January or March Wednesday/Thursday weekday visit

[kathy884]

I was planning to do a mini trip before the MLK weekend next January with DS as he starts school late. www.touringplans.com show 2016 similar days with crowd levels 2-4 (pretty uncrowded). The other option would be March (spring break) with crowd level predictions 7-9 (second to last week in March). It looks a little warmer in March, but I thought with lower crowds in January, that would be our better bet. Your thoughts?

 

[figment_jii]

There is a chance that the Star Wars Half Marathon will be held from Jan 12 to 15 in 2017 (it was over the MLK weekend this year). If that happens, it does mean the crowds in the park will pick-up starting on Thursday and stay fairly high through Sunday. It might not mean super long wait times, but it usually does mean a more crowded feeling in general. Also, in January, a fair number of attractions often go down right after the holidays official end. Most likely Haunted Mansion will be closed (getting its holiday overlay removed). This year (2016) has been different, but it's worth noting that historically during the non-peak season, DLR usually have shorter operating hours and reduced entertainment (e.g., fireworks are normally only presented on weekends).

Easter is mid-April next year, so you'll probably be getting there just before the peak of Spring Break crowds (usually the week before and after Easter, but with Easter being so late, it might be the two weeks before Easter in 2017). Historically, it means longer operating hours and more entertainment. Refurbishments are hit-or-miss (there aren't any well known seasonal overlays that are consistently added or removed during this time).

Personally, given that you aren't going that close to Easter and you are planning on going on weekdays (W/R), I would go with the March dates.

 

[Angrose]

I think a lot of schools no longer move their spring break week to correspond with Easter each year. My son's school always has theirs the 2nd to the last week in March as well. My mom's school district always has theirs the week before ours. So, I think anytime starting mid-March thru mid-April will be spring break season, and therefore will be busy. At least the hours will be longer though and there will be a full schedule of entertainment. I have been the last two years around the same time March 14-16, and it has been sweltering hot, like high 90's. If you go in January before the MLK weekend then the crowds will definitely be lower, but like figment_jii said above, you run into shorter hours, no mid-week fireworks, and refurbs. You would also have a greater risk of rainy weather. It's a toss-up really. I guess you would just need to consider which is more important to you. Good luck!

 

[chickapin parterre]

refurbs or weather....that is the value. my march visits have been great.

 

[kathy884]

But "It never rains in southern California" -- lame comment from old song I know -- couldn't resist.

We've got some flexibility in January, so if we go then (still what I'm leaning toward), I'll make sure to find out when the special Star War events are and schedule around those. // Still undecided. High Temperature averages don't look all that higher in March than January (1 or 2 degrees is all??) // both above 70 (71 January / 73 March) // 2.9 average rainfall per month in January / just under 1 inch in March so greater chance of rain. // Sounds like personal reports are seeing March way warmer than that.

For me no midweek fireworks sounds wonderful (think I've just been to more Disney nighttime parades and evening shows than anyone should have to do in one lifetime -- They just aren't my thing), but I know DS 20 likes these. A shorter theme park day sounds good too. Must be getting old -- used to do the Magic Kingdom from rope drop to midnight, but these days 10-3 hitting favorite attractions is much more to my liking. DS is cool with shorter park days too. Love going, but doing highlights once and then maybe two favorites a second time is our speed these days.

I've done 39 visits to WDW and 38 of those have been high season (Christmas, spring break, summer, popular Halloween), one moderate season (week before Christmas week and most schools weren't out yet). I don't know if I'd like slow season or not, but am tempted to perhaps try this once to see.

 

[SMD]

Most colleges don't change Spring break to correspond with Easter either. When I was in school, adding at least a day at DL to your CA road trip was common. There was only 1 park back then, I'm not sure how popular it still is for college students, though I imagine some families still plan around their college student's Spring break.

There is a chance that the Star Wars Half Marathon will be held from Jan 12 to 15 in 2017 (it was over the MLK weekend this year). If that happens, it does mean the crowds in the park will pick-up starting on Thursday and stay fairly high through Sunday. It might not mean super long wait times, but it usually does mean a more crowded feeling in general.

RunDisney has already announced their dates through Sept 2017, and yes, SW is on it for MLK weekend. Interestingly, there is no DL Half listed for Labor Day, but I think that's just a typo or they skipped ahead and added Paris since speculation was it was one time race in 2016. I think that they'll go back and fill in more events between May and the end of 2017, including a 2017 Avengers. But I expect that the race weekends in CA will remain the same 4 that we had in 2015 and 2016.