By Juliana Octavini
As promised there in Instagram (if you still don't follow our profile, run there: @ journ to leave), today I come to bring the best and worst dates for you to visit Disney parks in 2025.
I've done a blog post here talking about what is the best time to travel to Orlando, taking into account several factors, such as climate and park stocking, check below:
WHAT THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO ORLAND
So I recommend reading this post above and then coming back here to consider the best and worst dates.
Rows and lots in the parks
One thing is certain: regardless of the time of year you go, it is very common to have to face queues and a certain stocking in the parks, especially because, we are talking about one of the most wanted holiday tours in the world.
But nothing that with a little planning you can't make the most of your trip and go to the attractions you want without big problems.
The data collected are based on travel agency information, taking into account not only the period of discharge but also the low season for Orlando.
Factors influencing park stocking
Undoubtedly, the best time of the year to visit Disney parks is when American children are usually in school. Not just the school holiday and also the periods of “breaks” He usually takes crowds to Disneyland.
Impact of holidays in the United States
It is worth noting here that the United States, in general, do not have many holidays like in Brazil and, precisely for this reason, when children are in recess, they go out to the hills to enjoy, which justifies the stocking of parks in those days.
Therefore, I strongly recommend visiting the parks during the week and leaving the weekends to do other tours.
Events and opening of attractions
In addition, seasonal events organized by Disney also tend to fill the parks. And, of course, since it couldn't help but be different, opening periods of attractions also lead crowds to Disney. So watch out!
So it is good to take all this into consideration when making your schedule!
BETTER DATES TO VISIT DISNEY IN 2025
Winter (November, December and January)
It's a period that usually has great demand, because that's when some of Disney's main events, such as Christmas parties, happen. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood, which take place on selected dates at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, respectively, between November and December.
Moreover, during the American winter, it is still important to keep an eye out for other dates that often lead crowds to parks:
Important dates in winter
23 to 26 October 2025: Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, another Disney racing event, which also gathers food and drink and often fills the parks.
27 November 2025: Thanksgiving.
8 to 12 January 2025: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: a weekend with several races organized by RunDisney.
17 to 24 January 2025: It happens the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, a short event that takes place at EPCOT and celebrates creativity in all its forms: cooking, visual art, performance, etc.
20 January 2025: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Less busy days
- November: 3 to 5, 12 to 14, 17 to 21
- December: 1 to 5, 8 to 12, 15 to 17
- January: 5 to 7, 13 to 16, 21 to 31
Fuller days
- Week before the Veterans Day holiday - November 6-11
- Thanksgiving Week: 22 to 30 November
- The week before Christmas until New Year's week: December 18 to January 4
- Walt Disney World Marathon - January 8, 2025
- Martin Luther King Jr. weekend - January 17-20, 2025
Cheaper Periods
- 5 to 7 January 2025
- 1 to 4 November 2025
- 4 to 10 December 2025
PRIMAVERA (February, March and April)
During the spring period, there are also important events, such as the Easter and Spring Break (a break that schools give students).
To celebrate the arrival of spring, EPCOT usually performs the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (Check here on the 2025 edition). It is a gardening event, with stunning gardens and sculptures of characters and also brings together a lot of gastronomy.
Important dates in spring
17 February 2025: Presidents Day, an American holiday that, although it happens on a Monday, the weekend before the holiday, parks usually get very crowded. Some districts usually give the students the entire week off on this holiday, so even after the holiday passes, crowds are expected to park.
20 to 24 February 2025: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
3 to 6 April 2025: Disney Springtime Surprise Weekend, another Disney race
Less busy days
- February: 3 to 7, 10 to 12, 21 to 28
- March: 1 to 7
- April: 7 to 11, 28 to 30
Fuller days
- February: 1, 2, 8, 9, 13 to 20
- March: 8 to 31
- April: 1 to 6, 12 to 27
Cheaper Periods
- 6 and 28 February 2025
- 1 to 5 March 2025
- 29 to 30 April 2025
SUMMER (May, June and July)
Summer is synonymous with School vacation! But contrary to what you think, it's a great time to visit the parks. As the heat in Orlando during this period is intense, it is common that the greater demand is for the water parks in the region, that is, the theme parks are a little more empty.
Mass... we have here the American holiday of July 4th, which also usually fills the parks since they have special fire shows that day.
Another point to consider is that the May 22, 2025, Universal will be inaugurating its new park, the Epic Universe, that is, a busy period in Orlando, since it will coincide with the weekend of Memorial Day (May 26, 2025).
