It’s no secret that our absolute favorite week of the year to visit Walt Disney World is during the holiday season. It’s perfect in every regard, from manageable crowds to reliably comfortable weather (knock on wood) to the parks decked out for Christmas. There are many other weeks we like a lot, but there’s another with which we have more of a love-hate relationship.
This one also has a lot going for it, which is why we visit frequently during this week. It’s near the start of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but not at the very beginning. This means the lowest prices for event tickets, usually slightly better weather (although nothing even approaching costume-level comfortable for us), and sometimes parties that aren’t totally sold out (not relevant in the last few years, but it was once…and maybe again?).
It’s also the traditional start of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Although dates have yet to be released for 2025, the foodie fest returned to its normal cadence this year, which meant kicking off just before Labor Day weekend. In all likelihood, the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival will follow that same pattern.
Then there are crowd levels. We spend a lot of time covering the late summer and early fall off-season, so I don’t want to belabor the point. You probably already know that crowd levels drop considerably (and they weren’t even that high to begin with this summer) once school goes back in session, and they don’t really recover until fall breaks begin.
Suffice to say, the last week of August was the slowest at Walt Disney World since the last week of September 2021. Although the last week of August 2024 was the slowest week in a few years, it wasn’t even all that remarkable. The same week last year was barely busier, with a 25 minute average and 1/10 crowd level versus a 23 minute average and 1/10 crowd level this year. Two minutes can add up over the course of a day, but both weeks were incredibly slow–the two least busy weeks since October 2021!
Given the overall trajectory of crowd levels and the last week of August being reliably slow year-in and year-out, this shouldn’t be a huge shock. I’m fairly confident in predicting the last week of August 2025 will also be slow. Whether it’s more or less busy than this year probably depends on the broader economy, Epic Universe, and the Disney Starlight Night Parade as well as a potential summer event.
For those who are wondering, crowd levels don’t really spike for Labor Day, either. This also shouldn’t be the least bit surprising for readers of this blog, as it’s a point that we harp on frequently–Labor Day is the least busy holiday weekend of the entire year, and is less busy than Jersey Week, Ski Week, and other random holidays you might think I’m making up. We explained the ‘why’ of that and offered historical stats back in Labor Day Weekend Isn’t Busy at Disney.
As discussed in our list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2024 to 2025, mid-August to late September is the best stretch of the entire year and if those lists were purely data-driven, over half of the ‘best’ side of the ledger would be weeks in August and September. With only a couple of exceptions, the entire two month stretch sees below average attendance.
All of this should sound great…so what’s the hate part of the love-hate relationship? Weather. Oppressively hot and humid temperatures are the reason that only one week during that timeframe makes the list, and it’s not even the one with the objectively lowest crowds.
Instead, it’s a tad later than we’d like, with the idea of compromising on crowds to improve the odds of better weather. Of course, there are no guarantees–Florida has 42 weeks of summer and it is hurricane season!
The fact is that heat, humidity, and hurricanes are a gamble anytime from early August through late October. Again, we don’t want to belabor the point, so if you’re on the fence about this tradeoff, see Is It Still Worth Visiting During the Early Fall Offseason at Walt Disney World? for a greater discussion of weather vs. crowds.
The good news is that you can still have the upside of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival even if you opt to push past the objectively-best weeks of the year in late August and early September for something subjectively superior (possibly!) in mid-to-late September.
However, there’s one new reason to visit then that you’ll miss if you go later during Fall 2025…
The latest addition to this already stacked schedule is that D23 is returning to Walt Disney World for the biggest fan event of 2025–now at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, from August 29 – 31, 2025!
D23 Gold Members will be among the first to hear exciting announcements and see sneak peeks from the many worlds of Disney—and relive favorite memories with behind-the-scenes stories, special guests, and so much more at this epic event.
More than doubling in size in 2025, fans can look forward to a weekend filled with exclusive presentations from Walt Disney Archives and the Walt Disney Studios; spectacular entertainment; and peeks into all the worlds of Disney, along with a variety of unique interactive and shopping experiences.
As part of the event, D23 has arranged a special room block at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World Resort. You can take advantage of this offer for a seamless stay. You can reserve your room by clicking here or by calling 407.939.4686. (If what I’m seeing is correct, it’s a flat-rate of $200 per night regardless of the dates you book, and whether you choose a standard or preferred room–nothing for Gran Destino Tower, sadly.)
From the description, it sounds like Destination D23 is becoming the D23 Expo: Walt Disney World Edition. Well, except they don’t even call the Anaheim Edition the D23 Expo anymore, but pretty much every fan still does. It’s like Baby Yoda vs. Grogu or Magic Kingdom vs. Magic Kingdom Park.
