Disney at Easter - Huge mistake???

[summerlandjeff]

We have been to WDW during easter 2003, 2004, 2007 and everything they say is true... the crowds are PONDEROUS , the lines are RIDICULOUS ... but we still had fun!

If you go be prepared:

1. Always utilize fast pass (and get there early for EE, Soarin', TT, MS, RRC, etc).
2. Hit the parks on off times (early morning at opening or dinner time)
3. Stay at the resort and enjoy the pool! (We always try to plan one day, usually the sunny hot one, for a pool only day)
4. Remember your mother was right!; Patience is a virtue!!!!

I look at it this way, Easter in a crowded warm WDW beats New Jersey any day

Enjoy

 

[Melissa Rauchmiller]

We will be there Mar23-Apr4 ....We've done Christmas so I guess It can't be much worse(we were there on Christmas in 2002--so crowded we left MK and checked out all the other resorts). Hoping that by checking in on Easter that many will be leaving the next day or too


***Does anyone know what resorts have a fitness center(we are at POP) and can you use them even if you are not staying there?****

 

[disdancin]

We were there for Easter 2006 which was later in April. Although it did not coincide with the March Spring breaks, it did coincide with the NE April breaks (that's why we were there!). I was expecting horror, but it really was doable. We got to the MK very early and did what we really wanted to do (including breakfast at CRT). We hung around for the Easter Parade and then left. As another poster said, if you really want to see the parade, get a spot early. We did not have a good spot at all. However, it was really a lot of fun to be there for all the special things....a big, crowed party! By early afternoon, Fantasyland was gridlock...we escaped! BTW, the park hours were so long everyday that we had plenty of time to fit everything in. My advice, be early and have a good plan!

 

[monorailsilver]

I went the week before Easter in 1999 (we got there on Saturday & the following Sunday the day we left to come home was Easter).

Easter was the 1st Sunday of April that year too.

The crowds weren't that bad until that Thursday before Easter, reminded me of the times I had gone in the summer.

We didn't have kids (got engaged on that trip) so staying in the park until closing was a must for me then & that Saturday before Easter, every line in the MK was jam crowded. We walked around for an hour or two (after our mid day break) & then left because I couldn't deal with the crowds.

It was also a bit chilly for me. We were able to wear shorts during the day but at night we needed pants & a light jacket. I know it is central Florida but just the name Florida means warmth & extreme heat to me & I don't like flying there to be cold with a coat on, I can do that in CT.

So I for one will never go Easter week/spring break week/Christmas/Thanksgiving week so that is one less family there for those of you who enjoy those weeks.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

sorry, dup.post

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

We went during Easter/Spring Break in 2005 as our 1st (and only . . . or so we foolishly thought) family trip. Knew it was going to be PACKED and IT WAS! But we'd really done our planning and always made sure to hit that day's park first thing when it opened and left midday. Utilized fastpasses, which easily ran out by 10 and had ride times well into the afternoon, and made sure to prioritize the must-go-on rides. We'd chill out back at the hotel, eat, swim, and then return to the park after 4. MK had some awesome late park hours -- which worked out great for us with small kids, because MK wasn't too bad early AM, probably because people were sleeping in for previous night or knew they could stay up late.

Can still remember the sight of hundreds of people POURING out of the monorail station as we were exiting MK at lunchtime. Oh my gosh, it was a very very fun trip but so so so so very crowded.

We went to Epcot on actual Easter but heard they did close MK. We never experienced them closing MK the days we were there.

You must have a plan of attack! That doesn't mean you have to buy a touring plan (we didn't), but we did plan out how we were going to go around say MK, which rides first, which ones had fastpasses, which ones were the must-go-to rides, etc. The weather is nice, that's a real plus over going in summer, which was the only other time then that we were considering.

We returned in 2006, this time going in May, and we'll be doing that again this year. Our kids are still young enough that pulling them out of school for a week is fine, but I wouldn't try that if they were teenagers.

 

[amsafko]

We went in 2004 (got there the Friday before Easter and stayed til the next Friday). We avoided MK until the Monday after Easter and did the Early Magic Hours (which was 2 hours earlier than usual opening due to the holiday). Can I tell you we didn't wait in any lines...we had reservations that Monday morning for CRT at 8:10. We got there at opening and had done every ride in Fantasy Land before going to breakfast, we could get off the ride and get right back on again in several instances (Dumbo, tea cups, carousel, etc.). We did the same thing the next two days. The key was being there at opening and leaving around 12 for a break at the hotel (my kids are young so one needed to nap anyway, the other went swimming with dh or I). We'd return later in the afternoon and have an ADR for dinner. Epcot was great on Easter - not very crowded at all (someone had given me that tip). Now, we didn't do the parade in the MK on Easter but that didn't matter to us and we didn't do the fireworks (dd was afraid of them) so I can't speak for that. There was a wait for Soarin in Epcot but we fastpassed it, perfectly timed so we could eat lunch in Seasons while we waited.

I heard all these horror stories about going at Easter and honestly it was the greatest vacation I ever took. Oh, and yes, I planned everything which saved us time in the park. Definitely plan to do the EMHs and plan what you want to do ahead of time.

