How bad is Easter?

[bookbabe626]

I'd love to convince DH to do a long weekend trip to WDW, mainly to check out the Pandora additions. However, it would have to be Easter weekend. How bad is Easter compared to other holiday weekends? We just got back from a NYE (Dec 30-Jan 7) trip...is it worse than that? Better? The same? Thoughts?

 

[ColoradoMom12]

In my experience it is slightly less crowded at Easter than the week between Christmas and New Year's. Just slightly. It is still very, very busy. Be prepared for large crowds and longer waits. Here is a photo I took from Main St 4 days before Easter 4/13/17 at 1:15 PM. It gives you an idea of the crowd size.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's very crowded. Easter and the week after is the one week I probably wouldn't do again but I haven't done Christmas week

It's usually a nice time of year for the weather though, so that helps.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Crowds at Easter also vary depending on when Easter falls on the calendar. If it coincides with more schools' spring break then it is more crowded.

 

[ekendall2]

Usually really really crowded. Like, the third busiest week of the year sometimes.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

However, it would have to be Easter weekend. How bad is Easter compared to other holiday weekends?

Well... normally I say, "you and the other 20,000 people at Disney" when it comes to anything crowd-related, but if you say it HAS to be Easter, presumably this is because of a school calendar?

So I would say, if your trip coincides with any other time of year where others also have a similar school calendar, I would have to say, "you and the other 250,000 people at Disney".

I have no good answers if you absolutely cannot take vacation time during any other part of the year.

In my experience it is slightly less crowded at Easter than the week between Christmas and New Year's. Just slightly. It is still very, very busy. Be prepared for large crowds and longer waits. Here is a photo I took from Main St 4 days before Easter 4/13/17 at 1:15 PM. It gives you an idea of the crowd size.

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Your photo makes me queasy just looking at that sweaty crush of people! AUGH

 

[hakepb]

The other problem with any long weekend trip is FP+ for FOP. Often there is no FP+ for the 3rd day of a trip when booked on-site 60 days in advance. (As many people have to get them for later in the stay)

 

[bookbabe626]

Yeah, I'm a teacher so I'm stuck with the high traffic holidays. :-(

Specifically, having just survived NYE, I guess I'm looking for a comparison. Is Easter as bad as NYE? Half as bad? Worse?

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I guess I'm looking for a comparison. Is Easter as bad as NYE? Half as bad? Worse?

For a comparison, I would say you are looking at crowds that are just as bad. It was slightly less crowded at Epcot on Easter Day than on December 31 at MK. Very slight, and Epcot is also a larger park than Magic Kingdom. The overall crowd level we experienced Easter week was very much the same to the week between Christmas and New Years.

 

[Micca]

I'm a teacher so I'm stuck with the high traffic holidays

Well you never know when a bug might be going around...it can even happen during less crowded (cough) times (cough, sneeze) at WDW.