Walt Disney World is busy all year round. There’s always something fun to do, and there’s never really a bad time to visit Disney World.
However, there are some good reasons to visit during one particular season: Winter. Let’s take a look at six reasons why Disney World is better in the winter.
1. Festivals
Disney has worked hard to make sure that there’s no “slow season” in the theme parks. While it is definitely busier when kids are out of school, festivals have proven effective to drum up attendance during traditionally less busy times.
Long-running festivals include Epcot‘s Flower and Garden Festival and Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, which run in the spring and fall, respectively. Epcot‘s International Festival of the Arts brings in the crowds after the post-Christmas lull.
While these festivals only take place at Epcot, the other parks benefit from increased attendance from festival-goers too. Disney benefits with more visitors, and visitors benefit with more activities to enjoy. It’s a win-win!
2. Discounted Tickets
Disney is constantly raising ticket prices, but the switch to tiered and seasonal pricing means the busier times are more expensive. If you can take your vacation during the winter, you may save money on your ticket costs.
3. More Dining
Guests staying at one of the Disney resort hotels can make Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days before the first day of their vacation for up to ten days. Making dining plans six months in advance may seem crazy, but it’s necessary to get into the busiest restaurants during the busiest times. It’s next to impossible to get an ADR at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest during the summer.
During the winter, fewer guests means that it’s easier to get into these restaurants and others. You might even be able to get a last minute reservation, whether it’s at Disney Springs or Magic Kingdom, just in case you want to satisfy a craving!
4. Smaller crowds
Speaking of fewer people, you’ll almost always see shorter wait times at attractions. Even rides that see wait times upwards of an hour or more on busy days will often have shorter lines. This means you can see and do more than you can when crowds are higher.
The only exception to these would be on and a few days around popular holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
5. Weather
Florida weather is often unpredictable, but you can be sure that summer will be hot. Temperatures are in the upper 90s or above, and the humidity is at all time highs.
In the winter, overnight temperatures can occasionally drop into the 30s, but they’re mostly comfortable, and the sun keeps things pretty warm during the day. Humidity is also much lower, so you don’t sweat like you do in the summer.
6. Decorations
Fall and winter have more holidays than any other time during the year, and this means decorations! Celebrations in Disney last longer than anywhere else, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the holidays.
Halloween starts early in the fall and goes until just before Thanksgiving. Then Thanksgiving décor takes over, and Christmas decorations go up around Thanksgiving time. With over a thousand trees and millions of lights, Disney World wraps up the year in a beautiful way!
Is it better to visit Disney World in the winter?