Can I hear from those non-touring plan visitors during Spring/Easter Break?

[crazyboutdisny]

We leave March 28th for 7 full days at DisneyWorld and I am really starting to get nervous about the crowd levels. This was not my first choice of a time to visit but I have one in high school and she cant miss school.
I am a total planner but I am traveling with my friend, who is not.(although we do have a small outline of our trip)
I would like to hear from anyone who has gone at this time or another high crowd level time, and not used a touring plan. Did you think the parks were as crowded as predicted?
Can you tell I am getting nervous??

 

[minnie mum]

Upfront, I am not the type of park visitor you want to hear from. I'm a planner too. But just let me say, that If you are a planner and are breaking into a sweat at just the thought of going without a plan, then you need to stop and rethink.

You can still have a loose plan. Especially when it is a very busy time of year, knowing which park you will hit each day, and maybe an idea of which of the rides you want to do first (the headliners), and a few ADRs based on your park days will go a long way towards making your trip more relaxing. And at the same time it's not so rigid a plan that it would irritate your anti-commando friend.

A compromise seems to be the order of the day here... Just a thought.

 

[crazyboutdisny]

Thanks for responding! We do have all our ADR made and a general idea of which parks to head to on which days.
I just read so much about people using touring plans and how well they like them, I would like to hear from some who dont use them.
Trying to just go with the flow but we are also traveling with my not so go with the flow 8 yr old

 

[tiggertabi]

I went last year for spring break. We got there on Friday, 1 week before Easter. It was great on Sat. and Sun, Monday started to get crowded, Tuesday was almost unbearable, and usually crowds don't bother me because I am pretty efficient at getting there for rope drop, etc.

Basically, I felt like there's no point to be in the parks from 11 - 5. You won't be able to ride anything without a fastpass or a surpremely long wait. We would get there early, do everyting we wanted, then do a couple shows or snacks, or whatever, head back and swim and sleep, then dinner at a resort somewhere, then back to the parks until late at night. We tend to use EMH, which I know some touring plans recommend against, but it's always worked for us to be there right before EMH end!

We're going again this year too. We're taking our family (grandparents, sister, in-laws...) and we're so excited. I'm nervous because I will have my kids, who won't obviously make it until 2 am like I can. But we'll go till they are tired and we'll have fun at WHATEVER we do!

So, my touring plan = Rope Drop, nap, last as long as we can....do it again.

 

[wuzzy6]

Well, I can no longer say I'm not a planner, but when we went to the World during Spring Break 10 years ago, I definitely was NOT a planner. We were a party of 6 - 2 adults and 4 children under the age of 10. We stuck it out like champs, and we had a great time... BUT, I will never go again during that week, especially without some type of plan in place, because, frankly, we were miserable at times. At one point, the crowds were so heavy that there was, literally, a single-file line of people snaking through the masses to go from point-A to point-B. Granted, it was right around parade time, BUT, that's my point - if we would have had a plan, we would have known to avoid that area at that particular time.

I'm not intending to be negative at all - I think you can absolutely visit during Spring Break and have a truly fabulous time!!! I just think it's wise to have some type of basic idea of what you're going to do each day to avoid the "worst." If nothing else, I would recommend paying close attention to the parade and show times - unless you have a desire to see them, stay far, far away from those areas during the scheduled times.

I hope you have a very magical vacation!!!

 

[mom2girls29]

Crazyboutdisny

Thanks for asking this. We are going to be there when you are at POR and we haven't been in 10 years. Both our girls are in college and we are celebrating the oldest's impending graduation. I have been panicked too, wondering how much planning to do. With an 18 and 21 year old I don't know if they will follow my advice and be up early for rope drop. I hate the thought of crowds too. I made several ADRs in different parks since I wasn't sure where we would be each day. I just can't commit to a park yet. However, the early to a park - back to swim/nap - then night time at a park is where we are going to start. I hope you have a great vacation!

 

[dblr]

As some have already said have a loose plan and be ready to change plans if it get to busy go back to your resort and swim or just rest, we got and tour some of the other resorts and plan for future visits on where to stay. A break from the crowds will make the trip go better.

 

[ougrad86]

I'm a little worried about it too. My DS is also in high school, and we decided this was the only way to do it (can't handle the summer heat).

We are concentrating on Universal this time. We will visit Magic Kingdom and HS, Monday and Tuesday before Easter. Both times we plan to try and hit the headliners and then leave. Tour the resorts on one day, and DTD the other. Bummer is at MK BTMRR is closed, so all crowds will head for Space Mountain.

