If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, it’s probably no surprise to you that it can get, well, crowded. Millions of people all over the world every year head to The Happiest Place On Earth, but if you plan your trip just right you can avoid some of the busiest times in the parks. That’s why we have put together our Disney World Crowd Calendar for 2018 and 2019! Let us say first that there are a lot of variables that go into creating our Disney World Crowd calendar, and these are our predictions based on annual trends, events, festivals, and even world wide economic variables. WDW can be a pretty unpredictable place sometimes, as people from all over the world head there so if you go based on some of these dates that aren’t as busy and it turns out to be busy, we’re sorry! We promise we did our best!
When Do We Recommend Going?
If you just want to bypass all the complexities that can be a Disney World Crowd Calendar and just want to cut to the chase about when we recommend going, then you can check out this episode of our podcast where we talk about just that – the best and worst times to go to The Happiest Place on Earth..
Ep 112: The Best & Worst Times To Visit Walt Disney World
Capture The Magic’s Disney World Crowd Calendar
We will break our Disney World Crowd calendar up by months to make it as simple as possible for you to get the info you need for when you are thinking about going.
2018 Calendar
September • October • November • December
2019 Calendar
January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December
SEPTEMBER 2018 CALENDAR
Coming off the crowded summer months, the September Disney World crowd calendar is a time where the parks get a little reprieve. We say a little, mostly because the Disney World crowd calendar the last few years has shown that Disney has done a very good job filling this month with special events to draw guests in. While kids are now back in school, Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party start at the end of August and are in full swing, drawing big crowds to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. Regardless of those events, September remains an ideal time to visit. The Fall decorations alone are worth a trip this month.
October 2018 CALENDAR
This time of year used to be a slow time at Disney World, but that’s not the case as much anymore. The crowd calendar tells us the people coming to “The World” are less than they are in the summer for sure, but with Food & Wine and Halloween parties in full swing, more people will make their way to the parks. More schools across the country have implemented Fall Breaks into their school year (usually the 2nd or 3rd week in October), giving opportunities for families to travel more easily without missing school. You’ve also got Columbus Day on the weekend of the 6th that will draw more crowds. So if you’re going to go in October, it’s recommended to go the first few days of October or more towards the end of the month, as crowds typically lessen toward the end of October when we look at the crowd calendar. Keep in mind that Epcot will get really busy during the Food & Wine Festival on the weekends, as it’s a favorite of locals.
November 2018 CALENDAR
The November crowd calendar signals the beginning of Christmas, making this month one of our favorite times to visit. If you’ve never experienced it, you really should. The parks are festive, fun and truly magical during this time of year. It used to be the early part of November was a great time to head to the parks as they had low crowd levels, but that is not the case anymore, with the Wine & Dine marathon the first weekend of the month and many schools in New Jersey having time off around the 6th – 12th, also known as “Jersey Week”. Any holiday is always busy and Thanksgiving is no different. Guests will start heading to the parks around the 17th, but crowds will be very heavy from the 22nd – 25th. Some lower attendence levels during this time can be the 13th-16th and the week after Thanksgiving will usually see crowds taper off according to our crowd calendar.
December 2018 CALENDAR
The December Disney World crowd calendar is the start to our favorite time of year to visit, with Christmas in full swing. You’ll see the parks in ways you never will any other time of the year. It’s actually not bad the early part of the month, according to our crowd calendar. There are some Pop Warner events going on that will bring some crowds in, but nothing bad. As it gets closer to Christmas, the crowd calendar shows the attendance levels increase quickly. The week of Christmas the crowds are, well… nuts! If you’re going during this time you can expect the Magic Kingdom to close due to capacity at least a few times (ya, it’s that busy). This is a great time to go, but our recommendation is to go in the first part of the month before the Christmas crowds come in full force when looking at the crowd calendar duirng this time.
January 2019 CALENDAR
February 2019 CALENDAR
March 2019 CALENDAR
April 2019 CALENDAR
May 2019 CALENDAR
June 2019 CALENDAR
July 2019 CALENDAR
August 2019 CALENDAR
September 2019 CALENDAR
October 2019 CALENDAR
November 2019 CALENDAR
December 2019 CALENDAR
This is our favorite time of year to go as Christmas is in full swing and you’ll see the parks in ways you never will any other time of the year. It’s actually not bad the early part of the month crowd wise according to our crowd calendar. There are some Pop Warner events going on that will bring some crowds in but nothing bad. As it gets closer to Christmas the calendar shows crowd levels increase quickly. The week of Christmas the crowds are, well… nuts! If you’re going during this time you can expect the Magic Kingdom to close due to capacity at least a few times (ya, it’s that busy). This is a great time to go but our recommendation is to go in the first part of the month before the Christmas crowds come in full force.
Note: It’s been announced that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set to open “Late Fall 2019. ” The rumor is that this probably means late November/early December. When it does open, our crowd calendar will be adjusted to fit the insanity of the high crowds that this new land will bring.
Wrapping It All Up
Hopefully, our crowd calendar helped give you a good idea about crowd levels while you’re planning your vacation. While it’s easy to obsess over crowd levels, the best time to go calendars and of course your own personal calendar. We always say try to plan your trip based on ideal times when it’s possible but the truth is that the best time to go is the time that works best for you and your family. Crowds can change our calendars and it’s impossible to know exactly when it’s going to be slow or busy as there are so many factors that go into any crowd calendar analysis, especially in a place as large as WDW. So just go when it’s best for your family and have a great time!
Check Out The Capture The Magic Podcast
If you found our Disney World crowd calendar helpful and would like even more tips, tricks, and advice along with the latest news and rumors about “The Happiest Place On Earth”, then we invite you to check out the Capture The Magic Podcast. We have episodes two times per week along with our other shows, The Dis Dudes and Main Street Magic. We’ve got you totally covered when it comes to planning and enjoying a great vacation beyond just a stellar Disney World crowd calendar.
If you’re looking for more than just a great Disney World crowd calendar, then you should be sure to check out other articles we’ve got on the site here, like our guide to the best Character Dining at Disney World. Also, be sure to check out our popular Disney vacation shirts line that is full of park inspired designs.
