Crowd levels at Easter

[cantwait4disney]

It looks like we're going to WDW over Easter vacation next March. How are the crowd levels during this time? Next year, Easter is the 3rd weekend in March.

Thanks!

 

[Bob P]

Hi,

Easter crowds are quite large. This thread may help you:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1414215

 

[sandyam76]

I have been....twice in November and then we went last year the week of easter!! WOW....what a difference!! The crowds are crazy the lines are long....but hey its Disney!! Use the fastpasses if you can....get there early...they run out fast!! Use the EMH at night...the crowds are lighter!! Have a great time at any rate....be sure to make your ADR's, lots of people were being turned away because they didnt have any!! Best of luck!!

 

[cantwait4disney]

Bob P: thanks for the link! After reading it, I'm really second-guessing my family's first trip to WDW. DH doesn't have a lot of patience so this along with the heavy crowds might put a damper on his attitude, thus effecting the whole family's attitude. I really want this to be a very magical time for us. So, if I'm aware of the high crowd levels and plan accordingly, is having a magical time at Disney during Easter still possible?

 

[mericletwins]

We have gone the last two years over Easter break and have had a wonderful time. There are several factors to take into consideration however.

1. We went down on Good Friday and stayed through the next week, which I think is a bit less crowded than the week that leads up to Easter.
2. It had not been our first trip.
3. We are a laid back bunch and didn't feel the need to see it all or do it all, or even half if it came to it.
4. We stayed on-site. That is key in my opinion. It gives you access to the Extra Magic Hours.
5. We used Fast Passes.
6. We would go to the parks early. MK opened at 7 a.m for EMH some days.
7. We would go back to our hotel to use the pool around noonish and stay the afternoon or split that with a rest time in our hotel.
8. Go back to the parks late and stay late. Again, MK had EMH untill 3 a.m. some nights. The park EMPTIES about 11 p.m. so if you can stay up that late, you have it made!
9. Make ADR's for any sit down meal you want to do, and do it as far ahead as you can, because there were just about no openings to be had for a sit down meal.

We also went last June and it was not very different as far as crowd levels, but the weather was much different. The humidity was awful. I would pick ithe week after Easter over the end of June if I had a choice.

 

[cantwait4disney]

We plan on being there on Good Friday through the following week. So, the crowds may be lighter?

Lisa: great tips! I really appreciate it. My parents took me to WDW as a youngster, so of course, I didn't do any of the planning. I'll be prepared, but go with the flow.

 

[mericletwins]

We plan on being there on Good Friday through the following week. So, the crowds may be lighter?

Lisa: great tips! I really appreciate it. My parents took me to WDW as a youngster, so of course, I didn't do any of the planning. I'll be prepared, but go with the flow.

You are welcome. Th eone morning we got up early to go to MK for the EMH was fabulous. We got there about 7:30 and had done the following by 11:00

Buzz Lightyear
Space Mountain
Snow White
Pooh
Indy Cars
POTC
Splash Mountain
Monsters Inc Comedy thing
TTA
Small World
Got ice cream and funnel cake

I thought that was a pretty good amount for 3.5 hours. Since we had been there before we were pretty happy with that. About 11:00 we really noticed the crowds getting bad and we happily headed back to the pool.

Since it is your first vist you may want to pick a few things in each park that really appeal and make sure you do them...anything else you can look at as a bonus.

How old are your kids? If they are old enough you could get the Birnbaums Kids guide and have them each pick one or two things from each park that they want to see. You and DH can do the same.

We have the attitude that "what we see, we see, if we don't see something, we'll be back". My kids have been there about six times and there are still major attractions that we haven't done. We are okay with that. We'll hit them eventually and we are sure to see new things each trip.

Do you know where you are staying?

 

[byoung]

Toooooooo large for me.