DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Are you thinking of visiting Walt Disney World in 2022? If you are trying to avoid the crowds when it comes to your vacation to Walt Disney World, we have some of the busiest times of year that could impact your vacation experience. We won’t say to avoid these times in Walt Disney World as many of us can only visit during school breaks; however, if you are going to visit during one of busier times of the year just make sure you have a plan. Knowing what to expect before arriving can keep you one step ahead of the crowds.
Christmas to New Year
One of the busiest times at Walt Disney World falls between Christmas and New Years. A lot of families will wait until after Christmas to travel to Disney World as they wish to celebrate at home or are wanting to have the trip as a present for their kids. This makes the week between these two holidays the busiest time of the year in the parks. If this is one of the only times you are able to go, know this and plan ahead for your trip. Get to the parks early, stay out later or look into special events you could attend to get away from the crowds. Another great way to enjoy Disney World during this week is to visit the resorts and see all the holiday decorations. This is truly one of the most magical times of the year and if you go in with the right mindset you can have a fantastic time.
Spring Break
It isn’t surprising that the other busier time of year in Walt Disney World falls around spring break. This is from about mid-March until the end of April. So many families are looking to get away from the cold and feel some sunshine and warmth making Disney World an ideal location for spring break celebrations. Spring break runs from mid-March through April throughout the USA. This time of year provides wonderful weather, Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival and a nice glimpse into spring.
Easter Weekend
Another time of year that brings in crowds is Easter weekend. A lot of smaller schools in the USA provide both Good Friday as well as the Monday after Easter off giving a lot of families the option of a long weekend for a quick vacation to some sunshine. If your spring break happens to back up to Easter weekend, be aware that you might see an increase in crowds during this time period. Schedule some time outside of the parks at your resort, mini-golfing or shopping. These are ways to get out of the parks and away from the crowds.
Credit: Disney
October
This is a new trend we are starting to see when it comes to crowd levels. October is starting to be a busier time of year. Schools are offering a fall break which we didn’t have before and with this new vacation time, families are using it as a time to visit Walt Disney World. With fall decorations up, October is becoming extremely popular. Guests want to experience the fall in the parks. They like having the option to attend select Halloween parties, see the fall decorations throughout the parks and enjoy Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. This is a switch in our planning as October used to be a super slow month. It is still a fun time to go down, but just plan accordingly.
Race Weekends
RunDisney races are extremely popular and bring in a large crowd during race weekends so you will want to be aware of when these take place so you are prepared for the increase in crowds. For 2022, Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will take place January 5th to 9th. Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend is February 24th to 27th and the new Springtime Surprise Weekend is March 31st to April 3rd. Although you will find that marathon weekends will bring in the biggest runDisney crowds, all of these race weekends bring a larger than normal crowd into the parks. One of the big things to keep in mind during race weekends is that traffic is drastically impacted. As roads are shut down to accommodate the races, you might have a longer commute to the parks. Another aspect that is impacted are dining reservations. Runners often run to eat and this is the case in Disney. You might find that prime dining reservations are quickly snagged up for your dates so plan accordingly. The good thing about these weekends (besides seeing people accomplish great goals) is that typically runners are back to the resorts and in bed early making evenings less crowded. If you aren’t participating in runDisney, but happen to be down there during a race, make sure to cheer on those runners!
It is great to see Walt Disney World returning to normal once again, but with that comes crowds. As we said before, we would never tell people to not travel during these busy times, but instead encourage those that are traveling to have a plan of action. If you know it might be a busy time, you can go in prepared and you will be one step ahead of the crowds.
