February Crowds?

[klwdisney]

I am trying to put together a group trip of 9 adults to Orlando in February 2009. We were leaning towards school vacation week here in Massachusetts...which would be President's Week. Im noticing the rental homes consider that High Season.

Members of our party are worried that will mean high crowds at Universal and Sea World. Is that what we should expect? I only know Disney and even at that I've never been at that time of year before.

What can we expect for weather? One member of our party has an allergy to the sun so she has to wear long sleeves and we dont want her to melt away.

We are looking at rental homes in the area thru All Star Vacation Rentals and they all seem to have a pool which is a good escape.

I'd appreciate all the advice you can think of for planning a Presidents Week trip for adults! Thanks so much!!

 

[doaky]

We have been out end February / Beginning March and Mid September for 2 weeks each for the past 4 years. I tend to like February / March as the parks aren't as busy however the weather can be mixed. This year for example most days were around mid 70, however there were a couple of days where the temperature dropped to a maximum of 40 - 50 degrees during the day and freezing at night. By comparison, Last September was constant 90 -95 and the parks were a lot busier. February / March will be busy some days due to bike week, speed week etc

 

[klwdisney]

What exactly is Speed Week?

 

[dougsmom98]

We have been going during President's week for several years and are headed there again next year. We think the weather is perfect. If your friend with sun sensitivity wears a light weight, long sleeve shirt she should be fine. We usually need jackets in the morning until the fog/dew burns off and then again at night. Humidity has never been a problem either. It is warm enough so those of us from up north get to go swimming. We went to Sea World two years ago and while Disney was pretty busy that week, we didn't notice the crowds at Sea World. As for Disney parks, we get there when they open and do really well until about 11-12 and then it starts feeling crowded until around 3-4. We always get to do everything we want though and often get to do our favorites 2-3 times using fast pass and having a plan. The parks are open fairly late especially MK. The weather is so pleasant, that even with kids ranging in age from 2-9, we go from opening until close (11 pm).
As for rental houses considering that time high season, it really depends on who you rent from. We rent directly from the owners using vrbo.com and have found pretty reasonable prices that include taxes and pool heat (you'll want a heated pool this time of the year) for President's week. Some owners call it high season, but I have found many consider it mid-low season. Good luck with your planning!

 

[isla bonita]

We have been going down from R.I. your next door neighbors for the last 4 years and will be returning this Feb. We have encounted from frost yes frost to high 80's. Last year for us was the best year so far. 70's all the time we were down and the following week it was much cooler with 50-60's. The crowds are much larger pres. week then the week before we have always gone for over 2 weeks. For us it could not be better. 2 weeks away from the very cold and gloomy to sunshine and even with frost compared to shoveling snow and those colder temps it is paradise for us.

 

[jeff968]

We've been fortunate enough to visit Orlando during President's week for 10 years now in a row. The weather is usually great. We usually get a few low 80s days, mostly in the 70s, a few 60s days but lots of sun. There are no bugs out at that time of year. As for the crowds, they are definately there. many from the north east travel south during that week because of the school vacation. My wife is also a teacher and has that week off. The prices are higher as well so you have to shop early to get the deals on flights. It is a great week to travel south as we are on our third month of true winter.

 

[gdaysboi]

The weather tends to be great that time of year but expect a cold front during your visit, best to just check the weather before you go.

While it is convention season, the parks aren't as busy during this time as Christmas, Spring Break and Easter.

FYI - The high season is when Orlando is in demand, pretty much when it is cold in the rest of the US.

Events to beaware of that could cause rates to rise:
Daytona 500
Also check the Oralando Conversion Center Web site and see if there are any big events. Big events for next year may be on the schedule already.

In most cases you should have a wonderful trip.

 

[Brian Noble]

President's week (in 2009, 2/14-2/21) is definitely the highest-demand week in February for Central FL. It's not Christmas or Easter. It's comparable to (but maybe a bit better than) summer.

The weeks before P-week are generally light. The week (or two) after are okay, and then the spring break crowds start arriving.

