Last two weeks APril - crowds similar to Easter?!!?

[crazyj4488]

You've got to be kidding me...ugh Crowds similar to Easter here in the last two weeks of April?!?!?!?

I hope some of the DIS'ers that will be in the parks this coming week will report back here...someone that hasn't left yet...please try to do this so we have an idea of what to expect.


*******snip**************

Quote from Len at the UG:

There are 6,257 trips entered into the Guide's trip planner for 2005. The highest dates for the year to date were the week after Easter (actually starting around 3/23/05). But very, very close to that are the next two weeks, through 4/29/05. (The low point was late February.)

I'm going to try to get a graph up on the site this evening so we can discuss it. The first week of May may be 6-ish, but I think the next couple of weeks might be 8's. I'll post the graph and we can all look at it.

Thanks for your patience. Hopefully the output of this process will be a very accurate, widely accepted method for predicting crowd levels 60 days out.

Len
__________________
Director of Data Collection and Field Research
"The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger.

***snip**********

 

[Miss Kelly]

OMG! I hope it is not as bad as Easter!

 

[markh]

I've seen several references to late April, early May being above average.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I am going the last week of April. Just today, I called and made 3 more PS for dining, and had no problems getting good times. I even was able to book the Princess Storybook at Norway for lunch with no problem. I think it will be a somewhat busy, but certainly not completely overwhelming week. I am not worried at all. But, of course, this is my 16th trip in 8 years, so I know how to get things done, crowds or not!

 

[markh]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=793316

 

[shafke]

not as bad as Easter but more crowded than average for the time of year. If Easter and Passover had occurred at the same time like they usually do rather than a month apart, all Northeast schools would have been off for Easter week and that is it. As it is, a lot of NE schools had a few day at Easter (we had Thu, Fri, Mon) and then a week later in April (3rd or 4th week). What will keep the crowds down it that this is mostly a NE thing, it is spread over 2 weeks, and that college spring breaks are over.

 

[markh]

shafke, so you think the crowds won't be that bad? just trying to get a handle on it...

 

[jess98ac]

It seems that there are still rooms at all the Disney Resorts so I'm hoping that's a good sign. However, as of 2 weeks ago I couldn't get a PS for the Fantasmic Dinner Package at any restaurant for next weekend (4/23 or 4/24). I'm not really sure what to expect!! We only have 3 1/2 days to do all 4 parks so hopefully we can get at least all of our favorites in!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

not as bad as Easter but more crowded than average for the time of year. If Easter and Passover had occurred at the same time like they usually do rather than a month apart, all Northeast schools would have been off for Easter week and that is it. As it is, a lot of NE schools had a few day at Easter (we had Thu, Fri, Mon) and then a week later in April (3rd or 4th week). What will keep the crowds down it that this is mostly a NE thing, it is spread over 2 weeks, and that college spring breaks are over.

Some of the CUNY (City University of New York) schools are also on Spring Break the last week of April. I'm not sure about the SUNY schools.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

There are still MANY rooms open in the resorts. In fact AKL has every category open except standard.
Also I just called to change my Fantasmic Package and I had a pick of times for Friday night April 29th.

I also changed two other PS's and had my pick of times. I'm not worried at all. I think the crowds are up from usual but they will NOT be as bad as Easter.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

It seems that there are still rooms at all the Disney Resorts so I'm hoping that's a good sign. However, as of 2 weeks ago I couldn't get a PS for the Fantasmic Dinner Package at any restaurant for next weekend (4/23 or 4/24). I'm not really sure what to expect!! We only have 3 1/2 days to do all 4 parks so hopefully we can get at least all of our favorites in!!

Call again for your Fantasmic package. The man I talked to at CRO said many just became available.

 

[Belle1962]

I did some research and posted this to another thread about the end of April:


From the Disney Wide World of Sports Schedule:

April 25th BASS Federation Championships

April 30th Walt Disney World® Inline Marathon


April 30th All Star Kids' Classic


and also many schools are there for Magic Music Days/playing at Disney. I know my niece's school is the 28th and with her there are 7 additional family members going (me among them ) Using this weeks bands schedule as a guide, there are over 200 performances at the Magic Kingdom alone (keep in mind some schools send several band/orchestra/dance/choral groups so it's not just "a band" coming). Then there are some at EPCOT and some at Downtown Disney--whew!!! the numbers are staggering! (Although some bands/groups perform in more than one spot I think)

While participants in these events need to be at the event (and more than likely their family will be there cheering them on) I am sure most of them will do a few days at the parks around the event. (For instance--all of the groups from my niece's schools are leaving WED, performing Thursday, and then spending Fri & Sat at the parks, heading home Sun). I am having a very hard time getting reservations for PS's and now we want to get/share an Illuminations Cruise and I can't find one (obviously). However we do have CRT for Saturday morning so all is not lost. (Which I would gladly give up for an Illuminations cruise as I just found out that I'm the only one who really cares about it and I've done it before)

Just my $.02 worth.

 

[monarchsfan16]

not as bad as Easter but more crowded than average for the time of year. If Easter and Passover had occurred at the same time like they usually do rather than a month apart, all Northeast schools would have been off for Easter week and that is it. As it is, a lot of NE schools had a few day at Easter (we had Thu, Fri, Mon) and then a week later in April (3rd or 4th week). What will keep the crowds down it that this is mostly a NE thing, it is spread over 2 weeks, and that college spring breaks are over.

The majority of the New England schools ALWAYS have a break the last week or second to last week in April, regardless of when Easter is. And to be honest, the majority of the schools in New England do not plan their calendars according to Easter or Passover. We had just a normal weekend the weekend of Easter, as did every school in this area that I know of. I do agree that it will mostly be people from the Northeast down there the last couple of weeks, and that *most* colleges are done with spring break.
As for magical music days, my mom's high school will be performing down there. They have 6! performances at some point during the week they are there. And yes, they will be touring the parks as well. So if you see the Lancers music department from NH performing definitely watch. Those kids are incredible, have performed numerous times in the Rosebowl parade, at WDW, the St Pats day parade in NYC, etc.
I'm getting a little worried about the crowds, but we were there for Easter in 2000 (Easter and Millenium celebration rolled into one ). I really do doubt that the crowds will be that bad, and we did just fine then. Fast passes and stuff, and never waited more than 25 minutes for any ride. Standby lines for some were insane, but we did just fine.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

I'm trying not to let all of this info stress me out...trying REAL hard. I planned for the last week of April last year based on typical attendance/crowd levels. We could have picked any week. So, I am kind of bummed that the crowds are going to be higher than expected, but I just need to accept it and deal with it. I'm actually glad to have been given a heads-up so I'm not rudely surprised. However, I will be anxious to hear from people actually there. If my DH takes his laptop, I will check in with you all and let you know wait times, etc. We'll be arriving early evening on the 24th.

 

[markh]

It looks like the crowd levels are going to be high:

http://www.touringplans.com/CrowdBlog.html

 

[WaltD4Me]

Geez, yesterday I read a chart on the UG site predicting May 10th, 11th and 12th this year as being a 3 crowd wise, now with this new link has the same days showing as an 8 crowd wise! Memorial Day weekend days only show as 5 and 6...how could early May be more crowded than a summer holiday weekend?

I really can't take these crowd predictions anymore. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Somehow I'm going to have to stop myself from reading these kinds of threads.