President's day week/ Ressie/ Crowds?

[Degli]

Is it harder to get a ressie the week before or after at a DVC resort? Which week tends to be more crowded? Trying to decide for next year. My kids are off the Friday before and Monday. Thanks

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Is it harder to get a ressie the week before or after at a DVC resort? Which week tends to be more crowded? Trying to decide for next year. My kids are off the Friday before and Monday. Thanks

FYI, many schools in the NE which will include the NYC school system will get the entire week of President's Week off, so I would think that the following week will be much more crowded.

We just got back from WDW today. Last weekend and the beginning of the week was VERY crowded. We still managed to do everything we wanted by utilizing fastpasses and going early to the parks. By this past Saturday, Epcot felt empty by comparison.

 

[JMLBrats]

FYI, many schools in the NE which will include the NYC school system will get the entire week of President's Week off, so I would think that the following week will be much more crowded.

We just got back from WDW today. Last weekend and the beginning of the week was VERY crowded. We still managed to do everything we wanted by utilizing fastpasses and going early to the parks. By this past Saturday, Epcot felt empty by comparison.

So you're saying that the week before pres week should be less crowded than the week after? My sister's planning a trip for next year too and is planning on doing the week after-maybe I should advise her to do the week before....

 

[magsmom]

We just returned yesterday from President's week.

This week was very difficult to book anything other than Saratoga at the 7 month mark (we booked 9 months out and the only resorts left were OKW and SSR).
The parks were VERY crowded. I never saw AK as crowded as it was on Friday. By yesterday Epcot was a ghost town.

We have done both the week before and the week after in the past. Crowd levels before and after are much, much lower than President's week. You should have good luck with either option.

Are the points lower the week before President's week and the week after?

 

[kendzee94]

I just started a thread on the parks board yesterday, asking the same question about president's week. People seem to think that Mardi Gras played a role in the parks being so busy, I'd love to hear more from everyone, because I, too, am looking at spending double points to go and wait in long, long, lines, just to get out of Central NY weather in mid February

 

[jjohnson]

Count me in too! We're planning Feb. 08' now.

 

[rubbergypsy]

we just returned from 2/16-2/25 stay ssr and dcl for 4 night 18-22. i do tour guide mike and thought the parks were great, i did not wait more than 15 minutes for anything, got fastpasses for peter pan, buzz, and the rest we just got lucky. we have been in late august, early feb and mid may, and i thought the parks were about the same as when we went last may. i was expecting crowds and really thought it was managable. we already plan on doing pres week next year ssr, which we love, so i will book next month at the 11 month window. also we rebooked the four night cruise, what a great week we had and the weather was superb!! first two days on the chilly side but hey we were in disney!!! no rain at all!!!

 

[beachblanket]

We'll be there too, and in a 2BR with a fantastic view (love that 11 month booking window at our home resort!!)

 

[lisareniff]

As Sleepy said, most of the NE has the week of President's Day off. Including us! We tend to go a little early on Wed. and Thurs. before Pres. Day (DD only misses 2-3 days of school) to get a couple days without crowds - and lower airfares. The days before Presidents weekend are much less crowded.

Also the Daytona 500 is that weekend and you get familes combining trips.

 

[cmctammyg]

We have been the past 5 years around President's Day. I find the Friday before through the Friday after to be the most crowded with that Friday-Monday being crazy (not Christmas crazy...but one step down maybe).

I think it is the combination of Mardi Gras, Daytona 500 and President's Day which causes the crush of people. I know the people on the Gulf Coast use the days they are out of school (we used to live there, and yes, they get days off for Mardi Gras) to escape to WDW.

I am actually at WDW right now and it has been WONDERFUL this week. We arrived on Sunday for a quick trip and were able to do everything but Soarin' (we are going home tomorrow)...and that is only because we didn't get up early enough to get fast passes (gone each day by around 11:00 a.m) and we were not waiting an hour (though it was only 30 minutes this afternoon and we still didn't want to wait that long). We were here this week last year too, and it was much more crowded.

The Pirate and Princess Party on Monday night was so SWEET! We did everything open in the MK during the party with no waits for anything (other than seeing "Jack Sparrow").

If you can go before, I definitely would. I think the week after President's week is more likely to be better...but it depends on when Mardi Gras hits.

 

[monami7]

We are too I was thinking 1st week of Feb? I hope it works out. I really want to stay at VWL.

 

[beachblanket]

I just started a thread on the parks board yesterday, asking the same question about president's week. People seem to think that Mardi Gras played a role in the parks being so busy, I'd love to hear more from everyone, because I, too, am looking at spending double points to go and wait in long, long, lines, just to get out of Central NY weather in mid February

Mardis Gras is a floating date, so one needs to look at calendars to get a sense of what effect it may have on WDW.

It fell "late" this year (2/20), which made it directly overlap with President's day week which started on 2/19. Next year it falls early on 2/5, so it won't be a factor in WDW President's Day week crowds.

 

[lilstint]

Mardis Gras is a floating date, so one needs to look at calendars to get a sense of what effect it may have on WDW.

It fell "late" this year (2/20), which made it directly overlap with President's day week which started on 2/19. Next year it falls early on 2/5, so it won't be a factor in WDW crowds.

That is good news. We've spent President's week at Disney for 15 years now and found it very difficult in the parks this year. Does anyone else think that the MYW ticket pricing is also playing a role in the park crowds?