You can have quite the time visiting Disney World in the fall. Central Florida doesn’t have a spectacular display of changing leaves but makes up for it with one of a kind experiences you can’t enjoy anywhere else! Want to see Mickey Mouse in his Halloween costume? How about tasting the rich and savory flavors of the season from around the world at Epcot? Disney World fall trips can mean cooler temperatures and special pumpkin treats everywhere. So when does Disney World decorate for fall? When do Disney World fall discounts come out? Let’s go over everything you need to know to plan a fabulous autumn visit.
Disney World Fall Events
What is there to do at Disney World in the fall?
Every season of the year brings something special to Disney Parks around the world. Luckily for little guests and families, spooky season is not so spooky at Walt Disney World Resort. There are lots of fun seasonal treats and more than one fall inspired, special event to enjoy.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party August 9 – October 31 2024
This Magic Kingdom special event is a fan favorite every year. To attend Mickey’s Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom, you must purchase special event tickets. People love this event because it has a party like atmosphere with special lighting and music, additional characters like villains, an over the top Halloween parade and festive fireworks. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will also wear new Halloween costumes at the party in 2024. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party does sell out so plan in advance. We also have lots of tips and tricks in our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event guide.
Where can you trick or treat at Disney World?
Is there trick or treating at Disney World? Yes! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is also your chance to enjoy trick or treating at Disney World. Guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up and trick or treat at special candy stops around Magic Kingdom at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Wearing a costume to Magic Kingdom is a treat, too, as it’s not permitted on regular visits. There is a token system guests with allergies, or dietary preferences, can use to safely participate.
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival August 29 – November 3
In 2024, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is from August 29th through November 3rd. With so many added options, this is always a great time eat and drink around the world at Epcot. World Showcase overflows with flavors and smells from the many outdoor food kitchens. There is also added entertainment, like the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, and food and wine related seminars, tastings and such. Food and Wine is the most popular of the Epcot festivals.
Learn more: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Disney Springs Flavors of Florida
Planning to visit right as Disney World fall kicks off? Flavors of Florida is another seasonal offering that happens at Disney Springs from July 1st to August 11th in 2024. This late summer festival has a few days of overlap with Disney World’s first days of fall, making it possible to enjoy both. During Disney Springs Flavors of Florida, many restaurants offer special food and drink items that are regionally made, have local ingredients or spotlight the sunshine state in some other way. Disney Springs Flavors of Florida is free to enjoy.
See the complete list of Disney Springs Flavors of Florida food and beverage offerings.
Disney World Thanksgiving Meals
Some restaurants at Disney World offer special meals for Thanksgiving. If turkey, mashed potatoes and the like are a must, consider dining at Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom. This colonial style setting serves Thanksgiving food, family style at your table, year round. Disney World traditionally doesn’t share holiday meal menus, or if a restaurant will have something special, until just days or weeks before.
When do Disney World Fall Discounts come out?
Fall is also a great time to visit Disney World because pricing usually reflects anticipated demand. This means that slower times of year cost less to visit. This is true for regular theme park ticket prices, special event ticket prices and also hotel stays. Aside from dynamic pricing, there are also Disney World fall discounts. You can usually expect these to come out in the summer.
This year you can save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels.
This discount is for stays most nights from November 24th to December 25th.
There are additional Disney World fall discounts for stays many Sunday to Thursday nights between October 6th and November 21st, 2024.
You can also get Park Hopper added to your tickets for free by upgrading to a Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a ticket that is date based and 4 or more days.
Save any time with Disney Vacation Club
You can get top tier Disney Resort hotel stays at a great price year round with Disney Vacation Club. The Disney timeshare lowers the cost of staying at deluxe resorts. When you buy a resale contract, the savings are even greater. The amount of points you need to book at different times of the year varies based on demand. The DVC point charts are released in December for the year that’s just over a year away. We consistently see parts of the late summer and fall be among the most economic to visit.
Disney World Fall FAQs
When does Disney World decorate for fall?
Pumpkins appear on Main Street in early August well before the actual first day of fall which is September 22nd in 2024. You can expect many Disney World fall decorations to be up in early August. There is a gourd-geous display on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom. Many glowing pumpkins line roofs on the street with icons carved into them. These pumpkins go up before the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party though this and other displays may continue to be enhanced after.
In 2024, the first Not So Scary event is August 9th. We can expect to see the first signs of fall around Disney World before then with decorations continuing to go up for a few weeks. There are also themed window displays around the parks and resorts, showcasing the seasonal merchandise. Some places around Disney World, like in front of Magic Kingdom, may have leaf or hay bale displays, showcasing reminders autumn.
Disney World fall weather: What is the weather like at Disney World in fall?
Florida is unforgivingly hot most of the year. If you’re coming from somewhere that has four seasons, Orlando and Disney World will probably feel much warmer than what you’re used to. The cooler weather is another reason vacationers love Disney World fall trips.
It can be hot and humid year round but things do start to cool off in the fall. It stays warmer longer than you might expect. The summers are quite long and the heat and humidity last well into August. Typically, Disney World temperatures start to become more bearable in September with a nice breeze here and there depending on the year.
Hurricane Season at Disney Runs from June through November
Remember Disney World fall trips will also come with the extra layer of hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 through November 30 in 2024. Based on what we’ve experienced over the last few decades, hurricanes usually make landfall in Florida in the later summer and early fall. September is particularly one month to watch. The National Hurricane Center says, “The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October.”
Is it safe to visit Disney World in the fall with hurricane season looming? You can count on Disney to make safe calls about when to close. You can also count on them to open as soon as is safely possible. Parks are often up and running the next day or the same day as soon as the storm’s eye is far enough away and rain is the only concern.
Learn more about The Best Time to Visit Disney World based on weather, crowds, seasonal events and decorations.
When does the holiday season start in Disney World Orlando?
Fall starts early at Disney World and so does the holiday season. As soon as Halloween is over on October 31st, signs of Christmas will start to appear. In fact, if you head to Disney World in November thinking you’ll have a very fall, orange, pumpkin-filled trip, you’ll be disappointed. Oddly, it’s even possible to see Christmas decorations up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the last week of October.
Early November starts Christmas and the holiday season at Disney World parks and resorts. The first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is November 8th in 2024. We can expect to see most of the fall decorations down at that point with lots of Christmas in Magic Kingdom already up.
DVC Resale Experts Can Help
Can you imagine yourself taking Disney World fall trips?
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. Whether you’re adding on points, buying or selling Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help you find the right price to place a bid with or list your contract for. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and delight in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts have seen it all and are happy to answer your questions throughout the process.
See our resale DVC listings for a look at real time availability and pricing.
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