This information to March 2024 at Walt Disney World gives a free crowd calendar, weeks to go to & keep away from, climate, journey refurbishments, and what’s new. All of this, plus information & suggestions for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. (Up to date February 29, 2024.)
March 2024 will seemingly be a “story of two seasons.” The start needs to be gradual, with crowds subsiding after Mardi Gras and Presidents’ Day in late February 2024. Then later in March, schools and lots of faculty programs within the nation will take their spring break…and meaning journeys to Walt Disney World!
If you happen to’re in some way in a position to get previous that (maybe you’re an avid queue fanatic, during which case 120-minute waits is perhaps proper up your alley), the month of March 2024 can in any other case be a superb time to go to Walt Disney World. Let’s check out the highs and lows of the month…
Whereas it’s all the time above-average by way of crowds, elements of March 2024 received’t be as unhealthy for a few causes. First, as a result of Easter isn’t till March 31, 2024. This implies colleges that plan their Spring Breaks across the Easter vacation received’t be off for Spring Break the tip of the month.
Nonetheless, many Okay-12 colleges and schools in the US have their Spring Breaks in earlier in March. That features many districts in Florida, together with the 2 counties with the greatest influence on Walt Disney World crowds.
That is the place our Spring Break 2024 Crowd Calendar for Walt Disney World will come into play. If you happen to’re solely involved with congestion, wait occasions, and planning round dates to keep away from–that has you lined. It particulars which weeks of spring break will likely be greatest and worst.
We’ll talk about the ramifications of Spring Break within the March 2024 crowd calendar part under. Right here’s what else you must know in regards to the month at Walt Disney World, organized into handy classes…
March Climate at Disney World
So far as the climate goes, March is the month when the climate begins to show round and heat up. Temperatures rise over the course of the month, and though they’re nonetheless on the cool aspect of gentle, it’s often fairly snug. Positive, it may be abnormally chilly or scorching in March (positively test the long run forecast earlier than visiting because it actually could possibly be both), however you’re typically in for climate that’s nearly supreme for touring the parks.
Lows at first of the month are within the mid-50s and creep up in the direction of the 60s by the tip of the month. Excessive temperatures vary from 75 to 80 levels. In taking a look at these numbers and the “snug” band on this web page, you would possibly suppose that it skews in the direction of chilly. That may be true early within the morning and late at night time, however remember that you’ll be most lively in the course of the center of the day when it’s warmest; personally, I want barely cooler temperatures after I’m lively, anyway.
The result’s that I discover March to be one of many higher months of the yr for climate in Florida, significantly in the direction of the tip of the month. At the start of the month you’re extra more likely to expertise unseasonably chilly climate, so I are inclined to keep away from that. About the one draw back to this gentle climate is that it could actually make visiting water parks or spending a lot time in your resort lodge’s pool much less interesting (or downright unappealing). This could be a bummer for these searching for a ‘tropical’ reprieve from winter within the North.
Being Michiganders, that’s precisely what my household needed from our journeys after I was rising up. I nonetheless bear in mind an early March trip throughout which my dad and mom determined to stubbornly persist with our plans (I paint them as “cussed” however the actuality was most likely that I used to be a bratty child who insisted upon going) to go to Blizzard Seashore. There was nearly nobody within the park, and all of us spent the higher park of the day wrapped in towels on our seashore chairs.
I recall crossing the icebergs in Ski Patrol Coaching Camp and envisioning them as precise chunks of ice, which wasn’t that a lot of a stretch of the creativeness on the time. I share all of this since you may not need to make concrete plans for the water parks or put an excessive amount of weight in a lodge’s swimming pool when selecting a lodge or planning a March go to–chances are you’ll not need to spend time at both.
March 2024 Disney World Particular Occasions
Let’s begin out with the nonpublic occasions in March 2024 that influence attendance at Walt Disney World. Whereas there isn’t any Beer Bong World Championship (not to mention extra unsavory occasions) held on the ESPN Broad World of Sports activities, there are youth occasions that may end up in simply as wild of crowds.
