Please help me choose a date!

[heidia]

I am not sure if this is the right section to post this in so please forgive me if it isn't!

I am trying to decide when would be the best time for us to go to WDW next year (2008). We are thinking either the last week of Feb and first week of March or the first two weeks of April. We are from Canada so we don't do sweltering heat very well but definitely want it to be warm! However we'd also like to avoid huge crowds as well. I am not sure which one is most important and I have a feeling we're going to have to choose warm weather w/ crowds or fair weather with no crowds.


We are a pretty big group -- 6 adults and 3 kids (4 families consisting of a set of grandparents, mom and 5 year old, dad and 4 year old and mom and dad and 6 year old). The adults like thrill rides but we all agree that we could skip any that have huge lines because the grandparents and little kids would be miserable waiting around for too long.

Will the crowds matter so much if we're willing to skip big ticket attractions?

Is the weather in April terribly humid or is it still quite nice? I have looked at average temps for different months but its really the humidity we're concerned about.

Any input or advice will be greatly appreciated... the entire group has left the planning up to me and I'm freaking out!!!!!! lol

 

[Indianadisneyfan]

I would stay away from the first of April. I think some schools are still on spring break around that time. I think most go around the last week of march and some first week of April. Of course I could be wrong .

 

[Kfyr23]

Stay away from the month of march and early april that is the time when most schools are on spring break also bike week is usualy around there feb should be good still cool also.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

We just got back from our first trip, we went over our Spring Break (3/24-4/1) The crowds weren't horrible and the weather was gorgeous. Highs in the low 80's lows in the 60's. Sunny every day. Easter is in March next year, so the April dates might not be bad. February could be less crowded but the temps will be cooler. The humidity is there in the spring, but not unbearable, or as bad as it gets in the summer.

Again with the crowds, on the crowd calendar site most of our dates were level 9 with an 8 and some 7's mixed in. We followed our touring plan, used fastpass when it was available and never waited in long lines. You'll have fun no matter when you go! I was getting nervous about going over Spring Break because everyone said the crowds were awful, but like I said, they didn't seem bad to me! Good luck with your decision!

 

[plutopuppy]

OOOOHHHHH you must be so excited...the planning I LOVE that (almost as much as the doing!! KIDDING!) but planning is fun and these boards helped us so much. We took our first family disney trip last year in the last week of April, the 23rd for 7days and the weather was great and the crowds were good too. We did have the grad night problem but worked around that simply by making different choices those nights. We in fact found it so pleasurable that DD13 and I are taking our first mother-daughter trip on the 25th ofd this month til May 1st. If we find it not such a great time we will post on that when we return, the one thing you cannot control is the weather and that is the same for us here in Canada(as we are receiving 10 cm of snow squall snow as we speak!!) No , really we found everything just wonderful in the late April time frame. It wasn't humid or too hot. Not all that crowded for us either. Hope our 2 cents helps!! Have fun!!!!

 

[heidia]

Thanks for the input everyone! These boards are awesome! I don't know how my parents did WDW when I was a kid and didn't do ANY planning at all, just picked a day to leave and took off!! I can't even imagine!

Myself, I am leaning towards April because of the weather but I know I am the most "heat tolerant" of the group having lived in Houston before. The rest of them would be happy if it was in the low 70's!

I have a feeling we'll be doing the first of March to please the majority. I'm just wondering if the crowds will matter at all because we're very flexible about what rides we get one. Like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Expedition Everest, Test track.. none of that is important to us because the kids are all too little to ride and not interested anyway... they're all about seeing the princesses! (me too!)

 

[plutopuppy]

I hear (from my mom in Fred) you are buried in snow today!! us too we are in a squall with 25cm (10") so Florida is looking great!!! Which ever date you choose your family will love it!!!! we wish you a spectacular time!!!


'

 

[heidia]

Ugh the snow won't quit! We have over a foot!!!!! I guess we'll be hunting easter eggs with our snowsuits on!!!

 

[disneyfan2]

We went in February this year to get awasy from winter, but the weather, although warmer then here, was still chilly and February can be unpredicatable. April should be better as Easter falls in the 3rd week of Mar 08, and the crowds will start earlier next year. If you wait til mid april the peak season rates will go down. But it may be even early april that the rates go down with Easter in March. I think the weather will be much better April as February will still be unpredictable!