What Will Disney Be Like in May 2022?
Every Disney fan has a preferred time to visit the parks. My family targets four dates on the annual calendar.
We like to visit Walt Disney World in January, May, September, and late October/early November.
Out of this group, I feel like May has turned into the most underrated time to visit and want to explain why.
Here’s what Walt Disney World will be like in May of 2022.
Let’s Talk about May Visits
Look, there’s never a bad time to visit Walt Disney World. People call it the Most Magical Place on Earth for a reason.
However, some dates on the annual calendar make more sense than others.
When you visit during May, you’ll discover smaller crowds than in April or June.
Since most schools continue until later in the year, May has turned into an unheralded slow spot.
So, you’ll get to experience more attractions while waiting in line less.
The only exception is Memorial Day Weekend, and even the crowds at that time don’t compare to Easter or July 4th.
Oh, and the weather is lovely, too…
Let’s Talk about the Weather
Look, I’m pretty open about the fact that Florida weather is less predictable than a coin flip.
You never know when you’ll get rain, which means you should always pack an umbrella or rain slicker.
However, the temperatures in May are better than you might think.
According to WeatherSpark, the average high temperature in Orlando ranges from 84 to 88 degrees. That’s warm but not too hot.
As you probably know, Florida can get oppressively warm during the summer. Temperatures often reach or even pass 100 degrees.
So, the mid-80s sounds phenomenal by comparison. Even the outlier high temperatures aren’t bad.
Weatherspark shows the range of average highs from 78 to 93 degrees. If you visit Florida, and the temperature’s in the 70s, you’re winning!
Speaking of which, the average low temperature falls between 66 and 72 degrees. The wider range is 59 to 75 degrees.
Ergo, you should expect 70-degree weather during at least part of your Walt Disney World vacation. The rest should be in the 80s, which is perfectly fine!
Let’s Talk about Disney Events for the Month
The pandemic disrupted some of Walt Disney World’s longest-standing events.
Specifically, EPCOT’s festivals got knocked out of their usual patterns, the ones that we’d witnessed for decades now!
Thankfully, the oldest of all EPCOT festivals returned to a normal-ish schedule in 2021.
The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival operated from March 3rd through July 5th. As such, we can safely expect similar dates in 2022.
Yes, that means the Flower & Garden Festival should operate every day in May.
For you as a visitor, this means two things. First, you will take some of the best pictures of your life.
Disney’s horticultural wizards can carve a bush into basically any shape, even Lightning McQueen.
Yes, when you visit during the Flower & Garden Festival, you’ll see a red sports car made entirely of branches! It’s witchcraft!
Similarly, one section of the park recreates a memorable scene from Fantasia, while others show Disney Princesses in action poses.
That’s only half the appeal of this festival, too! The other half stems from the cuisine available here.
EPCOT operates around 20 outdoor kitchens during the event. These places, the food booths, sell entrees, snacks, desserts, and alcoholic beverages.
You’ll discover a treasure trove of impeccable foods on the temporary menus here. Moreover, many of them are international, which is significant for a different reason.
During the Flower & Garden Festival, you’ll eat better than pretty much anyone else in the state of Florida.
This cuisine is rarely available on standard restaurant menus!
Let’s Talk about Local Events for the Month
Presuming that you don’t want to travel to Miami or Tampa Bay, your professional sports options in May won’t be that great.
The Orlando Magic team finishes their regular season in early April. It’s theoretically possible that they could have playoff games in May, but come on!
The Magic just picked fifth (and eighth) in the NBA Draft. So they’re gonna be rebuilding for a while longer. It’s a shame because you really want to watch Jalen Suggs play.
As for the Orlando City SC, they DID play three home games last May. So, it’s possible for 2022.
However, the schedule isn’t available yet. As such, I cannot say for sure.
Meanwhile, patrons of the arts will have a brief window to watch one Broadway play.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical plays from May 13th through the 15th. Hey, I said it was brief!
Concert fans face a pretty slim month after a hectic start to 2022. The best concerts for the month are AJR on May 3rd and 4th and Bikini Kill on May 29th.
Orlando has confirmed that the Skyline Festival will take place on May 28th and 29th, barring something unforeseen.
This event debuted in 2021 and emphasized underground dance music. It’s a de facto replacement for Movement Detroit, which canceled its Orlando show.
2022 at Walt Disney World
I’ll say what you’re thinking. You WANT to be at Walt Disney World in 2022, preferably a lot.
The 50th-anniversary celebration will continue throughout the entire year. However, you need to pick your spots to avoid the crowds.
A May visit fits the bill, as fewer people visit at this time of the year.
Everything that you want will still be there, though. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be just a few months old next May.
Disney Enchantment and Harmonious will still end the nights with magical Disney fireworks presentations.
You’ll get to use Disney Genie to perfect every park visit, and it’s free of charge!
If you want to spend more, you can access Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane as well, thereby making you feel like Disney royalty.
Plus, other new attractions like the Moana water feature and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind could feasibly open by then.
At a minimum, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will have opened. So, you’ll want to do that for sure!
In short, May is a terrific time to visit, and the weather’s great, too!