One of the things to know about Walt Disney World is that there is always a lot going on. Yes, visitors are coming from around the world to check out Cinderella’s castle, meet Mickey, and hug a princess.
But visitors are ALSO coming to run marathons, participate in school sporting competitions, and experience different festivals and celebrations in the four Disney parks. Disney World Events are a HUGE part of the Disney experience!
It is important to have a general idea of what is happening at Walt Disney World throughout the year. Some of the events draw large crowds which will add to the overall busyness and wait times in the parks. You may want to avoid planning your vacation during these events.
The biggest special events at Walt Disney World each year are:
- runDisney races
- EPCOT festivals – Food and Wine, Flower and Garden, International Festival of the Arts
- High school and College sporting events
Our purpose of writing this is to primarily help you with your vacation planning but we also know that you may be coming to Walt Disney World because you are involved in one of the many events happening at the parks. Either way, this events calendar will hopefully help you in your planning.
Disney World Event Guide
We have given you a guide as to what is happening at Walt Disney World in 2026. There are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Holidays are always busy at Disney World, so we have noted the major ones below. Anytime there is a three day weekend the Disney theme parks will be busier than normal.
- runDisney events are very festive but can also have impacts on park hours and events. The races start very early in the morning but the longer races, particularly the marathon, may impact opening times. These do draw crowds – both runners and spectators. Be sure to check out the runDisney page to stay up to date.
- Many of the sporting events and competitions happen at ESPN Wide World of Sports. This is on the Disney property. Participants of these events often stay at the Disney value hotels and will visit the four Disney parks during their stay. These athletes are NOT at the Disney Parks the entire time, but you will see busier buses, hotels, and a general uptick in crowds.
- EPCOT festivals, particularly the Food and Wine Festival, draws locals in on the weekends.
Ticketed Events at Walt Disney World
A few of the events at Walt Disney World are special ticketed events. You will need to purchase a ticket in order to attend the festivities. These events often start in the evening (around 7:00pm) and guests without tickets will need to leave the park early. You cannot stay in the park without a ticket even if you have a dining reservation.
Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party
This event happens at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. It includes trick or treating, character meetings, and eerie entertainment. A special Halloween themed fireworks show called Not So Spooky Spectacular and a Boo-to-You parade! Cost is $119 and up as you get closer to Halloween.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This event is at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park where you will see Minnie’s Wonderful Christmas Time Fireworks, a Christmas parade, and enjoy special holiday treats! Cost is $169 and up.
Disney’s H20 Glow After Hours
This special event takes place at Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon water park. The park will close to non-ticketed guests and you will enjoy a magical evening at the water park!
Disney After Hours
Disney After Hours takes place at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom on select dates beginning in January, 2026. You can find out more information about Disney After Hours here.
You can find out more information about these special events here.
2026 Special Events at Walt Disney World
Here are all the special events happening at the Walt Disney World Resort. Be sure to check out our crowd calendar to find even more information about the crowds and weather at Disney World.
January 2026 Disney Events
- January 1 New Year’s Day
- January 1 – 4 Holiday Activities
- January 7 – 11 runDisney Marathon. Walt Disney World Marathon weekend (which includes the Walt Disney World 5k, 10k, Half Marathon Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge, Dopey Challenge and the Marathon) is happening and some schools are still on break which makes this time not only busy but early morning road and park traffic on race days can be very difficult to maneuver around.
- January 16 Festival of the Arts begins
- January 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King weekend (Jan. 16 – 19) brings a 3 day federal holiday weekend and college Cheerleading and Dance competitions. While this weekend isn’t one of the busiest, it is wise to be aware that crowds are higher than what you may expect.
- January 30 – February 1 National School Spirit Championship, Division 2
February 2026 Disney Events
- February 6 – 8 National School Spirit Championship, Division 1
- February 8 Super Bowl Specials, Character parades, “I’m going to Disney World!” Celebration
- February 14 Valentine’s Day
- February 14-16 President’s Day Weekend
- February 17 Mardi Gras events (Port Orleans, French Quarter and Riverside Resorts)
- February 23 – Festival of Arts ends
- February 26 – March 2 runDisney Princess Half Marathon weekend. The half marathon event also includes a 5k, 10k, and the Belle Challenge
- February 28 – March 2 The Contest of Champions which is an open dance and drill competition that takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.
