Orlando in February?

[JonC]

Anyone have any experience of visiting Disney in Feb?

Queue times?

Weather?

Handy hints? Places to avoid?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

Hi

We visitied Orlando February this year. This was our third trip, previous trips being in JUly 2000 and Ocotber 1996.

We decided to go in February because it is a quiet time of year, and the weather cool.

We travelled 1st - 14th, with Presidents Day the Monday after we left, so I thought we would have missed most of the holiday crowds that weekend.
Our first park day was Sunday 3rd at MGM and I have to admit it was very quiet. Very pleasant indeed. Weather was high 70's I think, maybe even more, but that was hotter than normal for that time of year. Our next park day was IOA a day or 2 later. It was relatively quiet also, with very little wait for rides.
When we got to MK however everything changed.......it was busy....very busy....Having been in July and October I could tell the difference between quiet and busy. Hour long waits for non fast pass rides....aaaggh
And so as the holiday progressed, the parks got busier. Not as busy as July, but busier than I had imagined.
I was told that the reason the parks were so busy was due to 3 things.
1. Cheerleader Competition....
2. Some kind of rally (excuse my ignorance here) at Daytona
3. Presidents weekend...people taking extra days before the actual holiday.

The weather on some days got quiet cool, and some days very pleasant......like a (good.....) British summer - low 70's. The cool days were cool enough to have to put long trousers on the kids and myself, and pretty nippy at night. Sweaters essential here. There was not as much rain though as the summer months

Some of the rides were closed for rehab - Splash Mountain on one trip to MK, Space Mountain on the next.
CoP was only open on Saturdays I think.
The other down side was the park hours. They are not open late at night, MK colsed at 7, AK closed at 5 I think.

Sorry to drag on a bit. Hope I've answered some q's.

 

[Scotfan]

We have been this month 4 times now, we own a week at Vistana which coincides with Presidents Day. It is pretty busy but the parks are open pretty decent hours and the parades are on pretty much every day. Ideally we would go the week prior to Pres.day and the week after as you would get cheaper room rates the 1st week to go with shorter hours and busier longer hours the 2nd week. If you plan to stay on site and arrive before the Thursday(I think) prior to Pres Day your whole stay will be charged at the low season rate!
Weather wise it is pretty mixed we have had 3 trips with low 80's and this year had 2 days torrential cold rain followed by 3 nice days then frost for 2 nights
Hopefully it will be warmer next year..

 

[Elaine Guidi]

Just getting my name on the ireply list, as my trip is Feb 03. TY

 

[JonC]

Thanks for the feedback. Had thought it was a quieter time of the year to go - not so sure now.........

 

[JonC]

Excuse my ignorance, Does Presidents Day fall on the same date every year?

What is the date next year?

Does anyone have any links to a "whats on during Feb" website in Orlando???

Is the Daytona rally an annual event?

Thanks again!

 

[UKDEB]

Hi Jon,

President's day is the third Monday in February. Sorry, can't answer your other questions.

 

[JonC]

Thanks Debbie - Coming home the day before!!

 

[jean88]

Hi Jon
we stayed in feb this year 22nd-29th we had 2 day's of rain 3 beautiful day's and 2 day's of frost, in fact the hotel's in international drive had the bed sheet's outside in the garden's covering up the plant's from the frost, but we were still wearing our short's and teashirt's. We weren't cold maybe coming from scotland helped us.
jean

 

[Sue F UK]

We have stayed in Orlando in Feb for the last 5 years. The weather is usually akin, as someone has already said, to a British Summer. Long trousers and a fleece are required for the evenings but shorts and t-shirts are normally ok for daytime.

There is still plenty of sunshine around although we too were there for the torrential rain last Feb this is unusual. Frost too is unusual in Florida - we have only seen it one other time and that was in January.

With regard to the parks they are generally quiet although Presidents Day makes a difference, especially in the Disney Parks where most of the Americans go. These are best avoided on the weekend before and a couple of days after. The US kids are not on holiday at this time so most Americans only make it for a long weekend.

Other than that we love this time of year as the weather is not too hot to walk around the parks in - we have been in July when it was awful - too hot and humid.

It also makes us laugh when the native Floridians don coats/hats/gloves etc as soon as there is a slight chill in the air while the Brits are out in their shorts and t-shirts.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday Jon.

 

[JonC]

Thanks, appreciate all the info.