Is there a marked difference between spring break attendance and not?

[MICKEYFIL]

Looking ahead to next year and thinking about likely dates. Spring break for school age kids in my school district is the middle two weeks of March. I have witnessed over the years how there doesn't seem to be much of a down time anymore, but I have never seen the spring break season.

 

[agamble]

Yes, Spring Break is extremely busy. The parks are always busy, but sometimes they're extremely crowded and busy. Spring Break can be wall to wall people. But some weeks are worse than others, especially the weeks surrounding Easter.

 

[Cal-Pie]

Yep, definitely makes a big difference. That's why DL extends hours and increases entertainment. However, I think since Easter is mid April next year, the majority of spring breaks will fall the week before and after Easter. March still sees it's share of breakers, cheerleading competitions, and big conventions. We spent March 4-11 in the parks this year. Even though the parks felt very busy, wait times were really not bad at all.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

So when you say the week following easter you mean the next immediate day through that same week right? So if we're planning on the last week in April next year we're maybe a bit safer?

 

[tarheelalum]

There is no down time anymore but various levels of crowded exists. Spring break is more crowded than regular crowded.

 

[Cal-Pie]

So when you say the week following easter you mean the next immediate day through that same week right? So if we're planning on the last week in April next year we're maybe a bit safer?

Yes, I would think the last week vast majority of spring breaks would be over by that point.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Ok awesome. I was starting to minipanic haha

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We try to avoid the 2 weeks before and 2weeks after Easter. Those seem to have the heaviest Spring Break crowds on average.

 

[SMD]

So when you say the week following easter you mean the next immediate day through that same week right? So if we're planning on the last week in April next year we're maybe a bit safer?

Nope. Just this year people were complaining that schools were still having Spring breaks the last week of April and how much more crowded it made the parks. And Easter had been over for 4 weeks at that point. Plus there was F&W for the whole month of April this year. I think you have to assume that it will either be in April again, or will start the week after Easter and last a month next year.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Yikes. What school has spring break that late? Maybe we just get out of school sooner here. Well if that's the case and it's possibly going to be crazy all through may, then it doesn't make much sense to change my week anyway. It was either this week or first week in June where we get grad nights. Sounds like you pretty much get crazy crowded no matter what

 

[agamble]

The last week of April is usually a slower week.

 

[SMD]

The last week of April is usually a slower week.

You mean prior to it becoming the final week of Food and Wine?

Between the 60th crowds, new events like 2 additional half marathon weekends, bringing back F&W and promotions like AP appreciation I wouldn't base any future crowd predictions on anything prior to Memorial Day last year.

 

[tammytam]

We were there the last week in April this year (just over 2 weeks ago) and it was crazy busy (there's even a post here on the boards about how unexpectedly nuts it was). In talking with my coworker, who visited during the "traditional" spring break time, mid-end of March this year, it was more crowded when we were there in April. Now.. I don't know if there were actually more people, or if it just felt more crowded for us. Compared to when they were there in March and us during that last week in April... we had reduced (non high season) parks hours and lots of rides closed for refurbishment. I think this most definitely played a role in crowd levels and wait times on the rides that were open.

I'd planned our trip way in advance (9-10 months), before realizing there weren't many quiet times anymore. As I had searched for a week that, in the past, was known to be more quiet. Well... that didn't happen! lol. For future trips, I will definitely consider going at a traditionally busier time.. if it means all (most) the rides are operating and the park hours are longer. I'm sure that's a main reason why it felt so, so busy during our week in April (which was 6 weeks after our spring break and 4 weeks after Easter this year). It was also apparently a break week for many schools/districts on the east coast, food and wine was going on, and we also noticed lots of school groups (dance teams).