Visiting Disney World in 2022, 2023 (Two Year Outlook)

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In this post, we provide an outlook on the next two years at Disney World, with the goal of helping to pick when to visit during that time. This post gets updated every few months, though in the interim you may see updates near the top that provide some additional information we haven’t yet built into the rest of the post.

We can’t see the future, but we do our best to (1) collect important dates that Disney has confirmed, (2) mention rumored dates that make sense, (3) give our total guesses for things that might happen. It always should be clear which of these categories a given date / prediction falls into.

Important Note — D23 Expo Arriving Soon

Disney will hold a D23 Expo on September 9-11, 2022. During this event, we’re expecting some announcements about the parks that could greatly impact this post. In any case, we’ll have a more thorough update shortly following that event.

 

As of this August 2022 update, we’re focused on visits occurring August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2024. For the most part, we’re still focused on visiting during the 50th Anniversary celebration.

Notice that the 50th Anniversary celebration, which has started and runs through March 2023 contains only 8 of the 21 months that this post (a two-year outlook) covers. This is important, because some of the things offered during the 50th Anniversary will be unique, and visiting during one of these major celebrations is a bucket-list item for many Disney fans.

 

This post is not a planning guide. We have a Walt Disney World planning guide. This post is specifically concerned with “when to visit.” I also recommend glancing at the Epcot Festival Calendar and Tips post if festivals are going to be a big part of your trip.

 

Visiting Disney World in 2022

We’ll start with our key predictions for 2022 that basically dictate how we view visits during the year.

 

Disney World 2022 Key Predictions (Guesses)

I can’t stress enough—the dates / timeframes / etc. in this section, except where otherwise stated, are just our best guesses. We have no insider information, and basically all of our reasoning for these guesses is provided in this post.

While Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind debuted in May 2022, it’s not looking likely that we’ll get a second tide (TRON) in 2022. While Disney promised TRON for 2022, the latest rumors, which are well-reasoned enough, suggest TRON may not open until 2023.

 

We originally had TRON penciled in for late 2022, with October 1 looking like a good option.

Now, if I’m guessing, I’d say it’s a coin flip whether it opens in 2022 or 2023, with October 1 seeming unlikely. This means if you really care about TRON, you’re probably looking at visiting during the last three months of the 50th Anniversary Celebration in early 2023.

 

When to Visit Disney World in 2022

The key dates remaining in 2022, from a planning perspective, are:

 

As of this August update, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has commenced at Magic Kingdom.

With spring break behind us, crowds the rest of 2022 should be tolerable, with the exception of holidays (both major and minor). Visiting in 2022 is all about the holiday celebrations at this point—and those should dictate when and whether you visit in 2022…with one exception.

If you:

  1. have flexibility to avoid holidays in 2022

  2. want to visit before summer 2023

  3. and don’t care about waiting for TRON

then late 2022 is a great time to visit even if the holidays don’t interest you. Crowds have been getting less and less predictable in February through May. With the end of summer 2022 already showing moderate crowds, we think late 2022 should be comfortable.

 

If it’s Halloween you’re after, you’ll want to visit before October 31, which is the date of the last Halloween party. Note, though, that Halloween celebrations are pretty limited to Magic Kingdom, and even there pretty limited to the (separately ticketed) Halloween party.

 

If it’s the winter holidays (primarily Christmas as Walt Disney World) that you want to experience at Disney World, then you’ll want to be visiting November 8 at the earliest. That’s the first date of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and when the first batch of decorations around the resort will go up.

 

The later in November, the more decorations will be finished at the resorts and parks. And by Thanksgiving, everything should be up.

Our favorite time of the entire year to visit is the first week of December. This is low crowds (post-Thanksgiving break, pre-winter break) but with the holiday season in full swing.

 

Visiting Disney World In 2023

Let’s start with the big question, already alluded to above…

Disney World in 2023 — When will TRON debut?

The last update Disney gave was that TRON would open in 2022. That looks very unlikely at this point. If it gets delayed until 2023, when will it open? I have little to no idea.

 

If you want to catch TRON, at this point most guests should simply should be waiting for more news, even some rumors, to start booking your trip. (Note: With Disney’s cancellation policies, it might make sense for you to book a “backup” trip in, say, June 2023 so that you have something in case bookings go fast once a TRON date is announced.)

Since we can’t say much more on that at this time, let’s move on to other factors in 2023 planning.

 

When to visit Disney World in 2023

January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023. TRON aside, this is your last chance to experience the 50th Anniversary Celebration. While the celebration turned out to be much less than we’d hoped for, it is still worth a visit if your have flexibility with your dates and can make it work.

 

If I’m visiting once in the next two years, it’s sometime between Veterans Day 2022 (November 11, 2022) and March 1, 2023, with the 2022 segment being “I care most about Disney World during Christmas” and 2023 segment being “I want the best chance at riding TRON.”

 

Waiting Until After the 50th Anniversary

Note: This section will be expanded / rewritten following the D23 expo on September 9-11, 2022, as several updates are expected at that time.

April 1, 2023 — December 31, 2023. I don’t see any reason at all to wait until after the 50th Anniversary for your next visit. The latest I’d be looking at right now is February 2023, the 17th month of the 18-month celebration. 

Guardians is basically a lock for 2022, and we’d be shocked to see TRON delayed until after the 50th (then again, it could make some business sense to do that, so….). Other than that, attempting to “wait out” crowds / prices seems a risky strategy. Prices only go up, and crowds will always be unpredictable. 

With two new rides scheduled to debut during the 50th Anniversary, a third also having debuted in 2021, we’re not expecting any major changes to the resort during most of 2023. Announcements? Definitely. Animal Kingdom in particular is due for something new, though perhaps some clarity on Epcot’s future might be a more immediate issue.

If you looking toward after the 50th, presumably its partly because you’d like less “hoopla.” If that’s the case, then summer 2023 is probably your best bet. It’ll be after the 50th, soon enough that we probably don’t expect anything major to happen (unless, e.g., a ride is delayed), and before holiday crowds descend on the resort.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.

Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.

When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.

Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.