Crowds at Walt Disney World are a big factor when planning a vacation for many families. So which Disney World dates should you avoid this coming fall and winter 2026? Some visitors may be surprised by the dates with the worst crowds of the year.
Two of the busiest times of the year at Disney World are just around the corner. Let’s get into the top WORST times of the year for crowds at Disney World during this fall and winter based on the data we have from the past year, plus our own personal experiences in the theme parks.
You can also see our Disney World crowd calendar for an idea of projected crowd levels per month. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including everything to know about the upcoming ticket increase and how to shop the Disney lost and found sale.
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Disney World Dates to Avoid Fall 2026
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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.
First, we need to consider the busiest time of the year for Halloween season. Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day often coincides 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.
This year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day takes place on Monday, October 12, so I would avoid that entire weekend from October 9 through October 12.
Three-day weekends often catch Disney World guests off guard, but 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. In 2025, one of the worst weekends of the year from the wait time data we reported on was the three-day weekend of Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day.
Worst Disney World Holiday Dates to Avoid
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.
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. If you want to avoid the worst crowds, do not visit December 24 through January 2.
Thanksgiving week can also be considerably busy, especially if you visit on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. While Thanksgiving week crowds are nothing compared to the week after Christmas, it’s still a higher-volume week for large crowds. If you want to avoid crowds in November, skip November 26 through November 29.
There is another holiday that takes place in November: Veterans Day on November 11. However, we usually do not see high crowds for this holiday as we do for other notable three-day weekends, so this is definitely a holiday that is nowhere near as crowded as the others on this list. But if you want to avoid even the slightest increase in crowds, avoid the theme parks on November 11.
Should I Avoid Visiting Disney World on a Holiday?
If you are looking to avoid crowds, then your top Disney World dates to avoid are any holidays. But not all holidays are created equal, and some bring top tier crowds to the parks (New Year’s Eve) while others are much more manageable, even if they are packed, like Thanksgiving Day.
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, 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.
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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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