9 Reasons to NOT go to Walt Disney World in the Winter

Everyone on Pinterest and the internet is going to tell you to go to Walt Disney World in the offseason which is primarily in the winter. I decided to take their advice and visit the most magical place on earth during the 2020 Marathon Weekend. Even though it was slightly less crowed there were a few things that I did not like about visiting Walt Disney World in the winter.

1.Cold and Flu Season

Everyone is SICK! I mean it! There were people coughing and sneezing everywhere we went. It was extremely hard to stay away from sick people and resulted in me getting a sinus infection. This is especially true on the plane ride to and from your vacation.

2. Snow

Obviously, you are not going to deal with snow once you’re in Flordia but you may have run into it before your vacation. I live in a cold area that gets snow in the winter. This meant that I was in constant fear that we would get a snow storm right before my trip and make it impossible to get to the airport. There is travel insurance to cover issues like this but that is an added expense.

3. Shorter Park Hours

During the “off-season,” Disney World does not stay open as long as it does in the summer. Most of the parks will not open till around 9 am and close around 8 pm or 9 pm in the winter. In the summer the parks open early and will stay open till 10 pm or 11 pm. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, this may be something to think about.

4. Cold Weather

Even though you are in Flordia, you will see lows of 40 degrees and average highs of 60 degrees. If cold weather doesn’t bother you this is not as much of an issue. But be prepared with layers and blankets for the fireworks.

5. Refurbishments

Disney uses the winter and “off-season” as a chance to schedule refurbishments throughout the park. This is something to take note of since your favorite ride could be closed for refurbishments during your stay.

6. Lesser Amount of Employees

I noticed that Disney does not have as many employees during the offseason. You may not think that this is a big deal, but it is. This means that fewer cash registers are open, fewer lines are open, and longer lines because of it. Disney also uses this time to bring on new employees that are much slower. I also have a theory that due to a fewer amount of employees they do not release as many fast passes. Obviously, you can not take on an average amount of fast passes if you do not run with a full amount of employees. I could be very wrong with this theory but I noticed the correlation during my last trip.

7. It Gets Dark Sooner

During the winter the days are much shorter and will get dark around 5 PM. This means you have less hours in the park during the daylight and things close earlier because of it. It will also start to get cold once the sun goes down.

8. Not As Many Extra Magic Hours

Even though it is the winter and the “off-season,” there are still extra magic hours. But they are not as long as they would be in the summer months. For example, in the summer, Magic Kingdom is normally open till 10 PM and then will have EMH till 1 AM some nights. But in the winter it will close 8 PM and have EMH till 10 PM.

9. No Water Rides

During the winter months, Disney closes its water rides for refurbishments. If your child is dying to ride Splash Mountain, it will not be open. This is something to keep in mind when planning your trip.

There are pros and cons to visting Disney World in the winter. Hopefully this post helped you decide if the winter season is the right time for you and your family!

Have a Magical Day!

-Magical Montana

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