❄️ Winter at Walt Disney World — January & February 2026 Planning Guide

J

Updated 1/1/26

The winter months of January and February are a fantastic time to visit Walt Disney World if your schedule allows it. Between the cooler temperatures, generally lower crowd levels, and popular events like EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, this is consistently one of our favorite seasons to plan trips.

While winter isn’t completely crowd-free — thanks to race weekends, holiday travel, and sports competitions — it offers some of the best opportunities of the year for:

• Easier park touring

• Lower hotel and ticket pricing

• Better dining availability

• More relaxed pacing overall

With a little strategic planning, January and February can be pure Disney magic.

🌤 Winter Weather

This time of year brings some of the most pleasant conditions you’ll experience in Orlando:

• Morning lows: 50s

• Afternoon highs: 70s

• Lower humidity than summer and spring

• Less rain overall

It’s perfect weather for full park days — just remember to pack layers, as evenings can feel chilly once the sun goes down.

📅 Key January & February 2026 Events & Scheduling Notes

Here’s what to know when mapping out your winter trip:

🏃 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

Dates: January 7–11, 2026

Location: Resort-wide (race routes primarily around EPCOT, BoardWalk, highways)

Admission: Race registration required — park admission not included

This is Disney’s largest runDisney weekend, featuring the Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and race expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Crowd Impact:

• Busier mornings as races conclude

• Early road closures affecting transportation

• Higher hotel occupancy near EPCOT-area resorts

• Evenings typically calmer as runners turn in early

Planning Strategy:

• Plan sleep-in mornings or resort days

• Schedule daytime touring for later starts

• EPCOT nights are generally easier than rope drop mornings

🎨 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

Dates: January 16 – February 23, 2026

Location: EPCOT

Admission: Included with park ticket (food booths extra)

This fan-favorite festival celebrates visual, culinary, and performing arts with:

• Chalk & live art throughout World Showcase

• Broadway-style concert performances

• Interactive art displays

• Specialty food booths themed around creativity

Crowd Impact:

• Minimal effect on overall resort crowds

• EPCOT weekends — especially opening weekend — are busier

• Weekdays remain wonderfully manageable

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip:Festival days pair beautifully with late park starts — morning rides at another park, EPCOT grazing afternoons and evenings.

Planning to attend EPCOT’s winter festival? Our full EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Guide covers concert schedules, booth locations, activity maps, and the best dates for lighter crowds so you can maximize your festival days.

📣 Youth Cheer, Dance & Sports Competitions

Dates: Various weekends in January & February

Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports

Disney hosts large athletic competitions throughout winter. These groups most commonly impact:

• Value Resorts and Skyliner hotels

• Hollywood Studios mornings

• Resort food courts

• Transportation lines

Crowd Impact:

• Weekends feel busier than weekdays

• Parks remain manageable midweek even during event weekends

• You’ll notice large team groups more than ride wait spikes

🌙 Disney After Hours Events — January 2026

Hard-ticket nighttime events offering ultra-low waits + complimentary snacks

Magic Kingdom

• January 12, 2026

• January 19, 2026

Hollywood Studios

• January 14, 2026

• January 28, 2026

EPCOT

• January 22, 2026

• January 29, 2026

Event Details:

• Entry typically begins around 7 PM

• Ride windows run:

  • Hollywood Studios: 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM

  • Magic Kingdom & EPCOT: 10 PM – 1 AM

• Includes popcorn, ice cream, and select beverages

• Park ticket not required for event attendance

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip:After Hours nights are one of the BEST touring tools of the entire year — especially for guests sensitive to crowds. We almost always budget for one during our winter trips.

Looking for a deeper dive into After Hours Events? Pop over to our After Hours Events Guide for 2026

📊 Crowd Trends — Winter Reality Check

January

• First week: moderate crowds from holiday travelers

• Post–Marathon through mid-January: lighter crowds emerge

• MLK Weekend (Jan 17–20): crowd spike

February

• Weekdays: generally manageable and efficient

• Weekends: modest crowd bumps from cheer & dance competitions

• President’s Day weekend: notably busier

• runDisney Princess Half Marathon weekend: late-month crowd bump

👉 Overall verdict: Mid-to-late January and most February weekdays offer excellent touring conditions.

💰 Winter Pricing Advantage

Because Disney operates on dynamic pricing:

✅ Hotel rooms

✅ Park tickets

✅ Lightning Lane Multi Pass

…are all lower on average in January and February compared to spring or summer.

Disney also frequently releases:

• Resort discounts

• Room-only promotions

• Weekday specials

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip:Early–mid January (outside Marathon Weekend) often delivers one of the BEST cost-to-crowd ratios of the entire year.

Stay up to date on all the current discounts being offered at the Walt Disney Parks with our Disney Discounts Post.

🔧 Refurbishment Season

With lower winter attendance, Disney schedules more attraction maintenance during this time.

• Long-term refurb closures are more common

• Ride availability can rotate weekly

📌 Always check updated closure schedules before your trip:

➡️ Walt Disney World Attraction and Construction Closures Guide

✅ Winter Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

• 🌡️ Beautiful weather — perfect for all-day park touring

• 👥 Manageable crowd levels midweek

• 🎨 EPCOT Festival of the Arts adds extra entertainment and dining

• 💰 Lower pricing for hotels, tickets & Lightning Lane

• 🌙 After Hours events offer exceptional low-crowd touring

👎 Cons

• ⏰ Shorter park operating hours

• 🛠️ Higher chance of attraction refurbishments

• 🏃 Crowd spikes during Marathon Weekend & President’s Day

• 📣 Youth competition weekends can affect resort areas

• 💦 Some water parks may be closed for seasonal maintenance

⭐ Who Winter Trips Are BEST For

✅ Adults and festival lovers

✅ Crowd-conscious travelers

✅ Budget-focused guests

✅ Neurodivergent & sensory-sensitive travelers seeking easier touring

✅ Guests looking to combine EPCOT days with After Hours nights

⚠️ May Not Be Ideal For

❌ Families wanting full-day pool or water park time

❌ Guests frustrated by changing refurb schedules

❌ Travelers locked into race or holiday weekends

❄️ What's new in Walt Disney World for Winter 2026

Winter may be known for lighter crowds and cool weather — but it also kicks off 2026 with some very exciting updates and fan-favorite experiences:

🎢 Attraction Updates & Returns

• Frozen Ever After — Animatronic Refresh (new updates debut February 2026) Enhanced scenes and character animation improvements breathe new life into this EPCOT favorite.

❄️ Final Verdict: Is Winter Worth It?

Absolutely — winter is one of the smartest seasons to visit Walt Disney World.

With beautiful weather, lower prices, lighter crowds on most weekdays, incredible EPCOT festivals, and powerful After Hours touring options, January and February offer some of the best overall vacation value of the year.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip:If your schedule is flexible, avoid race weekends and holiday Mondays — and winter just might become your new favorite Disney season too.e.

Pixie Dust Hugs,

Bren, Lyn, and Kim

Looking for the full picture of what Disney has announced for 2026 and how winter compares to the rest of the year? Our Complete 2026 Walt Disney World Announcements & Best Time to Visit Guide breaks down new attractions, festivals, seasonal crowds, and booking strategies month-by-month.