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Best times to visit Disney World in 2022

HomeDisney World Crowd CalendarBest Times

Published: December 31, 2021 Updated: December 31, 2021

Best times to visit Disney World in 2022

HomeDisney World Crowd CalendarBest Times
Best times to visit Disney World in 2022

Trying to pick the best days to go to Disney World has always been tricky, but with a little bit of planning, you can find the perfect time of year for your dream Disney World vacation.

If you’re thinking about planning to visit Walt Disney World in 2022, here are some things to keep in mind:

Planning your vacation

Before you get too far into planning your dream vacation, make sure you take a little bit of time reviewing the entire planning process.

Trust us on this: planning a Disney world trip can be confusing, and the best way to ensure that you cover all of your bases is to work through them in a logical order.

2022 Disney World Vacation Planning Guide

When is the best time to visit Walt Disney World?

To find the best time to visit, you’ll have to decide what is most important to you.

For most people that centers primarily around the dates with the lowest crowds and best weather.

But, other people may be looking for the best times to visit to see the holiday decorations or to check out one of the popular festivals at Epcot.

Here are our top picks for 2022:

January 19-31, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, cooler temps, Epcot Festival of the Arts

Why we love it:

Disney kicks off January with the very popular WDW Marathon, followed by some cheer competitions and the busy MLK holiday. But, if you can squeeze your trip in after that, you’ll typically be rewarded with cool temps and lower-than-average crowds.

February 1-3, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, cooler temps, Epcot Festival of the Arts

Why we love it:

Just like the end of January is typically lower crowds and good temps, the beginning of February often is like that, too.

Alice in Wonderland

February 7-10, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, cooler temps, Epcot Festival of the Arts

Why we love it:

February is packed with cheer competitions and of course Presidents Day (which can be an incredibly busy time to visit), but if you are looking to travel in February these dates look like a good option.

February 15-17, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, cooler temps, Epcot Festival of the Arts

Why we love it:

Just like we said above, February is packed with cheer competitions and of course Presidents Day (which can be an incredibly busy time to visit), but if you are looking to travel in February these dates also look like a good option.

Anna with long sleeves

March 6-11, 2022

Best for:

Moderate crowds, (usually) cooler than summer temps, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Why we love it:

March typically kicks off the busy Spring Break season, but if you need to travel in March, try to go at the beginning of the month after the cheer competitions (and Mardi Gras) but before the Spring Break crowds arrive (which is typically around mid-month).

April 4-8, 2022

Best for:

Moderate crowds, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Why we love it:

With Easter being a bit later in April, that creates a small window of time between the March Spring Break crowds and the Easter break crowds. Keep in mind the weather will be warm, but the crowds should be moderate.

Floating gardens

May 17-20, 2022

Best for:

Moderate crowds, Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

Why we love it:

May has gotten increasingly busier over the years, so don’t expect it to be as “slow” as it was 5 years ago, but the crowds during these days should still be lighter than what you’d find earlier or later in the month.

August 15-31, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Fall decorations and Halloween festivities (like After Hours Boo Bash) at Magic Kingdom

Why we love it:

Now, to be clear, August is going to be h-o-t. Very hot. But, as schools go back in session, the crowds in the park really thin out, which means shorter waits at all your favorite attractions.

Mickey head fall

September 6-30, 2022

Best for:

Lower crowds, Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Fall decorations and Halloween festivities (like After Hours Boo Bash) at Magic Kingdom

Why we love it:

Just like in August, September (aside from the days around Labor Day) definitely sees a dip in crowd levels (and hot temps). Now, don’t expect the parks to be “empty”, but there will likely be fewer people around.

November 15-18, 2022

Best for:

Holiday decorations and Christmas party/events (like Disney Very Merriest After Hours) at Magic Kingdom

Why we love it:

November kicks off the holiday season, which typically means high crowds. But, the days after Veterans Day and before Thanksgiving have typically lower crowds than other times of November, plus by this time most of the decorations will be up.

Cinderella castle christmas

November 28-30, 2022

Best for:

Holiday decorations, Epcot Festival of the Holidays, and Christmas party/events (like Disney Very Merriest After Hours) at Magic Kingdom

Why we love it:

Want to see the holiday decorations, but you’re trying to avoid the heaviest of crowds? Then the days after Thanksgiving are typically one of your better options.

December 1-9, 2022

Best for:

Holiday decorations, Epcot Festival of the Holidays, and Christmas party/events (like Disney Very Merriest) at Magic Kingdom

Why we love it:

Want to see the holiday decorations in December, but you’re trying to avoid the heaviest of crowds? Then the first part of the month are typically your best options.

Check out our complete 2022 Disney World Crowd Calendar

Lowest Crowds

If traveling with the lowest crowds is your primary concern, definitely stick to the first half of the year.

Aside from the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and the days around Presidents Day and Mardi Gras, January and February are our top picks for the lowest crowds.

If you prefer the fall, September will likely remain a good choice, too. Especially in the weeks after Labor Day.

There are a few downsides to traveling during those months, though.

Disney typically schedules routine refurbishments (like those for Splash Mountain) during the first part of the year.

And although September is typically less crowded, the weather during this time of the year is hot and muggy (and in the middle of hurricane season).

Best Weather

If good weather (and by “good” we mean cool temps and fewer days with rain) is your top concern, January, February, and December are our top picks.

With average high temps in the low 70’s and an average of around 6 days of rain each, those 3 months are some of our personal favorite times to visit.

As a bonus, all 3 of those times have special things to see and do with the Epcot Festival of the Arts at the first of the year and all the amazing holiday decorations in December.

If you are looking for nice weather and lower crowds, stick to January or February (outside of the holiday weekends).

December is great, too, but it will likely be a lot busier in 2022 than January or February.

Best Chance for Special Events

This one is a bit trickier to pin down right now, but here’s what we think:

If you love special events at Walt Disney World, in 2022 the Fall months will give you the best opportunity for that.

The fall at Walt Disney World is hot, but it is also packed with special events.

First, August usually kicks off the spooky season at Magic Kingdom, and we fully expect to see a return of a Halloween event, like Disney After Hours Boo Bash.

And following close behind is the very, very popular Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

And, if you time things just right, it is oftentimes possible to see the last Halloween party and the first Christmas party plus take in the Food and Wine Festival…all on 1 trip!

One caveat, October has also historically been one of the busiest months of the year. We expect that trend to continue in 2022, and, considering October is also in the middle of Hurricane season, the weather can also be a bit iffy.

What About the Spring and Summer?

For many people with school-aged children, summers and holiday breaks are the only time they can travel.

And although we expect the summer to be busy this year (especially compared to the first few months of the year), that doesn’t mean it will be a horrible time to visit.

The water parks (Blizzard Beach and/or Typhoon Lagoon) will be open, which gives visitors something else to do outside the theme parks. 

If your Spring Break falls in early March, that is definitely a good option. And in April, the weeks after Easter are likely to be decent, too.

We do expect that the crowds will grow as you move through late May and June. Dates around the 4th of July are typically busy, but the rest of that month and into early August tend to taper off a bit (too bad the heat and sun don’t do the same).

On the positive, summers also typically see fewer attraction refurbishments and longer park hours.

And, we have often found that summer visitors tend to plan less and “wing it” more.

Meaning, if you do even a minimal amount of planning, you’ll be ahead of the game (and away from the long lines).

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