Anybody been Feb - half term and Presidents week

[grahamsgirl]

Hi
We usually head off to WDW in Nov around Thanksgiving and although on the main board everyone said it was a zoo, we found it very bearable. The same has been said about Presidents week. Anybody been at this time to give me a heads up?
Also weather wise - is it as cold as everyone from the states is saying - or is it shorts and t-shirt weather for us brits??
Thanks for any info
Sue

 

[UKDEB]

President's Week won't be as busy as Thanksgiving, but it will be considerably busier than this time of year in general. If you're there the week before, I think you'll notice a big difference in the crowd levels from the weekend before President's Day and right through to the following weekend. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you really should try to avoid EMH parks.

We've been very lucky visiting during "colder" months. We've had temperatures in the 80s, but we've also had a few decidedly chilly days. It can change literally overnight - 80s one day and frosts the next. One thing for certain is that the temperature will drop in the evenings. Actually, the weather should be similar to that you're used to in November.

It was President's Week last week, wasn't it? Hopefully we'll have some returners along in the next week or so who'll be able to let you know what things were like this year.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

One word sums up February weather = unpredictable.

Almost certain that on some days it will be on the cool side, especially early in the mornings.

Difficult to pack clothes wise, but would suggest you plan for various weather types.

 

[PChef]

We went 1 -15 Feb this year, including Half Term but leaving before Presidents' Week. Most rides were a walk on, some days Fast Pass was not operating as it was so quiet! It did get busier during the second week though, when there were stand-by waits of 120 mins for Peter Pan but most things were 30-40 mins wait.

Weather was mixed, it was 75-78 when we arrived and on our first full day, then 3 days in the 55-60 range which was quite chilly, we were wearing jeans and flleces and a waterproof jacket. Then it warmed up to 70 - 75 for a week, which was definitely shorts and t-shirt weather, and we spent 2 days at Blizzard Beach, and also swam in the pool at our apartment complex at 9.30am! It then cooled down a bit to 65-70 which was OK. We took extra layers for evening fireworks but never needed gloves or hats or thick coats. We had a few showery days but nothing that stopped us from touring the parks.

I would definitely go in Feb again for the lack of crowds, but not maybe if you wanted to go to the beach or sunbathe for much of your holiday!

 

[grahamsgirl]

Thanks for the information guys - had tried to keep track of weather on Cnn but the times i could view in work - were like 6am in the morning over there so always looked really chilly!

 

[Joanne UK]

We got back on Friday so we were there for Presidents Week as well as the week before. Monday 19th - which was Presidents Day we were in the Magic Kingdom and it was heaving. We were told by a CM that crowds would be lighter for the rest of the week. I guess they were but not much! At times it would have been handy to have a Fastpass to use the restrooms! We went to Animal Kingdom on the 20th and only did the Safari and Nemo show. Both had extremely long queues but we really wanted to do both, which we did. We then left the park about 2pm and spent the rest of the day in the hotel pool. We plan to go again in Feb 2009 but we will be going a week earlier to avoid Presidents Week altogether.

Re the weather, as others have said it is very variable in Feb so pack for all eventualities. We had some days pushing 80 degrees and a couple of days in the 50s. It only rained twice while we were there. For most of the time it was tshirts during the day and jackets in the evening. I didn't pack any coats as I thought it wouldn't get cold enough to warrant them, a few times it did though so I will def pack coats next time.

 

[wilma-bride]

We just returned last week so, although we weren't there for Presidents Day (Monday 19th) we witnessed the arrival of large crowds in time for the weekend. We really only did 3 parks during the week we were there but didn't notice any HUGE crowds in that week, but we were at Universal on the Saturday and it was packed. That could have been more due to Mardi Gras than Presidents Week crowds though

As for the weather, as Johnny quite rightly said, unpredictable is the only way to describe it. We started the week in the mid 70s, wearing shorts and t-shirts and ended the week in the low 50s wearing jeans and fleeces. The evenings (as soon as the sun went down) were cold all week and we definitely needed fleeces/jackets for going out at night. By the time the weekend came, I was wishing I had brought a coat. Personally, just the weather was enough to put me off going in Feb again - when I go on holiday I like to be hot, hot, hot

 

[spencem]

We got back on Friday from 3 weeks and can only echo what the others have said, the two weeks before Presidents day were deserted and the weekend of it was busy. We swam at Discovery cove on the day itself, as we knew it would be busy we booked it up in June to take advantage of their 1000 guest limit.

The weather went from thunder storms and tornadoes that killed people on the first night, to high 70s, to down right cold, back to high 70s all in a few day. you takes you chances, for us the low crowd levels more than balance the weather.

My BiL is a NASCAR fan and so the Presidents day weekend is a must with the Daytona 500 just up the road.

 

[grahamsgirl]

Thanks for all your replies guys
One last question crowdwise is Presidents week as crowded as Easter week or July 4th??
Panicing a bit , first time I've been in Feb and taking our friends who haven't been before so want to plan for most eventualities.(sp?)

 

[Joanne UK]

I was earwigging a conversation while I was there between two women. One said that she was told by a CM that Presidents Weekend was now the busiest weekend at WDW, having overtaken July 4th and Thanksgiving.

 

[grahamsgirl]

I was earwigging a conversation while I was there between two women. One said that she was told by a CM that Presidents Weekend was now the busiest weekend at WDW, having overtaken July 4th and Thanksgiving.

YIKES!!!

 

[jdybnsn]

I am a big fan of February, having been 3 times now during that time of year.

Yes, weather is unpredictable , but I have to say we have always been very lucky and found it mostly akin to our British summer (and often hotter !).

As for crowds, I've found that as long as you avoid the Parks on President weekend itself (including the Monday), then even in Presidents Week following, crowds are perfectly bearable.

We went to KSC on President's Day in 2006 - that was busy, but it is so vast that extra crowds are easily swallowed - other great escapes for that weekend include ; Discovery Cove, where numbers are limited, shopping, chilling at the pool......I'm sure there must be others that can be recommended.

All set for our 4th February visit in 2008

 

[Soprano]

Today, last year we were flying to Orlando....

We had a great time. Weather was glorious. Not one drop of rain for the 2 and a half weeks. But I know that was better than average.

This was the second time we had been in February. We skipped President's week both times by accident. I had no idea it even existed until recently.

The only problem with leaving at this time, is it can clash with Spring Break which means the schools in the US start to break-up late Feb.

February is a good time to go, if you time it right and are not expecting HOT weather everyday. But its by no means cold, or even cool. Just some mornings and evenings perhaps. Generally little rain.

Its difficult knowing the best time of the year to go. Florida weather is strange at the best of times... Really not sure what month we will choose next time, but would go back in late Feb again...

 

[rjn1976]

We were in WDW last February for presidents day/week. The parks were signficantly busier than in August/October school holidays when we've visited before. I would still say that the crowd level was manageable though; as long as we got there early we didn't have a problem getting done what we wanted to, with minimal waiting. Could you consider a part stay at Universal to get FOTL for the busiest days?Weather was good for us, but we did pack for all eventualities.

 

[wicket2005]

I have been three times in February and have to repeat what others have said about the weather being unpredicable, from shorts and teeshirts to sweatshirts and joggers. However, still warmer than our country and it would not bother me going at that time again, though I have now got used to the hot and humid weather in July and prefer that.

All the holidays covered President's Day, not that we were aware of the significance of that all, though there are some great sales on at that time. Crowds levels were always managable, especially if getting to the parks early. I remember just walking on to rides. This was in 1996, 1998 and 2000 though, so times may have changed.