 

[Herasmus B. Dragon]

Every guide book I've read so far tells me to avoid the parks during it's respective EMH days. Since I have small children - is there A big difference in the crowd level at the parks amongst those with EMH and those without?

In other words, when it's MK EMH should we go to AK that day? And vice versa?

We'll be there March. 18 - 24th.

 

[amsafko]

I read that too but I think because they are extra early over Easter (we were waiting to get in the park between 6:30 and 6:45 for a 7:00 opening each morning) it drew many people away. If you can handle early morning, do it. My kids were 4 and 2 at the time and it was not a problem getting them there - they were so excited they could barely sleep anyway. Yes, they were tired earlier but that was fine because we made our evenings very simple with 7-8:00 bedtimes. I am not normally a morning person but it really was a blast.

 

[dpayne1969]

do you guys think we will luck out on our dates of March 12-19???

Looking at most of your tickers you guys are coming around the 20th.

 

[MomofCKJ]

do you guys think we will luck out on our dates of March 12-19???

Looking at most of your tickers you guys are coming around the 20th.

I don't know but I'm with you in hoping so, we are there March 10-16!

Allyson

 

[dpayne1969]

I just noticed your ticker says mom & kids LOL I am going by myself as well with my 2 kids.I think we just luck out on the big big crowds.Heres to us with high hopes.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

do you guys think we will luck out on our dates of March 12-19???

Looking at most of your tickers you guys are coming around the 20th.

It's a busy month, with the crowds probably being lightest during the 1st week and building up through and beyond Easter. My college's Spring Break is Sat., 3/8 - Sun., 3/16. My friend's college has break from Sat., 3/15 - Sun., 3/23.
We have found that a good indicator of expected crowd-levels are the extended park hours. When we went Easter '05, seems like the MK was open every morning at 7 (or most every morning) and closed really late (post midnight) a number of days that week. Hit the parks early with a plan and you'll have fun.

 

[SuzieQ811]

Wow - Thanks so much for all your ideas and insight. We actually do have some ADR's, La Nouba, etc. planned. I guess you just truly have to make the best of it if that's the only time you can go. I just hope I can wake up the gang at the crack of dawn! As one poster said: a crowded day at Disney in the warmth and sunshine is SO much better than a snowy or rainy day in Western NY!

 

[mdoc]

I have school age kids, so spring break is a logical time for us to go. We went at Thanksgiving in 2007, but my high school daughter is only going to get 2 days off for T'giving in 2008 because they're starting late due to construction, so our T'giving 2008 trip might be off the table. We like to spend Christmas at home, and my DH wouldn't consider going to Florida in the summertime, so we go at spring break every year. Our spring break is always late March, so this year we'll be there for Easter - arriving the day before and leaving the Saturday after. It's OK. If you plan right, you can do everything you want to do in spite of the crowds. We like to get an early start and be at the parks for rope drop - we find that's how we get the most done. Others prefer to close the parks down. The good thing is that at the really crowded times the parks are open for a lot of hours and there are multiple Fantasmics/Spectros. I'd be curious to know if Easter is less crowded when it falls in March - the only Easters I've been at WDW were in march, since that's when our break is.

 

[northriver]

Our school spring break is the week before Easter and we decided to go in April instead because of the crowd level partly but mostly because we can get much lower airfare and also better room rates. However, I randomly picked a week in April and turns out it is Passover - DUH for me thinking it was offseason just because no one here in Iowa has a break over Passover. It will still be crowded at WDW! Rack rates on rooms are much lower but not sure if there will be much for additional room discounts that week.

So my advice, if you choose another time, be careful when you choose LOL!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

We went Easter 2007. It was crowded, sure, but it was a fabulous trip. We used TourGuideMike like we always do and only once waited longer than 15 minutes for a ride! (And that was for Space when it went "down" while we were in the fp line).

If you go with a plan and a we're-going-to-have-a-blast-even-if-we-do-have-to-walk-around-all-those-people attitude, you'll have a great time

 

[duckybelle]

We are leaving the friday night before Easter and driving, arriving that saturday. We have decided that easter Sunday we will take the kids to the beach (theyve never seen the ocean), and then go to Epcot about 4pm for World Showcase and fireworks, and then again on Monday. We arent hitting MK till tues and wed, then MGM on thursday. SOOO many of us are going at that time huh??? LOL!

 

[sanderella36]

We fly in the Friday before Easter. I'm hoping since it's our first time, we won't know the difference!

 

[KKlinger]

It's a gonna be packed!

I've heard week before and week after Easter (think March 16-30) are the two BIG weeks. We are going March 10-16 and hoping to be getting out of dodge as the crowds roll in. Like anything I think if you have a plan you can be one step ahead of those that don't and have a more enjoyable time.

Allyson

We too will be at FtW 9th-14th! Central Texas Spring Break is March 9th-15th. This is our first trip to WDW; me, wife and 6/8 year old boys. Sounds like the Florida area Spring Break is much later than Texas.