Just got back from a trip this month. Our girls had a ball, and so did we. I am already thinking of when to go next but realized that all we know is Sept/Oct. Tell me why your time of the year is best and no so good.

Thanks a million.

Well-I only have the one experience in May but it was great. I really loved seeing Epcot all decked out for the F & G festival. Crowds were more than manageable. Longest wait was 10 minutes but most was walk on. Using touring plans, FP and best days of course. Humidity was lower than in the coming summer months, only one day of rain and yet still really warm for us from Colorado!

But-we are planning for late September/early October for the Food and Wine Festival and I would love to see WDW at Christmas some day:)

The only times I'd be really hesitant to go would be peak summer and peak winter times-the crowds and the hassles just aren't worth it to me.

Our kids are in school, so we are more constrained in our travel plans, but I'd say our best trip, from the standpoint of weather and crowds, was in November, the week before Thanksgiving. That was the year, our older daughter was only in kindergarten, so I could take her out of school, and my younger daughter was still a toddler. It was not too hot, but warm enough to swim comfortably, and it was not crowded. We went for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, and it was, unseasonably cold, so we did not swim. Earlier this year, we went in March, during spring break. The weather was good for us, but, of course, it got really crowded. We were back, in June, and it was quite a bit hotter, and a little more crowded, but not bad. We have gone in late August a few times, because the kids are done with camp, and we don't start school till after Labor Day. It is really hot and humid, but manageable, by taking swim breaks and taking advantage of indoor attractions, and the crowds are not bad.

I liked the first week of March. It was before all of the spring breakers, but still very pretty. I also liked mid October (last week and this week) for temps and humidity. I'm trying out December this year and late September next year. What is NOT good was August (honeymoon). UGH. About died!

Our favorite times to go to Disney World are May and December.

May because it is really warm yet not humid and living in PA we enjoy warming our bones from the LONG winter. The Flower and Garden fest. held at Epcot is amazing.

December because no one does the magic of Christmas better than Disney World from the Castle all done up to like ice to the lights of winter. It feels funny walking around in shorts listening to Christmas Carols. We love the snow at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom because we don't have to shovel it.:D

mikala,
You asked the age-old question and to be honest, this is really a "your mileage may vary" sort of thing.

For us, we loved going at the end of September. It used to be our annual favorite time since the crowds were a little lower.

We went during the first two weeks of December and it was a great combo of smaller crowds and the Christmas festivities.

We are going in a few days mainly because my daughter has some time off from school. It will probably be our new annual trip timeframe because of the whole school thing. (We dont have an issue taking her out of school - but the state does.)

I love going in November, but once I am able to I am going to try the beginning of October and the first week of December.

I have done January and I thought it was frustrating at times because I would start in pants because it was cool out and then around 2PM it would be too hot to wear pants in the Florida sun so I would have to go back to the hotel to change. I like that there was no crowd level, but at the same time the parks closed really early which I didn't enjoy.

I like July and August because the parks are open late which gives you something to do at night, and going to WDW all the time we sometimes don't head to the parks until 2 or 3 after spending the day at the pool. Also having free dining at the end of the summer is also an incentive to go.

We have been in March, April, May, November, and December and hands down April wins. November was nice, no crowds, but it just wasn't the same as April.

I love going in late October/early November for the beautiful weather and the nice fall decorations. Crowds are small and Mickey's Not So Scary is so fun! This year we will be there for the first Mickey's Verry Merry Christmas Party - we cannot wait.

I love early May! The Flower and Garden festival in EPCOT is truly amazing, but I will admit our favorite time as a family is early December. The crowds are non-existent and the holiday decorations are amazing! We love seeing the Christmas Story presented during the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT!

I've seen lots of May responses, which is good since I'm going in May... but its the end of May and into June. Is there a big difference? I'm sure its starting to get more crowded, but how is the first week in June?

but its the end of May and into June. Is there a big difference?

More and more schools get out as you go from early May to mid June, so that will add to the crowds. Also, the weather is different from early May to early June - A few degrees of temperature and a few percentages of humidity can really make a difference in your day.

I've hit WDW in just about every season - I prefer October for the Food & Wine Festival. Early December is often long pants weather (but I'm a cold weather wimp), but you don't get the crowds you do later in the month when schools are getting out for their breaks. May is nice too, but the weather is starting to get summer warm, so be prepared for that. My personal goal is to avoid most times that a large number of schools are closed. So no Christmas break, spring break season, or summer for me.

What date in December, about, does it start to get busy? I am considering, in the very, very back of my mind, a December 2009 trip for my 40th birthday.

