Crowd Predictor for Disney World in March

Photographed by Michael of Countdown to Magic

Are you asking, when is the best time to go to Disney World? Well, everyone loves the beginning of spring! All around, there is a magical renewal of life that holds the promise of warmer months coming! All of this magic is even more prominent at Walt Disney World! 

The month of March is one of my favorite times to visit. Growing up, this was always the time of year we, mostly, would go. The events and atmosphere are beautiful, and though it can sometimes get crowded with spring break crowds, it really is not as bad as other times of the year. If you are considering going to Disney World in March, let’s talk about all the details you should know before booking!

Weather

First of all, March is the beginning of spring, meaning the weather is starting to become extremely beautiful. It’s not the absolute warmest it can be, but it’s still nice enough that you can be comfortable in pretty much any type of clothing you choose to wear. 

In my experience, March can either be cooler or warmer. I’ve been when I’ve worn a long sleeve jacket, jeans, and sneakers, and other times, I’ve worn shorts and a tank top with flip flops. The high can reach the high 70s, and the low can reach the mid to low 50s. The temperature is lower in the early mornings and can drop at night. This can actually deter some crowds, and even though it does not seem like much, it can actually make a difference.

The weather is just right for everyone, so if you hate the heat, it will be cool enough where you can be comfortable. If you hate the cold, the sun will be shining a lot, so you do not need to worry about being cold. Even though it’s only the beginning of spring and the end of winter, the weather is still warm enough to go to the water parks or have a day at the pool. Your options are unlimited with this time of year. 

Best Times to Go in March

March is one of those months that can go back and forth on the crowd calendar spectrum. To be honest, it really depends on when spring break falls for everyone. Sometimes, spring break can fall in early March, and other times it can fall in late March, early April. Different crowd calendars will tell her different predictions, but they all show the average crowd predictor for March.

Undercover Tourist predicts the first couple weeks in March to be an average crowd level, meaning that they are not the lowest they could be, but the parks are not horribly packed. The first couple weeks of March are the best because spring break usually doesn’t happen around this time and students are still in school. March is usually not a time when people take vacations either, so your best bet is to go on your vacation earlier in March.  The weekends will be crowded because that is when all the locals and annual passholders usually go. 

Another crowd calendar by the WDW Prep School website suggests the same amount of crowds for the first couple weeks of March. This calendar suggests just slightly lower crowds, but it’s still about the same. The weekends are the worst time to go, and then the second half of March is busy as well because that’s when the spring break crowds start coming around this time. 

My suggestion would be to make the majority of your vacation during the weekdays, especially if you’re only going for a couple days. I know that a crowded day at Walt Disney World is better than a normal day at home, but if you could avoid any type of crowd at all, these suggestions will definitely help. 

If you absolutely have no other choice but to go in late March, it really will not be that bad, so don’t be discouraged. To be honest, it is always a toss up, because you never know when everyone’s spring break is going to hit, so you never know. To avoid any type of crowd at all cost, make sure you arrive at the Park gates early in the morning. 

It might seem intimidating at first with everyone waiting at the gate, however, it is not as many people as you think. The majority of park goers are going to still be home in bed, because they are not early risers, they don’t want to wake and drag sleepy kids to the park, they didn’t want to be up in time for good transportation, etc. 

Plus, if you get there early, you can knock out as much stuff as you possibly can without large crowds getting in your way and wasting time waiting in line. You can then go back to your resort or check out non-park parts of Disney World such as other resorts or Disney Springs while the parks are packed at the most crowded time of day. If you are not normally an early riser, trust me, you should become one at least for your time at Disney World!

Flower and Garden Festival

The primary event in the spring for Walt Disney World would absolutely be EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival. This is my favorite festival at Disney World! Talk about a spring awakening when you walk into EPCOT and you see the one-of-a-kind topiaries that have the most beautiful colors and blooming flowers! The entire park is alive with interactive gardens and activities. 

For example, they have always had a butterfly garden every time I have gone during the festival. It’s a beautiful garden that you can walk through, learning about the different butterflies and plants that inhabit the garden. I have seen a Cars garden where they had topiaries of Lightning Mcqueen and Cruise Ramirez from Cars 3 and interactive activities for young children. 

