Where? Orlando! Now When Is The Best Time to Visit Orlando For You?
It’s your vacation, and you’ve already decided on where – Orlando IS HAPPENING! Yay! Your next decision should be all about when is the best time to come to Orlando? Well, deciding the ‘when’ takes a lot of researching and knowing exactly ‘what’ to expect.
Important Considerations
Four biggest factors of the best time to plan your trip to Orlando:
- Weather
- Crowds
- Availability
- Affordability.
It can quickly become overwhelming doing detailed research on all the things important to you. These things are absolutely important though. Not to worry, because I’m going to break all those down for you, including how these factors are tied together. With all the research done for you, BOOM, you will know exactly when is the best time to come to Orlando for you.
Weather + Hurricane Season
Hurricane Season in Central Florida – Officially June 1st – November 30
The good news is Orlando is considered very low risk for hurricanes. Orlando is not on the coast, so most major storms that make landfall in Florida begin to weaken. But it’s worth mentioning, the whole state of Florida is impacted by the Hurricane Season. So here’s some important details to keep in mind.
- Peak Atlantic Hurricane Season is August through October
- Tropical storms often include a tremendous amount of rain and high winds..
- Central Florida is considered the lightning capital of the US. While this makes for some gloriously impressive displays in the sky (and booming loud thunder), the dangers do bring the need to seek shelter and follow safety protocols. With July being the most active, all the summer months are prone to frequent lightning storms.
Which weather season suits you best? Now that we’ve covered hurricanes and the normal Florida storms, what else entices you about the beautiful Orlando weather?
HEAT – Orlando Gets HOT Y’all!
Do those sizzling hot days make Orlando even more appealing? The hotter, the better? Bring on the summer vibes, water parks, and tan lines. If you like it HOT HOT HOT – June through September is perfect for you.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Don’t forget your sunscreen.
- Stay hydrated. Keep your reusable, insulated cup replenished, especially during the midday-high heat. H2O is your best friend.
Tropically Warm – When it’s not so hot is just right.
Maybe instead of steaming, you still want that tropical feel without the full-blown humidity. If you’d rather feel those occasional breezes, cooler evenings, and the option of outdoor dining in comfort, you’re more of a warm weather person. The best weather for you to make your Orlando vacation plans would be March-May or October-November.
Cool – Yes, it actually does cool down. I promise.
When the rest of the Northern Hemisphere has snow, ice, and chill factors, Orlando is the absolute perfect escape. Snowbirds anyone? Maybe compared to most places on earth, Orlando doesn’t get THAT cold. But we do get some cool(er) winter months.
As you can see from the Orlando weather chart, Dec-Feb has much lower
average low temperatures. The humidity in these months isn’t nearly as noticeable. Florida actually has a dry season during this time, so there are far fewer showers or storms on average.
Crowds & Availability & Affordability
To look closer at these other three, it makes the most sense to first separate the meaning of seasons. Because there are the normal seasons, i.e. spring, summer, fall, and winter. But seasons in Florida usually means something else completely.
Peak and Non-Peak Seasons
Many people plan their Orlando vacations around holidays or school schedules. That may be the only logistical time to make the trip. But that’s also when a vast amount of others visit Orlando, too. Peak Seasons book up faster (and further out), and the rates increase. Non-Peak seasons have much less demand, so the prices go down, the crowds thin out a bit, and the lines are a bit shorter.
Holidays
Let’s face it, ORLANDO IS HAPPENING 365 days a year. Nothing completely shuts down the happiest place on earth. But even during Non-Peak seasons, there are Peak Days. These are usually around holidays, three-day weekends, or a specially planned celebration or convention.
The more obvious holidays, of course, are: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter (+Spring Break = most of April), and 4th of July. Also, larger crowds and lower availability will be encountered on during the following:
| Martin Luther King Day | Labor Day Weekend |
| President’s Day | Veteran’s Day |
| Mother’s Day | Veteran’s Day (+Observed) |
| Memorial Day Weekend | Columbus Day |
| Father’s Day |
Smaller crowds during non-peak seasons was the marketing genius behind creating special annual events such as:
Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival
Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival
Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights
Universal’s Mardi Gras
SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival
–And so many other off-season festivals all over Central Florida.
Supply and demand not only contributes to the crowds and availability, but also your vacation’s affordability. These three things in many ways all compute together to dictate fares by the travel industry as a whole. From flights, hotels, car rentals, and sometimes even admission tickets.
New rides or major park openings can also create a bigger attendance, increasing crowds. When more people flock to the new openings, you can expect longer lines, wait times, higher priced lodging and reservations fill up quickly. Example: Disney’s scheduled opening of Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind is set for May 27th 2022 (so exciting!)
As you can see, there are so many things that can influence when exactly is the best time to book an Orlando vacation for you. It might be when you and your family schedule allows. Or, maybe you want the perfect weather. Or, trying to find the most affordable time to visit Orlando might be your priority. No matter what you decide, I know you are going to have a super special Orlando vacation, because Orlando is HAPPENING!
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