Downtimes

[britterbell]

When are the down times for DL? Also, how crowded are the peak seasons/vacations? TIA.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

When are the down times for DL? Also, how crowded are the peak seasons/vacations? TIA.

From what I've heard, Spring Break and Christmas/New Year's are usually Crazy Crowded.
IMO those times are usually too crowded for a first time visit.

The summer is usually very busy, but IMO the parks are manageable if you give yourself 4 days, go on weekdays, start early (get to the DL/DCA entrance at least 30 minutes early), use FastPass, and take advantage of a Magic Morning for Fantasyland. The nice thing about the summer is that you'll have the full entertainment schedule, and hardly any refurbs.

A couple of down times that I can think of are weekdays in mid-Sept and mid-January, but those times usually come with refurbs, limited entertainment, and shorter hours. During those times you might need to stay on a busier Fri or Sat night to see fireworks, etc.

I recommend reading all of the threads in the HydroGuy Tips Compilation sticky.

And I would start with the following threads:

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

"HydroGuy's High Season/Off Season Tradeoff Rule"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199852

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

HTH