Easter week 2025-overanalyze the calendar with me?

[linzjane88]

I am trying to plan a trip for this upcoming spring break-ish and have a few questions. We usually are September or January people but this last year I went solo to WDW on a last minute trip April 14-17 and IT. WAS. AMAZING. It was the lowest crowds I had seen since the 'Septembers of 2010's'. I kept taking pictures of empty walkways like a wierdo and plotting recreating the trip with the rest of my family.
Looking at the calendar and overanalyzing my visit it looks like it was a perfect storm that may not be reproducible. Easter was Sunday March 31 which fell in line with the first week of April being spring break for many places. Even week before/week after is still going to land on spring break for the majority of the US from the calendars I looked at. By the time my glorious few days hit the crowds had vanished.
For 2025 it's not shaping up that way .

Mar 30- Thursday starts a RunDisney event
April 6- Spring break in most of WA
April 13-week before Easter
April 20- Easter Sunday+ week after
April 27- Thursday starts a cheer competition.

Am I correct in thinking there are no hidden gems to be had? Or is it possible with the spacing of Easter from most of Spring Break that it might not be a big deal? I think it's odd that people would travel for Easter when there's not really many extra days off, if any, for kids/ M-F employees who probably just had their spring breaks. Obviously they do because there are usually huge crowds then. Anyways, what do you experiences Spring WDW'ers think?

 

[Tom_E_D]

I am trying to plan a trip for this upcoming spring break-ish and have a few questions. We usually are September or January people but this last year I went solo to WDW on a last minute trip April 14-17 and IT. WAS. AMAZING. It was the lowest crowds I had seen since the 'Septembers of 2010's'. I kept taking pictures of empty walkways like a wierdo and plotting recreating the trip with the rest of my family.
Looking at the calendar and overanalyzing my visit it looks like it was a perfect storm that may not be reproducible. Easter was Sunday March 31 which fell in line with the first week of April being spring break for many places. Even week before/week after is still going to land on spring break for the majority of the US from the calendars I looked at. By the time my glorious few days hit the crowds had vanished.
For 2025 it's not shaping up that way .

Mar 30- Thursday starts a RunDisney event
April 6- Spring break in most of WA
April 13-week before Easter
April 20- Easter Sunday+ week after
April 27- Thursday starts a cheer competition.

Am I correct in thinking there are no hidden gems to be had? Or is it possible with the spacing of Easter from most of Spring Break that it might not be a big deal? I think it's odd that people would travel for Easter when there's not really many extra days off, if any, for kids/ M-F employees who probably just had their spring breaks. Obviously they do because there are usually huge crowds then. Anyways, what do you experiences Spring WDW'ers think?

Where I live, Easter week is Spring Break week. Unless they do it differently next year, the schools will not have a March break. Easter week (starting with Good Friday) will be their first days off since the week of President's Day. Maybe there are more places that have March breaks, but there are enough schools that let the date of Easter determine when they take their Spring Break to affect the Disneyworld crowds.

 

[linzjane88]

Where I live, Easter week is Spring Break week. Unless they do it differently next year, the schools will not have a March break. Easter week (starting with Good Friday) will be their first days off since the week of President's Day. Maybe there are more places that have March breaks, but there are enough schools that let the date of Easter determine when they take their Spring Break to affect the Disneyworld crowds.

That's interesting! Ours here in SW Washington is the first full week in April regardless of when Easter is. We start the Wednesday after Labor day and end mid June and there are no other weeklong breaks.

One glorious year the started the last week of August, so a week earlier than normal, but gave the kids an extra bonus week off in the fall. It was amazing because nobody else around here did that. I despise traveling with the crowds on the rest of the US's schedule. I keep trying to convince my girls to homeschool again for vacation convenience. The high school experience+friends keeping winning over cool vacations year round.

 

[buzzrelly]

We typically travel the second week in April as that is when our Spring Break is, regardless of Easter. But this year because Easter is soooo late, I think we're going to skip because I think that week 4/13 is going to be insane since it's the week before Easter. Last year was so nice because Easter was early (3/31), so by the time we traveled the crowds had thinned.

This 2025 Easter/Spring Break timing only happens every few years or so, but I think we'll skip not only because of crowds, but the airfare will be insane and the DVC points are really high as this is a peak week.

For you, I think the weeks of April 6 and April 27 would be your best bet for lower crowds.

 

[BarlowFamily]

Rah Rah Rah! I'd go the week of that cheer competition. That would be my first choice for crowds and weather. Second choice would be either your Spring Break or very early March.

 

[linzjane88]

We typically travel the second week in April as that is when our Spring Break is, regardless of Easter. But this year because Easter is soooo late, I think we're going to skip because I think that week 4/13 is going to be insane since it's the week before Easter. Last year was so nice because Easter was early (3/31), so by the time we traveled the crowds had thinned.

This 2025 Easter/Spring Break timing only happens every few years or so, but I think we'll skip not only because of crowds, but the airfare will be insane and the DVC points are really high as this is a peak week.

For you, I think the weeks of April 6 and April 27 would be your best bet for lower crowds.

Good catch on the point calendar too. We would be staying DVC and I am stingy with my points so that's another strike for Spring Break.

 

[lanejudy]

"Spring break" is almost a season in the US, definitely not a specific week. It can be anywhere from early March through late April, depending on where one lives and how the schools in that area schedule breaks. Some schools take a more static week -- such as 3rd week of March, 1st week of April, etc. so it only sometimes coincides with the holiday. However, many other areas do tie their spring break directly to Easter, either the week prior or the week following, which means it floats around each year.

 

[Mle8308]

April vacation is the week of Patriots Day in a lot of New England. And everyone goes to Disney!

 

[g-dad66]

The week before Easter and the week after Easter are always high crowds. You'll want to avoid April 20 next year.

 

[sponica]

I believe Easter week is April vacation for Massachusetts in 2025 and I believe that overlay also happened in 2022?

I would go the week of the 27th, the cheer/dance competitions don't significantly add to park crowds and really only impact you if you're staying at the same resorts. Disclaimer, that's our school vacation week and there's usually a noticeable dropoff between the MA school vacation week and NH school vacation week

 

[byurick]

Yes ME and MA 2025 spring vacation is the week of Easter, NH is the following week.

 

[lanejudy]

Yes ME and MA 2025 spring vacation is the week of Easter, NH is the following week.

Most of VT is typically a week after MA -- so the 4th week of April. However, the way the calendar falls in 2025 it will align with MA on the 3rd week of April which also aligns with Easter.

 

[theresemiller2000]

Ours is April 6 and we’re going to Disney. I’m hoping most schools have spring break the week before or the week after Easter. Although crowd calendars aren’t looking too promising. Either way the weather should be much better than when we typically go the first week of June.

 

[Upatnoon]

I will just repeat that Spring Break "season" starts in March and runs through April. All these dates will be busy.

I would avoid April 13-24 as that is peak Easter.

That leaves March 30, April 6 or April 27.

If forced to pick between these, I would likely go with April 27. The cheer competitors can bring some issues, mainly if you are staying where there are staying.

They tend to travel in giant packs that can overwhelm wherever they are for a while. In the parks, the impact is pretty small, its mainly in the hotels.

In any event, go with what schedule works best for you in the end, as the difference between these isn't much.