What’s Happening at Disney World in 2025: A Month-by-Month Snapshot

Are you planning a Walt Disney World vacation in 2025? Our monthly snapshot series provides a quick look at what’s happening each month. We cover key dates, seasonal events, early park closures, and more. We also share our expectations as experienced visitors who have both visited Walt Disney World from afar and lived less than 20 minutes from the theme parks.

Each month, we provide an individual monthly snapshot that includes new announcements and things you’ll want to be aware of if you’re visiting. We touch on things like how the weather might affect your trip and when you might run into major crowds based on holidays and events.

We’ve started a new format for this process in 2025. So starting in May, you’ll see a link to the corresponding guide under each month’s overview. Some of this is trial and error, but I try to post the next month’s article the first week of the month. For example, we posted the September monthly snapshot the first week of August. If you find our monthly snapshots helpful, we recommend referencing them before and during your vacation. If something new is announced, we do our best to add it to the schedule. For example, if a new restaurant opens, we would add the opening date for the restaurant to the timeline and the date that you could first make reservations for it. Reservation dates are crucial when it comes to planning.

If you’re looking for specific resources, we also keep a Disney World Resort Hotel Refurbishment Guide and a Disney Ride Refurbishment Tracker.

January 2025

January is what I like to call an unexpectedly busy month at Disney World. It feels like things should be winding down with the holiday season behind us, but the reality is that things remain steady throughout most of the month. This can be attributed to numerous factors, including RunDisney events, holiday leftover crowds, guests coming in for cooler temperatures and fewer crowds (the irony), and the long weekend around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

This month also kicks off the Epcot International Festival of the Arts. Weather-wise, make sure to bring layers. Temperatures could range from “feels like freezing” to “unseasonably warm.” You never can tell. If you’re hoping to swim, remember that Disney pools are heated to approximately 82 degrees year-round. We have found that the pools typically remain open unless the outdoor temperatures drop to about 55 degrees or lower.

Big Dates:

• January 1st-5th: Christmas Holidays Wrapping Up
• January 8th -12th: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
• January 17th – 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Weekend
• January 17th: Start of the Festival of the Arts at Epcot

February 2025

February is by no means the worst month to visit Disney World. This month often brings an early Spring, making the latter part one of the most beautiful times to visit the parks. Consider yourself lucky if you see some of the flowering trees blooming around the parks and resorts.

The Epcot Festival of the Arts continues through most of the month, and toward the end, topiaries will start to go up for the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, which starts in early March.

This is another month where you’ll want to dress in layers. Early morning and evenings might be cool (or downright chilly), while most days warm up to comfortable temperatures. February is hit or miss with crowds. President’s Day weekend is one of the busier weekends of the year, like almost all holiday weekends. Late February brings the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, which is comparable to a holiday weekend.

Big Dates:

• February 14th – 17th: Valentine’s and President’s Day Weekend
• February 21st – 23rd: Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

March 2025

March is truly hit-or-miss regarding crowds. It’s often the start of Spring break for most southern schools and other regions throughout the United States. You might visit the first week of March and find the crowds unbearable, only to find that things seemed to have cleared up for the next week. This year will be even more hit-or-miss because Easter is late, arriving in April.

If you’re visiting during March, you’ll likely want to spend some time enjoying the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, which will be in full bloom. A lightweight jacket might be needed in the evenings, but for the most part, we’ve reached “almost hot” midday temps and warm, comfortable evenings.

Big Dates:

• Spring Break (Most of the Month)
• March 5th: Start of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

April 2025

April will likely be busy through Easter week. Since Easter falls late this year, we won’t see as much downtime as usual. How busy is Easter? It’s not quite Christmas, but you probably wouldn’t know any different. We have found that the week leading into Easter is usually the worst, and the week after doesn’t usually see much relief.

The other big deal this month is the RunDisney Springtime Surprise. This event takes place on the first weekend in April and will be a big draw for runners and joggers.

Big Dates:

• April 3rd – April 6th: RunDisney Springtime Surprise
• April 18th – April 20th: Easter Weekend
• Spring Break Continues

May 2025

May is one of the slower months at Walt Disney World. By Memorial Day weekend, which is often considered the official start of summer in the parks, things start to ramp up. Noteworthy events for this May include Star Wars Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This year also marks the debut of Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure, two new stage shows at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, opening toward the end of the month.

For detailed info and the complete month’s timeline, see our May 2025 Monthly Snapshot.

Big Dates:

• May 23rd – May 26th: Memorial Day Weekend

June 2025

June is a popular month to visit Walt Disney World. Many guests flock to the parks with hopes of getting in a vacation before it becomes unbearably hot. (We think it’s already pretty close to unbearably hot with little difference in the next three months.) That said, the heat does keep some away. Otherwise, the Flower and Garden Festival wraps up at the very beginning of the month, making for a festival-less Epcot until late August.

For 2025, Disney World is promoting Cool Kid Summer, which kicks off on June 1st. We have a complete guide to Cool Kid Summer if you’re visiting between now and then.

For detailed info and the complete month’s timeline, see our guide to visiting Disney World in June 2025.

July 2025

July is a fun month to visit Walt Disney World if you don’t mind the heat. We love to be in the parks on both the 3rd and 4th of July to enjoy all the Independence Day activities. While it can be crowded, it’s a unique time to visit and enjoy special fireworks celebrations that are only offered on these two evenings each year. See our guide to the 4th of July at Disney World in 2025 for more details.

As far as the rest of the month, crowds are moderate and tend to taper off after the first week of the month. Make sure to plan plenty of rest and/or pool time if you’re visiting. We try to take advantage of any later hours that are offered in the parks. So make sure to check the schedule. Also, note that the new Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away debuts on July 20th. This might cause major crowds at the Magic Kingdom on its debut night and thereafter.

