17 Dates to Avoid in EPCOT in 2024

Listen, we don’t have a crystal ball, but we do have years of experience under our belt. We typically know what time of year the crowds pick up and what time of year they slow down.

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, it can help to know what dates to skip the parks so that you don’t have to deal with all those long lines. This time, we’re taking you to EPCOT for a look at all the dates you should avoid next year.

Holidays

First, we’re starting with the obvious. When do people go on vacation? When they have a day off! So, of course, we recommend avoiding the parks during pretty much every major holiday, including:

• New Year’s Day (January 1st)
• Valentine’s Day (February 14th)
• President’s Day Weekend (February 17th to 19th)
• Spring Break Crowds (Late March to Mid-April)
• Summer Crowds (Late May to Early September)
• Labor Day Weekend (August 31st to September 2nd)
• Halloween (October 31st)
• Thanksgiving Week (November 24th to 30th)
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24th and 25th)
• New Year’s Eve (December 31st)

In EPCOT, you may see special celebrations during the holiday season (Festival of the Holidays), New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. In turn, you might see some extra people celebrating in the parks during these special events.

Races

If you’re not participating in a runDisney event next year, you might not want to visit EPCOT at the same time as a big race event. These marathons and other races tend to bring in LOTS of guests, including both the racers AND their cheer squad!

For now, Disney hasn’t released the full scheduled or 2024 runDisney dates, but we do know a few:

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 3rd-7th)
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (February 22nd-26th)
• runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend (April 18th-21st)

These runDisney events tend to span across a large portion of Disney World, which may also cause traffic detours or delays. Keep that in mind if you’re traveling to Disney World during a race!

Festivals

This a BIG one that you may not consider! The first day of each of EPCOT’s four seasonal festivals tends to draw big crowds as everyone comes to try the new foods and drinks!

This includes:

• Festival of the Arts, which normally starts in early January  (January 13th in 2023)
• Flower and Garden Festival, which starts in early March (March 1st in 2023)
• Food and Wine Festival, which starts in late July (July 27th in 2023)
• Festival of the Holidays, which starts in mid-November (November 23rd in 2023)

Note that we’re still waiting on the exact festival dates in 2024, but the festivals generally start around the same time each year. Once we find out the official dates, we’ll be sure to let you know!

Keep in mind that EPCOT also tends to be a little busier on the weekend (especially in the evening) as many locals like to visit for a nice dinner and a stroll around the World Showcase.

That’s all the dates we suggest avoiding EPCOT in 2024. Of course, we may see crowd patterns change from time to time, but you can normally count on seeing extra people in EPCOT around the same time that popular events are happening in Disney World.

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

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Are you planning a trip to Disney in 2024? Let us know in the comments!