Disney World in March: Weather, Crowds, Events & What to Expect in 2026

Spring break season arrives in full force in March! Needless to say, visiting Disney World in March can feel a little intimidating when it comes to crowds. School breaks combined with milder temperatures make this one of the most popular times of year to visit. And depending on the calendar, Easter can shake things up even more.

That said, March isn’t all downside. The weather is beautiful, flowers are in bloom across the parks, and spring break schedules make it easier for many families to travel. With the right strategy, Disney World in March can still be a fantastic vacation.

In 2026, Easter falls on April 5, which helps slightly when it comes to March crowd levels. Since Easter week is one of the busiest times of the year, having it land in early April spreads spring break crowds out a bit. Let’s be honest, though — March will be busy. And the end of the month could feel especially crowded as Easter approaches.

But with smart planning and realistic expectations, March can truly be a wonderful time to visit.

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Planning a Disney World vacation in 2026? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer this year!

In This Post

News and Updates for 2026

March At-a-Glance

March Events

March Refurbishments & Closures

March Disney World Crowd Calendar

Ready to start planning your visit to Walt Disney World in March?

News and Updates for 2026

2026 Vacation Packages are now available to book through December 2026.
Free Kids Dining Plan Offer: In 2026, guests staying at a Disney World Resort can receive a free Disney Dining Plan for kids (ages 3–9) when purchasing a dining plan for the adults in their vacation package.
Ticket Discount: Disney+ Subscribers can purchase a 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket with admission to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom (not valid for Magic Kingdom) with Disney+ Perks. Tickets start at $109 per day, plus tax. These are date-based tickets with start dates from January 12 through May 22, 2026.
Annual Passholders: Save up to 35% on rooms for select stays January 4–April 30, 2026, and up to 40% for most stays May 1–July 29, 2026.
Room-Only Discounts: Save up to 25% this spring (January 4–April 30, 2026) or up to 30% this summer (May 1–July 29, 2026), with higher savings on longer stays.
U.S. Military Members: Special room savings available most nights January 1–December 18, 2026 (book by December 18, 2026).
Water Park: Purchase a Water Park Seasonal Pass for just $89 plus tax. Valid through May 9, 2026, except on blockout dates from March 28-April 5.

March At-a-Glance

March is a warmer month, but you will still want to wear layers. Mornings and evenings can still be a bit chilly, but afternoons will typically be warmer.
March is one of the busiest months of the year. With spring breaks happening all across the country, the parks will be busy… especially during the last two weeks of the month.
Major refurbishments are usually finished in March, but there may still be a few. Disney tends to schedule their refurbishments during less busy seasons, but some of these may still be finishing up early in March.
Easter is on April 5, 2026, so spring break crowds could turn into Easter crowds at the end of March. Depending on when Easter falls, March crowds can be quite intense, as sometimes it coincides with spring breaks.

March Events

The Disney Princess Half Marathon is a popular runDisney event, and the weekend brings out the Disney royalty in all who participate. This year’s event takes place February 26 – March 2, 2026. The race weekend included “Disney Princess Sunrise Yoga,” which takes place in the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella’s Castle before the park opening. The weekend also features a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and the Disney Fairy Tale Challenge (10K and Half Marathon).

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival will begin March 4 and last through June 1, 2026. This beloved festival transforms Epcot into a breathtaking springtime wonderland. Visitors can enjoy a stunning display of flowers and topiaries, indulge in delicious outdoor food, and listen to live music at the Garden Rocks Concert Series. Exclusive festival merchandise and scavenger hunts (including the popular Egg-stravaganza Easter Egg Hunt) add to the experience, making it a must-see event for flower and nature enthusiasts.

*Epcot festivals tend to bring more local crowds on evenings and weekends, so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.

Walt Disney World (as well as ESPN Wide World of Sports) typically hosts several athletic events each month. These events don’t usually have a major impact on crowds in the parks, but they will likely affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. Here are the events scheduled so far in March:

Disney Spring Training – March 13-April 9, 2026
UDA All-Star National Championship – March 13-14, 2026
The Quest Recreational Championship – March 13-14, 2026
UCA All-Star National Cheerleading Championship – March 14-15, 2026

St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17, but this shouldn’t necessarily affect crowds too much.

March Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for March 2026. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed until Spring 2026.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will be closing for enhancements from August 2025 until Spring 2026.
Carousel of Progress will be closing at some point for reimagining sometime in 2026 or 2027.
Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island are permanently closed.
Walt Disney World Railroad will be operating in shuttle mode for the next few years due to ongoing construction.

EPCOT

Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along will be closed for refurbishment starting February 22, 2026.
Impressions de France will be closed for refurbishment starting February 22, 2026.
Soarin’ Around the World will become “Soarin’ Across America” this summer in honor of America’s 250th birthday celebration. It will likely debut by Memorial Day, and it is unclear if the current ride will need to be closed for a short time during the transition.

Hollywood Studios

Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! will debut in Summer 2026.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be permanently closing on March 2, 2026, for reimagining. A new theme starring the Muppets will debut in Summer 2026.
Star Wars Launch Bay is permanently closed and will open in late Summer 2026 as “The Magic of Disney Animation.”
The Walt Disney Studios Lot will open in Summer 2026.

Animal Kingdom

Zootopia: Better Zoogether is now open!
DINOSAUR, Primeval Whirl, TriceraTop Spin, and The Boneyard are permanently closed.
- Dinoland USA, as a whole, has officially closed to make way for a major expansion. Disney has announced that the replacement will be “Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.” Concepts include Encanto and Indiana Jones, and DINOSAUR will be converted into an Indiana Jones attraction.
Affection Section, Conservation Station, and the Wildlife Express Train will temporarily close starting February 23 to prepare for the all-new Bluey Experience opening summer 2026
Animation Experience will permanently close starting February 23

Other

Disney Skyliner will be closed January 24 through January 30, 2027, for routine maintenance.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will close for refurbishment from February 15 to May 11, 2026. Starting on May 12, both Disney water parks will be open for the summer.

March Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite pleasant in March. If you’re hoping to visit Disney World without the extreme summer heat, this can be a wonderful time to go. The average high is around 78 degrees, with lows typically near 58 degrees. It’s also generally a drier month, which is always a plus.

Compared to January and February, the days are noticeably longer, giving you more daylight hours to enjoy in the parks. You may still want layers for early mornings or late evenings, but overall, Disney World in March is an excellent choice when it comes to weather.

March Disney World Crowd Calendar

Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. It’s best not to completely rely on them when making your Disney World vacation plans.

While crowd calendars can be a big help in knowing what to expect, keep in mind that they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. But unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.

On top of that, many are choosing to travel differently. Quiet months have become popular due to runDisney events as well as other Disney events and promotions, while busier seasons have seen a downward trend in the last couple of years.

When it comes to March crowds, earlier in the month is better, as many schools throughout the country are on spring break later in the month. (This will be especially true this year with Easter falling in the first week of April.) In a typical year, spring break is generally one of the most crowded times of the year to visit Disney World! So if crowds are an issue for you, you may want to avoid the second half of the month.