March 2026 Disney Event
All Month – Spring Breaks across the USA
- March 4 – June 1 TBA Flower and Garden Festival in Epcot. You will see beautiful topiary displays of Disney Characters throughout Epcot. This is truly a beautiful festival! During this time there is also a concert series
- March 4 Zootopia 10th Anniversary
- March 14 – 15 UCA International All Star Cheerleading Championship
- March 17 St. Patricks Day
April 2026 Disney Events
First half of the month – Spring Breaks across the USA
- April 1 April 3 – 5 Easter weekend. The week before Easter and Easter weekend are generally a very busy time as many students are off of school coinciding with spring breaks
- April 16 – 20 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend, 5K, 10K, 10 – miler and Challenge combining all three races
- April 22 Earth Day and Animal Kingdom Anniversary
- April 22 – 24 ICU Cheerleading & Dance World Championships
- April 24 – 27 US All Star Federation Cheerleading and Dance Worlds April 30 – May 3 The Summit-Varsity All Stars Cheerleading and Dance Championship
May 2026 Disney Events
All month – EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
- May 4 – Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you!
- May 5 – Cinco De Mayo
- May 10 – Mother’s Day
- May 22 – September 12 Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon
- May 23 – 25 Memorial Day – Holiday weekend and the beginning of summer break in some parts of the country. Memorial Day is not only the unofficial start to summer in the general USA, it is also the summer kick off at Disney World! The parks start to stay open later beginning Memorial Day (usually staying open until 10:00 rather than 9:00)
June 2026 Disney Events
All month – Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon
All month – Flower and Garden Festival in Epcot
- June 1 – August 31 runDisney Virtual Series
- June 9 Cars 20th Anniversary
- June 21 Father’s Day
- June 21 Hunchback of Notre Dame 30th Anniversary
July 2026 Disney Events
All month – Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon
- July 2 The Great Mouse Detective 40th Anniversary
- July 3 – 6 Fourth of July Weekend
- July 4th brings heavy crowds at the Magic Kingdom. Disney is known for its incredible fireworks displays along with a holiday weekend. Both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot have special 4th of July celebrations. Disney Springs has special 4th of July decor and the Animal Kingdom usually has special food and beverages to celebrate America’s Independence Day.
- July 9 – 14 World Dance Competition is an open dance and drill competition that takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.
- July 9 – August 9 Flavors of Florida at Disney Springs
August 2026 Disney Events
All Month – Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon
- August 14 – October 31 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom begins
- August 27 – November 21 Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. The Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Avoid Epcot during the weekends as it is a favorite place for the locals to visit.
- August 24 – 28 World Princess Week
September 2026 Disney Events
All Month – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
All Month – Food and Wine Festival at Epcot
- September 5 – September 7 Labor Day Weekend
- September 12 – Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon ends
Photo Credit Alexis Larcy
October 2026 Disney Events
All Month – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (ending on the 31st)
All Month – Food and Wine Festival at Epcot
- Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day and school fall breaks all occur here. Crowds will reflect it.
- October 22 – 25 runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
- October 31 Halloween
November 2026 Disney Events
- November 1 Transformation to Christmas begins (decorations start going up)
- November 4 – December 18 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom
- November 7 – 15 Jersey Week (New Jersey schools are out and Disney World becomes a popular destination)
- November 8 – December 20 Jollywood Nights Christmas Party (Hollywood Studios)
- November 11 Veterans Day (observed) – Federal holiday which brings heavy crowds
- November 21 Food and Wine Festival at Epcot ends
- November 23 Moana 10th Anniversary
- November 23 – 29 Thanksgiving Holiday week which brings heavy crowds. Generally speaking Saturday-Wednesday are less busy than Thursday-Sunday of this week. Christmas decorations at Disney World are up during this week.
- November 27 – December 25 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot
December 2026 Disney Events
- December 1 – 31 runDisney Virtual 12Ks of Christmas
- December 18 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom ends
- Festival of the Holidays at Epcot (Ending December 25th)
- December 25 – Christmas
- December 31 New Year’s Eve
Generally speaking, most of these events will be happening around the same time in 2027. This should help in your planning for future Disney World vacations! We have additional information about daily attendance and yearly trends here. Please remember that it is hard to ever be in Disney World without something going on so don’t try and overthink your trip. Just do your planning and you will do great, enjoying every minute of your trip!
We have tips to help you save time in the parks and tips to help you avoid long wait times. You will have a blast!