Disney tips are something you are definitely going to need if you’re going or even thinking of going. I’ve been to Disney more times than I can count, I even used to work there (no, I was not a princess). I feel pretty confident that I know what I’m doing when I go. You’ll find lots of opinions on when the best time is to plan a Disney World trip, so to confuse you more, here’s mine.
However, things have changed things up on me a lot in the last three years and since we’ve been living in Australia, it’s been a while since being there. I’ve come to rely on my sister to do a lot of the planning as she’s been several times while we’ve been living abroad. Regardless, I still feel pretty confident in recommending certain times of the year to go.
November and December are my absolute favorite and today I’m sharing three questions to ask before you plan a Disney world trip. As well as reasons why I love these months.
This post may contain affiliate links. Which means I get a portion of the sales if you make a booking through my link at no extra cost to you!
Top Travel Resources
After decades of traveling, there’s 3 companies I tend to use over and over and recommend to everyone:
What Month to Plan a Disney World Trip
What the Crowds are Like and When
Since I worked at Disney, I can pretty much say I have been to Disney at every time of the year by this point in my life. There are pros and cons to each time frame, but, as I said before, November and December are my favorite. Even though, you can certainly find something good about every time of year.
New Years
Growing up, we went over New Years, which they say that’s the most crowded day of the year. I still loved it because of the festivities, and I’d go again if I had kids and had to wait until they were out of school.
Right After New Years (January-February)
I know a lot of people who go in late January, early February, thinking it will be less crowded. For the most part, it is, but, during those “less crowded” months, Disney does special events for groups. There will be cheer camps that take over the park for several days.
There’s also events that will shut the park down during the evenings early and you can’t get in. All in all, though, it is less crowded and if you don’t want to go during the my favorite months, go during this time.
Spring (March-April)
I worked at Disney from January to May, and April was definitely more crowded than New Years. Spring break in Florida also tends to fall over Easter. Because of this, I think Easter is the most crowded day of the year, way more than New Years. They do have a spectacular flower festival during this time frame and it is truly amazing, but, to me, flowers aren’t worth the crowd (and I love flowers).
Summer (May-August)
Before we left for Australia 3 years ago, we went at the end of May and it was hot, hot, hot. It’s also just as crowded as New Years, and there were no festivities. I will never go back during that time. It’s hard for me to even come up with anything positive about this time. I do suppose the water rides are better to do during this time frame.
Fall (September and October)
Now this isn’t a bad time to go, but you do have to realize it will still be hot in September and possibly in October. You are also toying with hurricane season. And that’s no joke, I’ve known people that have had their trip ruined by this.
November and December
Regardless of when you go, it will be crowded, and there are pros and cons to every time of year. November and December are my favorite. We just spent 5 days at Disney in December with my whole family and I was once again reminded why I absolutely love it. Therefore, today I’m sharing Disney tips from our latest trip and 10 reasons you should go in December.
10 Reasons I Love November & December at Disney
1. The weather is (almost) always perfect.
I can remember one time when it was really cold and we were not prepared, but for the most part, we always have great weather. Now, if you’re wanting snow or something, you won’t get that. Well you will, but its fake. 🙂
2. Before school lets out, it is less crowded.
If you can go before school lets out for Christmas, it’s perfection. The earlier in December or November, the better.
3. There are special events that only happen once a year
I’ve never actually been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party but I hear good things. If you want to go, be sure you book early, as it gets full. You’ll have fewer people these so you’ll get a better view of the fireworks too.
4. You get away from the hustle and bustle of the buying season
Because of the time frame we went (December 16-20), our Christmas started early. This meant I had to have all the presents done and the cards mailed before we left. It may sound like more work, but I got to really enjoy the holiday, and beat the rush. While everyone else is scrambling at the last-minute and dealing with crowds in the mall, you’ll be dealing with crowds at rides. It’s better, trust me.
5. The characters have Christmas outfits
I tend to really miss this when I don’t go during the holidays. They’re just so cute in their little festive outfits.
6. Everything is festive
This isn’t really surprising as it’s Disney, but every time I’ve gone during another season, I’ve missed the festive decor.
7. You can find unique Christmas gifts
So I realize you may not want to think about buying for other people while on vacation, I don’t. However, this is your chance to get them something really awesome, and maybe brag a bit too.
8. You can meet Santa!
What better place to meet the big guy than at Disney World.
9. Festive Food
During this time of year you can get holiday food all over the place. This year, EPCOT was even doing holiday food around the world. It’s the only place in the world where you can get festive food from Japan, Sweden, England, China, Morocco, and more without having to board a plane.
10. The castle is the most amazing
One of my best friends that I met while working at Disney had never seen the castle all lit up for the longest time. I couldn’t believe this. It’s so amazing, and the best thing they do all year to the castle. It’s truly stunning and looks even better in person. This is one of my biggest Disney tips as it’s really incredible to see.
Three Questions to Ask Before You Plan a Disney World Trip
Now before you even book a hotel or start picking a month to go, there are three questions I think you need to ask yourself BEFORE you plan a Disney World trip and I’ll tell you why.
1. How Nice of a Hotel Do You Want?
I definitely recommend staying on Disney property and I recommend Pop Century to everyone, especially now that it has the skyliner. However, I know some people want nicer hotels. These are small rooms and are still not cheap. You’ll have to decide for yourself what you are willing to spend. The sky is the limit at Disney. If you don’t plan to spend a lot of time in the room, Pop Century is for you, if you want a nice pool and big room, shop around but expect to spend up to $500-$700 a night for luxury.
2. What Kind of Weather do You Want to Deal With?
This is a biggie. I have had someone tell me they heard August was a good time to go plan a Disney World trip because it’s not as crowded. Um no. August in Florida is miserable. I don’t know who would want to deal with this. You also need to consider hurricane season. It’s a real thing and they will shut the park down for it. By the way, December and November deal with neither of these.
3. How Many Days Can You Handle?
My recommendation is 5-6 days if you want to do it all. If you just want to “hit each of the parks” then you’ll need 4 days to not lose your mind. Disney World is big, much, much bigger than Disneyland. If you want to do less days, then you need to decide which parks to go to because you can’t do it all.
See? That’s why you need to decide how many days you can handle and only you and your traveling partners can make this decision. This will also help you decide on park hoping which is an entire other beast.
Once you decide on these three things it will become easier to plan your Disney World trip. You’ll know what to look for in a hotel, you’ll know when you want to go and you’ll know how many days. Then you can get to the fun things like planning your outfits, making a must ride list, and planning meals and snacks.
