One of many busiest weeks of 2025 will quickly arrive at Walt Disney World, to the shock of many friends who count on winter to be low season resulting from colder climate in Florida and colleges being in session. This covers dates to keep away from, why it’ll be so busy, and what to do to beat the lengthy strains and crowds when you’re already planning a go to throughout this timeframe.
Earlier than we even get going, the dangerous information is that anybody anticipating low attendance ranges from mid-January by way of mid-March might be sorely disillusioned. That is exactly what prompted us to write down Winter (Nonetheless) Is Not Off-Season at Walt Disney World final yr. After virtually a full yr of declining wait occasions (versus the identical months within the prior yr), January by way of March 2024 noticed wait occasions enhance.
That’s nothing new. Excluding anomalies through the COVID period, winter crowds have grown since ~2017. Suffice to say, winter is now not the low season at Walt Disney World and hasn’t been for some time. There are a selection of causes for that, but it surely’s the brand new regular for this time of yr. With that mentioned, in case your body of reference on crowds is the winters of the final ~2 years as an alternative of a decade in the past, you would possibly truly be pleasantly stunned…
There have been some sluggish days up to now in January 2025. Within the span of two weeks after New 12 months’s Eve, wait occasions had been greater than lower in half. The height week of the vacation season noticed common wait occasions of fifty minutes (as soon as once more the busiest week of the complete yr), and the next week dropped to 33 minutes. Weekly averages have been in that ballpark since.
Remember that these are weekly numbers, bearing in mind busier and less-busy days. The height day of the vacation season had a 65 minute common, whereas the low level of January 2025 up to now has had a 24 minute common. And all of those averages embody all of Walt Disney World, which means a bunch of perpetual no-wait rides and way more common headliners.
The primary week of January 2025 was extremely busy. That timeframe has been getting busier and busier resulting from Osceola and Orange County colleges being out of session and a rising variety of locals. It’s additionally nonetheless technically the vacation season, so locals who had been blocked out within the two weeks prior return to get pleasure from one final little bit of Christmas.
Wait occasions since have been in every single place. The WDW Marathon Weekend didn’t actually transfer the needle, which is changing into more and more typical of runDisney races. However, there was a spike for MLK Day Weekend, which can be unsurprising. And wait occasions are as soon as once more heating up heading into the tip of January 2025, with 8/10 crowds over the weekend.
With that mentioned, this isn’t a typical backward-looking crowd report. Fairly, we need to deliver your consideration to an upcoming week that might be actually busy–with an out of doors likelihood at being within the prime 5 worst weeks of the complete yr, and virtually actually within the prime 10. Absent a giant shock, will probably be probably the most crowded window of the primary quarter of 2025.
That ‘worst week’ timeframe to keep away from is roughly February 14-23, 2025.
Nevertheless, not all dates inside that window might be equally crowded. Furthermore, excessive crowds may arrive barely earlier and go away later…or contract a tad. That is nothing new, as that timeframe is when many college districts provide a protracted weekend or full week off, for what’s broadly referred to as Mid-Winter Break (or “Ski Week” in some areas of the West Coast). A number of main districts within the Northeast and higher Midwest additionally provide this complete week off. Loads of others have a protracted weekend break.
As a basic matter, the heaviest crowds are more likely to be February 17-19, 2025. That’s Presidents’ Day by way of the Wednesday following. Greater wildcards are the lengthy weekend itself, which this yr consists of Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 14, 2025. That’s not usually a crimson flag for crowds, however being a part of a vacation weekend may make it one.
For reference, final yr heavy crowds began on February 15 and continued till February 26.
The times earlier than that had been nonetheless reasonably busy, whereas after had low crowd ranges. Peak crowd ranges had been February 16-17 and February 19-21, all of which had 9/10 or 10/10 crowd ranges.
If adjusted for 2025 days of the weeks, that might imply February 13-24, 2025 can be the dates to keep away from. And it’s attainable that’ll be the case on the backend, however in all probability not the frontend of the vacation.
The explanation crowds keep elevated into the weekend following Presidents’ Day is the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, which runs February 20-24, 2025. With regards to runDisney occasions, most runners will present up early somewhat than staying late.
These races have much less of an affect on wait occasions than they used to, as evidenced by the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon barely being a blip on the radar. Crowd ranges had been average within the lead-up to the principle occasion, then 1/10 on that Sunday and persevering with to be low the next week. So we’re not inclined to incorporate February 24, 2025 as a part of the dates to keep away from. Even February 23 could be stretching it.
That is doubly true given the ESPN Huge World of Sports activities Calendar. There are a bunch of cheer and dance competitions dotting the calendar from late January by way of early March, and these can have an effect on crowds–particularly looks like ones. However they’re normally not sufficient to trigger heavy crowds on their very own. Nevertheless, the sporting occasions could make already busy timeframes even worse.
That’s precisely the state of affairs round Presidents’ Day. There are two main youth occasions through the aforementioned timeline–the 2025 USA Competitions Presidential Traditional and Disney Presidents Day Soccer Event–however they’re February 14-17 and February 15-17, respectively.
If something, these main youth sporting occasions can be cause to foretell larger crowds on the entrance finish. Possibly that can happen to some extent, however in the case of this lengthy weekend, extra college districts are more likely to have day without work within the days that observe.
The excellent news, when you’re in search of a silver lining, is that Mardi Gras isn’t till March 4, 2025.
In a number of current years, the 2 have coincided (or near it), leading to an inflow of tourists from Louisiana and different areas of the South. With there being an over two week hole between the 2 holidays, there received’t be any spillover from one to the opposite.
