Visiting Walt Disney World in November 2024

Walt Disney World in November is truly an enchanting time to visit! It’s personally one of my favorite times to go. The weather is pleasant, and it marks the beginning of the holiday season. You get to experience the magic of Christmas at Walt Disney World without the overwhelming crowds. Well, unless you visit during Thanksgiving week, that is! (Thanksgiving week is notoriously one of Disney World’s busiest weeks of the year!)

With the exception of Veterans Day weekend and Thanksgiving week, the crowds in November are generally moderate. So if you’re planning a visit in November, you’ll be greeted with mild weather and delightful holiday celebrations!

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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

November At-a-Glance

November Events

November Refurbishments & Closures

November Weather

November Disney World Crowd Calendar

Ready To Start Planning Your Visit To Walt Disney World In November?

November At-a-Glance

Major refurbishments are not typically common in November. 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 November.
The Food and Wine Festival is quite popular with locals. Consider visiting Epcot on weekdays if you’re trying to avoid the crowds.
Veteran’s Day Weekend and Thanksgiving week will be crowded. If you’re trying to avoid crowds in November, be sure to avoid these times… especially Thanksgiving week as it is one of the busiest weekends of the year.
The holidays begin throughout the parks during the month of November. Christmas decorations and holiday events typically begin the second week of November. So be prepared to celebrate!

November Events

Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival took place from July 27 – November 18 in 2023. Dates have yet to be announced for 2024, but it is likely they will be similar to previous years. Undoubtedly one of the most popular festivals at Epcot, this event typically features nearly 30 food and beverage booths (compared to under 20 for the other festivals) as well as the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Evenings and weekends will be busier so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.

Also taking place in November as part of this festival is the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Taking place October 31-November 3, 2024, this popular race usually features a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and the Disney Two Course Challenge (10K and Half Marathon). Virtual options will be available as well!

Another thing to consider if planning a visit in November is that Christmas arrives quite early in Walt Disney World! Christmas decorations begin to spring up throughout the parks and resorts shortly after Halloween. (Epcot typically waits to decorate until after the Food & Wine Festival.) And while Disney does honor Thanksgiving (and the Thanksgiving crowds are typically massive), Christmas is certainly the main attraction for most of November and all of December.

Usually beginning in November is the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, which took place November 25 – December 30, 2023. (Dates have yet to be announced for 2024.) Featuring traditions from around the world, including some incredible cuisine and holiday treats, this festival is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. It offers some unique holiday entertainment including a celebrity-hosted Candlelight Processional.

Other notable events/dates for November include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – Magic Kingdom’s ticketed Christmas event, which takes place on select nights in November and December! Last year’s ticketed party took place on 25 select nights throughout the season.

And Magic Kingdom isn’t the only park to have special holiday events. In 2023, Disney introduced Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. The ticketed party took place on 10 select nights throughout the season. Details for 2024 have yet to be announced, but we will keep you posted.

Be sure to visit our guide to celebrating Christmas at Disney World for more information on all the holiday fun Walt Disney World has to offer!

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. There are currently no events scheduled for the month of November, but this could change as some event dates have yet to be announced.

As far as holidays and crowds in November… Veteran’s Day falls on a Monday this year (November 11), so it could affect the weekend crowds a bit more than usual as many will have Monday off to observe the holiday. Other dates to watch out for, however, are November 23-30. This particular week draws some of the biggest crowds of the year.

November Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for November 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.

November Weather

The weather can be a bit unpredictable in the month of November, but it is typically one of the most beautiful months to visit Disney World. The average high is 79 degrees and the low is typically around 59 degrees. Hurricane season is typically over by November as well, meaning there will be fewer rainy days. You will undoubtedly want to dress in layers, however. The days (especially if they are sunny) will feel quite warm, but the evenings will probably get a bit chilly.

November 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.

Normally, November is fairly average in terms of crowds, with the exception of Thanksgiving week. In fact, Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year.