How crowded are the parks the week before Easter?

[chica622]

Some things have come up and we are originally booked to travel next week for a long weekend to WDW. But now I have to push it back and I am trying to decide when.

I am a teacher so I only have 2 personal days I can use, making it a short 4-night trip. Or we could try to go Spring Break and do 6 nights instead. I do not want to go in the summer because DH and I cannot stand the heat!

My question is, how crowded are the parks the week before Easter? I know on any weekend the parks are crowded. Is it worth our while to add the two nights and try to get in that week, or just do a long 4-night weekend at the end of March?

 

[goofy4tink]

From mid-March to early May you're going to run into spring breaks. I know that Massachusetts has the week before Easter off for our spring vacation. I'm headed to US/IoA on April 14 for a few days before heading out on a cruise. I expect US/IoA to be packed for my few days there. Then when we return from our cruise, we're heading over to WDW for the 21/23....I think it's going to be insanely busy there. But I'm hoping to spend a lot more time in Epcot then usual for the Flower and Garden Festival...dh has never been at this time of year and will love it.
But I think all the parks are going to be really busy for that week.

 

[n2mm]

Crazy busy! The week before and week after Easter has always been busy. But this year with Easter so late, you will find more schools are closed the week before vs the week after. In our area we have ALWAYS been closed Good Friday and the week after, but this year the kids are all off school the week before Easter. Hopefully that will be good news for those traveling to WDW the week after.

I just checked the numbers and starting April 17th to April 23rd it is showing all 10s for crowd level.

 

[RMulieri]

Put it this way..Crowded, very crowded.The crowd projections are very high that week.

 

[mill4023]

The weeks surrounding Easter are the 2nd busiest time of the entire year. The only time it's more crowded is the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

 

[n2mm]

The weeks surrounding Easter are the 2nd busiest time of the entire year. The only time it's more crowded is the week between Christmas and Easter.

Would that be Christmas and NewYears?

 

[blessedby3]

 

[kapoof]

totally! we were there at '9' levels i don't even want to think what a 10 is it was so bad when we got to the mk we only rode the train a left...

 

[Mouse_Geek]

Crowd level will be very high the week before and most likely after Easter... Can't let that get to you though, you paid just like everyone else. We all wish we could get the park to yourself but that is not going to happend. If you go just try to enjoy yourself!!

 

[haPevraftr]

I teach so I know the predicament that you are in. We went the week before Easter in 2009. If you are well planned, you will have no problems. Just be sure that you are at the parks at rope drop. If you want to avoid the crowds, stay until lunch then head back to the resort to relax in the PM. Go back for a dinner ADR and stay until the park closes. This strategy worked great for us when we were there. I would go for the extra two days and work around the crowds over only going for a short weekend.

 

[Phillygrl23]

I teach so I know the predicament that you are in. We went the week before Easter in 2009. If you are well planned, you will have no problems. Just be sure that you are at the parks at rope drop. If you want to avoid the crowds, stay until lunch then head back to the resort to relax in the PM. Go back for a dinner ADR and stay until the park closes. This strategy worked great for us when we were there. I would go for the extra two days and work around the crowds over only going for a short weekend.

I have to agree. I am a teacher and can't take the time off either. I have gone once over Spring Break, and although it does get packed, you just have to learn to manage your time.

Get there early (before 10:30-11) the early the better though. Use fastpass. Take a break. Use EMH. I know the parks are sometimes MORE crowded on those days, but if MK is open til 2 am, do it! We rode Splash Mountain like 4 times in a row!

We are going the 17-23, and it is going to be crazy. It is also just me and my husband, so we can skip a lot of the "kids" rides.

Also, with the economy, I would be surprised if its worse than other years. Prices are SKY high. I am sure it is mostly students and teachers who have no other choice though.

Lastly, I would take a crowded spring break, than the people who go over the HOT, WET summer (that still has crowds). The weather will be beautiful!

 

[blessedby3]

totally! we were there at '9' levels i don't even want to think what a 10 is it was so bad when we got to the mk we only rode the train a left...

WOW...the only ride
Incredible

There is also the great possibility that they would have park closings during the week before and after Easter, OP. I remember when my friends were down there during Easter, they were closing parks at different levels.

 

[Phillygrl23]

I would be shocked if it closes but remember even if it does:

1. It usually happens after 11am, so if you are there early, you will be in the park so it won't affect you (just the crowds already in the park).
2. They close it in phases, so if you are staying on property, have an AP, etc.. you would be let in.
3. They only closed once last year, and that was for a few hrs on Christmas Day.


Disney also prepares for higher crowds, so parks open early and are open later. I guess I just get mad when people act like its so horrible, when I know I have been there, done that, its not that bad. A lot of people don't have a choice when to go- so its either spring break or never.


Like I said, we are going as well that week, and I am not stressing.

Right now TP has today as a "10" for Presidents Day but the wait times are not bad at all ( 78 min for Soarin..which doesnt it always have a wait? 50 min for TT, 5 min for Nemo and Figment) Also, Epcot is the "park to avoid" today.

 

[mill4023]

Would that be Christmas and NewYears?

Ooops! Yeah, Christmas to Easter would be a very long week.

 

[haPevraftr]

Also, when we were there the week before Easter in 2009, we were pleasantly surprised that they had added morning EMH to everyday at MK. This helped tremendously in spreading the crowds out over the week at MK and did give us a bit of a boost in getting an early start before anyone else was awake. Since we were staying at POFQ, we got there before rope drop at 7 AM, walked on most rides, grabbed a couple FPs as the morning progressed, and used them when the lines starting forming most places. We were leaving the park around noon after having ridden most everything we wanted to and did hear that shortly thereafter they did close the park for a couple hours (but it never closed to resort guests). It didn't affect us at all and we didn't even see those crowds since we were leaving for the afternoon. We came back in the evening with no problems, rode a few of the rides we'd missed and closed the park.