When the 2 holidays coincide, the mixed vacation week is steadily one of many worst 5 of the complete yr. After they don’t, it’s normally “solely” prime 10. Mardi Gras alone does make for elevated crowds, however not almost on par with Presidents’ Day–it’s extra an accelerant to already busy days.
With regards to crowds all through winter, it’s value mentioning the affect of pricing and reductions.
Winter is often the Least expensive Time of 12 months to Go to Walt Disney World, with rack charges which are decrease on common than even August and September. For that reason, we regularly area considerations from followers this time of yr who’re planning journeys and spot that resort stock is extraordinarily restricted (see Why Are Walt Disney World Resorts Offered Out?).
Disney lastly wised as much as this, and provided low share financial savings for a lot of winter journey dates in 2025. Even so, there are a ton of dates with restricted resort availability earlier than Spring Break, and fewer throughout these peak weeks. There are a number of causes for that, but it surely largely comes all the way down to pricing. An identical dynamic happens throughout non-peak dates in November and December versus peak ones. The latter nonetheless ended up being significantly busier within the parks.
As we’ve mentioned earlier than, offered out motels aren’t conclusive of crowds. There’s solely a lot resort stock on-site at Walt Disney World and most park guests come from off-site (not solely that, however DVC resorts are designed to run close to full capability, so these being booked up has zero bearing on crowds).
Whether or not cheaper costs on WDW resorts induce extra Florida holidays or just shift the stays between off-site and on-site motels is debatable. It in all probability does transfer the needle a bit, however on-site resort stock doesn’t have as vital of an impact on crowds as many followers imagine. Occupancy at non-Disney resorts and visitation patterns of locals is what’s extra consequential.
The larger issue is the 2025 Florida Resident Ticket Deal for Walt Disney World. This deal doesn’t have blockout dates however does require reservations, which act as a theoretical restrict on utilization–however not a lot in truth. Suffice to say, that ticket deal will even have an effect–particularly through the remaining week of the 2025 EPCOT Competition of the Arts, which is common with locals.
In case you’re at present freaking out since you picked February 14 to February 23, 2025 (or dates inside that window) to go to Walt Disney World: don’t.
Certain, these dates might be busy. But it surely’s additionally a superb time of yr within the park with snug climate–actually higher than what you’ll have at residence when you’re from the Northeast or Midwest. It’s additionally a qualitatively higher time of yr than mid-August by way of September.
Frankly, if I had to decide on between low season dates in these months or a busier go to in winter, I’m selecting the latter each single time. That’s in all probability a giant cause why winter has worsened, whereas the summer season and early fall have gotten much less busy.
On prime of that, following a very good itinerary and using good technique is simply as necessary (if not moreso) than selecting the “proper” dates. Even selecting dates that ought to be good will be undermined by shocking crowds, disruptive climate, and so forth.
It’s totally attainable to beat excessive wait occasions by using Lightning Lanes, Early Entry, Prolonged Night Hours, rope drop, and so forth. We cowl the very best & worst method for every park in Finest Time-Saving Methods for Walt Disney World. In case you’re solely going to learn one planning submit, make it that. There are nice methods to perform so much–even on busy days–with out shopping for Lightning Lanes.
By arriving early or staying late, you may beat the worst of the noon crowds. The one factor you actually can’t utterly beat is “looks like” crowds, particularly in World Showcase at EPCOT and for Fortunately Ever After in Magic Kingdom. However even then, there are methods to attenuate the worst of the congestion–be sure you additionally take a look at our Walt Disney World Itineraries for plans of assault.
Talking of which, we now have a ~4,500 phrase Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for individuals who need to totally grasp paid FastPass. Weeks like this, it’s undoubtedly a very good choice for Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
Finally, we’ve been warning for over a yr that February 14 to 23, 2025 might be dangerous at Walt Disney World in our Finest & Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026 (see that listing for optimum occasions to go to throughout this winter or subsequent you probably have flexibility). Though this understandably catches trip planners abruptly, this isn’t a daring prediction–it’s one backed by no less than a decade of precedent.
The open query is simply how dangerous it’ll find yourself being. Valentine’s Day being the Friday beforehand, together with two youth sporting occasions that weekend and a runDisney occasion the next weekend may exacerbate crowds. Identical goes with discounted tickets and no significant limits on reservations. However, all of this isn’t totally unprecedented.
Not solely that, however the greater issue is the timing of Mardi Gras two weeks later, lack of main cheer & dance occasions both of these weekends, and runDisney races having much less of an affect on wait occasions. Moreover, year-over-year wait occasions usually haven’t been as dangerous within the final ~6 months as a result of DAS overhaul and swap from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Move. On prime of all that, the nearer Epic Universe’s opening date will get, the extra possible households are to postpone visits to Central Florida till that. This isn’t to say that Mid-Winter Break/Presidents’ Day/Ski Week/and so forth. received’t be busy–it completely will–however perhaps it received’t be fairly as dangerous as final yr or the yr earlier than.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things it is advisable to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever visited Walt Disney World throughout Mid-Winter Break/Presidents’ Day/Ski Week/Sporting Occasions/and so forth. prior to now? What did you consider the crowds? Any parks, occasions of day, or days of the week noticeably worse than the others? What’s your expectation for February 14-23, 2025? In case you’ve visited within the weeks earlier than/after in earlier years, did you discover a giant distinction in crowd ranges as soon as the ‘peak week’ bought underway? Do you agree or disagree with our predictions? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
