Easter at Disney

[sjreed]

My daughter's dance team will be performing in MK on 4/18. We will be in WDW 4/15 - 4/19....how busy will it be? People have told us it will be crazy and we won't even be able to move, waits will be very long, and without ADR we will not be able to eat in a sit-down restaurant. Is this true? We have only gone as a family in early December and late October.

 

[dixiedizfan]

Yes, it's true. Easter is one of THE most crowded times of the year at WDW.
The place will be mobbed, so plan accordingly.

 

[Lizzybee]

We were there last Easter/Spring Break. We had an ADR for Boatwrights for Easter breakfast and wouldn't have really needed one, there were plenty of tables and they were taking walk ups. Was it crowded during that time? Yes but not at all unmanageable with planning. MK was fine between 7am and noon-ish, then it was crowded. The other parks were no problem, other than AK on the Saturday before Easter with early EMH...what on Earth was I thinking???? I'd say go to Epcot or MGM on the day before Easter if you're going to a park. We didn't go to a park on Easter. We had breakfast, then went to POFQ for character meet n greet (it was an Easter thing) and a swim, then took the boat to DTD and did a Wishes Cruise that night.
Anyway I think you'll be ok if you plan.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Yes its very crowded, standing room only on busses, long stand by line waits and the possibility of fastpasses being all gone by early in the day, like 11 am and the wait time to come back like 6 hours later, not good if you are park hopping, yes we have experienced all of those things. I do make all the adrs because I want to make sure we have l good sit down meal a day. If you do counter service, eat early, like by 11;30 am for lunch and no later than 5 for dinner. There are no tables and chairs available and people swarm over you like a pack of vultures, or the race for the coveted mall parking place at xmas time. If you plan well you will have a good time.

 

[ahamel918]

This is just me trying to convince myself not to be too worried about the crowds as we are going April 12-15th. Never been to disney before as an adult and only once as a young teenager so I don't really know anything about crowds.

But is it possible because Easter is in mid-April this year the crowds will be spread over a good chunk of March and April for those who have early spring break and those that go over easter? I was just thinking last year easter was March 27th - very close to when college spring breaks and early spring breaks are. This year since easter is so late, some people go early march, mid march, early april and mid april. It's a longer period to spread the crowds over. Do I make any sense. I know it'll be busy, I just really don't want to be miserable. I'm traveling with a 4 year old and 2 year old.

 

[Selket]

I've not been over Easter/Spring Break but I have read that perhaps the crowds would be spread out. That being said I think it will be quite busy...as busy as in the summer if not more so. I have used the advice at Tour Guide Mike (http://www.tourguidemike.com) in the past and found it very helpful for going during busy times. If you do a search on the DIS boards you'll find lots of threads about his website - listing the things people liked and didn't like about it.

We hope to go the week before Easter so I've tried to do a lot of planning. No matter where you get your advice I'd also suggest having a plan before you go!

 

[brentalex]

We have gone to Disney at the same time each of the last 4 times we were there, the third week in April. That is when our schools in many of the New England states have their spring break. Sometimes like this year it is also Easter week, and sometimes it is not. I have never really noticed a big difference in the crowds, whether it is Easter or not. It is crowded, but it is manageable. The first time we went we were novices, had no real plan and did not get the most of the vacation. I have since learned alot and it helps to go with a plan. We try to get to the parks as early as we can, yes we do the EMH park. We usually then leave a bit after lunch if it is getting crowded and go back to the hotel and then to another park later. We always use park hopper tickets because if one park gets too crowded, we want to be able to go to another.
So, just be prepared for the crowds, enjoy people watching sometimes, take it easy when it gets crowded and sometimes you get to discover some less busy, less popular attraction that you may not have normally gone on, but do, just because there is no line.
It can be done.