Anyway, Destination D23 started out as a history-oriented event (and was called D23’s Destination D) that was absolutely awesome for geeks like us. Destination D/23 had maybe 1-2 newsy items per year, and was mostly hearing gritty old dudes talk about the creation of the Vacation Kingdom of the World, the challenges they overcame to achieve success, and how they just got stuff done. I’m sure current management didn’t like this for a number of reasons (namely the “getting stuff done” part).
It wasn’t until 2018 that Destination D23 really became the off-year Expo, and even then, the biggest news was the names of the attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Everything else was updates, opening seasons, or returning/limited time entertainment. That’s literally it. Last year was when Destination D23 really went mainstream, with what I’d argue was a bigger slate of announcements than during the prior D23 Expo.
There’s no way on earth that the 2025 Destination D23 will have more big news than the 2024 D23 Expo. That just isn’t possible. But we would expect a ton of project updates, new concept art, and mid-tier announcements (new restaurants, ride reimaginings, celebrations, resort expansion–that sort of thing).
It would be a perfect venue to reveal, for example, that the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights and Country Bear Christmas are returning in 2025. (Actually…that would be a tad late to incentivize people to book trips…but you get the idea.)
I’d also expect a mixture of history-focused and synergistic panels. The last Destination D23 was a pretty massive departure from the first one we attended back in 2011 for Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary, but fan preferences have changed. Sadly, the ‘present-day’ panels are more popular.
Another sad point is that many of the Disney Legends who brought Walt Disney World to life have passed away in the last decade-plus or can no longer do presentations. (Not to go down a morbid road, but if you have the chance to hear any of these Imagineers and others talk, don’t pass it up. The clock is ticking.) But I digress.
The bottom line is that I love Destination D23 and plan on attending again in 2025. I’m really happy that it lines up with (what I assume will be) the start of EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival and (probably) the second week of MNSSHP.
I’ve been to almost all of the Destination D/23s, and have loved just about every panel I’ve attended–some even unexpectedly, like a NatGeo one that I went in thinking didn’t belong at Destination D23 (it didn’t, but was still good).
And for those worried that Destination D23 will cause worse crowds, it won’t. The few thousand attendees (at most) are a drop in the bucket, and that’s even if they were visiting the parks. They aren’t. This is a convention, so days are mostly spent at Coronado Springs. Unless you’re staying there or focused on the dorkiest rides at Walt Disney World, you probably won’t even notice there’s a D23 event happening.
This also sort of touches on why Destination D23 definitely isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t have this be my once-every-two-years visit to Walt Disney World, but if you’re an out of state Annual Passholder or enjoy conventions and are fine with far less park time, it really is a lot of fun. A different way to do WDW, make friends with common interests, and gain a greater appreciation for Walt Disney World.
Finally, something I want to touch on briefly as an X-factor is that this might be the optimal time to experience Disney Starlight Night Parade, Test Track 3.0, and whatever else Walt Disney World has on deck for Summer 2025. While we fully expect the new parade to debut around Memorial Day, that’s not a sure thing. And there’s even more uncertainty when it comes to Test Track 3.0 or anything else that has yet to be announced.
Walt Disney World has been pretty bad at meeting deadlines lately. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is the lone exception to this as something that opened ahead of schedule…and I think we can all agree that it probably shouldn’t have. Just about everything else has been delayed. CommuniCore Hall and the reimagined Little Mermaid show are two prime examples. (A bit beside the point, but if Disney can’t deliver those projects, of all things, in a timely manner, it doesn’t make me overly optimistic for the ambitious portions of the 5-year plan.)
The other wrinkle is crowds. We really don’t know what’s going to happen with Epic Universe–both that park itself and its impact on Walt Disney World. Publicly, the position of Bob Iger and co. is that a rising tide lifts all ships. Maybe they’re right, in which case it could be a busier summer, especially on the parade route in Magic Kingdom. Regardless of how things play out in June and July, we’d still fully expect late August and early September to be slower. Just like always. And that extends to Epic Universe, too.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
If you’ve done Walt Disney World in late August or early September, what was your experience? Was it worth hitting the cheaper MNSSHP dates and early-on during EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, or was the weather too hot and humid? If you’ve done Destination D23, would you recommend that event to other WDW diehards? Thoughts about anything else covered here? If you’re a frequent visitor during this timeframe, what’s your take on crowds, wait times, seasonal offerings, weather, etc? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
