Visiting Walt Disney World in May 2026

Visiting Walt Disney World in May can make for an amazing vacation. Schools are still in session, so the crowds are a bit lighter, especially on weekdays. Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts is in full swing, making the park extra beautiful. And the heat isn’t quite as bad as it will be in the summer. (Although, it’s worth noting that the parks heat up throughout the month as it gets closer to June!)

The first couple of weeks of May are one of my favorite times to visit Walt Disney World. Ride closures are usually kept to a minimum (when compared to January and February), the weather is generally hot but not unbearable, and the crowds are typically lower as well. As with any time of the year, planning is key!

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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

May At-a-Glance

May Events

May Refurbishments & Closures

May Disney World Crowd Calendar

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

News and Updates for 2026

Disney World vacation packages are now available to book through December 2026!
Disney is offering their dining plan for kids for free in 2026. Guests staying at one of the Disney World Resorts will get a free Disney Dining Plan for kids (ages 3 to 9) when buying a Disney Dining Plan as part of their package for the remaining adult members of their party.
Some great Disney deals are coming for early 2026! This spring, you can save up to $250 per night when you book a 4-night, 4-day (or longer) room-and-ticket package at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels. The offer is good for most nights from February 22 through July 25, 2026. There are also other ways to save — like special discounts for most Sunday to Thursday stays between January 4 and February 19, 2026.
Making a room-only reservation? You can save up to 25% on stays most nights from February 22 to April 30, or up to 20% for Sunday to Thursday nights from January 4 to February 19.

May At-a-Glance

May temperatures, as well as the afternoon sun, are beginning to feel a bit “summer-like,” so don’t forget to pack your sunscreen! Temperatures in May are definitely not quite as hot as in June or July, but it is definitely beginning to heat up.
Expect crowds for Memorial Day Weekend! This three-day weekend does bring its fair share of crowds, but many schools are not out yet for summer, so the rest of May shouldn’t be as busy.
Major refurbishments are not typically common in May. 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 May.
The first two weeks of May are an amazing time to visit Walt Disney World. Warmer weather, lower crowds, and fewer refurbishments make the first two weeks of May one of our favorite times to visit the parks!

May Events

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival usually begins in late February and runs through late May. 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 May:

The Summit-Varsity All-Stars Cheerleading and Dance Championship – April 30-May 3, 2026
Disney Memorial Day Soccer Tournament – May 23-25, 2026
Banana Ball – May 29-30, 2026

You may also want to take Memorial Day weekend into account when selecting vacation dates. This particular weekend almost always sees a spike in crowds as it marks the beginning of the summer season for Disney World. Also, Hollywood Studios may see an increase in crowds on May 4th, a.k.a. “Star Wars Day.” So if you want to avoid crowds, consider visiting a different park on that particular day of your visit.

May Refurbishments & Closures

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

Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed until 2026. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will be closing for enhancements from August 2025 until 2026.
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is permanently closed.
Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island are permanently closed.

EPCOT

Spaceship Earth is currently closed for refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen on October 25, 2025.

Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed and was replaced with a fully reimagined production called “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” on May 27, 2025.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple has permanently ended.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is permanently closed.
Muppet*Vision 3D permanently closed on June 8, 2025.
Disney Junior Play and Dance! will be closed from May 25, 2025, through 2026.
Villains Unfairly Ever After Show opened on May 27, 2025.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be closing at some point in 2026 for reimagining. The newly reimagined attraction starring The Muppets will debut in Summer 2026.

Animal Kingdom

It’s Tough to Be a Bug is permanently closed and will be replaced with Zootopia: Better Zoogether, which will open on November 7, 2025.
DINOSAUR will permanently close on February 2, 2026.
Kali River Rapids will close for refurbishment from October 6, 2025, through December 2025.
Primeval Whirl, TriceraTop Spin, and The Boneyard are permanently closed.
- Dinoland USA, as a whole, will likely close at some point 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.

Other

Disney Skyliner will be closed January 25 through January 31, 2026, for routine maintenance.
Blizzard Beach Water Park is closed for the season.

May Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite warm in May. It’s not quite as hot as July or August, but it’s definitely on the warmer side! The average high is 88 degrees, and the low is typically around 66 degrees. There is a little more rainfall than in January through April, but not as much as in the summer months during hurricane season. If you don’t mind a little bit of warm weather, May can be an excellent month to visit when it comes to weather.

May 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 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.

One thing that will be certain for May, however, is the Memorial Day weekend crowds. So if crowds are an issue for you, I would steer clear of that weekend.