When to Go

When to Go

Timing can spell the difference between a good vacation in the theme parks and a great one. Since the Orlando area is an obvious destination for families, the area is at its most crowded during school vacations. If you're traveling without youngsters or with just preschoolers, avoid school holidays.

Spring

Spring in Orlando is absolutely gorgeous: sunny and warm, but not killer hot and humid like it is in summer. In April and May, you may have some nippy days and others that are warm enough for the water parks. Avoid the weeks before and after Easter, which also coincide with Spring Break for a lot of schools. May, excluding Memorial Day weekend, and early June are excellent times to go.

Summer

If water parks are a must for your family, plan your trip in summer, but be prepared for serious heat and serious crowds. Fortunately, busy periods bring longer hours and sometimes added entertainment and parades, such as the evening SpectroMagic parade in Disney's Magic Kingdom, which you can't see in quieter times. There are slightly fewer people in early June and late August.

Fall

Summer and early fall are hurricane season, but the period from late September through November, like spring, usually brings bright beautiful days with cooler temperatures and some of the lightest crowds all year.

Winter

For most people, winter in Orlando is too chilly for swimming -- and at least one of the water parks is always closed. Outside of the holidays, including Christmas, New Year's, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and President's Day, it's the least crowded time of year.

How Long to Stay

There are a couple of ways to approach this question. If you're coming to the area mostly to go on the rides and see the theme parks, allow one day per theme park. This supposes that you're willing to start out early every day, move quickly, breeze through shops, and hurry through meals. Then add your travel time to and from home.

If your objective is to enjoy the complete Orlando resort experience, seven days is a comfortable period to allow; this gives you time to see all of the parks at Universal and WDW and to take in one water park, to sample the restaurants and entertainment, and to spend a bit of time around the pool. Eight days would be better. Figure on an additional day for every other area theme park you want to visit, and then add your travel time to and from home.

If you can, make time for shopping and for exploring Orlando. Central Florida has some great high-end and discount shopping and some visitor treasures like Green Meadows Farm in Kissimmee and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, with the world's largest collection of Tiffany glass, in Winter Park.

Taking the Kids Out of School

For many parents, it's worth avoiding the frustration of the crowds to take the kids out of school for a couple of days. We agree that this can make for a more enjoyable trip, but it's a good idea to consult with your child's teachers before making plans. Hopefully the teachers can advise you about the best time of year to go and help create a study plan to make certain your child's education is not compromised. For elementary-school kids, there are ways of making the trip educational. For example, your child could write about the different countries featured at Epcot in lieu of a missed homework assignment. One last note: although it may be fine to take an elementary-school child out of school for a few days, missing several days of middle or high school could set your child back for the rest of the semester, so consider this option very carefully.

Seasonal Closures

Disney sometimes closes rides and attractions for refurbishment or maintenance during slower seasons. Before you finalize your travel schedule, call the theme parks to find out about any planned closures so you don't show up at the Magic Kingdom to find Peter Pan's Flight grounded for the week.