Easter 2005

[dthogue]

With Easter 2005 being Sunday, March 27th, how crowded will the parks be the week before (3/19-26)?

Any tips on avoiding the crowds? Which parks on which days?

We want to surprise my DD with a trip for her 13th b-day!

Tammy

 

[sue Z]

I was in WDW a couple of yrs ago when Easter feel in March and the crowds were huge!!!

this year too I will be in WDW when Easter comes in March again at least this time I will know what too expect

all the popular rides will be long!!!!!!

 

[Bildmouse]

The crowds will be huge but the year we were there for Easter the parks were open late (MK was open till 12am at least two nights). My kids were old enough that they would head back when we crashed at 10pm. We were staying at Poly that time so they just hopped the monorail to get there.

 

[drusba]

That week is among the three most crowded weeks of the year (along with the week of Easter and Christmas week). This year also creates a double whammy -- the majority of the high schools in the US still have their spring breaks either the week leading up to Easter or the week of Easter; there is another significant minority that always has them the last full week of March. Thus, you are going to get both. Lines at MK for the mountains, Jungle Cruise, Pooh, and Peter Pan will be anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours, all day all evening, except early in the morning and during parades. Test Track and Mission Space at Epcot get to sustained 3 hour lines. The line for Swiss Family Treehouse, the largest bore in MK, will even go to an hour. For the afternoon parade at MK, people start claiming ideal spaces (curbside, seats on the train platform) beginning about 2 hours before the parade goes. Think of it this way -- you are standing at the base of Main Street looking down at the castle at noon and all you see is wall-to-wall bobbing heads and you won't be able to see the street. Fast passes are a necessity for popular rides and they usually run out for the entire day by noon.

Now for the survival tips:

1. If you're objective is to do every ride and attraction, change your objective because it is going to cause a lot of frustration if you attempt that.

2. Check when you get there for actual hours -- sometimes they simply suspend usual early entry days at the last minute and just open parks an hour early to everyone. That is particularly true for MK.

3. Early morning at any park you can often get on a few of things fairly easily. The most crowded time of day at any park is 10 to 3:30 (a time to consider going to the resort pool although those also get very crowded). Get fast passes for popular rides when you can.

4. At Epcot most things other than Test Track and Mission Space can be fairly easy to get on at many times after 2 p.m. For example, Spaceship Earth, the magnet that huge numbers flock to when they enter in the morning, can go from a 90 minute or longer line in the morning to almost none after 2.

5. MGM is similar; other than Tower of Terror, RocknRollercoaster, and Mermaid, it can often be fairly easy to get on attractions after 3. Very often during that time of year, they have two showings of Fantasmic. For the first one, you will either need to do the dinner package or show up an hour or more early to get in. For the second one, you can enter at the last minute because it never fills. Also, the line for Tower and RnR sometimes dips to only 30 minutes during that first showing pf Fantasmic.

6. Animal Kingdom seldom has any relief except early in the morning but sometimes toward closing the popular attractions can have short lines. To see Lion King or Tarzan, plan to show up an hour or more early. Animal kingdom will have its lightest day of the week during that week on Saturday and Sunday (still crowded but not as massive as other days). That is likewise true for MGM and Epcot. MK will have no real lighter days.

7. At MK, a number of attractions like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Tiki can have very huge lines in the morning and then short lines between 4 and 8. The park usually stays open to 11 or 12 and it gets its second huge crowd wave beginning about 8 to closing. Generally, if you just follow a rule to skip any line that is greater than 30 minutes and come back later, you will often find an opening later for many things.


8. Want to eat dinner at any park sit-down restaurant? Make a PS at least several weeks in advance. True story: we were once at Crystal Palace on the Thursday before Easter for a PS at 6 and a family of 4 walked up and asked for the "next available time"; the CM looked at the computer screen for a while and then looked up and said "Tuesday at 8:30." Even the counter service places go to 30 to 40 minutes at lunch and dinner time. For resort restaurants, you can often get a PS close to the time you want by calling the day before but still make the PS because even those can be next to impossible to get in by just walking up without a PS.

9. The water parks, except for cool days (not often) fill to capacity by 11:30 but then start to open up again by 3. If you actually want chairs and a table be aware that all are usually taken within the first hour of park opening.

10. Unless you like waiting a long time for parades and spending it trying to constantly protect the ideal territory that you have claimed from others, plan to do parades by just finding a spot about 15 minutes beforehand that is elevated and back from the front of the crowd -- like the porch or stairs of Town Hall in MK.

11. Being at MK or Epcot for closing means there will be huge crowds leaving at one time and often some harsh words expressed; also waits for an open bus can be 30 minutes; if you want to keep your nerves calm just find a place to wait it out for about 45 minutes and leave when the crowd decreases.

 

[dthogue]

Thanks everyone for your input - lots of great advice. Since we go to WDW almost yearly, we don't have a need to "get it all done."

Does anyone know if the parks typically close to new, off-site guests during the week before Easter, like they do at Christmas? Is park hopping going to be on option or should we plan to stay put?

Thanks,
tammy

 

[3gr8kids]

We will be there at that time, too. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[marypopfan]

I'll be there also !!!!!!!!! I know that they will have crowds, but I'm at Disney World !!!!!!!!!!

 

[dcmbshafe]

Thanks for all of the advice! We'll be there this year for the two weeks surrounding easter and it will be interesting for us as we've had the luxury of visiting during the slower times over the past couple years (September, October & May). Need to go out and get a copy of the newest UOG!!!

 

[clm3]

We'll be there March 17, 18, 19 prior to our cruise on the Wonder.
Do you think our crowds will be lighter on those days ?

Thanks,
Cheryl

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

We'll be there, too!

See you at the Parks, 3/22-3/28

 

[MinnieM3]

We'll be there from Holy Thursday til the Sunday after Easter at Wilderness Lodge!!
Went same dates around Easter a couple of years ago and it wasn't that bad. Weather was beautiful.

Beth

CB Summer 1988
POFQ Summer 1994
Beach Club Summer 1998
Cont. Tower Summer 2000
Cont. Tower Oct. 2001
Yacht Club/Poly Concierge March/April 2002
WL Concierge June 2002
All Stars Sports August 2002
WL Concierge Nov. 2002
AKL February 2003
AKL June 2003
AKL February 2004
CB July 2004
Cont. Tower Nov. 2004
WL March/April 2005

 

[OhMari]

We were at the Magic Kingdom on tuesday of Easter Week. Adventure Land was basically empty all day, don't know why.

Just plan it out with Fast Passes and if the parades aren't that important, do more of the popular rides at night.