There are often main dance and cheerleading competitions held in March that increase attendance on the parks and occupancy on the accommodations, often the All Stars and Coronado Springs. Right here’s what’s at present on the ESPN Broad World of Sports activities calendar for March 2024:
- The Quest Leisure Championship: March 8 – March 9, 2024
- 2024 UCA All Star Nationwide Championship: March 9 – March 10, 2024
- Disney Spring Coaching: March 11 – April 07, 2024
That is really not too unhealthy, particularly as in contrast with the cheer and dance competitions that peppered the calendar during the last month-plus. (There’s extra to return in April 2024 earlier than ESPN WWoS season winds down till there’s higher climate within the fall.)
The precise influence of youth sporting occasions on crowd ranges is debatable. If you find yourself on the identical lodge as them or behind a big group of cheerleaders in line or in the identical Haunted Mansion stretching room as them, your notion of them will seemingly be very totally different than somebody who stays at a special lodge and solely encounters small numbers of them in passing. We converse from expertise (together with that very particular Haunted Mansion instance), and say that that is typically not one thing about which you ought to be involved.
Talking of athletic occasions, on a constructive observe, there isn’t any runDisney race in March 2024. The Princess Half Marathon is in late February, and the Springtime Shock is in mid-April. Neither have any influence on crowds in March.
Then there are the general public occasions held in the course of the month at Walt Disney World. The 2024 EPCOT Flower & Backyard Competition kicks off on the finish of February, and continues for the whole thing of March and April. It will spike ‘seems like’ crowds at EPCOT, because it’s a giant draw for locals who present up particularly for the occasion–to see the floral shows, eat meals, and purchase merchandise.
One factor locals sometimes don’t do–or do disproportionately lower than vacationers–is rides. In consequence, congestion at EPCOT is increased however wait occasions usually should not. Locals additionally go to EPCOT disproportionately in the beginning of occasions, on weekends and after work. That means that some dates in early March 2024 recognized under as nice occasions to go to received’t be so nice for EPCOT congestion or seems like crowds. Simply one thing to bear in mind as you propose your days (or occasions of day) in every park!
No matter whether or not you’re into gardening (I’m not) that is occasion has the park trying pretty. The flower tapestry by the Creativeness pavilion, between Future World and World Showcase is extremely picturesque, as are the numerous topiaries across the park. There’s far more than that, all of which you’ll be able to examine in our Information to 2024 EPCOT Worldwide Flower & Backyard Competition.
Lastly, there’s After Hours at Magic Kingdom and After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These happen sporadically and, because the names counsel, are held after park closing. They’ve minimal influence on daytime crowd ranges, however end in a slight bump in crowds in the course of the night ‘mix-in’ time.
We don’t advocate altering your plans due to After Hours at Magic Kingdom, however you would possibly need to do DHS on a special night. Usually, that park is nice for decrease wait occasions on the finish of the night time, albeit to a lesser diploma on After Hours dates.
Park Hours for March are often fairly good. Walt Disney World has quietly been extending these, with Magic Kingdom now closing later and the opposite 3 parks opening earlier in consequence. In fact, there’s a cause for this: spring break attendance forecasts!
March REFURBISHMENTS & NEW ATTRACTIONS
By way of points of interest that will likely be closed throughout March 2024, test the Walt Disney World Refurbishment Schedule. Main rides have downtime scheduled, together with Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom (which is being reimagined into Tiana’s Bayou Journey) and Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster at Hollywood Studios.
The development challenge that can have essentially the most noticeable influence on the visitor expertise is the large reimagining on the entrance of Epcot. That is significantly better now that the World Celebration Gardens have opened and there’s a path on to World Showcase, however there are nonetheless a sea of development partitions to navigate across the still-in-progress CommuniCore Corridor & Plaza. Primarily based on current progress, it seems unlikely that this will likely be accomplished in February 2024.
EPCOT can also be residence to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which is now a pair years previous however nonetheless extremely widespread. Different much more current additions to EPCOT embody Moana’s Journey of Water (water exploration path) and Luminous: The Symphony of Us (nighttime spectacular). Each are price trying out.
Then there’s the largest addition to Magic Kingdom: TRON Lightcycle Run. That is nonetheless the latest main attraction at Walt Disney World, and is lower than a yr previous as of February 2024. See our Digital Queue Technique Information for TRON Lightcycle Run for particulars, suggestions & methods for achievement, and extra (Cosmic Rewind additionally makes use of a VQ–apply the identical recommendation to each rides).
