If you’re like us, then you’re probably thinking about your next Disney World vacation before your current one even ends! And when it comes to planning your next vacation, one of the first decisions you’ll probably make is figuring out when in the year you want (or don’t want) to visit.

If you’re in those earliest stages of planning your trip, we have a list of 25 dates you’ll want to consider planning your travels around! These dates can be helpful if you want to be there for all of the exciting seasonal happenings, but they can also help tell you which dates you may want to avoid if you don’t want to deal with huge crowds!

Holidays

There are a number of static holidays that happen each and every year that Disney World LOVES to celebrate. If you’re in a festive mood and want to observe your favorite holiday in Disney World, then chances are you’ll be able to do just that with seasonal treats, special parades or cavalcades, fireworks, and more! When holidays align with school vacations and federal holidays, that can mean more people visiting the parks, so we’re going to help you plan accordingly!

Going in chronological order, the first holiday that is a great way to kick off your year is New Year’s Day. Note that this can be a pretty busy day in the parks as many guests are still on holiday break. Parks can reach capacity and park pass reservations often book up quickly!

Next up is Valentine’s Day! If you want to visit the parks with that special someone, you’ll usually find many specialty sweets around the parks and resorts. Valentine’s Day usually isn’t any busier than the other days, but you may want to be more on top of those Advance Dining Reservations if you want a romantic date night that evening.

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are two holidays that also get a special bit of attention from Disney World with seasonal treats — be on the lookout for these next time you’re in the parks and resorts on those weekends. If you have a Mother’s Day brunch in mind, be sure to book those reservations as soon as they become available!

Patriotic holidays are always a special time of year to visit the parks, especially the 4th of July! Disney World typically closes out the night with special Independence Day fireworks finales at both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Due to the popularity of this holiday and Disney’s epic firework extravaganza, it can be busy, so be aware of that before making your travel plans! Though July 4th is the main patriotic holiday that comes to mind for many, many guests also choose to celebrate Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day in the parks, you may see crowd spikes on those days.

Halloween is a fun night to be in Disney World, especially if you’re visiting the after-hours event at Magic Kingdom. Just keep in mind that if you aren’t attending the Halloween party, you will have to adhere to Disney’s costume policies, which states that costume masks are not permitted and guests ages 14 and older may not wear any costumes (with the exception of some Star Wars-inspired attire).

Thanksgiving is another special day in Disney World, as many dining locations offer exclusive one-day-only menu items to enjoy with the family. These reservations can go fast, so if you want to visit on Thanksgiving Day, be ready to book those Dining Reservations 60 days out.

Christmas Day is perhaps one of the most crowded days in Disney World. Many families make it an annual tradition to visit the parks on December 25th, so you’ll have plenty of company if you decide to visit! There aren’t many special day-of happenings on Christmas, so if you want to celebrate the holiday season, you may do so starting in early November all the way through early January. So, why only celebrate Christmas on one day, when you can enjoy the holly, jolly holiday all month long (and then some!).

New Year’s Eve, like New Year’s Day, can be a popular day in the parks as well. In the past, Disney World has had special fireworks shows at midnight, which can lead to some major crowding in the evening hours with guests looking for that perfect fireworks spot hours early. It may be a good time to seek alternate fireworks viewing spots, especially if you’re staying at a nearby hotel!

Finally, there are special “holidays” in your own personal calendar — namely birthdays and anniversaries — that you may want to celebrate in Disney World! Wearing those complimentary celebration buttons will let Cast Members know that you’re there on your own special day, and you’ll often be recognized by them (as well as other guests!).

Any day is a good day to visit Disney World, but the holidays make them extra special! That said, they can also make the parks extra crowded, so keep all of those factors in mind when deciding when you’ll visit Disney World next!

Click here for a list of DFB videos to watch TODAY before you plan your 2022 Disney World vacation!

Important Disney World Dates

In addition to the holidays listed above, there are several important dates on Disney World’s calendar that draw a lot of crowds year over year. If you want to be in the center of all of the action, you may want to consider these dates. Like holidays, these dates are also useful to keep in mind if you want to AVOID any possible crowding.

