This information to February 2023 at Walt Disney World features a free crowd calendar, weeks to go to & keep away from, climate, seasonal occasions, and new attraction openings & closures. This covers all ideas & data you want for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios is roofed right here. (Up to date January 24, 2023.)
Typically, February is an effective month to go to Walt Disney World except for weekends and holidays. The climate is beginning to enhance, crowds stay low a lot of the month, inns are providing reductions and low season pricing, and it’s a good time to see the parks with out seasonal decor. All of this makes February a reasonably strong time to go to Walt Disney World.
February has loads of parallels to January at Walt Disney World. The most important distinction between the 2 months is that February lacks that vacation hangover–that awkward time in mid-January once you’re “over” Christmas and there isn’t any seasonal leisure, however the decorations are nonetheless oddly up and Christmas music remains to be enjoying. Moreover, February has barely higher climate than January.
Let’s check out the opposite upsides and drawbacks to visiting Walt Disney World in February…
February WEATHER AT DISNEY WORLD
As famous above, Climate is among the greatest upsides to February. Based mostly upon historic averages for the month of February, you’re taking a look at highs within the mid-70s and lows within the mid-50s. Now, that is solely round 5 levels higher than January, however I believe that makes a giant distinction. Moreover, based mostly on our visits throughout each months, it looks like February is so much much less more likely to have a freak chilly spell with freezing climate.
That’s simply anecdotal, but it surely has been our expertise. This isn’t to say it might’t get chilly in February, and you must nonetheless watch the climate forecast prematurely and pack objects that is perhaps helpful in your journey, however you’re most likely much less more likely to have to bust out that parka.
Actually although, should you’re escaping the blizzards of the northern states, even these low temperatures in Florida are going to really feel like tropical paradise! Learn our Winter Packing Suggestions for Disney put up for extra perception on what you would possibly should be ready for colder climate in February.
February Particular Occasions at Disney World
When it comes to particular occasions, usually there’s not a lot throughout February. The one main factor is the continuation of the ‘competition season’ over at EPCOT, with our favourite one of many 12 months starting in January and operating by means of late February. Learn our Information to the EPCOT Worldwide Pageant of the Arts for more information and recommendations on this particular occasion.
Then there’s the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, which can happen February 23-26, 2023. There are additionally a couple of main occasions occurring on the ESPN Vast World of Sports activities, all of which can have an effect on crowds all through the month.
When it comes to normal public occasions, little or no occurs throughout February outdoors of Pageant of the Arts. It’s principally simply pin releases, artwork signings, and different minor merchandise happenings. Nothing round which you’d plan a visit…until you’re a enormous Valuable Moments fan. (Hey, we aren’t judging! 😉 )
This lack of occasions generally is a good or unhealthy factor relying upon your perspective. You get to see the parks because the Imagineers initially designed them, with none decorations or overlays “blemishing” issues. However, “blemish” is within the eye of the beholder (therefore the air quotes) and loads of the decorations and seasonal occasions are enjoyable and a pleasant change of tempo, particularly should you’ve visited earlier than and need one thing new to see or do.
February REFURBISHMENTS & NEW ATTRACTIONS
When it comes to different sights that can be closed throughout February 2023, examine the Walt Disney World Refurbishment Schedule. Only a heads up: that is perhaps a bit misleading when it comes to precise building work, particularly in Epcot.
The development mission that can have probably the most noticeable impression on the visitor expertise is the huge reimagining on the entrance of Epcot. That is beginning to look higher, however the entrance of the park remains to be a sea of building partitions with a large filth pit within the center. On the plus aspect, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Area 220 Restaurant, Creations Store, Membership Cool, and Connections Cafe are all open.
EPCOT can also be house to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which is Walt Disney World’s greatest addition in the previous few years. Experiencing the brand new experience is a bit sophisticated, so remember to take a look at our How one can Experience Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind & Digital Queue Velocity Technique to enhance your possibilities of success for becoming a member of the free digital queue.
