The March 2013 Disney World operating schedule was released today at the usual link: http://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_mar.pdf. If it still says March 2012 in the upper right hand corner, click refresh on your browser. Some browsers don’t load new versions of documents if the name is the same.
As always, this is the “official schedule” that Disney uploads to its Disney Web Content address before it goes live at DisneyWorld.com. Expect March 2013 to go live on DisneyWorld.com much closer to the end of August.
The first seven days in March are mighty pleasant, both in terms of temperatures and crowds, but crowds are going to begin to build beginning March 8th for spring breaks around the country. Expect March 24th - 30th to be bananas with March 31st – April 6th only slightly less so due to the Easter holiday on March 31st.
The nice thing about spring break, compared with the summer, is the weather. March is generally mighty pleasant weather-wise, whereas the heat in June – August is debilitating. Given a choice, January 21 – February 13 would be the best time of the year to visit in the website’s opinion. I don’t like crowds and I don’t like high temperatures.
Spring break is certainly doable, but you’ll want to be advised of heavy crowds and higher Disney resort pricing. This was a little earlier than I was expecting the March schedule to come out, but the March 2013 Crowd Calendar image should be ready to go by Thursday. Just have to check on a few things.
A September 2012 update is coming up next.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
yeah- september is when i’m going. i cant wait for your input. well i guess i can wait, but i won’t like it.
Josh-I luv you!!!!
I’ve missed all of your insights the last couple weeks! We are heading down on September 14th, planned to do AK on the 15th and then hop to MK for electrical parade. Now that they have announced Magic, Memories and You is being refurbished does that mean no fireworks while we are there? Thx
The Wishes Fireworks will go on as planned. It will be like before they started running Magic, Memories, and You.
Oooh, thanks Josh! We’ll be there for our first visit that first week of March. Looks like they didn’t update the Jungle Parade hours properly. Though a parade a 1:45 am would certainly be unique!
Hi Josh! Love your site! We will be going March 21-29 and I’ll need all the advice I can get!
We will be going to first week of March. There is not much difference between times and shows in Epcot or AK. MK has some later hours which we’ll avoid. Are recommeded days going to be that much different from none recommended days for that week?
Josh, Love reading your site. Loads of helpful tips. My trip starts at end of March and ends first week of April (the trials of being a teacher up north). Anyways, are the parades in Animal Kingdom really for the times listed? It seems like 3:45am, on March 24th, is a wierd time for a parade. Is the park even open at that hour? Thank you for your help. I trying to figure out which parks to go to on which days and then make my reservations.
Karen – the time for the AK parade should be 3:45 pm, not am.
OK, I just checked the link, and the times for the AK parade are totally wonky. They’ve got the time on March 1st as 4:45 pm, then each succesive day is one hour later than the previous day. The time is normally 3:45 pm everyday.
Given a choice, January 21 – February 13 would be the best time of the year to visit in the website’s opinion.
Thanks for that! Just back from an awesome week and so wanting to plan trip next year…what would be your Fall best dates?
Your awesome as always!
Can’t wait to see the March image! Planning a trip for a friend! Thanks for all the work Josh!