One of many busiest weeks of 2025 will quickly arrive at Walt Disney World, to the shock of many company who anticipate winter to be low season resulting from colder climate in Florida and faculties 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 if you happen to’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 can be sorely upset. 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 occasions (versus the identical months within the prior 12 months), January by way of March 2024 noticed wait occasions improve.
That’s nothing new. Aside from anomalies throughout the COVID period, winter crowds have grown since ~2017. Suffice to say, winter is not the low season at Walt Disney World and hasn’t been for some time. There are a selection of causes for that, however it’s the brand new regular for this time of 12 months. 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 may really be pleasantly shocked…
There have been some sluggish days up to now in January 2025. Within the span of two weeks after New Yr’s Eve, wait occasions had been greater than reduce 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 your complete 12 months), and the next week dropped to 33 minutes. Weekly averages have been in that ballpark since.
Understand that these are weekly numbers, taking into consideration 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, that means a bunch of perpetual no-wait rides and rather more standard headliners.
The primary week of January 2025 was extremely busy. That timeframe has been getting busier and busier resulting from Osceola and Orange County faculties 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 take pleasure in one final little bit of Christmas.
Wait occasions since have been far and wide. The WDW Marathon Weekend didn’t actually transfer the needle, which is turning into more and more typical of runDisney races. However, there was a spike for MLK Day Weekend, which can also be unsurprising. And wait occasions are as soon as once more heating up heading into the top of January 2025, with 8/10 crowds over the weekend.
With that mentioned, this isn’t a typical backward-looking crowd report. Quite, we need to deliver your consideration to an upcoming week that can be actually busy–with an out of doors probability at being within the prime 5 worst weeks of your complete 12 months, and nearly definitely within the prime 10. Absent a giant shock, it is going to 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.
Nonetheless, not all dates inside that window can 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 an extended weekend or full week off, for what’s extensively often 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 provide this whole week off. Loads of others have an extended weekend break.
As a common matter, the heaviest crowds are more likely 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 crimson flag for crowds, however being a part of a vacation weekend may make it one.
For reference, final 12 months 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 could be the dates to keep away from. And it’s potential 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. Relating to runDisney occasions, most runners will present up early relatively 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 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 likely to 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. Nonetheless, 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 throughout the aforementioned timeline–the 2025 USA Competitions Presidential Basic and Disney Presidents Day Soccer Match–however they’re February 14-17 and February 15-17, respectively.
If something, these main youth sporting occasions could be cause to foretell greater crowds on the entrance finish. Perhaps that may happen to some extent, however in terms of this lengthy weekend, extra college districts are more likely to have break day within the days that observe.
The excellent news, if you happen to’re on the lookout for 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 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 steadily one of many worst 5 of your complete 12 months. After they don’t, it’s normally “solely” prime 10. Mardi Gras alone does make for elevated crowds, however not practically 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 affect of pricing and reductions.
Winter is usually the Most cost-effective Time of Yr to Go to Walt Disney World, with rack charges which can be decrease on common than even August and September. For that reason, we frequently discipline issues from followers this time of 12 months who’re planning journeys and spot that lodge stock is extraordinarily restricted (see Why Are Walt Disney World Resorts Bought 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 lodge availability earlier than Spring Break, and fewer throughout these peak weeks. There are a number of causes for that, however it largely comes all the way down to pricing. The same 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 resorts will not be conclusive of crowds. There’s solely a lot lodge 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 resorts is debatable. It in all probability does transfer the needle a bit, however on-site lodge 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 truly. Suffice to say, that ticket deal can even have an effect–particularly throughout the closing week of the 2025 EPCOT Pageant of the Arts, which is standard with locals.
In the event 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.
Positive, these dates can be busy. However it’s additionally a superb time of 12 months within the park with comfy climate–definitely higher than what you’ll have at dwelling if you happen to’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 choosing 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 itinerary and using sensible technique is simply as necessary (if not moreso) than selecting the “proper” dates. Even selecting dates that ought to be good might be undermined by shocking crowds, disruptive climate, and so forth.
It’s totally potential to beat excessive wait occasions by using Lightning Lanes, Early Entry, Prolonged Night Hours, rope drop, and so forth. We cowl the most effective & worst method for every park in Finest Time-Saving Methods for Walt Disney World. In the event you’re solely going to learn one planning publish, 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’ll be able to beat the worst of the noon crowds. The one factor you actually can’t fully 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 you additionally take a look at our Walt Disney World Itineraries for plans of assault.
Talking of which, we’ve got a ~4,500 phrase Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for many who need to totally grasp paid FastPass. Weeks like this, it’s positively possibility for Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
Finally, we’ve been warning for over a 12 months that February 14 to 23, 2025 can be dangerous at Walt Disney World in our Finest & Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026 (see that record for optimum occasions to go to throughout this winter or subsequent when you’ve got flexibility). Though this understandably catches trip planners without warning, 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. Similar goes with discounted tickets and no significant limits on reservations. However, all of this isn’t totally unprecedented.
Not solely that, however the larger 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 typically haven’t been as dangerous within the final ~6 months because of the DAS overhaul and change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Move. On prime 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 forth. gained’t be busy–it completely will–however perhaps it gained’t be fairly as dangerous as final 12 months or the 12 months earlier than.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study resorts on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a singular 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 most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot you’ll want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever visited Walt Disney World throughout Mid-Winter Break/Presidents’ Day/Ski Week/Sporting Occasions/and so forth. previously? 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 the event 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’ obtained underway? Do you agree or disagree with our predictions? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
