Easter week crowds....6's? Really?

[MaryKatesMom]

Maybe the people like myself, who were unhappy with the limited hours last year, aren't coming this year? I had rooms booked but cancelled.

Here is my post from last year:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disappointed-in-easter-week-hours.3489836/

Posters have mentioned the lateness of Easter, but what they aren't mentioning are the more expensive prices. We are also in a time of (inter)national uncertainty, especially concerning travel to the USA from outside the USA.

Some years ago, Easter pricing wasn't all that bad, and before FP+, if you got up early, you could still manage to ride almost everything.

Folks tend to go once a year or less to WDW, so they've tried FP+, and gave WDW time to work on the details.

I'm not trying to debate FP+, but many casual visitors now think FP+= only 3 FP, and tiered at that.

Hotel/airfare prices for peak weeks like Easter have gone up and up, while the amount of e-rides one can enjoy with a FP (relative to FP-) has gone down.

Also, in one sense, April isn't the ideal time to go to FL, it is a little too late in the spring. North Americans who live in a place with cold winters visit FL to escape snow/cold/darkness, but if you go to FL in mid-April, you miss part of spring.

Put all of the above together, and they could contribute to lower bookings Easter week. Though that isn't to say there won't be any last minute deals or folks to take advantage of them.

I'll agree with those points

Plus for us Southwest out of Philly cut the number of direct flights and raised prices this year.

It was definitely more crowded in 2016 than in previous years and getting a 4th FP was impossible. The buses were jammed in the AM and you could tell which park at EMH because our stop could fill a bus going there around 8AM.

I was staying at the Dolphin and could only book 180 days out so I was online midnight for 7 nights in a row. BOG, CG and one other restaurant (Narcoosee's maybe) were unavailable on Fri, Sat, and Sun that weekend because the 180 + 10 guests had filled them to capacity before I could book them. (I hope that makes sense).

Epcot has always been my favorite park and it kills me to have to pick a favorite Soarin' or TT. If you got there at RD it was easy to get a FP- for Soarin' then ride it, go to TT ride it, get a FP- for TT and then I would be free to do whatever for the rest of the day. FP+ makes it not as enjoyable for me anymore. Lost its value. The line at opening for TT (Soarin' was down and Maelstrom was down) was 60 minutes at 9AM

 

[Andy S]

There was a poll up here awhile back asking folks when their spring break was and it was surprisingly evenly spread out between March & April. We're going the week before Easter and I was pleasantly surprised by how many FP+ were available - including SDMT and FEA. I've been seeing a TON of ads lately for Pandora - the advertising blitz has to be having some effect. I would think most locals stay away around Easter/Spring Break timeframe, and for out of staters who only go every few years (or once in a lifetime), it would make sense they'd want to hold off until the big new attraction opens up.

Guess I'm just optimistic that we won't be crushed by crowds.

 

[Andy S]

Here's what Josh put on Twitter so far for April.
https://mobile.twitter.com/easywdw/status/826589932080726016/photo/1

I wish Josh would post an explanation of his crowd calendar - it makes no sense for that week.

Generally crowds are pretty good for a bark on a day AFTER EMH, which would mean HS on 4/10 and AK on 4/11, but he doesn't recommend either park those days for some reason.

 

[momtwoboys]

Posters have mentioned the lateness of Easter, but what they aren't mentioning are the more expensive prices. We are also in a time of (inter)national uncertainty, especially concerning travel to the USA from outside the USA.

Some years ago, Easter pricing wasn't all that bad, and before FP+, if you got up early, you could still manage to ride almost everything.

Folks tend to go once a year or less to WDW, so they've tried FP+, and gave WDW time to work on the details.

I'm not trying to debate FP+, but many casual visitors now think FP+= only 3 FP, and tiered at that.

Hotel/airfare prices for peak weeks like Easter have gone up and up, while the amount of e-rides one can enjoy with a FP (relative to FP-) has gone down.

Also, in one sense, April isn't the ideal time to go to FL, it is a little too late in the spring. North Americans who live in a place with cold winters visit FL to escape snow/cold/darkness, but if you go to FL in mid-April, you miss part of spring.

Put all of the above together, and they could contribute to lower bookings Easter week. Though that isn't to say there won't be any last minute deals or folks to take advantage of them.

we live in the NE and have horrible winters but we travel to Disney every April and go for the weather. We dont gamble with flights in the winter worrying over getting into MCO or home. We also have got decent air prices for years by booking right away when they are released. Also we dont rely on FP at all, book a few and maybe use 2 for the whole 8-9 days. Maybe we arent the norm! Also when booking a Disney resort we have always taken advantage of a discount. NEver in our trips since 1997 have we paid rack rate ever....

 

[momtwoboys]

meant to say New England!

 

[MDIME]

Not all. The local schools in northern Maine are on break right now.

Read my entire post before quoting me, please.
I said we (Maine) are on break now and we have Spring break April 17-21.

 

[dclpluto]

A percentage of people that were going to go Easter is now holding back until summer because of pandora. What that percentage is who knows 5 percent 10 percent maybe higher.

 

[stephd219]

If car rental prices are anything to go by, it's going to be busy!

 

[mshanson3121]

Easter week is spring break week for most New England states -- maybe all? But it's not like we have a huge population up here. Most people that I know travel this current week (2/20) for February break to get away from the weather.

Read my entire post before quoting me, please.
I said we (Maine) are on break now and we have Spring break April 17-21.

Really? The sad little face is necessary? Bit of an over the top reaction, considering you worded your post as a question, and didn't specify where you are. I was unaware that northern Maine took an Easter Break as well, I was under the impression this week IS their spring break. Hence my reply.

 

[MDIME]

Really? The sad little face is necessary? Bit of an over the top reaction, considering you worded your post as a question, and didn't specify where you are. I was unaware that northern Maine took an Easter Break as well, I was under the impression this week IS their spring break. Hence my reply.