March at DVC and Parks

[H.Richburg]

Is DVC and the parks crowded in March? We usually go to WDW the week preceeding President's week and that works out well. This will be our first trip home and we were considering March hoping it might be consisently a bit warmer. However we were wondering if the parks and DVC get crowded since from what I hear spring break starts President's week and runs throug April. Can anyone offer any insight into the best times to go in March and why?

Thanks again neighbors
--HR

 

[Pa@okw95]

President's Week is always crowded and so are the weeks before and after Easter. If Easter is not in march then I would suspect the crowds would not be too bad, the weather will be great that time of year also.

 

[H.Richburg]

Thanks for the reply. If Easter is not in March is there any time in March that is quieter then any other times in March.

 

[xterratri]

Keep in mind that most college Spring Breaks are in March. My sister's(undergrad in VA) and mine(med school) are both the week of Mar 18-26 in 2006. Many other schools will be either of the 2 weeks before ours. Looked at maybe going to Hawaii rather than 'home' and for the $3K to go to Maui, we could add on over 30 points to use EVERY year. Will be at the World, not booking til the 7 month window though because I want OKW. She prefers SSR because of the DTD proximity but I'm being a points miser since March is relatively high anyway.

 

[Laura24]

March...been going down for last few years during this time. We usually find the crowds are very manageable, really depends on Easter breaks. My only "but" about March is....while the days may be warmer (70's most times, rarely 80) the nights are down right chilly. Actually, our last trip this past March was cold and rain 4 days out of 7.We also went on the 3nt. DC and it was not all that warm in the Bahama's either! It sure has been an unusual year all around the country weatherwise this year. I'm still waiting for lots of Our spring has been cold and damp in NJ.

 

[granmanh603]

We must have been down there the same time this year..had the same crumby weather and we went on the 4 day cruise in early March and it was awful. But that said..we have been going every March since 2000 and this year was by far the worst. Some were actually quiet nice. In the low 80. So I guess you just never know. My other warning is that the Southern school are also off in March and they run a lot of Cheering things so there can be lots of teen and preteen groups is the parks.

 

[H.Richburg]

We went in February this past year (the week preceeding President's Day) and we found alot of cheerleading events at that time as well. The weather was actually great with most days in the 70's and a couple breaking the low 80's. The nights required a light jacket but all in all not bad when your from upstate NY.

What weeks in March have you gone and found the crowds to be managmentable? Is February or March slow at the DVC resorts as well? This will be our first trip home; we just bought

Thanks again
--HR

 

[granmanh603]

Every week is managable if you plan and use fast pass and Early and Late MH but it was a little better the week after Presidents week as for crowd wise. The advantage of going when its crowded we found ,we we had to go this year part of Pres week(Wed) , was that the parks were open very late and had lots of shows and parades. On that Wed that we arrived MK was open til 12 and then 3 EMH til 3AM but we couldn't take that pooped out but we left around 10:30 and we walking on the rides. Hope this helps.

 

[H.Richburg]

I didn't realize that the parks ever stayed open until 3am. I'd probably be pooped out by then as well. What did we ever do before fast pass. I know we waited and we waited and......

 

[granmanh603]

We had never gone during a "holiday" time so this was new, of course we were toward the tail end of the vacation week but never realized the parks were open that late either. I think is was new this year with the split , early one hour open and/or late 3 hours open. I don't know if people came back to the park late or not but it was not that crowded when we left at 10:30. Of course we had traveled all day so that added to our being pooped. A few years ago they used to charge $12 to stay in the park for that extra 3 hours we did that one March and I think it closed at 1AM. But they didn;'t do that all the time I guess it's depends on how busy it is.
Yeah I can remember waiting on lines for well over an hour. Now we hardly ever wait. Guess thats why we get pooped. We also usually don't have the kids with us. Forget it with them.

 

[H.Richburg]

I see you stayed in March as well. How were the crowds in March compared to your February stay; much different? Whn in March was your stay. I heard the first full week in March isn't too bad.

Thanks again

 

[spiceycat]

the first week isn't bad.

don't go the third or fourth week - Orlando gets out one week, and Kissimmee gets out the other. (might sometimes be second and third)

so the parks is packed with locals. the parks close early due to the crowds these two weeks.

but the parks have longer hours.

does that make sense?

I have gone twice on my birthday, March 20th - I won't go again at this time.

besides Orlando or Kissmmee -there are several northern states - Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio - that were there.... I saw the license plates.

we went the first week of March this year - not bad at all - yes some schools were on spring breaks - but with the fast pass and extra surprise hours - it wasn't bad at all.

 

[granmanh603]

This year we were there From Feb 23 thru March 10. It definately slowed down after Presidents week. Early March was least crowded...it starts to get more crowded around the middle of March, thats when the Southern schools start to get off. This year was hard to compare because the weather was terrible....cold and rainy but we go to the parks anyway. One Sunday it was alittle warmer and it was raining and we went to MK and rode Space Mountain til the weather started to clear and the people started to come. Also with the cold mornings(one morning it was 38) it slows the people down and they don;t show up til later in the morining. I would say that early March is slower but as for weather the year before it was 70-80 and sunny. couldn't have been better . You just make the best with what you get and plan your day. And as for the pool they were empty but they are heated and we used the hot tub to ease our old aching bones.

 

[H.Richburg]

Thanks for the info on your Feb - March trip. We were there the week before President's Day and the weather was nice enough to go to Blizzard Beach. We had a day or two in the 60's the remaining days were in the upper 70's to low 80's. Goes to show you, you never know.