Florida Guide > Planning your Trip
When to visit Florida
Choosing when to visit Florida is one of the main decisions you will make when planning your trip. Often people are tied to the school holiday periods, but if you can travel out of peak dates you really can experience so much more. Whether you can travel in peak periods or not planning is the key.
A lot of people ask the question when is best to visit? To be honest this is down to personal preference, some like to go in the warm summer months, others the cooler (yet still warm) winter. For me I like to travel in one of the crossover months (Oct- Nov, Apr – May) as these are generally still nice and warm without a lot of the humidity you will experience in the summer. You will find these months are generally quieter than the summer period (Jul- Aug) and parks less hectic.
When deciding when to book I would always tell people to try and book flights and accommodation well in advance, the earlier the better in my view. Some airline allow you to book up to 9 months in advance, however I would always book your accommodation first as this can be booked even further in advance if booked direct with the villa owners. Flight prices do tend to be a little cheaper if booking in advance too, some airlines also offer 2 sale periods (BA and VIRGIN) being the two that do, BA sales are normally in the first few weeks of Jan, with VIRIGIN at random other times. Even so I would still say book flights early as normally the price will increase and be more expensive the nearer you get to your departure date. Flight prices will be cheaper in the ‘off season’ dates and can be anything up to 1/3 of the price of a ticket in the summer. If flying within the US the other dates to be aware of are thanksgiving period in Nov and 4 Jul (independence day).
In the spring the weather can be very good with minimal rain and warm sunny days. Move into Apr and May you will see a significant increase in the temperatures. Apr can get a little busy over the Easter period and it is always advisable to arrive either early or later in the day if visiting the parks, visiting later can be good as a lot of people have already left the park and normally the park will stay open for longer during these periods. Generally Spring is a very nice time to visit Florida if you have young children, because the humidity is a lot lower.
Move into summer you will experience warm humid days and warm nights. Sunset is usually around 7- 8 pm and is a great time to enjoy the pool at your accommodation. During the day it can get very warm, so is advisable to plan your day without taking too many detours. A good plan can save you a lot of walking, however most of the parks are easy to navigate and have plenty of water stops and cafes you can visit to get out of the heat.
Fall or Autumn is another great time to visit, as the weather is generally still warm and the only main difference will be the parks are less busy than summer. Expect the sun to go in a lot earlier too. This is not a bad thing if you are planning to visit the eve firework shows as they will generally be on earlier. During the Autumn you will also have extra themed nights at both Disney (Mickey’s not so scary Halloween) and Universal Studios (Fright nights).
If you plan to go in the winter months you will experience a totally different feel to Florida. The weather is a lot cooler and the evenings can be chilly. It is still warm enough to walk around in the day wearing shorts and T-shirt, however it is advisable to bring a warm jumper for the eve. Where you will benefit over someone travelling in the Summer is the parks will be almost empty and you will be able to almost not experience any queues for major rides.
Which ever time you visit you will be guaranteed a great time in the Sunshine State!
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