What date in December, about, does it start to get busy? I am considering, in the very, very back of my mind, a December 2009 trip for my 40th birthday.

Most U.S. Schools get 2 weeks (or so) for Winter break, encompassing Christmas and New Years. In 2009, Christmas is on a Friday, so I'd GUESS that many kids would have off the week preceeding Christmas, and the week after. Personally, if I was going to go in December 2009, I'd be on my way home by the 18th or 19th.

You might be ok a LITTLE bit into the next week, and the week between Christmas and New Years is the busiest, but I wouldn't count on too small of crowds the week before Christmas.

You can also tell, some, by the 'season' on the room rates. Holiday season starts the night of the 18th - though prices do go up a little more starting on Christmas day.

I agree with GusMan. It looks like the "Magic Season" is December 1-14, which means smaller crowds & lower rates. The "Choice Season" which is escalating crowds and higher rates is December 15-23 and of course the "Premier Season" is 24-31. The rates for 2010 have not been release but the premier season will extend into the first part of the 2010.

We have been in December and have gone in early December, before the 15th and have had such a wonderful time! The parks are so easy to navigate due to no crowds! The resorts are quiet and peaceful and the atmosphere is wonderfully festive. We were actually there a few years back and stayed 2 days into the busier time and it was amazing how quickly the parks became difficult to manage, that year we DID experience record low temps as well. Our Luau night was even cancelled due to inclement weather! But that was a rare event, not the norm! We've been several times in December and that experience was the only cold weather experience we had!

We've been there most months except July thru September. I think everyone should go at least once during the Christmas season, as the experience is so unique. But our favorite time is the first week of May. It's still not real humid, but warm enough for water parks every day. April is OK, but usually much more crowded than May. First week of June doesn't have the big summer peak crowds yet, but way too humid for us.

What date in December, about, does it start to get busy? I am considering, in the very, very back of my mind, a December 2009 trip for my 40th birthday.

OMG Disney is making me wish my life away. I have just realised I am NOT 40 UNTIL 2010!!!!!!! Good job. Can't realistically consider a trip in the current economic climate for several years anyway :(

We went May 18th-25th and it was hot and very humid. I'm from California and can stand the heat, but the humidity was tough. I think next time we will either go in April and try to aviod spring break or early December. We still had a great time, but there was days that I kept going into shops to stay cool.

Air conditioning is your friend....LOL!

I have two favorite times of the year. One is at the end of September going into October, so I can visit on my birthday (9/29) and also hook into the start of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. The other is at Christmas, basically any time after Thanksgiving through about the 3rd week of December. The parks and hotels really sparkle with the extra decorations of the season. And hearing the Voices of Liberty in Epcot's American Adventure singing Christmas carols just can't be beat!

I also try to squeeze in a trip sometime in April or May, but that's usually at the whim of my work schedule, and not due to anything special in the World (other than Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival, which can be nice).

We're at Walt Disney World right now, and after my experience with spring and earlier fall trips, I have to say that I really am enjoying *now* in the parks. The weather is cooler and much less humid. The crowds are almost nonexistent, and the Christmas decorations are beautiful.

The best time to go to WDW is ...now. (and often)

We have always gone in Oct and May, taking the kids out of school has NEVER been a problem for us because the family time spent and the learning experiences that they learn on the way, while we are there and on the return trip home is better than what they are learning in most cases at school.

The WORST time to go is the week of Christmas! Nope, never again even if we won a full expense paid trip to any Disney park and paid us a lot of money! The worst experience ever and I get sick saying that because Disneyland and Disney World are the Happiest places on Earth except for that time of year!

It's hard to imagine the parks being so full that you just can't have any fun, but then I have experienced that a couple of times. When walking even on Main Street is shoulder to shoulder, not to mention the long LONG lines at any ride or restaurant, yeah, it just ain't fun!

We have only ever gone in July. This upcoming trip will be our first (as a family, I don't count the trips I took when I was little) in December, and I am really curious as to how it will compare.

July is hot, hot, hot, with occasional torrents of rain. All we know is humid sweaty DisneyWorld, full of people, long lines, etc. I'm wondering how the crowds compare at Christmas vs. Independence Day week.

The good thing is, I get to find out in just over a week!!!!!!

July is hot, hot, hot, with occasional torrents of rain. All we know is humid sweaty DisneyWorld, full of people, long lines, etc.

Ahhh, Disney parks without the humid sweaty crammed in people and long lines!!! It's a completely different experience, and once you try it you'll probably never want to go back to July. It's just so nice to NOT be sweating away from 8am on, and even needing a sweater during the cooler evenings. And having lines that are almost always shorter than 15 minutes or so really makes park storming much more fun.