Visiting Walt Disney World in April 2024

When it comes to visiting Walt Disney World in April, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind. Crowds are generally manageable (with the exception of Easter week and some potential spring break lingerers), and the weather is still somewhat pleasant when compared with the heat of the summer months. All that being said, with a little planning April can be a wonderful time to visit the most magical place on earth!

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Planning a Disney World vacation in 2024? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer this year including the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the return of the Disney Dining Plan, and more! (You can also find our 2023 guide here!)

In This Post

News and Updates for 2024

April At-a-Glance

April Events

April Refurbishments & Closures

April Weather

April Disney World Crowd Calendar

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

News and Updates for 2024

Beginning on January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. Reservations may still be needed for non-dated tickets and other admission types (student group tickets, sport and convention tickets, annual passes, etc.)
Good news for Annual Passholders… Disney is introducing “good-to-go days” in 2024. These are select days when guests can visit the theme parks without needing a reservation. (Details from Disney will be released at a later date.)
Disney Dining Plans are returning to Walt Disney World beginning January 9, 2024, with bookings opening on May 31. Two plans will be offered – the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan.
Although this isn’t a change, Disney has announced that Disney Resort hotel guests will continue to enjoy early theme park entry for visits through 2024. Those staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or Deluxe Villa will also continue enjoying extended evening hours at select parks on select nights.
Disney has announced that they will be simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience allowing guests to plan their visit ahead of time. While details have yet to be announced, this is a very exciting change for those who don’t enjoy scheduling their Lightning Lanes inside the park on the day of their visit.

April At-a-Glance

April temperatures begin to rise, so don’t forget to pack your sunscreen! Mornings could still be a bit chilly, but for the most part, temperatures are warm.
Easter falls on March 31, 2024, so expect crowds that weekend! Easter is easily one of the busiest times of the year for Walt Disney World so be prepared for crowds that entire weekend into the first week of April.
April tends to be less busy than March, but many spring breaks take place during the first couple of weeks. The first two weeks are usually a bit busier with the final two weeks being a great time to visit the parks if you want to avoid major crowds. This will be especially true for 2024 as Easter falls at the end of March.
Major refurbishments are not typically common in April. Disney tends to schedule their refurbishments during less busy months (such as January or February), but that doesn’t mean closures can’t or won’t happen in April.

April Events

Perhaps the most notable event is the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This popular event took place from March 1 through July 5 in 2023, and the dates for 2024 will likely be similar. It features beautifully designed interactive gardens as well as a variety of living sculptures shaped like your favorite Disney characters. You will also find plenty of unique food options and family-friendly exhibits. 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.

The Garden Rocks Concert Series will likely be back as well in 2024. Dates and artists will be announced at a later date!

The runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend will take place April 18-21, 2024. This event ultimately replaced the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend, and 2022 marked its inaugural run. The good news is that it will be back in 2024! We don’t have a lot of details yet concerning this year’s race, but we will keep you posted!

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 can affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. Here are the events scheduled so far in April:

Disney Spring Training – March 11 – April 7, 2024

In 2024, Easter falls on March 31, so plan for the parks to be busy during the first week of April. The second half of the month should see lighter crowds as the Easter holiday is over and spring break crowds have returned home.

April Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for April 2024. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Magic Kingdom

Tron Lightcycle Power Run is now open!
Splash Mountain closed permanently on January 23, 2023, to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The newly rethemed attraction is scheduled to open in 2024.

EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open!
EPCOT Forever returned on April 3, 2023 (replacing Harmonious which permanently ended on April 2, 2023)
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana opened on October 16, 2023!
Luminous: The Symphony of Us, a new nighttime spectacular will be debuting on December 5, 2023.

Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is temporarily closed with no reopening date yet.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple has permanently ended.

Animal Kingdom

Primeval Whirl is permanently closed
- It is anticipated that Dino-Rama, as a whole, will likely close at some point to make way for a major expansion. Disney has shared plans for potential replacements, such as a Moana Mini-Land, which includes detailed concept art. Additionally, there is the possibility of a Zootopia Expansion beyond Dino-Rama. Although these proposals are promising, it should be noted that they have not yet been approved or funded by Disney. Therefore, the fate of Dino-Rama remains uncertain, but it is evident that its days are limited.

Other

Blizzard Beach closed on March 19, 2023, for refurbishment, and it will reopen on November 6, 2023.
Typhoon Lagoon will close on November 6, 2023, for winter refurbishment. No opening date has been announced.
Disney Skyliner Gondolas will experience closures in mid-to-late January 2024. This will be a phased closure that will occur first with the Disney’s Hollywood Studios side of the routes, followed by the Epcot side.

April Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite pleasant in April. So if you’re looking to visit Disney World without the extreme heat, this may be the perfect time to go. The average high is 83 degrees and the low is typically around 60 degrees. It is also typically a dryer month in terms of rain. Overall, April is an excellent time to visit in terms of weather!

April 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, 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 these days. 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.

During the first two weeks of April, there will definitely be an increase in crowds for the Easter holiday. If crowds are an issue for you, it would be best to avoid the second week of the month. The end of the month should see fewer crowds, however. Many schools are finished with their spring breaks at this point, so the crowds definitely lighten a bit when compared to the end of March.