For detailed info and the complete month’s timeline, see our guide to visiting Disney World in the month of July 2025.

Big Dates:

• July 3rd: Fourth of July festivities are offered at Magic Kingdom.
• July 4th: As you can imagine, this is an exceptionally busy holiday.
• July 20th: Debut of Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away at Magic Kingdom

August 2025

August is the month that always surprises me the most. People think it won’t be busy and that they can handle the heat in exchange for low crowds. We have found that August (especially the first two weeks) is often much busier than anyone ever anticipates. I speculate that people think they’re going to sneak down to Disney for a quick visit before school starts. That said, it has come to my attention that many schools are starting earlier than ever in 2025, some even in late July. So we’ll have to see.

Mid-August marks the start of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. This extra-ticketed event will bring in extra guests. If you’re on a week’s vacation, make sure you’re aware of party nights. The Magic Kingdom will close earlier 2-3 nights a week, to host the party. We enjoy the party and think it’s worth exchanging a day’s ticket for an evening party ticket if you’re interested in attending. If you want to learn more, see our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide for 2025.

As far as the rest of the month, things look pretty calm up until the last weekend. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival kicks off, which can be truly miserable in the heat. This, along with the Destination D23 Ultimate Fan Event taking place at Coronado Springs and the Labor Day holiday, will likely significantly impact crowds. See our 2025 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Guide for planning details.

For detailed info and the complete month’s timeline, see our guide to visiting Disney World in August 2025.

Big Dates:

• August 28th: The International Food and Wine Festival starts at Epcot.
• August 29th – August 31st: Destination D23 Weekend at Disney World (Coronado Springs)
• August 29th – August 31st: Labor Day Weekend

September 2025

September means full-on fall at Walt Disney World, except it’s hot…just like August. Please don’t think it will be cooler because it’s “Fall.” We call September second August in central Florida.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party continues on select nights, which means early park closures at Magic Kingdom. The Food and Wine Festival is in full swing at Epcot. It tends to get especially busy on the weekends. Crowd levels tend to dip after Labor Day.

For detailed info and the complete month’s timeline, see our guide to visiting Disney World in September 2025.

Big Dates:

• September 1st: Labor Day

October 2025

October is a wonderful month to visit Walt Disney World. While the weather is often still hot, we begin to see a break in those oppressive temperatures. That said, don’t let the allure of a Fall vacation make you think it won’t be busy. Early October is often jam-packed with guests visiting for Fall Break. Those first two weeks of the month can be quite hectic. Mickey’s Halloween Party continues on select nights through the end of the month, and the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is somewhat enjoyable when the weather cooperates. RunDisney also returns toward the end of the month.

We’ll have our guide to visiting Disney World this October when it gets closer. You might also enjoy our Disney World Halloween Guide.

Big Dates:

• October 10th-13th: Columbus Day Weekend (Peak Fall Break)
• October 24th-26th: Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
• October 31st: Halloween, Christmas Starts The Next Day

November 2025

November is one of my favorite months to visit Disney World. We like to get in early and get out before the Thanksgiving crowds arrive when possible. In all seriousness, Halloween goes down on November 1st, and Christmas decorations arrive overnight. If you’re visiting in late October, you’ll likely see signs of Christmas in other parks before the month is completely up. The Christmas season officially begins on November 14th in 2025. Additionally, the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays begins the day after Thanksgiving. See our 2025 Epcot Festivals of the Holidays Guide for planning details.

This month also marks the start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom and Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These extra-ticketed events mean that these parks will close early on select evenings through the holidays. So you’ll want to plan your park days around them. For more details about the parties, see our 2025 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Guide and our 2025 Jollywood Nights Guide.

We’ll have our guide to visiting Disney World this November when it gets closer.

Big Dates:

• November 7th-11th: Veterans Day Weekend
• November 14th: Christmas begins at Disney World in 2025.
• November 27th: Thanksgiving Day
• November 28th: Start of the Festival of the Holidays at Epcot

December 2025

Just like November, early December is another one of our favorite times to visit Walt Disney World. You’ll just want to remember that the closer you get to the holidays, the busier it becomes. The week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day offers the most extreme crowds of the year. Yes, it’s still magical if you can look past all that. It’s also a very special and unique time to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth.

As for seasonal events, the Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights continue through the first few weeks of the month. Those parties are usually wrapped up by somewhere around the 22nd of December.

We’ll have our guide to visiting Disney World this December when it gets closer.

Big Dates:

• December 24th through January 1, 2026: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day

Final Thoughts

We hope you found our monthly timelines helpful to your planning process. Remember that no matter when you visit, it’s best to make the most of your time, even if it’s busier than you would like. For more of our planning resources, you might also enjoy the following:

• Our Complete Guide to Walt Disney World Resort Reviews: Browse our detailed, resort-by-resort hotel reviews to find the perfect place to stay.
• Best Disney World Resorts Ranked: We’ve ranked the best resorts at Disney World to provide you with an overview of how they look from our perspective. (We’ve stayed at every one.)
• The Best Disney Resorts for Toddlers: Are you visiting with younger children? See this guide to help figure out the resort that will work best for your family!
• What to Do on Your Arrival Day at Disney World: Our arrival day planning tips will set your vacation up for success!

More Planning

For planning a Disney World vacation, you might also enjoy our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of our coverage of the resorts. Our Disney World Dining Guide is a good resource for planning all your meals. For more on the theme parks, start with our Disney World Parks Guide. It leads to coverage of all four theme parks. If you or someone in your party has an interest in meeting characters at Disney World, that guide will help you locate options. Lastly, our Disney Water Parks Guide will help you get started planning a trip to either of Disney’s two water parks.