World Showcase in EPCOT is where the majority of people spend during the Flower and Garden Festival. If you are not familiar with World Showcase, it is a group of buildings and pavilions that each represent a country from around the world, featuring food, activities, locals, souvenirs, etc. that all represent their culture. They all surround a beautiful body of water called World Showcase Lagoon. 

When the Flower and Garden Festival is occurring, the topiaries add even more beauty to the pavilions. Gorgeous flower beds surround each pavilion, along with topiaries of your favorite Disney characters, whose stories take place in the countries represented in the park. For instance, you can usually find a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs topiary in Germany and a Beauty and the Beast topiary in France. 

There’s always difference merchandise and activities going on during the festival that do not happen at any other time of the year. For instance, you can plant and take home a bamboo plant, and Garden Rocks Concert Series where live music from the 1960’s and 1970’s are played at the stage at the American Pavilion. The show always occurs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the festival. 

One of the most popular parts of the festival (and one of my favorites) is the abundance of new menu options. Foodies will have a ball here, and even if you aren’t a foodie, there is something for everyone. Trust me, as being a somewhat picky eater myself, I found that I wanted to try as much as I possibly could from each pavilion (the frushi —fruit plus sushi— from the Japan pavilion is to die for). 

There are also other stands that are set up for the festival, featuring outdoor kitchens and other options, such as wine and beer samples, different kinds of chocolates, samples of honey, etc. Believe me when I say that you will not leave EPCOT hungry. The samples may seem small, but they sure add up. 

EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival is a popular time for Disney travel. However, it is really not as bad as one might think, especially when the festival is just starting. If you’re looking for how the crowds are going to be, your best bet would be to go by the Disney World crowd calendars, like I had mentioned earlier. 

The weekends in March will be crowded, especially because of the festival, because all the locals will show up then. However, if you plan your vacation around the weekdays instead, you will miss these crowds. Except for the weekends, in my opinion, the festival does not really affect the crowds at all. 

Pricing

The pricing in the spring for Walt Disney World is about the average pricing, I would say. It’s not the absolute cheapest when it comes to booking, but it isn’t awful pricing. Naturally, it all depends on crowds. The more people booking, the more the prices are going to go up. 

Now, because it is the beginning of spring break season, I would book your reservations as soon as you possibly can. That way, you get the cheapest options possible. Like I said, it is a toss up with crowds, because you never know when spring break is going to hit for some people, so the best thing to do would be to book your resort as soon as you know when you and your group want to go. 

There are package deals that you can book if that is what you wish to do. It depends on how long you and your party are planning on being there. But an example of a package, according to the Walt Disney World website is a family of 4 enjoying a 6 night, 7 day vacation at one of Disney’s All-Star-Resorts for $106 per person, coming out to be about $2,856 in total. The All-Star-Resorts include Disney’s All-Star-Music, All-Star-Movies, All-Star-Sports resorts. 

If you do not want to choose a package, one of the easiest and obvious ways to stay on a budget is to book one of the cheaper resorts on property. Some of these include:

Booking these hotels would immediately cut the costs for your vacation! My advice is to schedule your vacation as soon as you possibly can so you can get the room you want at the price you want. 

Overall Opinion

After exploring everything March in Disney World has to offer, and looking at vacationing during this time for all points of view, I want to give my overall opinion. This, truly, is one of my favorite times to visit Walt Disney World. This time of year was always the time we went while growing up. It is a perfect time for everyone, because there’s even more to do, despite the fact that there are so many things to do at Disney World already. 

The Flower and Garden Festival is my favorite thing about the spring at Walt Disney World, offering amazing new experiences and cuisines that is all family friendly. The weather is extremely pleasant, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the parks with your group rather than worrying about if everyone is cool and comfortable enough and stopping to constantly rest. Since the crowds usually stay away, at least in early March, the pricing for everything is not bad, and you’re not paying top dollar for a resort. 

Even if the crowds are higher, they aren’t as bad as other times of the year, so they are highly manageable. Any time of the year at Walt Disney World is a good time to go. However, one of the best times, in my opinion is to go in March. If you’re stuck on when to take your next Disney vacation, you really should give March a thought. It’s the perfect time of year to go! 

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Michael has been visiting Disney World since he was a kid. He's also been to Disneyland and sailed on the Disney Dream. Michael is the owner and editor of Countdown to Magic.

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