Spring break 2026 at Walt Disney World: crowds, costs, and planning tips

With a new year underway, families are already thinking about spring break and deciding where to travel. With the kids out of school and warmer temperatures beckoning, many destinations see a surge in popularity during spring break, including Walt Disney World.

Seasoned Disney pros know to be mindful when planning a spring break vacation, as it typically includes higher costs and crowds. However, peak seasons like spring break are often the only times families can travel. Don’t let the fear of crowds or higher costs dissuade you from booking a trip. After all, spring break is a great time to go if you’re looking for warm, but not too hot, temperatures.

Keep reading for tips to help you plan a memorable spring break vacation to Walt Disney World.

How long does Disney World’s spring break season last?

Since schools have different schedules, the actual spring break season can last for several weeks at Disney World. You’ll start to see spring break crowds appear around the second week of March, and they’ll likely last through mid- or late-April. There may be some fringe dates outside of that window with heavier crowds, but that’s usually the primary spring break season.

Regardless, spring break crowds peak in the two weeks surrounding Easter. In 2026, Easter falls on April 5. So, expect the weeks of March 30 and April 6 to be especially busy.

READ MORE: A 10-STEP GUIDE TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION

Disney World 2026 spring break crowds

As I mentioned, spring break is one of the busiest times of the year at Walt Disney World, especially around Easter, when most schools are on an extended break. Beyond those two weeks, the parks will be busy in March and April, especially on weekends.

If you’re considering a vacation to Walt Disney World during spring break, you’ll want to be prepared for long lines at most rides and attractions, increased competition for those hard-to-get dining reservations, and a general feeling of crowdedness.

To navigate long lines, consider buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass on some of the days you are in the parks. Lightning Lane is a paid service that allows you to bypass the regular standby line for most rides – it’s the current version of the FastPass and Genie services that came before.

Remember, time is money at Walt Disney World. In my opinion, it is (almost) always worth allocating vacation dollars to Lightning Lane instead of other add-ons, like Park Hoppers or the Disney Dining Plan, if it comes down to needing to prioritize where to organize your vacation budget.

READ MORE: AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DISNEY WORLD’S LIGHTNING LANE SERVICE

Disney World 2026 spring break costs

Since spring break is consider a peak season, you should expect tickets and hotels to cost a little more than other times of the year. Here are the price ranges for a one day ticket in the months of March and April, which vary based on the exact date you visit (weekends costing more) and the park you want to visit (Magic Kingdom costs the most):

March 2026

• Magic Kingdom: $174 to $199
• EPCOT: $164 to $184
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $169 to $194
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $159 to $179

April 2026

• Magic Kingdom: $179 to $199
• EPCOT: $164 to $194
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $174 to $194
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $154 to $179

Be sure to price out your vacation ahead of time with multiple hotel options to see what you can potentially save by booking a lower-cost hotel. For example, staying at a Value Resort may give you more nights than if you were to stay at a Deluxe Resort. For even more savings, you may want to consider looking at off-property hotels. The Disney Springs Area Hotels keep you near the action.

There are other strategies you can use to lower the cost of your hotel. Shop around for discounts — there is almost always some kind of promotion going on, so you should never have to pay rack rate for a hotel. Also, consider shaving off the weekends and keep your vacation to only weekdays for lower hotel rates and lower theme park ticket prices.

This same philosophy applies to your flights. Research flight options ahead of time so you have more time to shop around for the best deals. If you have miles saved up, now may be a good time to redeem them. Also, if you live close enough to Orlando, driving instead of flying could be a potential solution to keep costs low.

READ MORE: FIND OUT HOW MUCH DISNEY WORLD PARK TICKETS COST IN 2026

Disney World 2026 spring break planning tips

Planning a spring break visit to Disney World involves more than just navigating crowds and budgeting. With multiple seasonal events and exciting ride openings, there’s a lot going on this time of year! Here are a few quick tips to make the most of your spring break vacation to Disney World.

Visit the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival usually starts around the first week of March and lasts through the first few days of June. In 2026, the Flower and Garden Festival begins on March 4, just in time for spring break.

The Flower and Garden Festival is simply beautiful, with multiple topiaries styled after Disney characters and an abundance of colorful flowers in bloom around EPCOT. Foodies love this festival for the Outdoor Kitchens around the park that sell a variety of food and beverage items inspired by the season.

This festival also includes the Garden Rocks Concert Series with many opportunities to catch a musical act perform in the evening in the American Adventure Pavilion.

Ride the newly refreshed Frozen Ever After in EPCOT

If you’re visiting Disney World this year during spring break, you’ll be able to experience a newly refreshed Frozen Ever After at EPCOT. The popular boat ride is getting a face lift — quite literally — with enhanced Audio Animatronic figures with articulated faces replacing the original models that featured projection-style faces.

Once reopened, it will be similar to the Frozen Ever After in Hong Kong Disneyland and the version coming to Disneyland Paris this spring.

READ MORE: FROZEN EVER AFTER IS COMING TO DISNEYLAND PARIS

Be on the lookout for reopened rides in Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom has a busy few years ahead with new and enhanced attractions coming online. It all starts this spring as two popular rides with extended closures finally reopen: Buzz Lightyear’s Space-Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Depending on when your spring break falls, these reopenings may or may not have happened yet, but they’re good to keep in mind as you plan your trip!

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will reopen with new ride vehicles, new blasters, a new digital scoring system that is virtually limitless, and a new Audio-Animatronic of a character named Buddy.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen following a closure that lasted over one year with a new storyline and enhanced visual effects. Be on the lookout at the beginning of the ride for new visual and audio effects!

As of this writing, Disney World has not provided exact reopening dates for these two rides. Since we know they both reopen in the spring, that could be as early as March or as late as June — my guess is sometime before Memorial Day, as that’s when Disney considers its summer season to unofficially begin. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement from Disney!

READ MORE: CATCH UP ON THE TIMELINE OF CHANGES COMING TO DISNEY WORLD AND BEYOND

Be mindful of recent ride and land closures

While we’re excited to see multiple newly refreshed rides coming online around spring break, there are a few closures you’ll definitely want to keep in mind as you plan your trip. In anticipation of the new Tropical Americas land opening at Animal Kingdom in 2027, we will finally bid adieu to DINOSAUR and the remainder of DinoLand U.S.A. The area will close permanently starting February 2.

One month later, we will also say “so long” to the original Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. The O.G. version of the ride will play its final “concert” on March 1, with a multi-month closure beginning on March 2. The ride will reopen sometime in the summer of 2026 with a new headliner act, the Muppets!

DINOSAUR and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are two big thrill rides at Disney World, so you’ll definitely want to be mindful of these closures if you have thrill seekers in your travel party.

Consider buying tickets to Disney After Hours

Remember when I said time is money at Walt Disney World? You can buy yourself even more time in the parks (with lower crowds!) by purchasing tickets to Disney After Hours.

Disney After Hours is a hard-ticketed event that takes place on select evenings through the spring at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Attendees can enjoy an additional three hours in the park after the posted closing time, which means there’s plenty of time to enjoy your favorite rides with little to no wait.

Disney After Hours also includes character meet and greets and unlimited snacks like popcorn, ice cream novelties, and soda. If you’re planning a shorter vacation or have the extra cash, Disney After Hours could be a great tool in giving you park access with fewer crowds, which as we discussed is a major factor to consider when planning a spring break trip to Disney World.

READ MORE: UNSURE OF WHEN TO VISIT DISNEY WORLD IN 2026? START HERE!

Spring Break 2026 at Walt Disney World: Crowds, Costs, and Planning Tips was originally published on The World of Spark.

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