Welcome to planDisney!
Here, it's always the
practically perfect time to start planning your next
Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Let's get to it!
While I'll never turn down a visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth, it is true that certain parts of the year draw more Guests than others. Holidays, school calendars, temperatures, and special events in the theme parks all factor into the number of Guests you'll encounter on any given day at Walt Disney World Resort.
Unfortunately, there is not currently a calendar that indicates all of the magic 2026 will bring to Walt Disney World Resort, but
this post on the Disney Parks Blog helpfully provides the best times of year to visit Walt Disney World based upon individual priorities. Since you're hoping to avoid times of the year that appeal to other Guests, I would suggest booking weekdays and seasons when most American students are in school, so take a peek at your calendar and plan around federal holidays if possible. Likewise, because
runDisney race weekends bring runners, spectators, and road closures to Walt Disney World, you'll also want to keep the
runDisney Race Season Calendar in mind when booking.
In addition to more elbow room and shorter wait times, less popular times of the year are also more likely to feature
Special Offers that will help you save on your visit! What's not to love about that?!?
As an educator who is only able to spend quality time with Mickey when school is out, I do want to assure you that even if you find yourself in the middle of the magic during a 'peak' season, with proper planning, you can still complete all of your magical must-dos! To minimize wait times, you'll want to be aware of each theme park's operating hours and visit just around the posted opening and closing times. Time-saving tools in the My Disney Experience app, such as
Lightning Lane Passes and
Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering, are also helpful in making the most of a day in the theme parks.
Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. I hope this information helps! Once you've officially added a vacation to your calendar, I'd love to provide some more tips for maximizing the magic, so feel free to
reach back out.
Thinking Happy Thoughts,
Lizzie