Walt Disney World in the Spring: Enjoy Seasonal Festivals, Events, and Disney Magic

by Lindsay Brookshier Last updated: February 15, 2019

Visiting Walt Disney World in the Spring has a few pros/cons along with yearly festivals that are fun to partake in for families and groups. When making your decision to visit Walt Disney World, the biggest question most folks have are ‘when should I visit?’ and this guide will help you decide if a Spring travel date is the best choice for your family! We’ll start off with looking at the 2019 Spring events before discussing the pros/cons of a Spring visit to Walt Disney World.

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In this planning guide:

Easter at Walt Disney World at Epcot and Magic Kingdom

Easter at Walt Disney World can be a great way to celebrate the holiday. There is so much to do from the Egg-stravaganza Scavenger Hunt, Easter Procession, dining options, meeting the Easter bunny, and viewing the Easter egg creations. This year Easter falls on Sunday, April 21st. Easter can be crowded at Walt Disney World so we highly recommend getting advance dining reservations and allowing enough time to arrive at the parks early.

International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot

Spring begins to bloom as the Walt Disney World the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival begins! This annual event brings beautiful gardens, playgrounds, and great entertainment. Even if you aren’t into gardening, be sure to get a picture by the freshly trimmed hedges near the Imagination pavilion.

Highlights of the festival include outdoor kitchens, Disney-themed topiaries, breathtaking garden spaces, wildlife habitats, exhibits, a “How-To” Garden, tours, and an outdoor concert series.

The International Flower and Garden Festival runs from March 6th – June 3rd.

Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom Park

Celebrate your love for Mickey and Minnie Mouse with this surprise celebration including a street party. The musical procession parades up Main Street U.S.A. led by live-singing hosts singing a new original song called “It’s a Good Time” and modern remixes of classic Disney songs. Aside from Mickey and Minnie, you can also look for five additional floats featuring these Disney characters:

Donald Duck
Daisy Duck
Goofy
Pluto
Clarabelle Cow

Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party is running now until September 30th. Check the daily entertainment schedule for current times.

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Hollywood Studios

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy rolls into Disney’s Hollywood Studios on March 31st. In this new show experience, you’ll come face to face with Lightning and learn from his years of experience on the track. Guests will also see Tow Mater, Cruz Ramirez, and the gang from Radiator Springs rooting on Lightning McQueen. After the show guests can get a picture with Cruiz Ramirez.

The Wonderful World of Animation at Hollywood Studios

The new “Wonderful World of Animation” Nighttime Show debuts in Hollywood Studios in May. The show will feature projection technology, taking guests on a journey through 90 years of history of Disney animation.

Star Wars Rival Run Weekend

Star Wars Rival Run Weekend takes place the April 4th-7th. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you won’t want to want to miss this event. There are runs for fans of every age, including children races, a half marathon, and a 5 and 10K. Even if you don’t want to run in the race, it’s worth the watch to see the costumes. People go all out for this event!

New Tree of Life Projections at Animal Kingdom

The Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom will awaken to honor “The Lion King.” Starting Memorial Day weekend and appearing nightly through Sept. 30, stunning projections on the iconic tree will feature music and animation paying tribute to the classic film

Pros of Visiting Walt Disney World in the Spring

Walt Disney World in the Spring can be a great time of year to visit from the festivals and warmer weather. Here are all the best pros for visiting Walt Disney World in the Spring:

Moderate Crowd Levels- the crowd levels, as long as you avoid Spring Break, are moderate in the Spring time. Depending on how early in the year you visit, the less busy the parks will be.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Not Open Yet- for folks that aren’t a fan of Star Wars, visiting before the new land opens in Fall 2019 might be a good choice to experience Hollywood Studios before the crowds arrive.
Sunny Weather- in the Spring you will have rain, like most times of the year in Florida, but the weather will be warm and not quite as hot as it gets in the summer. If you’re not a fan of hot weather, visiting in the Spring is a good choice.
Epcot Festivals- depending on when you visit there will be a festival happening at Epcot whether it’s the International Flower and Garden Festival that runs from March- June or the Festival of the Arts which runs from Jan-Feb.
Catch New Events- late Spring is a good time for new events to debut at the parks. This year, the new Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration started in January which makes it available for all Spring visits and the new Lightning McQueen attraction begins in March allowing Spring guests to see the new show.

Check our Walt Disney World calendar for new happenings at the parks to make sure you see everything you want for your trip.

Cons of Visiting Walt Disney World in the Spring

While it’s hard to think of any cons for a Walt Disney World trip for most of us, there are some things to consider about a Spring trip.

Spring Break Crowds– one of the busiest times of year is Spring Break season which usually falls from mid-March through mid-April.
Rainy Season begins in March– Florida is known for its rainy weather and those tropical rains will begin picking up in March and run through summer. The temperatures in Spring won’t be as warm as the summer months so the rain can be a little bit more inconvenient.
Refurbishment Season- depending on how early in the season that you visit you may run into the ‘refurbishment season’ at Walt Disney World. Disney takes advantage of less crowded times of year, usually starting in January, to begin scheduled refurbishments on popular attractions and entertainment offerings. Be sure to check the Walt Disney World calendar.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Not Yet Open- Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the new Star Wars themed land opening in Fall 2019. For some guests, they may want to postpone their trip until the new Star Wars land opens.

Some of these cons may be minor to some families but for others certain refurbishments or weather concerns could be a deal breaker. Be sure to pick the best time for your family!

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