If Easter 2017 was the only time you could go...

[JD77]

Would you choose the week before Easter or the week after? I know it will be busy but just wondering if crowds might be a little bit quieter after Easter Sunday if people are going home (end of Spring break)?
Looking to stay 5 nights.

 

[seacruise]

No idea which week will be more crowded. We are going the week after Easter because that is spring break week for us.

 

[chickapin parterre]

scroll down to a thread started by "Skuttle", there is information there about easter

 

[StormyCA]

From the 2017 Calendar of Events thread:

April 2017 (Check-In)
Apr 1-2 (Sat-Sun): WonderCon (Anaheim Convention Center), Cont.
Apr 7 (Fri): First Day of SoCal and SoCal Select AP Spring Break Blockout
Apr 7-9 (Fri-Sun): (Fri-Mon): Showstopper Dance Competition (Disneyland Hotel)
Apr 16 (Sun): Last Day of SoCal and SoCal Select AP Spring Break Blockout
Apr 16 (Sun): Easter
Apr 22-23 (Sat-Sun): Spring Dapper Days


Based on this I'd probably opt to go the week before Easter, April 10-16.

 

[VandVsmama]

The week AFTER Easter. Hands down. Why?

Because for the entire WEEK, you could stay at the DLH for $249/night with the Dapper Days rate. Go to http://dapperday.com/spring-2017-disneyland-ca. Or you can stay at the GCH for $289/night.

 

[figment_jii]

I'm also inclined to say that the week after Easter (primarily the weekdays) is likely to be less crowded than the week before. A fair number of the local area school districts have their Spring Breaks in the weeks leading up to Easter (e.g., LAUSD), which is probably why the AP blockout coincides with the two weeks before Easter.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Disney just announced the SoCal special for 2017, and they are blocking out tickets from April 9th through the 23rd, so this is saying when Disney thinks it will be the busiest. But it is hard to say, with more and more schools switching for the break based on when Easter falls on, to something like the third week of March, or after the 9th week of the semester...

 

[prestoncaldwell]

The week AFTER Easter. Hands down. Why?

Because for the entire WEEK, you could stay at the DLH for $249/night with the Dapper Days rate. Go to http://dapperday.com/spring-2017-disneyland-ca. Or you can stay at the GCH for $289/night.

This is a very strong indication that Disney is projecting lower volume that week! Makes the decision a no-brainer.

 

[Winnowill]

We will be there the week after, because that's when DD8's school break is. We don't have a choice, so we're hoping it's not too bad. We were there 4/19-4/24 in 2013, and crowd levels were terrific, but Easter fell way earlier that year.

 

[prestoncaldwell]

Hmmm, we went to WDW the week leading up to Easter last year, and it was less crowded (per crowd reports) than the week after. At DLR, I'm not sure. I have read that LAUSD is the week before, like ours, but that wouldn't be the only district feeding DLR.

 

[JD77]

Thanks for all of the input. It looks like the weeks either side of Easter are both busy so no real difference.
Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are not holidays (they are in Australia where we are coming from) so does that have any impact on crowds? Or is it a case of most families take a week or 2 vacation around this time for Spring break?

Will just book what works for us and be there for rope drop and/or magic morning.

 

[prestoncaldwell]

Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are not holidays (they are in Australia where we are coming from) so does that have any impact on crowds?

Not really, because the crowds are driven by school closures, not work holidays.

 

[agamble]

Generally the week before and after Easter are the busiest spring break weeks. Easter is really late though, so I would think the week before may be a bit busier. However, our school district is off the week after Easter.

 

[2princesses*Mom]

The week AFTER Easter. Hands down. Why?

Because for the entire WEEK, you could stay at the DLH for $249/night with the Dapper Days rate. Go to http://dapperday.com/spring-2017-disneyland-ca. Or you can stay at the GCH for $289/night.

Thanks for posting! We'll be there the week after Easter 4/17-2/21 (in the parks 2/17-2/20 we're SoCalSel AP holders). It's happens to be both my spring break and my DD's 11 and 14 spring break as well.

I looked into the DLH (we've Never stayed onsite before); but I just couldn't justify it. 2 nights st DLH with parking/taxes/resort fees was more than 4 nights at the CCI (free parking + free breakfast). Maybe someday though.....