Better time to go: May 27-June 2 or week after

[opus_00]

Our only opportunity for a Disney vacation this year is just after our son gets out of school. Does anyone know why May 27 - June 2 is listed as one of the "Wonderful Weeks of Disney" on the WDW website (which they claim has lighter crowds)? Looks like they are offering special packages during this time. Don't understand why they would be expecting lower crowds this particular week since it is Memorial Day week, and Gay Days also begins that week. Many schools in the south will also be out by then.

We would consider going that week if we could get a better deal on a package, but what do you think about the crowds? I can't imagine this would be a less crowded time to go, could it? Our alternative would be to arrive June 5 (Gay Days will be over by that time...just concerned about the crowds, not the sexual preference, so please don't read anything into that!) and stay until the beginning or middle of the following week.

Interestingly, the Unofficial Guide crowd calendar lists May 27 - June 2 as 7s and 8s for crowds, while the following week and the days after are all 8s and 9s.

What do you guys think? Any insight?

Paula

 

[Scraper]

We prefer the last week in may. We do find june more crowded. Now in hopes of not affending anyone I believe that some people tend to stay away during gay week. Which might be the reason for less crowds. We will be there May 20 to the 24. Staying at the BCV and the BWV. We love this time of year.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We are going the 2nd -9th

Where as the parks that are designated for GayDays may be a bit more packed the others are normally not as people do stay away.

We have been down before and also have hit the parks at the same time as a designated park that day and it still wasn't that bad.

DDs last day is the 1st but the rest of the school goes until the following week As she starts HS next year.I think even with the holiday many don't take the kids out of school at the end of the year like that.

 

[dfarner]

We were considering going down during that same week until I found out that Gay Days are that 1st weekend in June. We have two DDs, 1 and 5. Please tell me from experience is it something that we should avoid? Will we feel out of place? What about visiting non-designated parks on those days? Do the activities strictly end when the weekend is over?

 

[I'mNoPrince]

The activities never really end a very large population of both guest and CM's are gay. Yes avoid the designated parks as they will be the most crowded on that day.

These are 60 to 70% families enjoying time with their kids at WDW during this time. The few PDA that we saw the other years we have been (With DD was 9 the first time) were no worse then what we have seen with Teens or F&W fest at Epcot during Oct.

Yes there will e some over the top but they are there on any other day as well.

 

[dfarner]

Thank you I'mNoPrince. I didn't think much about it until I looked under the EVENTS section of DISboards and came across the memo "Why I'm Not Going to Gay Days this Year", by Pete Werner (DIS founder/webmaster). It seemed to be a very honest 1st hand perspective. Have you read it?

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Yes but I have never seen it with my own eyes most of that stuff happens at the off-sight hotels they they hold events in. It really has nothing to do with the parks or Disney in general. I know from doing the same research several years back that there are 2 groups after a split because one side didn't like the way the other was representing themselves while at Disney .

 

[hvivona]

Our only opportunity for a Disney vacation this year is just after our son gets out of school. Does anyone know why May 27 - June 2 is listed as one of the "Wonderful Weeks of Disney" on the WDW website (which they claim has lighter crowds)? Paula

Thats the week we go. The parks were a little crowded that Sun. due to Memorial Day, but the rest of the week was not bad at all. The weather was awesome & lines were fairly short. And 'Gay Days' wasn't a big deal. The most we saw were maybe 2 or 3 couples holding hands and that was it.

 

[hvivona]

We were considering going down during that same week until I found out that Gay Days are that 1st weekend in June. We have two DDs, 1 and 5. Please tell me from experience is it something that we should avoid? Will we feel out of place? What about visiting non-designated parks on those days? Do the activities strictly end when the weekend is over?

We were there during 'Gay Days' last year with our 3 DDs. We never saw anything inappropriate. Just hand holding like any other couple there. The kids never noticed, or if they did they never said anything. They may have just assumed they were friends.

 

[opus_00]

Does anyone have any opinions about June 5-12 (as opposed to May 26-June 2)? Would you expect a week and a half to make that much difference in the crowds? We're now reconsidering to arrive June 5 because of availability at the hotel we want. Schools where we live are out by May 25, but not sure about other parts of the country. I'm hoping early June is still a little better than mid-summer, for those of us who have no other options.

Paula

 

[dfarner]

Does anyone have any opinions about June 5-12 (as opposed to May 26-June 2)? Would you expect a week and a half to make that much difference in the crowds? We're now reconsidering to arrive June 5 because of availability at the hotel we want. Schools where we live are out by May 25, but not sure about other parts of the country. I'm hoping early June is still a little better than mid-summer, for those of us who have no other options.

Paula

We have been there in May, June, and July. IMO June would be better than mid-summer. Also, there has been some really bad winter weather, pushing school longer into the summer for some. That being said, early June may not be so bad.