ladysoleil
<font color=purple>my booty is a big fan of Cotton
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2003
- Messages
- 769
We went during Easter Week- it was crowded and an absolute madhouse.
We did have a good time, though. In hindsight, since it was my DH's first visit, I wish I'd planned it better, but we went for our wedding anniversary, so it's not like we had much leeway with the dates.
I was in a wheelchair at the time due to a bad ankle injury, which probably made it worse in some ways- the foot traffic was so heavy that often it was difficult to navigate through crowds- if you have a stroller, keep that in mind, it's hard to pilot through heavy foot traffic.
The attraction lines were very long, but using wheelchair entrances really changes the experience- we did have to wait for everything, but usually the wait took place in shaded or indoor areas, which definitely makes things more bearable. I also noticed that CM's were very quick to offer fastpasses to me, especially for very crowded attractions. That made it much easier to plan our day and minimize wait time. The lines looked bad, though I can't speak to how bad since I had a different experience.
We stayed offsite, but we were fairly leisurely about our approach- since the parks were open quite late, even without EMH, we rolled in by 10-11 AM and were on our way back to the hotel before midnight.
I'm going to echo the advice given previously- use the fastpass system. Figure out what you want to do and make a plan. We didn't see everything, but we're also adults without kids and knew we'd be back within the year, so we didn't get kamikaze on the parks. Prioritizing and using fastpasses makes it easier to have fun without being frustrated and wasting huge amounts of time on lines.
Hopping can be a lifesaver- when the MK got too stressful, it was wonderful for us to be able to bounce over to MGM and play a few rounds of Millionaire, cool off, and relax. We went back to MK for a bit of predinner shopping, and had a great dinner at California Grill. We did peek back into MK after dinner, decided it was too crowded, and opted to head over to PI instead.
If you're staying offsite, and think you won't get back to the hotel during the day, like we were, plan some less stressful, lower key attractions for the afternoon so you can take a break. We did Hall of Presidents and Millionaire, as they're long enough that you feel refreshed afterwards.
Use the PS system. I forgot to get a PS for Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch on day 2, and we waited about an hour to be seated. Even if you resort to counter service, the lines are going to be long- we made the mistake of not having a dinner PS for our last day and spent way, way too much frustrating time trying to grab a quick bite to eat before Wishes. Obviously, everyone else in MK had the same idea! We ended up saying to heck with it and grabbing burgers at Pecos Bill's after Wishes started- it was empty at that time.
Above all- keep an open mind, and stay calm and relaxed. When the park is that crazy, it's best to be willing to be flexible- I'm not thrilled that we missed Wishes, but it was a pleasant surprise to be able to have a quiet meal with my husband at a place like Pecos Bill's. Dare I say it, it was almost romantic.
I guess what I'm saying is, be willing to roll with what the day throws you.
I don't know if I'd go during easter week again, but we made the most of it and had a wonderful time. I think a lot of the secret to success is going in with a good attitude and making your own fun. Have a great trip!
We did have a good time, though. In hindsight, since it was my DH's first visit, I wish I'd planned it better, but we went for our wedding anniversary, so it's not like we had much leeway with the dates.
I was in a wheelchair at the time due to a bad ankle injury, which probably made it worse in some ways- the foot traffic was so heavy that often it was difficult to navigate through crowds- if you have a stroller, keep that in mind, it's hard to pilot through heavy foot traffic.
The attraction lines were very long, but using wheelchair entrances really changes the experience- we did have to wait for everything, but usually the wait took place in shaded or indoor areas, which definitely makes things more bearable. I also noticed that CM's were very quick to offer fastpasses to me, especially for very crowded attractions. That made it much easier to plan our day and minimize wait time. The lines looked bad, though I can't speak to how bad since I had a different experience.
We stayed offsite, but we were fairly leisurely about our approach- since the parks were open quite late, even without EMH, we rolled in by 10-11 AM and were on our way back to the hotel before midnight.
I'm going to echo the advice given previously- use the fastpass system. Figure out what you want to do and make a plan. We didn't see everything, but we're also adults without kids and knew we'd be back within the year, so we didn't get kamikaze on the parks. Prioritizing and using fastpasses makes it easier to have fun without being frustrated and wasting huge amounts of time on lines.
Hopping can be a lifesaver- when the MK got too stressful, it was wonderful for us to be able to bounce over to MGM and play a few rounds of Millionaire, cool off, and relax. We went back to MK for a bit of predinner shopping, and had a great dinner at California Grill. We did peek back into MK after dinner, decided it was too crowded, and opted to head over to PI instead.
If you're staying offsite, and think you won't get back to the hotel during the day, like we were, plan some less stressful, lower key attractions for the afternoon so you can take a break. We did Hall of Presidents and Millionaire, as they're long enough that you feel refreshed afterwards.
Use the PS system. I forgot to get a PS for Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch on day 2, and we waited about an hour to be seated. Even if you resort to counter service, the lines are going to be long- we made the mistake of not having a dinner PS for our last day and spent way, way too much frustrating time trying to grab a quick bite to eat before Wishes. Obviously, everyone else in MK had the same idea! We ended up saying to heck with it and grabbing burgers at Pecos Bill's after Wishes started- it was empty at that time.
Above all- keep an open mind, and stay calm and relaxed. When the park is that crazy, it's best to be willing to be flexible- I'm not thrilled that we missed Wishes, but it was a pleasant surprise to be able to have a quiet meal with my husband at a place like Pecos Bill's. Dare I say it, it was almost romantic.
I guess what I'm saying is, be willing to roll with what the day throws you. I don't know if I'd go during easter week again, but we made the most of it and had a wonderful time. I think a lot of the secret to success is going in with a good attitude and making your own fun. Have a great trip!
We did everything we wanted to! It was great. It wasn't until that weekend (around the 26th or so) that the World started to get insane. In our experience, the World got MUCH more crowded the weekend OF Easter and the week AFTER. We were there the week before Easter, through it, and a few days after.. I would recommend going the Week before it, if at all possible. They didn't start closing parks until Monday, the 28th. And after that, it was INSANE! Closed parks every single day! People everywhere! 3 hour wait for Space Mountain! I can handle crowds, but I can not see enjoying a whole vacation where it is THAT crowded! 
By that time, though, we had done everything in the parks, and took some time to spend exploring
(the monorail tour, mini-golf etc), which was really nice too. Good luck with your decision! 
