Finding the perfect dates to plan your next Disney World trip can feel like winning the travel lottery, but there are a few that you’ll want to take note of before you truly lock in those plans for your next visit in 2025.

Let’s fly!

Researching and planning your upcoming Disney World vacation can be half of the fun of the entire experience for some but unless you time it just right, it could be trickier than you originally planned. With more airlines adding new routes in and out of Orlando regularly (especially with the addition of a new terminal), there are a few dates throughout the year that might be best for you to AVOID all together if you can help it!

Traveling from your home to Orlando for a Disney World vacation can quickly become an exciting core memory, but it can turn into a disastrous one that sticks out like a sore thumb just as easily without the right planning.

Crowds at Blizzard Beach water park

We’ve compiled a list of dates in 2025 that tend to be known for higher travel crowds and if you’re looking to travel on or around these dates, check them out and make sure you don’t need to pivot before chaos has a chance to ensue.

Holiday Weekends

Arguably the absolute WORST time to travel throughout the year may fall on one of the ever popular holiday weekends. These are typically weekends where the holiday falls closer to the beginning of the week or at the very end, allowing for both adults and kids alike to free up their work and school schedules for a longer break than just the regular weekend of Saturday and Sunday. Ironically, we’ve found that travel crowds (and therefore crowds visiting Disney World) during these holiday weekends are typically higher the more low-stakes the holiday may seem.

Presidents’ Day Weekend crowds in Magic Kingdom

Historically these extended weekend crowds have been reported as packed, as in shoulder to shoulder,  with crowds while this past Holiday season (which you might think would warrant MORE travelers) appeared to ebb and flow depending on the day. Our dates we’re recommending you avoid are Presidents’ Day Weekend between February 14th-23rd, Memorial Day Weekend falling between May 24th-26th, Fourth of July specifically on both July 3rd and 4th,  and the days surrounding Labor Day which falls on September 1st.

School Breaks

Anytime kids are scheduled out of extended breaks from school, it’s reasonable to conclude that people are willing to back up their travel plans to align with them. While not as long as breaks in the summer, these seasonal breaks during Spring, Fall, and Winter, are typically a week or longer.

Halloween in Magic Kingdom

Sometimes, there are even extended weekends that fall into this category, so this one ranks a little lower on our “avoid at all costs” strategy. There’s a good chance you may luck up with only having to deal with a few busier days to plan around rather than moving your plans by an entire week or deal with the potential for higher crowds.

Christmas & New Years

Holidays are another trending time where travelers just can’t wait to get away for a bit. On the contrary, there’s also several folks flying back into and around Disney World to return home, visit family, and catch up during their extended work and school breaks. The dates we’d recommend you avoid due to expected spikes in travelers are between December 19th and January 2nd, 2026.

Santa Stitch

These are also popular to choose for traveling since schools historically let kids out of school for a few weeks for this end-of-the-year break, similarly to summer vacations. It’s also a time that we’ve most recently seen Disney World Annual Passholders with lower tiers blocked out of the park, making it an ideal time as a traveler to be in the parks and not have a ton of local crowds.

Standby line entrance at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

If you find yourself second guessing your travel dates or just would like to pass them through expert opinion as you’re considering booking your next Disney World trip, reach out to our travel agent friends at Small World Vacations. They’re experts at planning Disney World vacations who will use their passion and knowledge to help you plan the best trip yet.

All in all, while you might want to avoid flying on these busier dates if at all possible, we also recognize there are several factors like airline promotions and deals, points, and more than make up your mind when deciding which days to travel work best for you. However, if you do happen to find yourself traveling on any of these busier times, we’d highly recommend expecting higher travel traffic, possible delays, and keeping your mind grounded and occupied.

We’re constantly giving you the best tips, tricks, and strategies that we’ve personally tested ourselves to help make your next Disney World visit as smooth as possible! Be sure to stay tuned with us at DFB for even more.

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Do you schedule your next Disney World visit during one of these dates? Tell us all about the reasons behind your planning in the comments below!