One other various for Cosmic Rewind is shopping for line-skipping entry through the Particular person Lightning Lanes. These posts clarify every possibility, their execs & cons, and every little thing else you should know. Suffice to say, don’t simply present as much as EPCOT anticipating to affix the standby line–as there isn’t one.
Then there’s the subsequent huge addition to Walt Disney World: TRON Lightcycle Run, which can have previews beginning in February 2023. Though the brand new curler coaster gained’t formally open for a pair extra months, these previews might have a minor impression on Magic Kingdom crowds. (The larger impression will come through the closure of Splash Mountain and the ensuing lack of capability.)
Past that, there are a number of sights that haven’t but opened and certain gained’t till later in 2023. This contains Moana’s Journey of Water at Epcot, which is more likely to open within the second half of the 12 months in response to Disney. Different smaller scale additions are doubtless later in 2023.
There’s an out of doors risk that Toy Story Roundup BBQ Restaurant will open in late February 2023, however even that appears unlikely at this level. For an summary of what else is on the horizon this 12 months, see What’s New & Subsequent at Walt Disney World in 2023 & Past.
February 2023 Disney World Crowd Calendar
We’ll start this free crowd calendar part with the identical preface that we supplied in January. Questioning why you don’t see a color-coded crowd calendar right here? It’s as a result of we don’t actually belief them anymore and don’t assume you must, both. If we simply had a visible crowd calendar graphic right here, lots of you’d solely take a look at that and never learn the accompanying clarification that covers what you would possibly truly anticipate.
Such an strategy would do readers a disservice, and we’d strongly warning you towards over-reliance on any Walt Disney World crowd calendars. Whereas they are often helpful instruments, crowd calendars are however one small piece of a a lot bigger puzzle. We now not select our personal journey dates based mostly upon crowd calendars and we’d encourage you to do the identical.
Disney doesn’t launch official attendance numbers, so crowd calendars use issues like college schedules, airport site visitors statistics, resort pricing & occupancy, and different indicators as proxies for crowds. For years, this strategy labored and made crowd calendars dependable. Walt Disney World attendance adopted an identifiable sample that tracked with the aforementioned proxies.
Extra not too long ago, Disney has change into adept and extra refined at manipulating each attendance and crowd move. February attendance remains to be decrease than most different months, however wait instances typically don’t bear this out. Consider this because the distinction between the precise temperature and the “seems like” temperature, however with crowds. We are able to nonetheless precise crowd and attendance patterns, however not wait instances. The latter are what most of you doubtless care about (the “seems like” crowds), but it surely’s harder to precisely forecast wait instances through Walt Disney World crowd calendars.
As a normal matter, we wish to warn you that winter is just not the “sleepy low season” at Walt Disney World. In Winter Is Not Off-Season at Walt Disney World, we clarify how January and February crowds have grown since ~2017, why final 12 months was the outlier, and the way now could be extra of a return to regular.
There are a number of instances crowds spike through the first two months of the 12 months. Every thing from runDisney occasions to below the radar vacation weekends to highschool breaks push attendance and wait instances even greater. With all of that in thoughts, listed here are our crowd calendar predictions for the very best and worst weeks at Walt Disney World in February 2023…
No matter overarching crowd tendencies, the busiest dates in February 2023 will find yourself being President’s Day week. For most individuals, President’s Day isn’t a weeklong vacation, however when it comes to crowds at Walt Disney World, it completely is. Lots of people go to for the lengthy weekend, with some staying the remainder of the week.
We not too long ago highlighted simply how unhealthy this can be within the Worst Week of Winter is Coming at Walt Disney World. Suffice to say, this would be the busiest week of the primary quarter and might be one of many 5 worst weeks of 2023–proper up there with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New 12 months’s, and the height of spring break.
When you’re questioning why dates in February, of all months, can be so busy, it comes right down to the aforementioned President’s Day vacation. On high of that, Mardi Gras is February 21, 2023. This may end in an inflow of tourists from Louisiana and different areas of the South. Not solely that, but it surely’s a break for a lot of colleges within the Northeast.
