Deciding what time of year to visit Walt Disney World is probably one of the biggest questions you’ll toy with when planning a trip to visit Mickey.

After more than twenty trips, I still agonize over this question.

So, how will you decide?

Well, for starters, I’d suggest that you consider some key factors that will that affect budget, crowds, and weather.

Travel during the school months? (Even if you don’t have kids, you’ll be affected by how the school calendar affects attendance at Disney.)

Pros:

• Low crowds means shorter lines, and you’ll get on more rides and in more attractions per day with less people in front of you. You’ll also get better spots to watch parades, shows and fireworks, without having to save spots hours before or elbow pushy people to hold onto your space.
• Value Season has the lowest price point for Disney resort room rates, plus there’s no peak season charges added on at the restaurants.
• Disney is likely to offer discounts on rooms and packages. For annual passholders, this means the deepest room rate discounts. And, for the general public, Disney typically offers a “percent off” rate depending on the level of resort you choose. For those who enjoy packages, Free Dining or “Play for 7/Pay for 5” types of offers are typically sent out to entice travelers to book for less-crowded times.
• There are the special event parties to look forward to. For family-friendly Halloween festivities, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is offered from mid-September thru the first days of November. And Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties are held from just before Thanksgiving to about a week before Christmas itself.
• Then there are the “festivals.” A delight for foodies of all tastes, October serves up the Food and Wine Festival, with yummy offerings from around the world served at kiosks that ring the World Showcase. And May blooms to life with the Flower & Garden Festival — for gardeners, I can promise you that the classes and displays are enough to make you swoon!

Cons:

• Parks have shorter hours so you have less time to spend on the rides and enjoying the Festival offerings.
• From November through March, the weather can be cool, making the pools and wet rides off-limits for all but the bravest souls.
• When crowds are low, Disney takes the opportunity to spruce up the rides and attractions. You may find that a family favorite is down for a short rehab during your trip.
• Additionally, Disney closes one water park at a time (November through February), to perform repairs and to give everything a good scrub. While you will still have one water park to splash in, you might miss out on your favorite, depending on their rehab schedule.

Travel during the summer months?

Pros:

• No school means no problems with teachers, homework, missed classes, etc.
• The weather will be warm and sunny!
• The parks will have extended hours – sometimes into the middle of the night. Not to mention lots of Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests to enjoy.

Cons:

• It’s very hot and the sun is intense. Plus, you can count on a brief and intense rainshower EVERY day.
• The parks are crowded, making the lines very long.
• Being that it’s one of Disney’s peak seasons, the resort rates are higher and, though there are discounts, they aren’t as steep as value season.
• With more people in the parks, there are more people waiting to see the parades, shows, and fireworks. There are also more people in line at the counter service restaurants, and the table services restaurants are often booked to capacity. (If you’re not the type to make Advanced Dining Reservations  180 days out, this might be frustrating, especially if you pay for the Disney Dining Plan.)

Travel during the school holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas week, Spring Break)?

Pros:

• You’ll have the freedom of vacationing when there’s no school.
• Thanksgiving and Spring Break often have good weather, though Christmas week can sometimes be quite cold.
• The parks have very extended hours.
• The parks will be decorated for the Christmas holidays starting in mid-November through just after New Years Day.

Cons:

• You’ll be vacationing with EVERYONE ELSE who doesn’t have school.
• The parks are crowded, often to capacity (which can cause Disney to close the turnstiles until the crowds thin out.) Lines can easily be 120 minutes for the most popular rides.
• These are Disney’s peak seasons, and the resort rates will be at their highest, often with limited or no discounts offered.
• Many restaurants are booked to capacity, and Disney tacks on a seasonal upcharge at most venues.

Personally, the trade-off for taking my child out of school is worth the improvement to our family’s vacation. But that’s me! You’ll need to assess your child’s needs and your school’s policies.

Our favorite times of year are:

• the end of April/beginning of May (Flower & Garden Festival)
• the week before the Thanksgiving week (Mickey’s birthday is on November 18th!)
• the first two weeks of December (low crowds and good weather, plus you can attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party!)

So, how are you going to decide? What factors do you consider when laying out your plans? Do you take kids out of school?