Easter or April Break

[lentnej]

We are DEF going to WDW next year but need help with the time. Easter is early (March) and the school break is in mid April. Has anyone experienced Easter at WDW? How are the crowds for March spring break vs April school vacation time? Boys will be young 6 and old 11.
Thank you!

OF '93 OF '04 CSR '08?

 

[dougsmom98]

From what I have read on these boards, Easter is very crowded and the crowds get lighter the later into April your spring break is.

 

[MamaOfTwoPrincesses]

We're considering that too, since our break will be the 3rd week in April. Are you in MA like us? I'm hoping that with Easter being so early, the crowds will be thinner by mid-late April next year...

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

You may be better off going around Easter. I know in NJ, Spring Break is also the 3rd week in April. I think the crowds tend to be there for when the kids have that week+ stretch of time off, not so much for the Easter holiday. We normally go in March and have been there when Easter falls at the end of the month and the crowds are pretty light.

 

[lentnej]

Thanks for the early comments. Where would one go to celebrate Easter if we're staying on site?
I assumed in March, there are a lot of college Spring Breakers that wouldn't mix well with my family. Am I wrong?

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Thanks for the early comments. Where would one go to celebrate Easter if we're staying on site?
I assumed in March, there are a lot of college Spring Breakers that wouldn't mix well with my family. Am I wrong?

If there are a lot of college kids there, we have never encountered them and we go the 3rd or 4th week of March every year for the past 8 years.

As far as dining-a lot of the resort restaurants will offer an Easter dinner or Easter buffet (at the character meals), so you have a lot of choices.

 

[Starr W.]

Here in NW Ohio most of the districts schedule spring break at Easter no matter when it is. So our break next year starts 3/21/08.

2 years ago our district had break about 2 weeks before Easter(something along the lines they weren't sure when OH was doing state testing). Well it didn't go over well with everyone, including staff, were back to Easter again. I believe the state has moved testing to late April-early May(next week yea!) so as not to conflict with Easter, as I think the big brains in Columbus finally figured out Easter is not on the same date every year!

 

[ldo]

I think Easter will be much more crowded than mid-april next year. We line in VA (DC area), and most of the public school here will have Spring break the week before Easter. We are not going to Disney next year b/c I think crowds will be even more than this year. So, I vote for April.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I think it is luck of the draw on what time tends to be more crowded, because in the end, every school district can vary on the times they give Spring Break. I know that two weeks ago some parks closed for reaching capacity. I don't know if that was due to Easter or due to Spring Break in general, but thankfully, we missed that.

 

[Barb D]

I've done polls the last two years (2006 and 2007) to find out when most DIS-ers have Spring Break. There is a big clump the weeks before and after Easter. Here are the polls for the last two years:

Spring Break 2006 Poll

Spring Break 2007 Poll

We went Spring Break this year (the week before Easter), and yes, it was very crowded. We found that if we got to the parks early enough in the morning there were little or no waits for the headliner rides. Then we would either go back to the room for a break in the afternoon, or find some less-popular and preferably air-conditioned attraction to do. In the evenings it was still pretty crowded, but at least a cooler. All-in-all it was manageable, and we had an awesome trip.

 

[tbrenk]

We are DEF going to WDW next year but need help with the time. Easter is early (March) and the school break is in mid April. Has anyone experienced Easter at WDW? How are the crowds for March spring break vs April school vacation time? Boys will be young 6 and old 11.
Thank you!

OF '93 OF '04 CSR '08?

We were there Easter this year. As long as you are organiezd and utilize the Fastpass system you will be fine. We rode every major ride multiple times, saw ll parades, fireworks, etc. My advice is get to the parks early..it helped alot!

 

[Andrea from PA]

We are thinking of a Universal/WDW trip Easter 2008. Our school has off the week after Easter. Barb -- Your polls are very helpful Thanks!

Look forward for a 2008 poll.