Crowds at Walt Disney World are a big factor when planning a vacation for many families. So what Disney World dates to avoid when planning a trip? Many times of the year are busier than others, and some of these might surprise you. If you want to avoid crowds at Walt Disney World, you need to read this to plan your dates.
Keep reading for more information on the Disney World dates to avoid, including the worst days of the year to visit. You can also see our Disney World crowd calendar for an idea of projected crowd levels per month. This article has been updated and checked for accuracy for 2026.
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When Are the Busiest Times at Disney World in 2026?
The busiest times of the year at Disney World are the holiday season, two specific three-day holiday weekends, and spring break. Let’s get into the top WORST times of the year for crowds at Disney World based on the data we have from the past year, plus our own personal experiences in the theme parks.
#1. Christmas to New Year’s
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When it comes to Disney World dates to avoid during Christmas, the time period of Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day is hands down the busiest time all year long. Walt Disney World on New Year’s Eve itself is known for being one of the busiest days of the entire year. If you are looking to avoid crowds, you don’t want to be anywhere near the parks during that holiday, as this is one of the most crowded days of the entire year.
What makes this time of year one of the worst is that crowds will persist for up to nearly two weeks without a break. Peak wait times this time of year can often exceed 200 minutes, which just shows how packed Disney World can be during this time period.
#2. Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
This time of the year can often be the most overlooked but the most brutal time period when it comes to crowds at Disney World. Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day often coordinates with fall breaks at many schools across the country, creating a bit of a surprise crowd impact for many guests. EPCOT, in particular, is hit especially hard due to the popular International Food & Wine Festival taking place at the same time. Crowds typically stretch across the entire weekend and create some of the biggest crowd levels of the year.
#3. Spring Break
Spring break does not always produce the single worst-crowded Disney World day, but it creates high crowds across multiple weeks. The highest spring break crowd levels typically fall mid-March through mid-April. Spring breaks vary from school to school, so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact timeframe, but you can expect large crowds levels during this time frame. Hollywood Studios, likely due to its large number of popular rides, especially saw major crowd spikes for spring break last year.
Spring at Walt Disney World is a popular time to visit, not just due to the school breaks but also the great weather as compared to the hot summers or hurricane season in the fall. Florida is also a popular place in general to visit for Spring Break, not just because of Walt Disney World, so you will see an increase in rates for flight and hotel costs across the board, too. If avoiding crowds is your main priority, I would avoid spring break at all costs.
#4. Presidents’ Day Weekend
Another notoriously crowded holiday weekend to avoid at Disney World is Presidents’ Day weekend in mid-February. This holiday creates a short but intense spike in crowds, with Hollywood Studios especially being hit hard once again due to their popular and newer attractions. Crowds during this time period are compressed to the weekend itself, so it’s not as prolonged a stretch as spring break or Christmas, but it can catch guests off guard if they visit during this very popular three-day weekend.
What is the Busiest Month at Disney World?
Walt Disney World crowds have been a bit unpredictable the past couple of years, throwing many traditional crowd calendars for a loop. This is why we created our Walt Disney World crowd calendar using data not just from school break calendars but also taking into account traditional wait time data, annual pass blockout dates, 1-day ticket pricing, and more.
The top three busiest months of the year at Disney World are December, April, and October. But keep in mind that for December, it gets that ranking because the last two weeks have some of the biggest crowds all year. Yet the first two weeks of the month are still considerably more relaxed. Now, April might be the real one to watch out for as it delivers sustained high crowds across multiple weeks, making it one of the most challenging months for planning. When it comes to October, it is considered the busiest month largely because of fall break travel and Columbus Day weekend. This time of year brings major October crowd surges, particularly at EPCOT, where festivals layer on top of holiday crowds.
There is also another consideration when avoiding crowds at Walt Disney World- how busy travel seasons also impact the Orlando (MCO) airport! The security lines can get out of control at that airport during busy times of the year, so it’s not uncommon to see these lines showcased on social media. This is another great reason to think about dates to avoid at Disney World. It also helps to plan your transportation if you plan on visiting during a crowded time of the year, so you can avoid Uber/Lyft surge pricing, which will skyrocket when the airport is packed. You can read more about the best way to get to Walt Disney World from MCO in our guide.
