week of Jan

 

[gonga]

We find it slower after spring break time and before Memorial day Weekend and the week before Thanksgiving. They are both great times to go espically b4 Thanksgiving as everything is decorated for XMas. We were there after 9/11, everyone thought we were crazy to go ! My husband and I did not like it at that time, it was too empty!!! It felt very eerie, as we were there mid week. It did get more bustling on the weekend. I wonder if Disney will ever see those kind of crowds again in the near future?

 

[stokey]

Hi we are going 14- 29th May what are the crowds like then and also weather?

 

[SnackyStacky]

We went this past Labor Day. Our flight arrived at 10:30 or so on Labor Day. We didn't go to Disney that day, but rather Universal, and if that's any indication, there was NOBODY there. EVERYTHING was a walk on.

There were even lighter crowds at Disney that whole week. The only thing to watch out for around that time of year is the Night of Joy celebration. It wreaked havoc on the Magic Kingdom towards the end of the week. We did the Magic Kingdom for a little bit the Friday morning after labor day, and already the crowds were distinctly heavier than earlier in the week. All the other parks weren't much busier than earlier.

I've also been in January. I went the 2nd week in January of 2002, and the crowds were light. Comparable to September, but if I had to pick, I'd go in September again. There are usually quite a few sports competitions that really populate the All Stars, and the parks. There was a competition that was using the Indiana Jones Stunt Show stage, and the cheerleaders were ALL over MGM that day, and not really on their best behavior.

 

[Tulip]

We found the week before Thanksgiving 2000 was the best. The only thing we had to wait in line for was Test Track. Other then that it was walk on or about a 10 minute line.

 

[kdibattista]

The week after Labor is by far the least crowded time I have ever been. It's our favorite time to go!!! I actually read somewhere that said that was the least crowded week of the entire year at Disney

 

[danicaw]

We spent two weeks this last Sept. from Labor day on.
We had no crowd issues. We spent Labor off site, but the days following were great for crowds.
We will be going next year, the last week of January. Heres hoping crowds are about the same.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

I've read a lot of good things lately about January, but from our experience, September takes the cake. We spent an hour walking back and forth between Splash Mountain and Big Thunder, walking on each. It was a scream. The catch between January and December, from what I can tell, is weather. To DW and me, Disney isn't the same when it's not shorts and T-shirt weather. We kind of like the heat. On the other hand, make no mistake: when the leaves are turning in Central PA and we're replacing the screens with storm windows, it's burning in Orlando. But the lines are incredible. With any low crowd time comes refurbishments, closings, and short park hours, but to us the low attendence outweighs it.

A warning: If your sole purpose of going in September is to beat the crowds, MK didn't look quite the same on Saturday as it did on Wednesday. In years past, that's the only night they're running Fantasy in the Sky, and the crowds reflected that. Spend the day in Epcot, but head to MK after 6.

Pat

 

[Spartan]

I've been there on various trips during September (1st three weeks), and December (1st two weeks). Both were light crowds, but I would say September was definately less crowded. Thing I disliked about Setember the most was almost no nighttime astmosphere in the parks. I hate when everything is closed up and it's still daylight out. Definately good for the water parks, however.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Spartan
I hate when everything is closed up and it's still daylight out. Definately good for the water parks, however.

Playing devil's advocate (may have a massive change of heart the first time I go with a child instead of just me and the wife), PI and other "nightlife" opportunities are rocking enough to create excitement, yet uncrowded enough that the clubs didn't feel like stuffy bars. I'd miss the parks if I didn't enjoy that aspect.

I agree a million percent on the water parks. TL in September and June are two different beasts entirely.

Pat

 

[ErinASB]

We just went Feb 1-8. Crowds were very minimal. We walked on to many rides with NO lines. Our longest line was probably 10 minutes at Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. We had priority seatings at almost every place we went, but aside fm 50's Prime time for lunch, I'm not sure we would have needed them.

The last time we were there was in mid October 2 1/2 years ago. That time, our shortest line was 10 minutes and our longest was 45 minutes.

The difference was amazing.

 

[CRCrazy]

We've gone the 1st week of February - low crowds!

We went the 1st week of March, 2002. Low Crowds! No lines - I think everyone was waiting for Easter break - we went the week after NH's February vacation.

We went in December 13-19th this year. Low Crowds! Some of the more popular rides had 30 minute standby rides on the weekend - but the Fastpass Return times were only 25 minutes away??? Why not use Fastpass? We did! We even did MVMCP, low crowds. The only place we saw all week that was crowded was Downtown Disney on Sunday! No way I was going to wait in any of those lines to buy something!! We decided to wait and do our shopping in Epcot - used our 15% discount! Earlier in December, I read that it was busier - apparently our week was close enough to Christmas that people stayed home to get ready!