When Is the Best Time to Go to Florida with Kids?

(And how long should you stay at Walt Disney World?)

Planning a family trip to Florida is exciting — but choosing when to go and how long to stay can feel very confusing. Between school holidays, weather, crowds, and budgets, there’s a lot to think about.

In this post, we’ll walk you through:

The best times of year to visit Florida with children
The pros and cons of travelling in school holidays
What the weather is like each season
How long to stay to make the most of your trip

Let’s help you find your perfect window of Disney magic ✨

What Time of Year Is Best to Visit Florida?

Florida is a year-round place, but each season has its own vibe — and some are better than others for families with younger children.

☀️ Spring (March to May)

Pros: Warm but not too hot, lower humidity, flowers blooming 🌸, Flower and Garden festival at Epcot
Cons: Easter holidays can be busy (2nd busiest time at Disney) and more expensive
Best for: Families who want pleasant weather and fewer rainstorms

☀️ Summer (June to August)

Pros: Long daylight hours, summer break for UK schools (end of August the quieter time historically)
Cons: Can get very HOT! 🌡️ High humidity, thunderstorms in the afternoons are common, can have larger crowds end of July/early August. However there is always lots of places to take a break in the air conditioning.
Best for: Older kids who can handle heat and long days – but if you’re travelling with younger ones planning for breaks in the day is a must (although most people can benefit from a break in the day!)

🍁 Autumn (September to November)

Pros: Lower crowds, slightly cooler, Halloween parties (extra charge) & Food & Wine festival events 🎃
Cons: Risk of bad weather and/or hurricanes (especially September – but of course being Disney should that happen they will look after you), still hot in early autumn
Best for: Families looking for lower prices and fun seasonal events – halloween themeing in Disney is amazing!

❄️ Winter (December to February)

Pros: Milder weather, festive decorations, fewer crowds in January 🎄 can still be warm but may need a jumper and longer trousers some days
Cons: Some rides closed for maintenance, shorter park hours, occasionally may need a coat
Best for: Younger children and families who want to avoid the heat and will enjoy low crowd levels

Should You Go in UK School Holidays?

Here’s the honest truth: most UK families with school age children do go during school holidays, which means:

Flights and hotels cost more
Parks are busier
But — it’s doable, especially with good planning
Avoid needing to pay any school fines for non-attendance and not missing any learning

If you’re tied to school terms, consider:

May half-term: Short and often cheaper than summer and quite often two weeks
Late August: Still summer break but crowds start dropping in the US
October half-term: Great weather and Halloween events and if its two weeks then its perfect!

If you can travel in term time becasue your children are younger (especially early May, early June, or late September), you’ll get:
✅ Lower prices
✅ Fewer queues and crowds
✅ Better dining and hotel availability

☁️ What’s the Weather Like in Florida?

Month	Temp (°C)	Rain Risk	Notes
Jan–Feb	15–23	Low	Mild & dry, wear layers
Mar–May	20–28	Low	Lovely weather, great for kids
Jun–Aug	24–34	High (an afternoon warm short shower is common each day)	Hot & humid, daily rainstorms common
Sep–Oct	23–32	Med	Warm, some hurricane risk
Nov–Dec	18–26	Low	Cool mornings, magical festive feel

Top tip: Always pack a poncho and buggy rain cover — even in low risk months for rain!

If you want to check historic weather conditions then this website is great for looking at historic weather

How Long Should You Go for?

Walt Disney World is HUGE — four main parks, two water parks, Disney Springs shopping and dining destination, plus lots of onsite hotels to explore.

Universal Studios Resort – which in itself has three large theme parks and a water park.

Recommend Minimum Stay: 7 days

Great if you want a taste of the magic but need to stick to school holidays. You can do 3–4 Disney parks and enjoy some pool time. But 7 days flies by and you’ll just get a flavour for the magic in 7 days, especially with the possible jet lag and final day being travel day.

Ideal Stay: 10–14 days

(Top tip – theres usually minimum change of price between 7 and 14 day tickets to Disney)

Gives you:

Time for at least a day at each Disney park (and if you’re doing Universal park too you’ll have time for a day at each of those)
A rest day or two or a waterpark day
Maybe a day at Universal or two and some time for a bit of shopping

Things to Consider:

You’ll need a few slow mornings or afternoon breaks with kids – going to Orlando is not a restful holiday but my word its fun!
The time difference (jet lag!) hits hard on the first few days and you’ll all need early nights as you’ll be up early each day! This will work to your advantage though as you can get to parks early and take advantage of the quieter times of day!
Your first and part of your last days will likely be travel-only days

Many UK families stay 10–14 nights to get the most value for money, especially with free dining or ticket offers. Keep in mind though that even with a longer stay you won’t get to do and see everything – the important thing is to enjoy what you do get to see!

Final Thoughts

There’s no single “perfect” time to go to Florida — only what’s perfect for your family.

✅ Want fewer crowds? Go in May or September and out of school holidays if you are able to.
✅ Prefer cooler weather and not tied to school? January or February.
✅ Need to travel in holidays? Aim for late August or October half-term.
✅ Only have a week? That’s okay — plan smart with our help and well and go knowing you won’t see it all but you’ll still make amazing magical memories.

Wherever you go, and whenever you go — we’re here to help you plan it all!

We’ve got lots of planning sheets to print out and add to your planing folder – check them out here

Let the countdown to your Magical Family Trip begin!