Easter Week 2017

[KTousha]

So I've read that Easter week is very crowded but I'm wondering if it's manageable. Has anyone been the week before or the week after Easter? This will be our 3rd trip so we've learned some of the helpful tips and tricks but I'd rather not take the chance of the parks closing due to capacity. Any input is very appreciated!

 

[MycatlovesEeyore]

It's crowded but Disney does crowds. We went 2 years ago and I was impressed. They had the side entrances to avoid Main Street open and all rides had all lines open. Extra staff so it felt no different than summer. They had things in place for crowd control. We were told week after Easter is better. Going week before this year.

 

[wisblue]

We often visit the week after Easter because of school schedules (first students and now teachers in the family).

It is very crowded, but it is also manageable if you go in with realistic expectations of what the crowds will be like and have a good plan for avoiding the largest crowds and using your FPs.

We have not been aware of any closures for capacity during our Easter trips for the last few years. The week after Easter in 2017 may be a little less crowded than the week after Easter has been in some other years because Easter is so late in April.

 

[KTousha]

Thanks so much! We have another week in mind and are still figuring out when we want to go, so this is very helpful!

 

[ArwenMarie]

We went the week after Easter in 2015. It was really really really crowded. Really crowded. The weather was fabulous though. The best time to go IMO.
I agree with previous comments, if you keep your expectations in line, it can be great.

 

[MushuHill]

I scheduled the week after Easter because the crowd calendar I saw showed green for that day. It said the local school system had off the week after that. Now Run Disney is going to be doing the Star Wars run that week. I know that is going to bring in really heavy crowds.

 

[subtchr]

I scheduled the week after Easter because the crowd calendar I saw showed green for that day.

I'd stop trusting any crowd calendar that showed green for the week after Easter!!

 

[wisblue]

Thanks so much! We have another week in mind and are still figuring out when we want to go, so this is very helpful!

If I could go at another week in spring, I would do that. But we prefer the crowds of Easter to the heat and humidity of summer so, if those are the only choices, we take Easter. I don't like going to Florida when the weather is better at home.

 

[KTousha]

Thanks for all the input! The other time we're thinking about is early May but our daughter will have to miss school. I'm fine with her missing but would like to make sure it's a much better time to go than her spring break, the week before Easter. We've been in late February and late September so we don't have experience with high-crowd times of year.

 

[wisblue]

Thanks for all the input! The other time we're thinking about is early May but our daughter will have to miss school. I'm fine with her missing but would like to make sure it's a much better time to go than her spring break, the week before Easter. We've been in late February and late September so we don't have experience with high-crowd times of year.

We had an early May visit a couple of years ago when one of our daughters was working at WDW. Based on that experience and crowd calendars, the crowd difference between the week before or after Easter and early May is quite significant.

You obviously have to decide how you feel about your daughter missing school but, all else being equal, I would choose early May.

 

[2013Frozen]

We were there Easter week this year. It wasn't bad. Early was better for the parks, especially MK. Then back to hotel for afternoon break. Planned morning FP and ADRs were wonderful.

 

[KTousha]

We've decided the first week of May is the best time for us. Idk if I can handle pushing a double stroller through huge crowds of people...momma might lose her mind! The little one doesn't miss much school normally, so I'm sure it will be fine for her to skip a few days for the happiest place on Earth! Thanks for all the advice y'all

 

[conniehar90]

We went during Easter week a few years ago and it was the worst ever. 200 minute waits. We have been during Xmas/NY week before and this was far worse. We decided that a lot of it had to do with the weather. It was a cold week (mornings were in the 40's) and we found that many of the spring break folks that went to the beaches just came to Disney because they obviously didn't want to hang on the beach. We were freezing in our sweatshirts all week until the end. It was 80 on our last day....

 

[tlmadden73]

I think the week before and after Easter 2017 will be potentially be crowded this year.

I see these things to make it more crowded than "normal":
1) Spring/Easter breaks for schools
2) Star Wars Celebration in Orlando the weekend of Easter (those fans will want to come to DHS probably sometime)
3) Star Wars Marathon the weekend AFTER Easter .. so a lot of marathon runners could be coming to the parks between Easter and the race.
4) A later Easter just means warmer weather (which means more people will want to go).

 

[KTousha]

Would there be a difference between the last week in April and the first week in May? Would one be better than the other? Or is it pretty much the same in between Easter and summer?