Easter 2016...define "busy"

[ButterflyJen]

We are kicking around a spring break trip to CA and would like to do 1-2 days at DL if possible. I know it's busy on Easter and the days right around Easter...define "busy" in terms that make sense. As in - wait times for popular rides, things like that.

At this point, it's just a thought in our heads, so the crowds in the park aren't a make-or-break, I'm just curious. The last time we went, it was Saturday of Memorial weekend (2007) and it was busy but not unmanageable.

 

[figment_jii]

It's not going to be capacity level closures, but it'll be pretty full. I'd don't put a lot of stock into the crowd calendars, but it's interesting to look at the detailed data used by Touring Plans. Select a date and then click on "Click here to see individual attraction details used in determining crowd levels" and scroll down to see the average wait time and the detailed wait time graphs to help you get a sense of the crowds and wait times for some of the attractions. Overall, I think the week before and after Easter are busy, but not necessarily gridlock.

 

[peterpanandwendy]

I'm also interested in this, I've checked out touring plans, but I find it never works for me… it always says I need a subscription to look at the dates I've entered? I don't know, maybe I'm doing it wrong. We want to go Mid march next year as well.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I personally hate the Spring Break season, so I might not be the most impartial in my description. Spring Break/Easter tend to be very crowded. As someone with a stroller who likes to walk quickly and with purpose (i.e. not stopping in the middle of walkways), I'd say on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being easy to push a stroller and maneuver through crowds and 10 being impossible, it's like a 7-8. Lines will be short at rope drop, but quickly get longer, so that by around noon, you're waiting at least 20 minutes for most rides, with all e-ticket rides at a 45-100+ minute standby wait. It's do-able (we do it almost every year even though it's a terrible time of year since I'm a teacher and it's the only time I have off), but you have to go in with the mindset that you might not accomplish all you want in the course of a day.

 

[agamble]

It'll be busy, I think busier than most weeks in the summer. The weeks before and after Easter are the most common spring break weeks. But hey, it's Disneyland, so you'll still have a great time. I've seen pictures and we've been once the week after Easter and the walkways are crowded. This is school break season, so you have a lot of families with younger kids. That means more idling and more strollers. If you know what you're doing though you can make it work for you. I'd expect even rides like Snow White to have some kind of line, and the more popular kiddy attractions like Buzz to have lines pushing 30 minutes with the most popular rides an hour or more. Two hours for RSR with FP gone early, and GRR and Splash will also likely have real long lines in the middle of the day with warmer temps.

 

[figment_jii]

I'm also interested in this, I've checked out touring plans, but I find it never works for me… it always says I need a subscription to look at the dates I've entered? I don't know, maybe I'm doing it wrong. We want to go Mid march next year as well.

Yes, you have to subscribe if you want most of the information from Touring Plans (which makes sense), but they provide (for free) some of the past information when they are comparing their predicted crowd level with the "actual" crowd level. I find that kind of interesting because you can see the wait times during the day for some attractions.

I agree that the peak-Spring Break period (week before and week after Easter) tend to be pretty busy, with wait times that will exceed 90 minutes at the most popular rides during the afternoon. The walkways will be busy, and the nighttime entertainment viewing areas will be full. I don't remember what crowds were like in summer in 2007, but overall crowds seem to be getting busier and busier each year (at least at HalloweenTime, the holidays, summer), so my guess is that Spring Break 2016 will be busier than Memorial Day 2007, but it's not going to be like the week between Christmas and New Years.

 

[ButterflyJen]

That's what I figured. Doable, but expect some crowds. Hopefully we can work it out and go for a day....maybe 2 Thanks!

 

[rwhistler92]

We went Easter weekend this year. It was busy, but doable. We used fast passes and went to shows during the busiest times and never had any real issues or waited in long lines.