April CROWDS/ need help

[jltdone]

Hello all my family is looking at going to Disneyworld in april being from Canada I know our spring breaks are different from your spring break. I have looked at 3 different crowd calanders from 3 different sites and all 3 said different things. SO I though I would ask the pros so here I am. Our options are this my birthday is april 12th so that's the reason we are going. It doesn't matter to me if I am there on my actually day or not as long as it is near that date. So we could go possibly the last week of March or anything up to including april 14th which is good Friday so I am not sure about the parks that week-end.
However if it is not that crazy during that week then maybe us coming in around april 9th and staying for the week. we have some options but I just don't want to be there when it is CRAZY. We have been here 2 times now and the last 2 times was Christmas ( on dec 25 magic kingdom) and in June for sons 5th bday.
So we have experienced it at high times.
Thanks
Jay

 

[hakepb]

I would avoid the week before or after Easter at all costs, (as those are the peak crowd spring break weeks at WDW)

I would choose end of March/1st week of April.

 

[jltdone]

I would avoid the week before or after Easter at all costs, (as those are the peak crowd spring break weeks at WDW)

I would choose end of March/1st week of April.

thank you but this is the tough part the week before easter is the 1st week of april. I don't really want to go in march.

 

[hakepb]

thank you but this is the tough part the week before easter is the 1st week of april. I don't really want to go in march.

Easter jumps around every year.

You mentioned good Friday is April 14 (and Easter is the Sunday after it) so I think the 1st week is OK
I would avoid most of April 9-23.

 

[Hezzy04]

I also think the first week of April would be ok.

 

[catfan98]

thank you but this is the tough part the week before easter is the 1st week of april. I don't really want to go in march.

Easter falls on Sunday April 16th in 2017. The first week of April would be 2 weeks before Easter - April 1st-8th. That is the week we are planning to go to miss the Easter crowds, and it is also our son's spring break week. There will be several schools on spring break that week, but from what I have been reading on different posts, a lot more of schools have spring break in March and the week before and after Easter. We are preparing for big crowds, but hope it won't be as bad as the Easter weeks or March. Either way, we are at Disney. I hope you have a great vacation no matter what you decide!

 

[jltdone]

Easter jumps around every year.

You mentioned good Friday is April 14 (and Easter is the Sunday after it) so I think the 1st week is OK
I would avoid most of April 9-23.

I guess I just look at good Friday the start of easter. My bad. Who else knows about spring break for the U.S. being in Canada our spring break is the middle of March. Then I also heard you don't want to go around end of march because of spring training. LOL I guess you just pick something and go and make the best of it. Like I said the last times we have been here it has heavy crowds and long waits for rides. Yes I get the fast pass thing but sometimes you have to do the waits.

 

[hakepb]

I guess I just look at good Friday the start of easter. My bad. Who else knows about spring break for the U.S. being in Canada our spring break is the middle of March. Then I also heard you don't want to go around end of march because of spring training. LOL I guess you just pick something and go and make the best of it. Like I said the last times we have been here it has heavy crowds and long waits for rides. Yes I get the fast pass thing but sometimes you have to do the waits.

It sounds like you would manage it OK any week. There is certainly no problem choosing a less "ideal" time if it works better for you.

It is projected that room rates will be most expensive starting April 9, if that matters.

I used to think I would want to avoid March spring break weeks... But now there is very few low crowd times at WDW, and it seems March is basically average.

 

[jltdone]

It sounds like you would manage it OK any week. There is certainly no problem choosing a less "ideal" time if it works better for you.

It is projected that room rates will be most expensive starting April 9, if that matters.

I used to think I would want to avoid March spring break weeks... But now there is very few low crowd times at WDW, and it seems March is basically average.

I do like the fact of lower prices to the resorts. I have read that people don't like going on free dining times either cause of the crowds and how busy the resturants are.

 

[AFwifelife]

That range of dates you gave will put you in the average to above average crowd levels. There's no dead time anymore with the amount of discounts they offer in the "slower" times. With a good game plan, you can get a good amount done without too many waits.

 

[Alesia]

Then I also heard you don't want to go around end of march because of spring training.

I'm not sure where you heard that, but it's pretty ridiculous. Spring training doesn't cause a noticeable increase in crowds.

If you want lower crowds, go in March. If you really don't want to go in March, go as early in April as you can - the second and third weeks in April will be incredibly busy.

Even when crowds are pretty heavy, a good plan will help you avoid long lines. I rarely wait more than 20 minutes (and never more than 30.)

 

[MeetingMickeyin2006]

We were there the first week of April this year, and there was a 2 hour wait for Peter Pan. The crowds were horrendous.

 

[AJA]

We were there the first week of April this year, and there was a 2 hour wait for Peter Pan. The crowds were horrendous.

Easter was early this year, March 27th. You probably hit Easter crowds.

OP from your dates I would also choose end of March/fist of April for 2017.

The only thing you can plan around during March and April is Easter. Most US schools will take spring breaks any where from mid Feb-mid April so you really can't avoid them unless you can go at the very end of April or first two weeks of May. As a rule for me, I would not plan on being at Disney from the Saturday a week before Easter (8 days before) through the week after Easter (7 days after the Holiday itself) unless I had no other time at all to choose from.

 

[disneyAndi14]

We have been there the 1st and 2nd week of April for the past three years, it was very busy but doable. We have had awesome weather in April. Do RD and EMH and you can get a lot done. I would not let it deter you, go when it works for you. It was the busiest during the afternoon and during fireworks otherwise not horrible. In 2015 we got there the day after Easter, that year was by far the busiest but even by the end of the week it was getting less crowded. We love April!

 

[minniemous]

We were also thinking of changing our dates to April 6th -15th. It sounds like this is not advisable from the responses. We have Free dining POR October 1st -12th booked but we have never been that early in October to disney. Even though we have a really good deal with a a standard room and free dining it is just too soon after school starts to pull my daughter out so we will most likely cancel and try to choose another time of year and go for a % off the room offer.