Crowd calendar red week

[DawnM]

My son has a week off for winter break Feb. 16-20. Looking at the crowd calendar, this is a red week. There is cheerleading stuff and something else with schools that weekend, but not during the week. Do schools just come for the whole week after a competition?

Would you venture down that week or just choose to not go?

Give me your thoughts.

The next dates we can go are July or August.

Thanks.

 

[sponica]

It's a busy week BECAUSE it's a school vacation week and Mardi Gras falls that week so the state of Louisiana will be there. Well maybe not the entire state.....

If you're ok with crowds, I say go (especially if you're trying to escape the winter)

I've done August and if you can handle the heat and humidity and it's after the southern schools go back to school, the crowds can be manageable.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yup- it's Mardi Gras the calendar is cautioning about, not sports competitions. Some searching on mardi gras here on the dis might help you get a feel if the crowds are for you or not. Reports are they are definitely noticeable, LL will likely be priced on the higher end if you're looking to buy.

July and August will be less crowded, but miserable weather so only you can say what's worth what there.

 

[Dug720]

That's also a break week for pretty much the whole northeast (definitely NYC public schools). So when that's combined with Mardi Gras it's pretty much a perfect storm.

 

[lanejudy]

It's busy, but not so much because of the cheer competitions. In addition to Mardi Gras that's been mentioned, it's Presidents Day that Monday and many schools in the northeast have a week of vacation then. Expect it to be crowded.

 

[DanceDisney23]

As PPs mentioned, it’s winter break for much of the Northeast, including us. We have been three times during February break and once in July. I much prefer the crowds in February.

 

[gottalovepluto]

As PPs mentioned, it’s winter break for much of the Northeast, including us. We have been three times during February break and once in July. I much prefer the crowds in February.

Wow! Just to confirm in the last few years you crossed over presidents day and mardis gras and you preferred those crowds to July of the last few years?

 

[DanceDisney23]

Wow! Just to confirm in the last few years you crossed over presidents day and mardis gras and you preferred those crowds to July of the last few years?

Not quite. The last time we went in February was 2020. Then we did an April 2022 trip, followed by July 2023 and November 2025. We go every 1.5 years or so.

Still, I find the February crowds easier to handle than the July heat, torrential downpours and AC when you’re drenched. Crowds are easier to navigate when your ankles aren’t swollen and your family isn’t bickering at each other.

 

[sponica]

Wow! Just to confirm in the last few years you crossed over presidents day and mardis gras and you preferred those crowds to July of the last few years?

President's day week and Mardi Gras co-occured in 2023

We have the week off after President's Day week and in 2023 I was tracking the Genie+ pricing to guesstimate the worst case scenario for my vacation week. That trip swore me off the parks for a few years.

 

[lanejudy]

Wow! Just to confirm in the last few years you crossed over presidents day and mardis gras and you preferred those crowds to July of the last few years?

Presidents Day and Mardi Gras do not always coincide. When they do it can be extra extra busy at WDW, but that's not every year. And personally I would take that vs the heat of July.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

On the plus side, the weather tends towards beautiful - another reason it's busy I'm sure.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Presidents Day and Mardi Gras do not always coincide. When they do it can be extra extra busy at WDW, but that's not every year. And personally I would take that vs the heat of July.

I had a feeling that was not PP's specific case so I thought it best to let them clarify. Indeed it was not very relevant to OP since their last Feb was 2020. The only relevant comparison for OP is from people who have done pres day + mardi gras. The 2023 reports were not pretty.

 

[sponica]

I had a feeling that was not PP's specific case so I thought it best to let them clarify. Indeed it was not very relevant to OP since their last Feb was 2020. The only relevant comparison for OP is from people who have done pres day + mardi gras. The 2023 reports were not pretty.

2023 was also extra not fun because if you were buying genie plus, you had to be up and online by 7 AM to make those purchases. And you needed park reservations and you couldn't hop until after 2 PM. We weren't there for the presidents day + mardi gras week, but even the week after was not fun.

If I had presidents day week off, I'd probably still roll the dice with a parks trip and deal with the crowds because all the things that made the trip in 2023 my least favorite have been made a little more tolerable.

 

[DanceDisney23]

I had a feeling that was not PP's specific case so I thought it best to let them clarify. Indeed it was not very relevant to OP since their last Feb was 2020. The only relevant comparison for OP is from people who have done pres day + mardi gras. The 2023 reports were not pretty.

No, we weren’t there for the chaos of 2023. But February break in the Northeast always makes for busy parks. I can’t imagine that coinciding with a holiday that is primarily celebrated in one state will push crowds to Christmas levels?

Perhaps the reports were from people who had booked in February for lower crowds and unexpectedly found themselves surrounded by Massholes? That can be an unnerving experience.

FWIW, Touringplans adjusted crowd levels for our February 2020 week from predicted 3-6 to actual 8 and 9. I think there were some 10 in there as well. Still manageable.

The blisters I got from walking in the parks in July, however, probably were as legendary as the February 2023 crowds.

 

[PollyannaMom]

It's school vacation week here in MA too, so we've gone in February more than once. I always really benefit from the sunshine in the winter, so I didn't mind dealing with the crowds. I've never been in July or August.