We have ADR's at Chef Mickey at lunch time, and probably won't be going back in the park. Just hope we can hit our favorites.

 

[Lyndsey]

I am not a planner, the closest I get to planning is my dinner reservations. But I usually cancel a couple when I get to disney b/c we end up in a different park. I always find something else available. I have 3 children and not having a plan has never been a problem for me. I have been to disney during easter several times. It seems at least to me that the crowds during easter are not as bad as a few years ago. I went to epcot on Easter 2 years ago and surprisingly we stayed in the park almost all day it was very enjoyable. Just expect it to be busy and know that you might have to wait. This year we are going 2 weeks before easter and I am planning on the parks being busy but I will have a smile on..lol

 

[dzaharchuk]

Hi - went with dd Dancing in Disney group over Easter last spring.. although I am usually a compulsive planner, we could not plan much ahead of time for that trip due to late arrival, dance performance time, etc. We found the parks to be much less crowded than anticipated, and we were unable to do rd in am. We just went with a loose idea of which park, and just hit headliners first.
I think just having the knowledge of what will develop long lines and where things are located is enough if you have a relaxed attitude. Like I said, we
had a great trip got to see and do everything we wanted, even on Easter!

enjoy

 

[maplevale]

I went last year for spring break. We got there on Friday, 1 week before Easter. It was great on Sat. and Sun, Monday started to get crowded, Tuesday was almost unbearable, and usually crowds don't bother me because I am pretty efficient at getting there for rope drop, etc.

Basically, I felt like there's no point to be in the parks from 11 - 5. You won't be able to ride anything without a fastpass or a surpremely long wait. We would get there early, do everyting we wanted, then do a couple shows or snacks, or whatever, head back and swim and sleep, then dinner at a resort somewhere, then back to the parks until late at night. We tend to use EMH, which I know some touring plans recommend against, but it's always worked for us to be there right before EMH end!

We're going again this year too. We're taking our family (grandparents, sister, in-laws...) and we're so excited. I'm nervous because I will have my kids, who won't obviously make it until 2 am like I can. But we'll go till they are tired and we'll have fun at WHATEVER we do!

So, my touring plan = Rope Drop, nap, last as long as we can....do it again.

I think this is what I want to do now (seeing the crowd level and the hours the park is open). How much of a risk is it that the park will close to more visitors if we try to return around 5pm? If that happens do they ever close and then reopen as people start to leave?

 

[andreadoiron]

we have 3 kids that hate making up schoolwork so we have gone at xmas time, spring break, memorial day, random times in august and now are going again april 4-11. august is very busy and very hot. i really don't enjoy it and really can't say that the crowds are noticably less than other times.
it will be very busy but many other times are too. we never use touring plans simply because we like to do things our way and be able to change with whatever is going on (ie crying kid, stop to eat)
our strategy that we do feel works well is something others seem to do to: go to EMH, stay until it gets overwhelming (around 12pm usually) then go back to the hotel and chill and return just before or after dinner.
i have found that Late entry is very crowded but sometimes if you are a night owl, that can work to. EMH always works out really well for us because you can get most of your rides in before it gets crazy. make sure you do the most popular rides that are open during emh.
a word about emh. we have made the mistake of not getting there exactly when it opens and emh works best when you can committ to getting up early enough to get to your bus and get into the park at the 1 hour before opening.

 

[crazyboutdisny]

we have 3 kids that hate making up schoolwork so we have gone at xmas time, spring break, memorial day, random times in august and now are going again april 4-11. august is very busy and very hot. i really don't enjoy it and really can't say that the crowds are noticably less than other times.
it will be very busy but many other times are too. we never use touring plans simply because we like to do things our way and be able to change with whatever is going on (ie crying kid, stop to eat)
our strategy that we do feel works well is something others seem to do to: go to EMH, stay until it gets overwhelming (around 12pm usually) then go back to the hotel and chill and return just before or after dinner.
i have found that Late entry is very crowded but sometimes if you are a night owl, that can work to. EMH always works out really well for us because you can get most of your rides in before it gets crazy. make sure you do the most popular rides that are open during emh.
a word about emh. we have made the mistake of not getting there exactly when it opens and emh works best when you can committ to getting up early enough to get to your bus and get into the park at the 1 hour before opening.

This is what I keep hearing over and over....get there at opening. I am not a morning person but I might have to become one for our trip! One thing that will help us is I am bringing breakfast food so we can save time by eating in our room. Thanks for the advice