To compound issues, the next weekend is Princess Half Marathon Weekend, with official occasion dates of February 23-26, 2023. Most runners will present up early quite than staying late. There are additionally two main occasions–a soccer match and gymnastics competitors–on the ESPN Vast World of Sports activities occurring February 17-20, 2023.
Suffice to say, February 17 to February 26, 2023 ought to see peak season attendance and excessive wait instances. Count on 8/10 to 10/10 crowd ranges for that complete vary, with most dates and parks on the upper finish of that spectrum.
Consequently, we’d suggest avoiding these dates if in any respect doable. Not like Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New 12 months’s, the recognition of those holidays catch loads of friends without warning. (Valentine’s Day, however, shouldn’t be as busy.) The excellent news is that since most individuals don’t anticipate colossal crowds, they don’t put together for them. Rise up early, keep out late and strategize to keep away from lengthy strains!
When it comes to dates which might be good to go to in February, we’d suggest February 1-16, 2023 as the very best dates to go to. Inside these ranges, weekdays will certainly be higher than weekends as a result of disproportionate variety of locals visiting Walt Disney World proper now.
Based mostly on what we’ve seen to this point within the second half of January 2023, our expectation is that the primary half of February sees crowd ranges within the 3/10 to six/10 vary most dates, with 4/10 being the norm and crowds step by step rising over the course of the month.
That’s not nice as in comparison with ~5 years in the past, however actually no dates this 12 months will examine favorably to then. Walt Disney World attendance has grown by tens of millions of friends per 12 months since then. You must also anticipate heavier “seems like” crowds at EPCOT as a result of rising recognition of Pageant of the Arts. That gained’t be mirrored in wait time information, but it surely’ll be obvious when it comes to congestion whereas strolling round.
Our favourite week on stability can be the primary week of February 2023, however you actually can’t go unsuitable with the dates on the finish of the month, both. Simply as rapidly as crowds spike main into the worst of winter, so too will they fall quick on the finish of the month. The previous couple of days main into March 2023 ought to likewise be blissful, a pleasant mixture of low crowds, nice climate, and the parks coming into bloom.
February PRICING & DISCOUNTS
One other upside to a February Walt Disney World trip is costs. That is usually the Least expensive Time of 12 months to Go to Walt Disney World when trying solely at resort rack charges and admission prices. On high of that, there are at the moment some nice offers accessible for Annual Passholders, Florida residents, and even most of the people. See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for specifics.
Once more, President’s Day week is an exception to the seasonal charges, as resort costs spike for that week, too. In case it’s not already abundantly clear, until you’re getting time without work for President’s Day or Mardi Gras, you actually ought to keep away from that week. When you’re reserving a February keep at a Disney resort-hotel, you possibly can resolve for your self which resort is perhaps greatest by studying our Walt Disney World Resort Critiques.
Total, we now have had some actually nice experiences at Walt Disney World in February. Low to average crowds for a lot of the month, temperate climate, the parks trying good, and cheaper costs all make it a winner in our ebook. February (once more, minus the confluence of Presidents’ Day, Mardi Gras, and the runDisney race) feels just like the early 12 months candy spot between the vacation hangover of January and the Spring Break season of March.
Consider early February as this time of 12 months’s September (one other of our favourite instances to go to for comparable causes), besides with out fairly as a lot humidity. Not like September, there’s a enormous second half spike in February crowds, however the first half of the month–and ultimate few days–must be incredible. Whereas we choose the start of the month, February 2023 can be nice on the very finish of the month overlapping with the start of March, when the climate begins to enhance and crowds stay low.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Lodges Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every little thing you should know!
Your Ideas
Do you want Walt Disney World in February, or do you assume it’s a uninteresting month to go to? Do you want seeing the parks of their “regular” state, or would you quite have a particular/seasonal occasion? Are you a fan of EPCOT’s Pageant of the Arts? Ever skilled President’s Day crowds? Listening to from you is half the enjoyable, so please share your ideas on these questions, or anything, within the feedback!