Visiting Walt Disney World in March 2024

March is beautiful in Orlando! But when it comes to visiting Walt Disney World in March, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind. The crowds begin to pick up a bit compared to both January and February, and the weather warms up a bit as well. You will also want to keep in mind that spring break crowds are common, especially toward the end of the month. All that being said, with a little planning March 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

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 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.

March At-a-Glance

March is a warmer month, but you will still want to wear layers. Mornings and evenings will 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 months (such as January or February), but some of these may still be finishing up early in March.
The end of March 2024 is likely to be busier than usual. Easter falls on March 31, 2024, which means Easter crowds will arrive late in the month.

March 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!

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 March:

Disney Spring Training – March 11 – April 7, 2024

The biggest holiday in March is definitely Easter, which falls on March 31, 2024. This is typically one of Walt Disney World’s busiest weekends. (And the week before and after are generally busier as well.) St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, 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 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.

March Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite pleasant in March. 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 78 degrees and the low is typically around 58 degrees. It is also typically a dryer month in terms of rain. Compared with both January and February, the days are certainly getting a bit longer as well, which will allow more daylight hours in the parks. Layers may be necessary for the morning hours or late evening, but overall March is an excellent time to visit in terms of 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, 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.

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. 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. Also, it is worth noting that Easter falls on March 31, 2024, so end-of-the-month crowds will definitely be higher than usual.