May/June or August?

[suzybear6]

Hello Everyone

I've just started to really think about starting to plan our next year's trip to DLRP

We've been in October half term which we found very cold but the crowds were managable. Now we want to try it during the summer months, but we are restricted to the school holidays. So it's either going to be the end of May/begining of June's half term week or the last week in August.

Does anyone have any views as to which time would be best? What are the pros and cons of these times? What are the crowds like at these times?

Thanks
Luv Suzy

 

[tennisfan]

I would normally say the May half term would be better, yes it is crowded but managable if it avoids the weekend. However if they run the summer season into September like this year I would say end of August as the parks are open longer & there are fireworks.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Hello

Seeing as you are going to get the crowds both options I'd go August as at least you get longer opening hours so you can always rest up or do shows in the busy afternoon part and then go back and watch the fireworks and the night parade (whatever it might be).

 

[catkin]

We've been in the June half term 2002 and end of August 2007, to be honest crowd wise I'm not sure I can remember a great deal of difference between the two in the day times.
However as Carrie_cat said the big difference is that the parks are open longer in August. In June we faced the choice of eating in the parks during the day and missing out on ride time or eating after the parks shut - when everyone else in the world had also just left the parks. Our children were aged between 2.5 & 7.5 then and the first evening we were nearly driven to distraction as we hadn't foreseen this problem and couldn't find anywhere to eat until 10/11pm. On our August trip we ate late afternoon to avoid peak dining times and free up the classic meal times for rides while other people ate.
We're not very good at EMH but the evenings in the parks were much quieter as locals tended to drift away after the parade.
This year we're going end Aug/beg Sep as the summer season is later this year and we've managed to combine it with the slightly cheaper price bracket - although this was an accidental discovery as we needed to avoid DS1's GCSE results day

 

[Ware Bears]

Hi Suzy We've just been this May half-term and although it was very busy towards the end of the week as it was a French public holiday, the start of the week was very quiet (well, very quiet to us who are used to going at busy times), even quieter than that week in October. However I much prefer going in the summer, even though it's much busier. I like the fireworks, a night-time parade and the longer evenings and feel these outweigh any crowds or queues so my vote would be for August.

 

[suzybear6]

Thanks for your input everyone

Hi Elaine

Our children were aged between 2.5 & 7.5 then and the first evening we were nearly driven to distraction as we hadn't foreseen this problem and couldn't find anywhere to eat until 10/11pm.

This happened to us too on our first night back in 2007! Not fun with a very tired 4 yr old and 3 yr old, not to mention 2 tired parents!

We're not very good at EMH but the evenings in the parks were much quieter as locals tended to drift away after the parade.

LOL Neither are we! Wish they would do evening EMH like they do at WDW...we used those quite a few times last year.

This year we're going end Aug/beg Sep as the summer season is later this year and we've managed to combine it with the slightly cheaper price bracket - although this was an accidental discovery as we needed to avoid DS1's GCSE results day

When do the cheaper rates start? If we go in August it will be right at the end of August as we would stop in on our way back from the South of France.

So it looks like people reckon August is our best bet...ho hum...I had decided that August it was going to be ages ago as it made sense for us to stop at DLRP on our way back from our annual jaunt down to the South of France. However, last week my boss suddenly decided he doesn't want anyone taking 3 weeks off in the summer, which does leave it a bit too tight for us to travel down to the South of France and back again, fit in a good holiday down there and then a few days at DLRP on the way back. We really need 3 weeks to fit is all in which is why I started thinking about going in the May half term.

Seeing as park opening hours seem to play a major role in people's decisions, does anyone know what the opening times usually are in that last week May and which days to avoid to avoid the French public holiday (we'd go mid week anyway).

Thanks
Luv Suzy

 

[DLPdaft]

it looks like next year the UK May/June half term holiday completely misses all public and school holidays in France -

http://www.frenchpublicholidays.com/2012.html

(our school's half term runs from Monday 4th June for a week).

 

[suzybear6]

it looks like next year the UK May/June half term holiday completely misses all public and school holidays in France -

http://www.frenchpublicholidays.com/2012.html

(our school's half term runs from Monday 4th June for a week).

Ah yes I see. Our Whitsun bank holiday Monday (usually last Monday in May) has been moved because of the Queen's Golden Jubilee extra bank holiday on 5th June

So we'd be looking to go in the middle of that week.

Luv Suzy

 

[ghockley1981]

dear me i forgot about the Golden Jubilee, that could prove useful for some disney planning then for May

 

[catkin]

This year the price goes down from 'blue' to 'purple' on 28/8 and the summer season (fireworks etc) goes on until 4/9. The last time we went the summer season finished before the price went down.
Funnily enough, our first trip in the June half-term was the day after the extra Golden Jubilee bank holiday in 2002, we had been looking at a cheap deal for Jan/Feb and realised that our half term coincided with the cheapest price bracket - making it cheaper than going in the cold weather!

 

[adr2.8i]

So we'd be looking to go in the middle of that week.

Luv Suzy[/QUOTE]

this is when we are hoping to book our next trip also (hopefully when a 40% offer becomes available?))

I was slightly worried about how busy it would be that week but if the French arent on holidays then maybe, just maybe, the crowds wont be too excessive.

 

[suzybear6]

this is when we are hoping to book our next trip also (hopefully when a 40% offer becomes available?))

That was going to be my next question...when do people think it would be the best time to book? i.e when usually are the best deals? But maybe I should put that into a seperate post?

Luv Suzy

 

[adr2.8i]

this is my current problem, when to book??

we are going with friends who have already booked via the early bird offer but im kinda hanging on waiting for a better offer, as we had the 40% off when we went last september. we paid £429 for 4nights then but pricing up for june for the same period of time is coming back at £552 which isnt too excessive i suppose but i dont want to book it now and find a better offer comes out in a month or two.

 

[suzybear6]

this is my current problem, when to book??

we are going with friends who have already booked via the early bird offer but im kinda hanging on waiting for a better offer, as we had the 40% off when we went last september. we paid £429 for 4nights then but pricing up for june for the same period of time is coming back at £552 which isnt too excessive i suppose but i dont want to book it now and find a better offer comes out in a month or two.

Any idea when in the year they tend to offer 40% off?

Luv Suzy

 

[tennisfan]

Any idea when in the year they tend to offer 40% off?

Luv Suzy

There is no guarantee that they will do 40% off again, if they do know one knows when either as it has varied each time