If you’re planning on visiting Universal Orlando during your vacation, you can also check out our Universal Orlando crowd calendar here for an idea of projected crowd levels.
Three-Day Weekends Disney World Dates to Avoid
You can read more about the special events that take place throughout the year at Disney World in our crowd calendar which all impact some of the Disney World dates to avoid. Three-day weekends typically offer the potential to draw Disney World crowds, which include:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 3rd Monday in January
- Presidents’ Day
- 3rd Monday In February
- Memorial Day
- Last Monday in May
- Labor Day
- First Monday in September
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day
- 2nd Monday in October
- Veteran’s Day
- November 11th each year
Since nearly all of these holidays are three-day weekends (except Veterans’ Day occasionally), these will create Disney World dates to avoid. Three-day weekends are always extremely crowded at Disney World, as many families take advantage of these long weekends to travel. You will also have to contend with local Disney World annual passholders and locals, as they might take advantage of that longer weekend to visit the parks. From this list, we saw some of the worst crowds all year long in 2025 at Disney World during Presidents’ Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day.
Read about the best months and specific dates to visit Disney World.
Watch Out for Youth Sports Events at Disney World
There are a few weekends at Walt Disney World where crowd levels increase due to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Events.
One of the most notable of these events is The Cheerleading World Championship, which takes place April 24-27, 2026. This is an annual event and is one of the BIGGEST youth athlete events at Walt Disney World. This event also runs alongside other cheer and dance championships, which all happen in April. You will notice the impact of this event in the parks and at the All-Star resort hotels, as this is where many teams stay. This is also what contributes to April being one of the busiest months at Disney World!
What About Summer at Disney World?
Summer at Walt Disney World is a popular time to visit because of the school break season. You will see crowds pick up towards the end of June and stay pretty consistently busy until the end of July. As always, consider any holidays that may increase crowds more than usual, like the 4th of July!
Summer is also a time to consider avoiding if you do not enjoy hot, humid temperatures because this is one of the hottest times of the year at Walt Disney World! I am someone who loves hot weather, and my first summer trip to Walt Disney World definitely caught me off guard. Summer in Orlando is hot, hot, hot. So if you don’t like the idea of crowds and heat, this might be one of those Walt Disney World dates to avoid.
Now, don’t think you have to write off the entire summer if you want to avoid crowds at Walt Disney World! You will see a general ebb and flow of crowd levels throughout the summer, which definitely makes it more appealing than spring break, which often stays consistently busy without much relief. August, especially, is known for very low crowds.
If you are looking to find information about more Walt Disney World dates to avoid and special events, stay up to date on our Walt Disney World calendar, which provides a full 12-month overview of the parks, including a monthly breakdown of weather, events, and crowd levels.
Should I Visit Disney World on a Holiday?
If you are looking to avoid crowds, then some of your top Disney World dates to avoid are any holidays. But not all holidays are created equal, and some bring level 10 tier crowds to the parks (New Year’s Eve) while others are much more manageable. Holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July can actually be pretty pleasant in comparison and a fun way to spend those days.
I am a frequent Disneyland and Walt Disney World holiday traveler, so I have spent many holidays at the parks, including Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. While some of these holidays were crazier than others (Thanksgiving!), we created great family memories. I spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Walt Disney World, and we were expecting crowds that would be unbearable, and actually… it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. Yes, it was extremely crowded, but we arrived with a flexible mindset, and I had made plenty of dining reservations for the day, so we were never stuck waiting in lines for food.
If you are on the fence about a holiday, think about whether you want to do a summer holiday (much less crowded) or a winter holiday (more extravagant park celebrations) and see what your family prioritizes.
If you are looking to find information about more Disney World dates to avoid and special events, stay up to date on our Disney World crowd calendar, which provides a full 12-month overview of the parks, including a monthly breakdown of weather, events, and crowd levels.
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