One of many busiest weeks of 2025 will quickly arrive at Walt Disney World, to the shock of many visitors who anticipate winter to be low season on account of 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 traces and crowds should you’re already planning a go to throughout this timeframe.
Earlier than we even get going, the unhealthy information is that anybody anticipating low attendance ranges from mid-January by way of mid-March shall be sorely dissatisfied. That is exactly what prompted us to jot down Winter (Nonetheless) Is Not Off-Season at Walt Disney World final 12 months. After nearly a full 12 months of declining wait instances (versus the identical months within the prior 12 months), January by way of March 2024 noticed wait instances enhance.
That’s nothing new. Except for anomalies in the course of 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 12 months. With that stated, 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 really be pleasantly shocked…
There have been some gradual days so far in January 2025. Within the span of two weeks after New 12 months’s Eve, wait instances have been greater than minimize in half. The height week of the vacation season noticed common wait instances of fifty minutes (as soon as once more the busiest week of all the 12 months), and the next week dropped to 33 minutes. Weekly averages have been in that ballpark since.
Needless to say 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 so far has had a 24 minute common. And all of those averages embody all of Walt Disney World, that means a bunch of perpetual no-wait rides and way more widespread headliners.
The primary week of January 2025 was extremely busy. That timeframe has been getting busier and busier on account of 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 have been blocked out within the two weeks prior return to take pleasure in one final little bit of Christmas.
Wait instances since have been in every single place. The WDW Marathon Weekend didn’t actually transfer the needle, which is turning into more and more typical of runDisney races. Alternatively, there was a spike for MLK Day Weekend, which can be unsurprising. And wait instances are as soon as once more heating up heading into the top of January 2025, with 8/10 crowds over the weekend.
With that stated, this isn’t a typical backward-looking crowd report. Fairly, we wish to convey your consideration to an upcoming week that shall be actually busy–with an out of doors likelihood at being within the high 5 worst weeks of all the 12 months, and nearly actually within the high 10. Absent an enormous shock, will probably be essentially 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 shall be equally crowded. Furthermore, excessive crowds might arrive barely earlier and depart later…or contract a tad. That is nothing new, as that timeframe is when many college districts supply an extended weekend or full week off, for what’s broadly generally known 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 supply this whole week off. Loads of others have an extended weekend break.
As a basic matter, the heaviest crowds are prone to be February 17-19, 2025. That’s Presidents’ Day by way of the Wednesday following. Larger wildcards are the lengthy weekend itself, which this 12 months consists of Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 14, 2025. That’s not usually a pink flag for crowds, however being a part of a vacation weekend might make it one.
For reference, final 12 months heavy crowds began on February 15 and continued till February 26.
The times earlier than that have been nonetheless reasonably busy, whereas after had low crowd ranges. Peak crowd ranges have 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 doable that’ll be the case on the backend, however most likely not the frontend of the vacation.
The rationale crowds keep elevated into the weekend following Presidents’ Day is the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, which runs February 20-24, 2025. Relating to runDisney occasions, most runners will present up early fairly than staying late.
These races have much less of an influence on wait instances than they used to, as evidenced by the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon barely being a blip on the radar. Crowd ranges have been reasonable 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 is perhaps 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 often 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 situation round Presidents’ Day. There are two main youth occasions in the course of 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 motive to foretell greater crowds on the entrance finish. Perhaps that may happen to some extent, however in the case of this lengthy weekend, extra college districts are prone to have day without work within the days that observe.
The excellent news, should you’re in search of a silver lining, is that Mardi Gras isn’t till March 4, 2025.
In a number of latest years, the 2 have coincided (or near it), leading to an inflow of holiday makers from Louisiana and different areas of the South. With there being an over two week hole between the 2 holidays, there gained’t be any spillover from one to the opposite.
When the 2 holidays coincide, the mixed vacation week is ceaselessly one of many worst 5 of all the 12 months. Once they don’t, it’s often “solely” high 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.
Relating to crowds all through winter, it’s price mentioning the influence of pricing and reductions.
Winter is usually the Most cost-effective Time of 12 months to Go to Walt Disney World, with rack charges which might be decrease on common than even August and September. Because of this, we frequently area issues from followers this time of 12 months who’re planning journeys and see that resort stock is extraordinarily restricted (see Why Are Walt Disney World Resorts Bought Out?).
Disney lastly wised as much as this, and provided low proportion 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 right 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, bought out inns should not 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 inns is debatable. It most likely does transfer the needle a bit, however on-site resort stock doesn’t have as vital of an impact on crowds as many followers consider. 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 essentially. Suffice to say, that ticket deal may even have an effect–particularly in the course of the last week of the 2025 EPCOT Pageant of the Arts, which is widespread with locals.
When you’re presently 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 shall be busy. However it’s additionally a superb time of 12 months within the park with snug climate–actually higher than what you’ll have at house should you’re from the Northeast or Midwest. It’s additionally a qualitatively higher time of 12 months 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 most likely an enormous motive why winter has worsened, whereas the summer season and early fall have gotten much less busy.
On high of that, following a very good itinerary and using sensible technique is simply as vital (if not moreso) than selecting the “proper” dates. Even selecting dates that ought to be good will be undermined by stunning crowds, disruptive climate, and so on.
It’s completely doable to beat excessive wait instances by using Lightning Lanes, Early Entry, Prolonged Night Hours, rope drop, and so on. We cowl the very best & worst method for every park in Greatest Time-Saving Methods for Walt Disney World. When you’re solely going to learn one planning submit, make it that. There are nice methods to perform lots–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 not 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–make sure to additionally try our Walt Disney World Itineraries for plans of assault.
Talking of which, we have now a ~4,500 phrase Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for many who wish to totally grasp paid FastPass. Weeks like this, it’s undoubtedly a very good choice for Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
In the end, we’ve been warning for over a 12 months that February 14 to 23, 2025 shall be unhealthy at Walt Disney World in our Greatest & Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026 (see that checklist for optimum instances 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 not less than a decade of precedent.
The open query is simply how unhealthy 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 might exacerbate crowds. Similar goes with discounted tickets and no significant limits on reservations. Alternatively, all of this isn’t completely 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 influence on wait instances. Moreover, year-over-year wait instances typically haven’t been as unhealthy within the final ~6 months as a result of DAS overhaul and change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. On high of all that, the nearer Epic Universe’s opening date will get, the extra probably 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 on. gained’t be busy–it completely will–however possibly it gained’t be fairly as unhealthy as final 12 months or the 12 months earlier than.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study inns on our Walt Disney World Inns Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash 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 have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces 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 on. prior to now? What did you consider the crowds? Any parks, instances of day, or days of the week noticeably worse than the others? What’s your expectation for February 14-23, 2025? When you’ve visited within the weeks earlier than/after in earlier years, did you discover an enormous distinction in crowd ranges as soon as the ‘peak week’ bought underway? Do you agree or disagree with our predictions? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
