Booking for Easter 2015

[tonymca]

We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside last year (family of five, DW and three girls 12, 10 & 6), and spent two weeks fully immersed in Disney. We are planning our trip next year, and this time are planning staying a week in a Disney resort (probably POR again as the kids loved it) and a week in a villa somewhere seeing more attractions in Orlando.

I have a few questions I hope you can help me with:

A) We are planning to go at Easter (Mar 28th for two weeks), and wanted to know how busy will it actually be. Last year we went in May, around the half term break, and it was not too bad.
B) Does anyone have suggestion/recommendations on a villa for the other week?
C) What would be the best week for the Disney stay.
D) Someone mentioned Busch Gardens was looking a little tired and disappointing. Any views?
E) What are your thoughts on the Orlando flexi-pass for the "non-Disney" week.

I think this May be enough questions for one post. I still need to get my head around flights etc, as wdtc are still showing them as not available, so need to decide whether to book accommodation and flights individually.

Thanks in advance.

Tony

 

[wilma-bride]

To answer your questions:

A) Easter and Christmas are the busiest times at WDW. Since Easter is earlier next year, it will fall smack bang in the middle of Spring Break so will be super busy. Definitely busier than end of May.
B) No idea on villas, sorry - we always stay onsite or at Universal but I'm sure there are plenty of other DISers who can recommend something.
C)In my opinion, the best week for the Disney stay would be the week in which Easter does not fall. Or the cheaper one. To be honest, there are pros and cons - staying onsite Easter week will mean you can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, thereby giving you longer to get things done. Cons being that Easter week will be busy and you might be better off doing Disney the quieter week.
D) Not been to Busch for about 18 months now but I have never found it disappointing. I actually prefer it to Animal Kingdom, but we like the thrill rides so depends what you're after.
E) There are cheaper ways to get tickets to the non-Disney parks than buying a 14-day flexticket, if you are only going to do the parks in that week. Are you planning to do Sea World, Universal, Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens in that week?

 

[tonymca]

Wilma, yes the plan was to hit all of those ( we do like a full on holiday!!!!!!!). We only went to Seaworld last time, but wanted to see more of the other parks as the kids are a little older.

 

[wilma-bride]

Wilma, yes the plan was to hit all of those ( we do like a full on holiday!!!!!!!). We only went to Seaworld last time, but wanted to see more of the other parks as the kids are a little older.

In that case, you will probably manage no more than 2 days at each of Sea World, Universal and Islands with one day at Busch, right?

If you want a Flexticket to include Busch, you're looking at £210 per ticket.

A 4-day Universal ticket (no hopping) would cost just under £100. And a 14-day Sea World/Busch ticket would cost approx. £83. So already that's a saving of £30 per person and more than enough days to do everything.

 

[Kath2003]

I have a few questions I hope you can help me with:

A) We are planning to go at Easter (Mar 28th for two weeks), and wanted to know how busy will it actually be. Last year we went in May, around the half term break, and it was not too bad.
B) Does anyone have suggestion/recommendations on a villa for the other week?
C) What would be the best week for the Disney stay.
D) Someone mentioned Busch Gardens was looking a little tired and disappointing. Any views?
E) What are your thoughts on the Orlando flexi-pass for the "non-Disney" week.

Easter and the week before is VERY busy. After 11am expect 1-2 hour waits for most attractions. May is much quieter.

Doing Universal, Sea World, Islands, Busch etc is FAR too much for one week. Why not take the two weeks to do just those? You could always do a character meal at one of the Disney hotels to get your "fix".