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Why You Should Visit Disney World in the Fall

If you are a creature of habit when it comes to a Walt Disney World vacation, you are not alone. Maybe you flock back to a favorite Disney Resort on repeat visits, or always snag a table service reservation at ‘Ohana for dinner. For many families, the seasons they visit Walt Disney World Resort are cyclical, without trying new visiting seasons. If your work or school schedule allows, and you’ve been considering visiting Walt Disney World Resort in the fall, you should take the plunge and snag a reservation now.

Here are some reasons why you should visit Disney World in the fall!

All the Fall Decor

Magic Kingdom fall

Credit: Disney

Disney’s Christmas decor is stunning, but fall colors and decor have my heart. While you’ll see photos of Christmas trees and holiday bunting and wreaths at Disney World posted across social media, you tend to see fewer pics of the fall decor. To me, this makes visiting Parks like the Magic Kingdom in fall even more special. 

Credit: Katie Chapman

The Magic Kingdom is stunningly adorned with harvest decorations, gold and orange bunting cascading from Main Street U.S.A., pumpkin patches, and friendly scarecrows. Of course, the details can change yearly, but you are sure to enjoy the touches that go into this seasonal theme park decor.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mnsshp characters

Credit: Disney

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a fun ticketed event that Guests enjoy after The Magic Kingdom closes to daily Guests.  Difficult to find characters meet Guests around the Park. In fact, meeting often hidden characters like Jack Skellington and Sally, Tarzan and Jane, and Jafar is a big deal for Disney fans. The Boo to You Halloween parade is a huge draw, with dance performances down Main Street U.S.A., and favorite villains waving to Guests from atop parade floats.

Credit: Katie Chapman

Rides are open often with greatly reduced wait times, party Guests are decked out in costumes, and Guests of all ages trick-or-treat around the Park.  Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at least once is a must-do for die-hard Disney fans visiting in the fall. 

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

The International Food and Wine Festival graces EPCOT each year from July through November. This showcase centers around affordable and delicious tasting-sized plates of food and drink from around the globe. A lot of countries that are not ordinarily represented around World Showcase have booths to allow guests to sample their unique cuisine.

"Le Cellier" WIld Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon

Credit: dvcshop.com

The Festival Center offers the opportunity to purchase passes to cooking classes, mixology seminars, and wine tastings, just to name a few. As a foodie, nothing amps up a Disney vacation like a day tasting around World Showcase. Experiencing the International Food and Wine Festival is a great Disney Park experience and is my argument for fall being the best time for visiting Disney World.

Seasonal Vibes

Credit: Katie Chapman

Call me corny, but I think that the spooky attractions at Walt Disney World are a little extra chilling during the fall. Sure, you won’t find many hardcore scary thrills at Walt Disney World. However, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion always seem a little spookier to me during a season dedicated to chills.

Ballroom

Credit: Disney

Not to mention, you can deck yourself out in Halloween-themed merch. From Hocus Pocus and The Haunted Mansion to The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, there are some great Disney Halloween movies that need the proper homage paid to them via fall Disney-bounding. Visit during fall to wear your most fun Halloween clothes and accessories in the Park.

Crowd Sizes Are Smaller

With the end of summer and the start of school, the crowds at Walt Disney World drop drastically.  Sure, crowds today on a Walt Disney World vacation are higher than they were in the past, but you’ll still see a difference in Park patterns after Labor Day.

Depending on your work and school schedule, this Disney World tip might be tricky to implement, but if there is any way possible — snag a Disney World ticket for your family members at least once for a fall visit. Attraction wait times, dining reservations, and hotel availability all reflect this drop in attendance. The Parks may still look busy, but the numbers are no comparison to the summer attendance. Traveling with small children in the fall is generally easier stroller traffic-wise, temperature-wise, and honestly, the rhythm in each Disney Park is just more laid back.

Related: Want to Avoid Crowds? Try These Tricks!

You Can Eat to the Beat

Eat to the Bear EPCOT

Credit: Disney

The concert series that accompanies the International Food and Wine Festival in EPCOT is always loads of fun.  You can Eat to the Beat and enjoy delectable small plates of cuisine from around the globe while listening to awesome music. Of course, the lineup changes annually but in 2022 fall Park Guests will enjoy bands like Baha Men, Jeremy Camp, BBMAK, Post Modern Jukebox, Billy Ocean, Hanson, and Kenny G just to name a few. The concert series takes place at the American Gardens Theatre and is included with Park admission.

You May Snag Some Deals

Smaller crowds may mean savings. Walt Disney World Resorts may offer cheaper deals to fill your chosen Disney Resort hotel, restaurants that have a sliding price range will likely not be at the peak price, and Disney Park ticket prices will be a bit lower per day due to the lower seasonal demand. Saving money on the basics of a Walt Disney World trip means you can put the extra money you saved toward a fun shopping spree at Disney Springs or purchase tickets to an experience like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

More Visible Animals on Kilimanjaro Safari.

Giraffes Kilimanjaro Safaris

Credit: Disney

If a visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a must-do for you, this tip is an important one. There are so many impressive attractions in this Park, but the hallmark attraction is the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. Dashing over to Kilimanjaro Safari right after rope drop at Animal Kingdom is always a Park plan in my family. 

You’ll beat the longer line that will gather later in the day, and early animal sightings seem more consistent. As far as visiting in fall generally, cooler weather means more animals out and about since there is less need to hide from the central Florida heat. Who knows, maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of animals you’ve never seen before on this attraction.

Cooler Weather Means a Better Vacation

As much as we all love that sunshine, days in the Florida heat can really wear you down. Lower temperatures often mean less stress where vacations are concerned.  Cooler weather may enable your group to stay the entire day in the Park without returning to your Disney Resort for a break, and will likely result in fewer meltdowns or grumpy Park-goers. 

Traveling with children and elderly family members during milder weather in the fall is safer and depending on the year you may experience fewer pop-up showers than summer visitors. Foregoing the crankiness, sweat, and exhaustion of the summer vacation and pushing your Walt Disney World visit back to the fall may be an option worth considering.

Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that a trip to Walt Disney World Resort during spooky season is in order. Between the crowd patterns, special events, cooler weather, and Park decorm it’s a no-brainer. Happy trip planning!

About Katie Chapman

Hey There! I am a Georgia native with a passion for writing, traveling, cooking, decorating, pugs and of course all things Disney. Growing up in South Georgia just a few hours from Walt Disney World made for a magical childhood. Some of my best memories were made on Main Street U.S.A. with my sister watching SpectroMagic nighttime parade or beside my grandparents, parents and extended family at Chef Mickey’s celebrating on a family vacation. Epcot was my favorite park from a young age and I credit it with my interest in and love for international travel. As a kid I loved meeting characters and watching films around World Showcase and could spend hours exploring each of the countries in Epcot. These days, my husband and I get away to explore a new country whenever we can and even incorporate trips to The Disney Store and Disney Parks around the world in our travels. One of our travel goals is to visit every Disney Park in the world. I love writing about Disney restaurants, park tips, Disney outfit inspiration and Disney history. Pocahontas is my favorite Disney Princess (90s kid here!) but Mr. Toad is my spirit animal. When I’m not at Disney I’m reading about park history, watching Disney documentaries and shopping vintage Disney merch for park outfits. I never pass up a reservation to Ohana, an empty seat on Living with the Land or a Violet Sake.