Best time to visit Orlando

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Orlando International Airport, the official station for the city:

That is 51.45 inches a year, and more than half of it (29.57 inches) falls from June to September. November is the driest month. Winter mornings in the 40s and low 50s surprise people who packed only shorts, and Disney's ticket terms warn that water parks are subject to seasonal and weather closures. In summer, expect a short, heavy storm most afternoons: plan indoor rides and lunch for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. rather than giving up the day.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. NOAA's National Hurricane Center puts the peak on September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. Orlando is inland, so the usual effect is heavy rain, wind and park closures for a day or two rather than storm surge, but closures do happen: Disney closed its parks on October 10, 2024 for Hurricane Milton and extended affected tickets.

If you travel from August to October, buy refundable flights or travel insurance that covers named storms, and remember that Disney and Universal tickets are nonrefundable unless the park cancels. The rest of the year, the daily summer thunderstorm (typically an afternoon downpour that clears) is the weather that actually shapes your plans.

On September 22, 2026 Disney's calendar priced a 3-day, one-park-per-day ticket at these per-day rates:

• Last week of September 2026: $139 to $170, the lowest we saw.
• October 2026: $171 to $181.
• November 2026: $171 to $182 in the first two weeks, rising to $186 to $188 in Thanksgiving week (November 22 to 26).
• December 2026: $177 to $182 in the first two weeks, then $189 to $190 from December 19 to 29.
• January 2027: $173 to $186, lowest on January 10 and 11 ($173).

Universal's 3-day, 3-park park-to-park calendar told the same story: $148 to $164 a day in late September, $180 to $193 a day from October 8 to 16, and $183 to $193 a day from November 22 to 27. See Disney tickets and Universal tickets for full totals.

Florida families fill the parks on local school breaks, and the rest of the country arrives at the same holidays. For the 2026-27 school year, Orange County Public Schools breaks are:

• Thanksgiving: November 23 to 27, 2026.
• Winter break: December 21, 2026 to January 1, 2027 (students return January 5).
• Spring break: March 15 to 19, 2027.

Other districts and states set their own spring breaks, which spreads spring crowds across March and April rather than into a single week. Summer, when schools across the country are out, brings some of the hottest, wettest and busiest weeks of the year.

• EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival: August 27 to November 21, 2026, included with EPCOT admission. It makes EPCOT busier on fall weekends.
• Halloween Horror Nights: select nights from August 28 to November 1, 2026 at Universal Studios Florida, on a separate ticket. On event nights the free after-6 p.m. parking at Universal does not apply.
• Disney Jollywood Nights: select nights from November 7, 2026 to January 5, 2027 at Hollywood Studios, separately ticketed.
• Volcano Bay: closed October 26, 2026 to March 31, 2027, so a winter Universal trip has no water park.

For the holiday parties and festivals, see the events calendar.

First choice: November 1 to 14. Highs near 78F, the driest month of the year, the tail of Food & Wine and Disney ticket prices of $171 to $182 a day. From the weekend before Thanksgiving, prices and crowds climb together.

Second choice: January 5 to 14, 2027. Cool mornings, low rain and some of the lower prices on Disney's calendar once the school holidays end. Pack a jacket.

Only if price beats everything: late September. The cheapest tickets we saw, but also the storm peak and highs near 90F. Skip the last ten days of December unless those are the only days you can travel.

Whatever month you choose, the length of the trip matters as much as the dates; see how many days in Orlando.