Less busy days
- May: business days, especially in the first fortnight of May
Fuller days
- May: Weekends, especially around Memorial Day (May 26, 2025)
- June and early July (especially around 4 July) until 6th
Cheaper Periods
- 2 to 6 May 2025
- 1 to 3 June 2025
- 29 to 31 July 2025
AUTUMN (AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER)
The autumn period in Orlando is marked by events of Halloween. Disney, for example, performs its traditional Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (to be performed between days) 15 August to 31 October 2025, Check this out.). Remember that in the days of the party – just like the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party – if you’re not going to participate, you’ll have to leave the park early!
And at EPCOT, come in. 28 August to 22 November 2025 (check here the schedule), the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, an event that brings together a lot of gastronomy, especially for wine lovers.
Less busy days
- August: especially the second fortnight - 5 to 8, 11 to 31
- September: Most days of the week (less days around Labor Day): especially 2 to 5, 8 to 12, 15 to 19
- October: 1 to 3, 6 to 9, 21 to 24, 27 to 30
Fuller days
- September: Days around Labor Day - September 1, 2025
- October: 10 to 20 (days around the Day of Indigenous Peoples - October 13, 2025), 25 and 26, October 31 to November 2, 2025 (runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend)
Cheaper Periods
- 19 to 22 August 2025
- 2 to 5 September, 11 to 15 September 2025
- 1 to 3 October 2025
If you have your trip scheduled between the months of January to May, attention! I don't see any other blogs talking about it, so I thought it was important to comment here so I wouldn't catch you off guard!
During those months I quoted above, there have been some annual cheerleading competitions. Although competitions take place within the ESPN Wide World of Sports (which is within Walt Disney World Resorts), some performances or parades can take place within the theme parks themselves, as part of the event's special programming. It is common, for example, that teams parade at Magic Kingdom, displaying their clothes and choreographies in celebration of the results or as part of awards.
In addition, it is common for participants and their families to enjoy the theme parks during the season of competitions, which can lead to more crowded parks during those days, as well as greater stocking in Disney hotels, as many participants end up coming from other American states. So it's really worth keeping an eye on the dates of these competitions!
By the way, it is common for ESPN Wide World of Sports to host several sporting events throughout the year that eventually impact the dynamics of parks, resorts and the entire Disney complex. But these dance events and cheerleaders, in particular, are very much appreciated by the Americans.
The first one, for example, is the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship (National Championship of Twist Leaders and Dance Teams organized 35 years ago by the UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) and UDA (Universal Dance Association).
No BATCH CALENDAR that is at the end of this post in PDFI put all these dates on, but I think it's really worth highlighting here too:
Important competitions
17 to 19 January 2025: National University Cheerleading Championship and Dance Teams
This is one of the most prestigious championships in the country. Because they are university-age teams, it is common during this period to see many young people – and their families – in parks, especially at EPCOT when teams celebrate their achievements at World Showcase.
31 January to 2 February 2025: National Dance Team Championship
This championship is more focused on high school teams, although there are also youth levels in this tournament.
7-10 February 2025: National High School Cheerleading Championship
After the national dance competition, there is the high school cheerleader competition, where the best high school teams compete for who will be the national champion. Because it is an important competition – since it is the final – the event usually attracts many people to Disney complexes.
28 February to 3 March 2025: National Champions Competition
This is an open event whose performances usually take place at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center.
8 to 9 March 2025: UCA All Star Cheer Leaders International Championship
An event aimed at the young audience, where teams compete together for exchanges of experiences.
25 to 28 April 2025: US All-Star Federation Cheerleading and Dance Worlds
The teams that competed in early February can qualify for this championship that is held at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
May 9-10: The D2 Summit – All Star Championship
Similar to the April event, this is aimed at “small divisions”, that is, smaller teams.
How these events impact parks
As mentioned above, most events take place in ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a space located just south of the Disney complex near the hotel Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.
And the nearest theme park to ESPN is the Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Thus, it is common for this park to close earlier at the end of each tournament schedule for a special party. But it does not mean that the other parks also suffer some stocking during this period, as I have already mentioned.
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort is also the most sought after by the participants and their family precisely for their proximity to ESPN. In addition, the hotel offers a more affordable price and a greener outdoor space for teams to prepare for competitions.
Oh, and since it couldn't be any different, it is also worth noting here that it is common to wait for huge queues in Disney transport, since participants in these tournaments end up moving between the hotels and the ESPN through the buses of the complex.
In other words, in one way or another, these events always impact the dynamics of the parks a little.
So, as I always talk here on the blog, what's worth planning. With a little patience and all the tools and information I always provide here for you, it is possible to take a quiet trip, making the most of everything the parks offer and, no doubt, ensure a quiet journey!