Like holidays, we’ll go in chronological order, starting with the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. runDisney hosts several marathon weekends throughout the year at Disney World, but the big one is right at the beginning. It typically takes place in early January, and you may see a slight bump in crowds as this is one of the more popular marathon weekends!

Right on the heels of the marathon weekend is the kickoff of the first of four EPCOT festivals that takes place each year, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. The 2022 festival begins on January 14th and runs shorter than the other three festivals the park celebrates each year. Expect the festival to begin mid-January on an annual basis, running through late February.

In 2022 specifically, all eyes are on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the first of its kind overnight immersive experience! This Star Wars “hotel” will have its maiden two-night voyage on March 1st, 2022. While dates are selling out rather quickly, you may want to keep an eye out in case any last-minute reservations pop up. And if cruising the galaxy isn’t in the cards for you, these dates could also be useful to know so you can plan for the crowds visiting Batuu.

The second EPCOT festival of the year, the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival, will likely begin shortly after Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opens. The 2021 festival began on March 3rd and ran through July 5th, so you’ll have all season long (technically it spanned three seasons — winter, spring, AND summer!) to enjoy the festival goodies.

Next is the runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend. It was confirmed to be taking place on March 31st, 2022, so if you’re a big running fan, be sure to follow along for more updates if you’re considering attending this event! And if you’re not participating in the races, but your trip is scheduled for this weekend, just be aware that you might see a spike in crowds after the races conclude.

If you’re set on sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, keep your eyes peeled for June 9th, 2022 — the date that the ship is set to take its maiden voyage. If you want to have a split “land and sea” Disney vacation next year aboard the newest ship, that will be the time to start doing so!

The flagship EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival now starts in mid-July, with the 2021 festival starting on July 15th. These days the festival lasts a whopping four months long, so if you aren’t able to make it out on the first day, do not fear — there are plenty of chances to check it out!

If you want to be among the first guests experiencing Disney World’s after-hours Halloween parties (as of 2021 called Disney After Hours Boo Bash, which replaced Mickey’s Not-S0-Scary Halloween Party last year), you’ll want to keep your schedule clear early to mid-August! The first night of the event in 2021 took place on August 10th.

October 1st is always a special day for Disney World because it’s the anniversary of the opening in Magic Kingdom! This past year was, of course, a VERY special time to be in the parks for its 50th Anniversary, but October 1st, 2022 will also be a big celebration, as that is when EPCOT will observe its 40th Anniversary!

Looking for more runDisney events? Early November is when you’ll want to be on the lookout for the Wine & Dine Marathon Weekend. 2021’s Wine & Dine Marathon Weekend took place from November 5th through 7th.

More after-hours festivities also begin to take place in early November. Shortly after Halloween takes place, Disney World goes into full-on holiday mode, with the first night of Disney Very Merriest After Hours taking place in 2021 on November 8th. This after-hours event took the place of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom.

If you’re a fan of Dapper Day events, you may want to consider the annual Dapper Day Fall Outing in Disney World! It’s set to take place on November 20th and 21st in 2022.

The fourth and final EPCOT festival of the year, the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, has been starting right after the Thanksgiving holiday lately. In 2021, it started on November 26th.

The final date you may want to consider when planning your next Disney World vacation is actually a series of dates — these are all of the opening dates coming up in 2022 and beyond. We know of some big openings, like Galactic Starcruiser on March 1st, but there are other big openings we’re still waiting on as of this writing, like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (set to open in 2022) and TRON Lightcycle Run. If you want to be one of the first guests to ride a new ride, for example, you may want to hold on booking your trip until you know when these offerings open. On the other hand, you may want to avoid that park entirely when there’s a brand new ride! It all comes down to your preferences and the kind of vacation your family wants to experience.

Phew! That’s a lot of important dates Disney World keeps track of each and every year. Aside from those once-in-a-lifetime openings, you can typically rely on those big festivals, marathons, and more taking place around the same week or weekend every year.

Click here for a list of what’s coming to Disney World in 2022.

Whether it’s a holiday or an important date on Disney World’s calendar, you’ll want to make sure you book your Park Pass Reservations as early as possible if you’re visiting during a busy time of the year. Book your reservations right after you purchase your park tickets to make sure you have your first choice of parks on the dates you want to visit! And be sure to follow along as we bring you the latest on important upcoming dates in Disney World.