Planning help please for April trip

[sharona]

Background - we have been to WDW 5 or 6 times in the past decade and to DLR just once a few years ago for a quick 1 day visit so not familiar with the DLR at all but familiar with FP and many of the rides. I've also read Hydroguy's thread DLR guide for WDW vets but still have a few questions.

We arrive mid morning on 4/16 and we fly home on 4/21 so 5 nights and 4.5 park days Staying off site but we will have access to Magic Morning on Tuesday so we'll take advantage of that.

Our first day is a Saturday and that weekend is F&W at DCA, TP crowd levels are estimated as 8 of 10 for Sat and Sun. It'll just be me and DD13 so not really planning to do the F&W exhibits... what will the impact of this event be on crowds? Will DCA be super crowded or will F&W exhibits draw people away from the shows and attractions? I'm assuming this will draw in a lot of local AP holders. How will it affect DL?

What's the best plan for Saturday when we will be arriving at the park after 2pm - DL or DCA?

What rides typically run out of FP's early? Still need to be quick over to RSR, even mid week?

The schedule is not yet out for my dates. What hours are usual for mid April? What should I expect as far as fireworks, parades and WOC? Will it be weekend shows only due to off season?

Do we need ADR's? Not looking for character meals.

Is it easy to get a taxi at the gates to get back to our hotel or to a local restaurant? We plan to use ART most of the time but will use some of the money we save by not renting a car to take the occasional taxi or uber when we're tired or in a hurry.

 

[figment_jii]

Our first day is a Saturday and that weekend is F&W at DCA, TP crowd levels are estimated as 8 of 10 for Sat and Sun. It'll just be me and DD13 so not really planning to do the F&W exhibits... what will the impact of this event be on crowds? Will DCA be super crowded or will F&W exhibits draw people away from the shows and attractions? I'm assuming this will draw in a lot of local AP holders. How will it affect DL?

DLR hasn't had a F&W Festival since 2010, so we really don't know how much of an impact it will have at this point. I think it's going to depend a lot on what is happening at the Festival (i.e., how big is the Festival, how many activities are there, etc.). I do think it'll draw in AP holders and other folks in the area - but I don't know that may guests will plan a trip just because of it. Truthfully, I don't think we'll really be able to guess until they announce the schedule of events. I would think that (if anything) you'll see larger crowds in the resort, which will mean larger crowds for shows and attractions. That all being said, the parks just seem busy in general, especially on the weekends these days.

What's the best plan for Saturday when we will be arriving at the park after 2pm - DL or DCA?

I think either park would be fine; it really depends on what you want to do. DL tends to be busier than DCA (in general), but on a Saturday, both parks will be busy unless it's raining.

What rides typically run out of FP's early? Still need to be quick over to RSR, even mid week?

I don't think any attraction has FPs that run out within the first hour of the day anymore, but the most popular attractions seem to be RSR and HyperSpace Mtn.

The schedule is not yet out for my dates. What hours are usual for mid April? What should I expect as far as fireworks, parades and WOC? Will it be weekend shows only due to off season?

I would look at last few Aprils to get a sense of what you might expect, just keep in mind that it depends on when Easter was in the past. At this point, they appear to be presenting fireworks, parades and WoC nightly this year, so it seems likely that will continue. Historically, they've only presented fireworks on weekends during the non-peak periods.

Do we need ADR's? Not looking for character meals.

Getting walk-ups seems to be harder and harder these days, regardless of when you're there. I would recommend making reservations (especially for in-park locations) if you know you want to eat somewhere and/or at a specific time. I've seen folks turned way from Carnation Cafe, Cafe Orleans, Blue Bayou, and Carthay Circle on a weekday outside of the peak season. I've also heard guests being told that they were accepting walk-ups, but the wait time was over an hour.

 

[farmfresh]

What's the best plan for Saturday when we will be arriving at the park after 2pm - DL or DCA?

As the OP says,both parks will be busy. We tend to concentrate more on dining and shows for late arrival days, with a plan to pick up a fast pass or two depending on the wait time. You could check those via app before you choose! You still have time to make ADRS so why not choose a dinner spot , enjoy the ambiance and maybe take a ride or two if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[ADLFAN]

We went to DCA on the 17th, a Wednesday with no other events going on, and I believe I snagged the least pair of RSR FP's available at 11:00 a.m. or so. I was surprised they were going that fast, because they were lasting til well after noon on our previous trips.

Hyperspace Mountain FP'S went pretty quick, too, and Star Tours, but DL's longer hours work in your favor there!

I would also suggest reserving and meals you know you want in Table Service restaurants rather than face a long wait. You can always cancel without penalty the day before if you decide against one.

Have fun planning!

 

[sharona]

DLR hasn't had a F&W Festival since 2010, so we really don't know how much of an impact it will have at this point. I think it's going to depend a lot on what is happening at the Festival (i.e., how big is the Festival, how many activities are there, etc.). I do think it'll draw in AP holders and other folks in the area - but I don't know that may guests will plan a trip just because of it. Truthfully, I don't think we'll really be able to guess until they announce the schedule of events. I would think that (if anything) you'll see larger crowds in the resort, which will mean larger crowds for shows and attractions. That all being said, the parks just seem busy in general, especially on the weekends these days.

When do you think a schedule will be posted? Any idea how much tickets to the special events usually cost? Spoke to DD13 about this last night and apparently she has been watching a lot of Food Network (Chopped, Cupcake Wars, that crazy shopping show with Guy Fieri) and is very interested in attending some F&W events if there is anyone that she is familiar with. Thank you for all your other answers!

What's the best plan for Saturday when we will be arriving at the park after 2pm - DL or DCA?

As the OP says,both parks will be busy. We tend to concentrate more on dining and shows for late arrival days, with a plan to pick up a fast pass or two depending on the wait time. You could check those via app before you choose! You still have time to make ADRS so why not choose a dinner spot , enjoy the ambiance and maybe take a ride or two if the opportunity presents itself.

Good suggestion and this is likely how we'll play it. If I had a rental car we'd probably skip the park on Sunday and go somewhere else since we'll still have 3 full days after that... I still may look for a 1 day outing for Sunday. We've already been to the zoo, SW, Universal, Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Rodeo Drive, Santa Barbara... Any other suggestions local to Anaheim? I haven't bought our park tickets yet so we're still flexible with how many days to spend at DLR.

We went to DCA on the 17th, a Wednesday with no other events going on, and I believe I snagged the least pair of RSR FP's available at 11:00 a.m. or so. I was surprised they were going that fast, because they were lasting til well after noon on our previous trips.

Hyperspace Mountain FP'S went pretty quick, too, and Star Tours, but DL's longer hours work in your favor there!

I would also suggest reserving and meals you know you want in Table Service restaurants rather than face a long wait. You can always cancel without penalty the day before if you decide against one.

Have fun planning!

Thanks for the current info, very helpful!