How bad is April really?

[3princesses+aprince]

I was originally planning on going to Disney in March! But my 2 sister in laws and their kids are going over April break 13-20, I know it's really crowded, but of course my kids would have so much fun with their cousins.
We have spent the day in the MK before while in orlando but that's it. We would be staying offsite in a condo and have 1 day in each park. will we be able to see enough. I know we won't be able to do it all, but as long as my kids still enjoy it will be worth it.
I was really worried about MGM, because they have mainly shows, are the lines bad, I worry about my dd2 I just don't want to leave without my kids being able to do what they all wanted.

Oh what about the weather? Thanks so much

 

[Mbg98]

My wife and I were going on an adult vacation this year over Easter Break and due to health reasons had to change things and went to Disney at the last min. We had a lot of fun doing adult stuff however the lines were LONG. I would recommend ADR's for all of your meals except maybe breakfast unless it's a Character one. Did I say the lines were LONG? The Fastpasses were gone very early in the day. We arrived at Epcot at 1030 and went to get fast passes for Sorin around 11am and they were gone for the day. I don't think I would go again over Easter however if you keep a positive attitude don't be a rush for anything I'm sure you'll have a great time. I would recommend maybe looking into a touring plan that can help you get the most out of the parks. Good Luck Did I forget to tell you that the lines were LONG

 

[runwad]

Good Luck Did I forget to tell you that the lines were LONG

Ya but the weather is GREAT!! Nice days, no humidity, no rain, just get a touring plan get to the parks early, avoid the parks that have EMH and you will do fine

 

[tiff211]

We go during Spring break and we never wait more than 20 min. I would suggest TGM and using his schedule. I thought the crowds were very doable! Utilize FP!!!

 

[crjack]

April is our favorite time to go....best weather ever! We have found the summer months to be very crowded and it's much harder to juggle all of the people with the heat as well so I'll take April anyday.

Honestly, if you plan your days, use fastpass for favorite attractions, etc. you'll be fine. Disney will always have a lot of people no matter when you visit. No matter when we visit or which park we go to I think the key to avoiding long lines is to get there early.

Some people like EMH and others say to do the other parks on those days. Lately we have stayed off-site at pool homes so we do opposite days from EMH and get there early to hit our favorite, priority attractions. We also get fast passes and it helps if you have some general idea of the layout of the park so you minimize your walking.

We have spent time at Disney with cousins on several trips now and it's always a lot of fun.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[susykt4]

I second the suggestion to get TourGuideMike! We went during spring break in 2005 and were saved by the TGM touring plans.

We got to the parks by opening and usually left around noon. The Magic Kingdom was almost impossible to get around in by that time. We'd go back later in the afternoon/evening and find reasonable lines (on the non-headliners.) If it's too hard to go back to your condo, definitely get park hoppers so you can find a less busy park. We had a fantastic time and while I won't intentionally do it again, it was still a great vacation!

 

[laceemouse]

People freak out about Spring Break, but they are really spread out over 8 to 10 weeks because every school district and college takes them at a different time. The week before and the week after Easter are always the most crowded weeks during the spring at WDW. I would go in March or April in a heartbeat as long as it was not right around Easter. We went one year two weeks before Easter and it was fine, moderate crowds and great weather (end of March.) Just check the calendar as Easter moves around.

 

[SusanMomOf2]

Tour Guide Mike? Huh? I never heard of that service... sounds pretty cool! What does he/they do?

 

[SusanMomOf2]

And another question, is late March real busy? I read replies saying it wasn't as bad... I'm wondering still, is it going to drive me nuts?

I made the stupid mistake of going to WDW this past July right before the 4th... booo! It was hot, we were irratable, and the lines were wayyyyy toooooo long. Lemme ask you all this: is late March better than almost-4th-of-July?

If so, then our 2nd trip of the year will be for Spring Break! I wanna go right now, hehe, you hear me?! We're going in late November and it seems like a year away. Lol. (I want to plan a million trips. I have a feeling many on this board would love to as well!)

 

[eeyoregon]

If the week you are going is just during Spring Break then it will be crowded but do-able. If that week also happens to be Easter week then BEWARE! Easter week is the 2nd busiest time at WDW behind Christmas week and it will be extremely crowded.

Plus side is the weather is usually fantastic mid to late April.

 

[ajcolorado]

I just posted this on a Spring break thread but it applies here too...

A good touring plan will make all the difference. You'll want something that includes "best days" information because there really are factors that affect the crowd level in each particular park. The Unofficial Guide has great touring plans - I don't recall whether they have spring break specific information. Tour Guide Mike - www.tourguidemike.com - will definately have Spring break / Best days info to help you develop your touring plan. Build A Better Mouse Trip - www.buildabettermousetrip.com - will do a custom plan and they include best days info and specific information for Easter or spring break.