Have been Easter time 14 times. It is most crowded time of year along with Christmas Week. For those who have never been that time of year or Christmas, but have been during crowded summer months or other spring break weeks, just start thinking double the largest crowd size you have seen to give you an idea of Easter-time. Do not recommend for first time visitor but you can survive:
1. When you get in, check for actual opening times for parks. They often change just when you arrive, e.g., they may be opening all parks an hour or more early every day.
2. Hit the park when it opens in morning as that is time when lines will not be huge, although within 2 hours thereafter they will be.
3. Epcot is the lightest park all week, at least in feel because its open spaces are so large. In the morning never head straight for Spaceship Earth. It is the first thing everyone sees when they enter and lines get huge at that time; after 2 that ride will be a walk-on. In fact, after 3, everything except Test Track and Mission Space are fairly easy to get on. Test Track and Mission Space must be hit early in morning or by means of fastpass thereafter, because by 10:30 lines will be 2 hours and then they get to 3 hours and there is no let up before closing.
4. MGM follows a similar pattern to Epcot. Very early morning you can hit just about anything, then lines for Mermaid, Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror go to 90 to 150 minutes. Most everything else also gets huge lines but after 3 they become fairly easy to get on. For stage shows, you need to arrive 45 minutes or more early to get a decent seat. Indiana Jones is easier in late afternoon to evening. Also, never head to Star Tours right after Indiana Jones lets out as half the Jones crowd does that causing a huge spike in line; other times in late afternoon and evening Star Tours can go down to 20 minute or less line. If there are two Fantasmics in the evening, the first one requires you to get in line an hour early just to have chance to get in; second one never fills and you can walk in just before it begins. You can also use Fantasmic dinner package for that first one. Also, during first one, lines for Rockin Rollercoaster, Tower, and Mermaid, can get down to under 30 minutes. If only one Fantasmic in evening best is to do dinner package (if you have not reserved do so quickly, 1-407-WDW-Dine).
5. Animal Kingdom: unfortunately a nightmare most every day, except Sat and Sunday are its lightest days. One of its problems is that it has mostly narrow walkways and thus it does not take many to cause place to be elbow to elbow. First thing in morning you can hit some things, and after 5 there can also be a substantial decrease in lines at popular rides. In between, 1 hour to 2 hour lines for most everything. Fast Pass is necessity at most. Stage shows require you to arrive 45 minutes early to get a seat. Many like to eat at Rainforest; unfortunately it can be real nightmare that time of year with long wait both to get seat and to get food (known those who entered at 12:30 and finally got their food at 3).
6. Magic Kingdom: the most crowded of all. Huge crowds everyday and even larger Easter Sunday and day after Easter; park can go to capacity those two days. Again early morning you can hit some things but then by 10 lines for the mountains, Peter Pan, Pooh, Jungle Ride go to 2 hours or more and stay there all day and night, although lines sometimes go to under 30 minutes during a parade. Dumbo also huge line almost all day and night. Others, like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Country Bear, Tiki can have hour or more lines in morning to about 3:30 and then after 4 lines can reduce to 20 minutes or less (with periods of walk-ons). That lasts until about 7:30 or 8 when the "second" wave comes in with huge numbers returning for nightly parade and under false belief place would not be crowded after they ate dinner. Swiss Family Treehouse, the absolute worst attraction in WDW, gets hour or longer line in morning; either skip it entirely or wait until late afternoon when line reduces. Also note, Jungle Ride is very deceptive; you will look and believe there is no or a short line and not believe sign that says 60 minutes. Then you enter and find out there is that line inside an open but covered building walled off from site to those coming in. Usually the minute signs outside a ride are correct although often late afternoon to evening they may not be, showing longer than line actually is because they haven't changed sign.
7. Waterparks: these go to capacity by 11 or 11:30 everyday if weather is warm (most often it is). If you want a chair you must get there early in the morning.
8. Easter Saturday and Easter are lightest but still crowded days at MGM, AK and Epcot. Many have the incorrect belief that weekdays everywhere should be less crowded than weekends because local residents come on weekends; not true; local residents avoid this place like the plague throughout Easter time and crowds most everywhere are larger on weekdays because heaviest travel days are Sat and Sun (and those traveling don't go to parks on travel day). Exception is MK which has its worst day Easter Sunday. Reason: many believe something special happens there on Sunday that you cannot see other days of the week. The truth: absolutely nothing goes on at MK on Sunday that you cannot see other days of the week. The "Easter Parade," which is merely the daily parade at three with some Easter themed floats added, usually runs the entire week before Easter and on Easter.
9. MK Parades: squatters start taking curbside and other ideal viewing points beginning about 2 hours before the parade (which lasts about 20 to 25 minutes). Battles then ensue as others try to cut in on their space. The parades are not worth a 2 hour or even hour wait. Best is to find elevated area like the stairs of Town Hall to view shortly before parade begins.
10. Dinner: If you have not done so, call for PS's for any sit-down dinner or character meal you may desire. True story: was once at Crystal Palace at 5:30 for PS on Thursday before Easter and family of four walked up without PS and asked for "next available time." CM went to his listings and then looked up and said, "Tuesday at 8:30." They then asked if it was even possible to get in that night if they waited and he told them not to even risk waiting. For any park restaurant, get a PS for dinner. For non-park restaurants, you can get PS for dinner usually by calling day before, but most important is to get a PS if restaurant takes them. If you want sit-down lunch, you can usually get in fairly easy as long as you avoid key 11:00 to 2 lunch period. Also note that even counter service places can get 30 minute lines during regular lunch and dinner hours.
-Ive only been in August. But I bet if you go with a plan, and a plan to toss the plan when needed, you'll do great!
