Walt Disney World - Best & Worst Times of the Year to Go

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida will always be one of ideal places for people around the world to think of when planning their vacations. It's got just about anything and everything you could want all in one place without really having to worry about the dreaded "well, what do we do now?" syndrome. The only problem facing a lot of people is that they don't know when the best times are to head down to the "happiest place on earth."

Some people are willing to do anything to go to Disney World and that includes dealing with the extreme heat, the rainy season, or standing in lines sometimes longer then an hour long just to ride Dumbo The Flying Elephant. I for one am not one of the insane that would mine standing in line for one ride and taking up the same amount of time it would take me to go on four or five rides. There truly are only three main factors that come into account when determining when you should head to Disney.

What To Take Into Account:

~ Weather
~ Crowds
~ School

Don't think you won't have to take school vacations into account just because you don't have children. You're not going to want to be there when every kid on Spring Break is partying up while you're hoping Pirates of the Caribbean is a less than 10 minute wait. These three factors are very important and need to be looked at carefully as you plan your trip.

First of all we need to take a quick look at each factor.

Weather - Don't ever try to escape the rain. Take that from someone that lived in Orlando for two years. It's going to rain, you're going to get wet, deal with it. Trust me, it's really not that big a deal. What you want to do though is plan to avoid the overly hot months at all costs. Nothing makes Fantasy Land and World Showcase as dreadful as dealing with 100 degree temperatures on a sticky day. So let's eliminate May - September/early October.

Crowds/School -These two factors are going to go hand-in-hand because they essentially rely on one another. You have got to learn when school holidays are and realize that they change year in and year out. This is an easy task for parents, but for those without kids, it may be a tad more difficult. Just try somehow to get a general idea when holidays fall per a calendar and give yourself at least a week before and after to accommodate for the kids' vacation times.

Now then, let's actually see when the best and worst times to go would be.

Best Times To Visit Disney World (in no particular order)

~ End of April - It's still somewhat cool during the day without getting overly hot. Virtually all Spring Breaks are over and there are no more vacations before kids get out for the summer making crowds rather small.

~ Middle of October until one or two days before Thanksgiving - Be forewarned that crowds could build a little around Halloween because some schools are giving kids something called a "Fall Break" which lasts around two or three days. Let's not forget that Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party draws decent-sized crowds too but they are more so around the beginning of October. The weather is changing now with the days and nights getting cooler. If you go in early November, you'll also get to experience all the wonderful holiday lights at the parks without the Christmas crowds.

~ Mardi Gras - Take it from someone born and raised in New Orleans, but transplanted to Disney World for every Mardi Gras as a child and then as an adult on my own behalf. The weather is perfect. Crowds are small to medium sized but the bulk of what you'll see is people in purple, green, and gold while wearing Mardi Gras beads. You guessed it. Louisiana natives are mostly all you'll catch while there and they aren't nearly enough to fill up all four parks and then some.

Worst Times To Visit Disney World (in no particular order)
~ Summer Time (this includes 4th of July) - Simple enough. It's hot, every kid is out of school, and the lines are absolutely insane. I'm thirty years old and chances are that I'll never visit Disney during the summer again.

~ Spring Break (this includes Easter) - It's not just for teenagers and college kids anymore. Adults are getting them and taking trips to have a little bit of relaxation in the middle of the work year. Crowds are nuts and it's just not worth the time or money to go during this period.

~ Christmas - It's obvious that Christmas time and into the New Year will be busy because just about everyone has time off. The weather is nice at this time of year, but the crowds you'd have to deal with just aren't worth it. A little tip though. People used to think that the first two weeks of December were great times since it was between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation. Well, that used to be true and crowds were down. But then the secret got out and it made the whole month of December one big crowded mess.

You're going to be paying hard-earned money for this trip and you want it to be special and worth it so don't let it be ruined be incredibly hot temperatures and crowds that limit what you can do each day in the parks. It's going to seem like a vacation to Walt Disney World is going to take more planning then you've ever done before. Well, that's exactly the truth but good and hard planning will make the entire trip worthwhile and more magical.