 

[bas71873]

And don't forget the crazy cheer & dance competitions that are just about every weekend in February. We were there is past Feb. 2 - 9 and there were lots of cheer/dance groups...but the crowds still weren't bad. We'll be there again in 2009, Feb 21 - 28, since those of us locals here in South Louisiana like to escape the Mardi Gras madness (and schools are out for the week)

 

[MiaSRN62]

We went Pres Week 2007 ! NEVER again

Weather was awesome !
Crowds were hell !

we could not believe it. It was our first Pres Week visit. We found the crowds much worse than during the summer. We attempted to get into the MK for EMH on Sat night (it was the ONLY night that week they had Spectro), and you couldn't even walk. We turned around and left after an hour.

Another day, the parks were so crowded (I believe it was Friday), that we ended up going to DD to see a movie. Took me 30 min to find a parking space and we almost missed the movie !

So it's good if you plan on just hanging at the resort and sunning by the pool. But the parks were a nightmare.

We were there Feb 20-26, 2007. Only Feb 26 was lower crowds. That was a Sunday and I think all the Pres Week crowds went home that day.

 

[klwdisney]

Well I just came back from 2 disney trips in 6 months a few weeks ago so Im focused on the other Orlando sites. The highlight of the trip for us is renting a 5 br home with all the amenities so we can enjoy seeing how the other half lives for the week. We figure that at some point during the week we'd like to check out Universal and Sea World. I am not going to (try not to anyway! ) psychotically plan this trip out like I do with trips to WDW. And the beauty of the passes being offered lately, if we get to Universal and it's crazy busy then we can leave and try again another day that week.

Do these parks have certain days when they tend to be busy - like Disney does? I know to avoid the MK on the weekends, etc.

 

[klwdisney]

oopsie!

 

[jmpellet]

I think everyone from the northeast goes to Orlando during President's Week and a good number go during Patriot's week if they are from MA. We will be going during both but will have lower expectations becuase we know it will be crowded!

 

[klwdisney]

im hoping if we wait to go to universal and sea world till mid-week we may avoid SOME of the crowds.

and maybe most of the people will go to WDW instead and leave US and SW all to us?

 

[jeff968]

We went Pres Week 2007 ! NEVER again

Weather was awesome !
Crowds were hell !

So it's good if you plan on just hanging at the resort and sunning by the pool. But the parks were a nightmare.

This is exactly what we do, hang out at the beautiful resort by the pool and read and enjoy that sun while it snows in CT.

We'll do the parks one day, maybe two. This year we hit Epcot on Tuesday 2/19. We had our PS reservations all set and got our fast passes. The place was busy but not that bad. Then again, this is the only time we go so I can't compare it to any other time.

 

[MiaSRN62]

The week we were there in 2007, not only did we have Pres Week crowds, but also crowds left over from Daytona 500, and Mardi Gras. There were lots of guest from southern states wearing Mardi Gras shirts and beads. This was the week Feb 20-26.

 

[ISP2MCO]

The week we were there in 2007, not only did we have Pres Week crowds, but also crowds left over from Daytona 500, and Mardi Gras. There were lots of guest from southern states wearing Mardi Gras shirts and beads. This was the week Feb 20-26.

I was going to post the very same thing. We went both 2007 and 2008. 2008 was still busy but Mardis Gras fell in early Feb this year so it wasnt as bad as 2007.

 

[Brian Noble]

I normally go during the week *after* President's Week, though every once in a while it is P-Week itself. Some years, my normal week is also Mardi Gras. While the NOLA folks are noticeable in their purple, green, and gold, they don't seem to impact crowd conditions all that much.

 

[MiaSRN62]

While the NOLA folks are noticeable in their purple, green, and gold, they don't seem to impact crowd conditions all that much.

I guess I just saw all these NASCAR and Mardi Gras shirts, and just added them into the mix with all the families that were there on school break. It's just that when so many are there because of school holidays, just adding in a couple different groups makes at least somewhat of an added impact ? It just felt packed to the gills to us.
I did notice that on Feb 25 and 26 the crowds really did seem to thin out. We went to Disney Studios on Sun 2/25 and it was very nice. So I guess the week after Pres Week is a good one We were so disappointed that we had to leave on 2/26 because my kids said they would have actually been able to get on some of the attractions !

 

[Brian Noble]

I think President's Week is just busy---especially if you don't usually travel peak weeks. I'd venture to say that P-week was busier than Memorial Day weekend (which we just got back from).

I have had great success during P-week following something like Tour Guide Mike or Unofficial Guide, though. It is doable, but it requires a pretty good plan.