One other different for Cosmic Rewind or TRON Lightcycle Run is shopping for line-skipping entry through the Particular person Lightning Lanes. These posts clarify every choice, their professionals & cons, and every little thing else you must know. Suffice to say, don’t simply present up anticipating to hitch the standby line–as there isn’t one for both journey.
For an outline of what’s on the horizon, see What’s New & Subsequent at Walt Disney World in 2024 & Past. Sorry, however nothing new is opening in March 2024. Tiana’s Bayou Journey is the following massive addition, and that can debut this summer time.
March 2024 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR
We’ll begin this free crowd calendar part with the identical preface as different months—skip forward a number of paragraphs in the event you’ve already learn it. 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 suppose you must, both. If we simply had a visible crowd calendar graphic right here, lots of you’ll solely take a look at that and never learn the accompanying clarification that covers what you would possibly really count on. That’d be doing you a disservice.
Whereas they are often helpful instruments, crowd calendars are one small piece of a a lot bigger puzzle. We not select our personal Disney journey dates based mostly completely upon crowd calendars and we’d likewise discourage you from doing so. Crowd calendars are more and more much less dependable due to the way in which Disney manipulates attendance patterns, staffing, closures, and journey capability.
Walt Disney World doesn’t launch official attendance numbers, so crowd calendars make the most of information like faculty schedules, airport visitors statistics, lodge pricing & occupancy, and different indicators as proxies for crowds. For years, this method labored and made crowd calendars dependable. Walt Disney World attendance adopted an identifiable sample that tracked with the aforementioned proxies.
Extra lately, wait occasions don’t all the time replicate precise crowds as a result of Disney has change into adept and extra subtle at manipulating each attendance and crowd circulate. Consider this because the distinction between the precise temperature and the “seems like” temperature, however with crowds. We will nonetheless precise crowd and attendance patterns, however not wait occasions. The latter are what most of you seemingly care about (the “seems like” crowds), however it’s tougher to precisely forecast wait occasions through Walt Disney World crowd calendars.
Let’s begin with the excellent news: early March 2024 needs to be a nice time to go to as a result of it’s a lull in crowds. That isn’t all the time the case, as years when Mardi Gras is at first of the month (or finish of February) end in an inflow of tourists from Louisiana and different areas of the South. Fortunately, the worst weeks of winter will happen in mid-to-late February 2024.
Dangerous for individuals who go to in February 2024, however good for individuals who go for early March 2024! Really, in the event you go to on the very finish of February, you ought to be in fine condition. The top of the month into the primary weekend of March needs to be nice (outdoors of EPCOT).
In reality, our expectation is that the primary week-plus of March 2024 will see low-to-moderate crowd ranges. That is particularly noteworthy as a result of the week earlier than (Presidents’ Day/Mid-Winter Break) could have been very busy and the next week is the beginning of Spring Break season, which can also be fairly unhealthy.
However within the first week of March 2024, it’s seemingly that crowd ranges vary from round 2/10 to six/10, with the common being under 5/10. This implies common wait occasions throughout the whole thing of Walt Disney World of round 30 to 35 minutes. In fact, headliners will likely be worse than this (you possibly can safely count on the most well-liked rides to have hour-plus and even triple-digit waits), however it received’t be practically as unhealthy as the varsity breaks earlier than or after. That is exactly why the primary week of March 2024 makes our record of the 10 Finest & Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2024 & 2025 (on the very best aspect, clearly).
Particularly, March 1-7, 2024 will see the bottom wait occasions and attendance of the month. Which may sound excessive or not nice, however it’s a pointy distinction to the aforementioned worst week of winter. That stretch noticed 10/10 crowd ranges and common wait occasions of 54 to 61 minutes. That’s a big distinction over the course of a complete day!
This is kind of regular, reflecting the lull between the favored Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras holidays in late February and the beginning of Spring Break season in mid-March. Weekends will likely be busier, particularly when the climate is good.
Within the aforementioned Spring Break 2024 Crowd Calendar, we observe that the ‘season’ will unofficially kick off on March 8, 2024. It’s because that’s the Friday when Osceola County begins its pupil vacation, with the district being out of session for spring break from March 11 to fifteen, 2024. Similar cope with its neighbor to the west, as Polk County can also be out March 11-15.
