Spring Break in Orlando 2027: Crowd Dates, Events and How to Plan

Spring break in Orlando 2027 runs from early March to mid April, depending on where visitors come from, and the busiest stretch is the middle of March. Easter falls early this year, on March 28, 2027, which pulls a lot of the crowd into late March. Here's when the crowds hit, what's on and how to plan around them.

When spring break crowds hit in 2027

• Early March: some colleges and northern school districts start. Crowds build on weekends.
• March 13 to 21: the local break. Orange County Public Schools is off March 15 to 19 (with Friday, March 12 also a student holiday), and UCF's spring break is March 15 to 21. Expect locals at every attraction.
• March 20 to 28: many northeastern and midwestern districts, building to Easter weekend.
• Easter week, March 28: the busiest days of the spring.
• April: much calmer than March this year because Easter is early. Our Orlando in April 2027 guide has the details.

What's on during spring break 2027

• Universal Mardi Gras at Universal Studios Florida through March 27, with the parade and select-night concerts included with admission (blockout dates apply to Annual Passes).
• EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival from March 10, with topiaries and garden booths.
• The Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, March 4 to 14, about 75 minutes west.
• Warm weather: highs around 80°F, cool mornings and little rain. Springs are good for kayaking, though swimming water can feel cold.

How to beat the crowds

• Avoid March 13 to 21 if you can, when local schools and colleges add to visitor crowds.
• Do the parks on weekdays and spend weekends on things outside the parks.
• Buy tickets and park reservations early. Disney says a park reservation may be required, depending on your admission type, so check before you buy.
• Book restaurants and dinner shows a couple of weeks ahead.

Spring break ideas outside the theme parks

• Airboat rides and highland cows. At Boggy Creek in Kissimmee, the airboat tour plus highland cows combo pairs a ride through the headwaters of the Everglades with time to pet and cuddle the herd at Mini Moo Land. 10% off through our link.
• Clear kayaking the springs. A Rock Springs clear kayak tour is about 30 minutes north of downtown.
• A beach day. Daytona and Cocoa Beach are about an hour away, and Clearwater is about two.
• Kennedy Space Center. A full day, with a tour from Orlando if you'd rather not drive.
• Indoor backups. For a rainy or too-hot afternoon, try iFLY Orlando or the Crayola Experience.

More ideas in things to do in Orlando that aren't theme parks and Orlando in March 2027.

The official school calendars for March 2027

The local dates are now confirmed by the schools themselves, and they line up almost exactly.

• Orange County Public Schools: the 2026-27 calendar lists spring break as Monday to Friday, March 15 to 19, with Friday, March 12 a teacher workday and student holiday. Classes start again Monday, March 22.
• Osceola County: the district's academic calendar shows the same spring break, March 15 to 19. March 12 is a student holiday there too, unless the district needs it as an emergency make-up day, and Thursday, March 11 is an early release day.
• UCF: the university's spring 2027 calendar lists spring break from Monday, March 15 to Sunday, March 21.

In practice, Orange and Osceola students are out from Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 21. That is ten days, not five, and both weekends count.

What each festival ticket covers

• Universal Mardi Gras: Universal's event page lists February 6 to March 27, 2027 at Universal Studios Florida, included with a theme park ticket or Annual Pass. Blockout dates apply to passes, so check yours against the dates you want.
• EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival: Disney's festival page lists March 10 to May 31, 2027, included with valid EPCOT admission. A park reservation may be required depending on your admission type.
• Florida Strawberry Festival: the admission page lists gate tickets at $15 for adults and $5 for kids 6 to 12 in November 2026, with 5 and under free with a paid adult. The festival's special days page lists Saturday, March 6 as a free day for kids through high school age.

For EPCOT, Disney's parking page lists standard parking at $35 per day in November 2026.

Springs sell out, so book the day ahead

Rock Springs at Kelly Park is a natural spring you can swim and tube in, and Orange County caps how many people get in. The county's Kelly Park page says:

• Tickets: online only through OCPORTAL.net, with a daily limit of 280. Cash is not accepted at the gate.
• Booking window: up to 30 days in advance, and you can arrive any time on the day your ticket is valid.
• Price: admission is listed at $5 per vehicle in November 2026.
• Hours: 8 am to 8 pm from March, with the waterfront closing an hour before the park.
• Rules: no alcohol, no pets and no re-entry. Tubes are rented from businesses outside the park, and floats must be under five feet.

The spring stays 68 degrees all year. For the drive, the state's FL511 site shows live traffic on I-4 and the other main roads.