Really, how bad are those April crowds?

[dpic]

We always go during October, but I think our next trip will be our last October trip since our oldest will be high school. We love October with the light crowds and the Halloween Party.

So, we are thinking about April for our 2006 trip. How bad are the crowds during spring break? Normally, we wait about 15-30 minutes for any ride. If we use fastpass, it can be almost walkon. One thing, too, about spring is park hours. We love the parks at night. Are the crowds lighter in the mid to late evening? In other words, if we break around 2 and come back around 6 will we have missed the most crowded times?

Another attraction in Spring are the fireworks and parades every night. Are the late parades and fireworks very crowded?

Thanks!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Honestly it depends on the week. If you hit it just right, you can have very light crowds, because only one or 2 states will be on vacation or you can have huge crowds, if several are on vacation. We usually luck out, as NH typically waits for break until only a couple other states are on vacation at the same time. It is another story entirely, for example, for Mass residents. Not sure what it would be like for you. Also depends on when Easter is. If Easter is in late April, the crowds are insane. And that is the only way to describe it, because then all the schools across the country take their break around Easter. Honestly the crowds vary from year to year, but April is awesome, because of the typically gorgeous weather, and the park hours are fantastic! Do remember that a lot of the states have spring break earlier than April; it's mainly the northern states that have it in April. But again, it depends on the calendar.

 

[G's mommy]

Mostly depends on Easter. We were just down the week of March 29-April 4 (which was our Spring Break) and the crowds were not bad at all. I heard the crowds were heavier the week prior due to most FL schools being on break. The crowds started to really pour in though for the week leading up to Easter. The hours for the parks were being extended for the two weeks straddling Easter, expectations for big crowds and high occupancy rates in the hotels.

In 2005, Easter falls in late March, so who knows how April will be. Most the schools in metro Atlanta have their breaks planned for April 4 -8 in 2005. We are in private school and our break sometimes follows public school and sometimes not. The weather three weeks ago was windy and alittle on the cool side especially at night. We did wear shorts in the daytime, but needed pants and a jacket at night. It was alittle cooler than I expected it to be, even for early April. No rain though, beautiful sunny days.

 

[Tedmom]

Be sure to check out whether they will be having "grad nights" when you go. We booked our trip (4/28-5/4) on the spur of the moment and did not realize that 4/30-5/2 are going to be "grad nights" at MK and they are going to close the park early with no Wishes or Spectro. We're also from NH and usually look forward to going when few other states have spring break, but now we're wondering whether it will be unbearable due to "grad night" folks.

 

[Stepman]

We come back a couple of week from the 2nd to the 6th of april. Went to the MK on a sunday. It was so crowded , but the next day the MK was sold out. They were not letting anymore people into the park. My advice: go another time. The park is so much better when it's not crowded

 

[monarchsfan16]

Originally posted by Stepman
We come back a couple of week from the 2nd to the 6th of april. Went to the MK on a sunday. It was so crowded , but the next day the MK was sold out. They were not letting anymore people into the park. My advice: go another time. The park is so much better when it's not crowded

That was right around Easter, and so lots of places were out on spring break, because of the holiday. That's what made the crowds awful. We go at the end of April, and only the one year that Easter was during vacation did we deal with awful crowds. That trip we saw a 3 hour standby wait for Splash Mountain. Fast Pass was our best friend that trip.

 

[dpic]

Thanks for the responses. When are the heaviest crowds during the day? And do they thin out as it gets later in night, or are the crowds heavy all night?

Originally posted by monarchsfan16
3 hour standby wait for Splash Mountain. Fast Pass was our best friend that trip.

I couldn't image waiting that long after having such light crowds on our other trips. On our last trip, we rode BTMR during one of the Halloween parties 4 times in a row without getting off (honestly). The only reason we quit after that was my neck was sore from the banging around. There have been many times when we didn't have to get off Splash Mountain, too. I understand that Spring is much more crowded, but I am too spoiled to wait 3 hours for any ride now.

 

[dgaston]

We just returned from a vacation week trip, when the heaviest Easter crowds were supposed to have left. On Thursday am, I couldn't find a single Breakfast Buffet seating for 3 people! It wasn't awful though, we ended up at Kona Cafe. Cheers for the Tonga Toast. Crowds were manageable except in the EMH park. Weather was perfect--low 80's, not one whisper of rain. I think next April vacation week will be great, since Easter falls at the end of March.

 

[glewis1123]

We just came back from our first Easter trip. We arrived on Apr 9 and left for the DCL on the 15th. It would have to be the only time we could go before we would due Easter week again.

We'd be several times in May and did our first July trip last year. July wasn't even close to the crowds at Easter.

But, if it is the only time you can go - then go - a crowded week at WDW is better than none at all.