To make certain, you must keep away from Walt Disney World beginning March 8, 2024 if in any respect doable. Nonetheless, we don’t count on the worst of the crowds to reach that early. Likewise, the week that follows (March 11-15, 2024) is Spring Break for a handful of Central Florida faculty districts, however it shouldn’t be horrible. Worse than the earlier 2 weeks, however higher than the two weeks to return. If previous precedent is any indication, crowds and wait occasions will step by step improve all through that week.
Issues will get considerably worse beginning March 15, 2024. Each Seminole and Orange County, Florida are scheduled to have their Spring Breaks March 15-24, 2024 (together with pupil breaks and weekends). That alone will make that week-plus fairly busy.
Consequently, we forecast the week of March 18-23, 2024 to be the second-busiest week of the quarter, and one of many worst 10 weeks of the whole yr at Walt Disney World. The weekends earlier than and after will even be unhealthy, however we’ve seen Saturday and Sunday crowd ranges fall off a bit throughout spring break lately.
You would possibly discover it’s solely the second-busiest week of the quarter, which is due to the next week…
That subsequent week will likely be even worse, with numerous faculty districts having Spring Break from March 25 till 29 as a result of Easter falling on March 31, 2024. In consequence, faculty districts which have their breaks anchored to Easter will likely be off that week–and we’ve additionally seen that extra districts than regular are on break that week (most likely a matter of comfort/courtesy).
Which means that the weekend earlier than and the one together with the Easter vacation itself will even be very, very busy. Simply among the many worst 10 weeks of the yr and presumably “prime” 5. Whether or not that finally ends up being the worst week of spring break or the week earlier than it’s an open and nearly irrelevant query. Each will likely be very unhealthy and much (FAR!) worse than the primary half of the month.
Anticipate each day crowd ranges of 9/10 or 10/10 at each park throughout this date vary. A few of these 10/10 days could have significantly excessive wait occasions (not all 10/10 days are equally busy–that’s simply the utmost crowd degree).
Regardless of whenever you’re visiting in March 2024, we’d advise leveraging Genie+ and Lightning Lanes to beat the crowds. All the pieces you must know, together with journey priorities, technique for avoiding pitfalls, maximizing your time saved & journey rely, and far more is roofed in our Information to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World.
March PRICING & DISCOUNTS
On account of Spring Breaks being pretty frequent in March, you sometimes received’t discover a lot in the way in which of outstanding promotions. With that mentioned, there are at present a stunning variety of offers obtainable for Annual Passholders, Florida residents, and even most people. See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for specifics. A few of these are literally fairly good.
Nonetheless, “good” is a relative time period when describing these reductions, as March is above common by way of rack charges and ticket costs. Even a higher-than-normal share off an astronomical value continues to be a excessive value! For accommodations, a lot of the month is peak season, which is strictly as costly because it sounds. Solely vacation pricing is worse. For tickets, the pricing will not be as unhealthy, however it’s nonetheless removed from the low season by way of per-day pricing.
General, March is a story of two months–but in addition a month on the rise. Usually, the final week of February/first week of March is among the yr’s “candy spots” for planning a trip. In reality, we adore it a lot that it’s one of many prime weeks of the yr on our aforementioned rankings. Even with barely elevated wait occasions, we as soon as once more count on that to be true in early March 2024.
There’s a cause that window ranks so extremely–and it’s not simply that the wait occasions are low. March sometimes gives nice climate, longer hours, and the beginning of the spring bloom with Flower & Backyard Competition starting. After that, March’s attractiveness deteriorates, however even later within the month, I nonetheless suppose the climate goes an extended strategy to compensate for crowds.
To that time, earlier than you freak out about heavy crowds, keep in mind that higher climate and likewise the chance of prolonged hours. You’ll be able to nonetheless beat the crowds in the event you arrive early, take a noon break, and keep late. Savvy technique, robust use of Early Entry & rope drop, our step-by-step itineraries, and staying late might help overcome crowds. That’s even earlier than shopping for Genie+ and utilizing Lightning Lanes, which is clearly advantageous throughout Spring Break season. You’ll be able to all the time beat unhealthy crowds–however the identical isn’t true with depressing climate!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study accommodations on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey 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 must know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you agree or disagree with our ideas on March at Walt Disney World? Have you ever accomplished Walt Disney World throughout Spring Break earlier than? Do you suppose it’s a superb or unhealthy time to go to? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions under within the feedback!
