Spring break vs Summer

[MandNCC]

Due to my work schedule we are stuck going on school breaks. I would probably never consider WDW in summer due to weather but I'm hoping someone can give me a comparison of weather/crowds for DL. Thanks!

 

[Luckymommatoo]

A lot depends on when exactly your spring break and summer break are. We are in SoCal, for instance, and my kids are out May 28th and go back August 18th. This summer, with the 60th anniversary, may be more crowded than usual, but generally speaking, there are pockets in the summer (especially weekdays) that aren't too bad.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We just got back from DL April 6-9). It was very crowded and seemed to only be getting worse when we checked out. We stayed at GC and the check in line went clear to the gift shop! We were at WDW for our Easter/Spring Break last year and did not find it as crowded as this year at DL. Big problem in the parks were the rides. Peter Pan and Matterhorn both under refurb. While there, It's a Small World, Indiana Jones, Cars Racers and Big Thunder rollercoaster all broke down. Many fast pass options not even open, like for Haunted Mansion. So you can imagine how long the lines were. I don't mind crowded, done crowded before, but this was much worse. I won't be going back to DL during Easter/Spring Break again. We're stuck going on vacations when school is out also, I feel your pain.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I HATE going during spring break. I've been going to DL since I was a little girl and I would say Spring Break is worse than summer. If you can go during the weekdays in summer, with the exception of the times around 4th of July and July 17 (DL's actual birthday), crowds are...well, they're there, but not terrible. The heat generally is variable, but if you can go on a really hot day and be okay, the crowds will be less because some locals will avoid going when it's that hot. We just got through a major heat wave about a week ago that had temperatures around the 90s, so saying spring break is cooler isn't a sure thing. Summer is warm, but temperatures vary with highs anywhere from the 70s on a cooler day (usually June if you're lucky) to 100 on a hot day (typical in late July/early August). Average is in the 80s to around 90, though it always feels a little warmer to be due to the concrete. If you stay hydrated though, it's do-able. I think hydroguy has a walkthrough with tips for surviving the summer.

 

[Xenorye]

I've seen many people post on these boards saying that Spring Break is like going in Summer (crowds) but with refurbs to deal with.

 

[albumlady]

We just got back from DL April 6-9). It was very crowded and seemed to only be getting worse when we checked out. We stayed at GC and the check in line went clear to the gift shop! We were at WDW for our Easter/Spring Break last year and did not find it as crowded as this year at DL. Big problem in the parks were the rides. Peter Pan and Matterhorn both under refurb. While there, It's a Small World, Indiana Jones, Cars Racers and Big Thunder rollercoaster all broke down. Many fast pass options not even open, like for Haunted Mansion. So you can imagine how long the lines were. I don't mind crowded, done crowded before, but this was much worse. I won't be going back to DL during Easter/Spring Break again. We're stuck going on vacations when school is out also, I feel your pain.

We were there this past week too and I agree with everything above. I will not do Spring Break again! It was a sea of humanity and we also experienced many ride break downs that seemed to make it worse. On Friday morning for Extra Magic Hour in DCA the only thing running was RSR. TSMM, California Screaming and Tower of Terror were all down first thing and didn't open until well after regular opening We are in the PNW so school doesn't get out until the end of June and they go back after Labor Day so I am thinking maybe next year try the end of August when some schools are back in session but we aren't yet. This was my families first time to DLR and they didn't really feel the magic so we may not be back for a while

 

[HydroGuy]

Due to my work schedule we are stuck going on school breaks. I would probably never consider WDW in summer due to weather but I'm hoping someone can give me a comparison of weather/crowds for DL. Thanks!

Regarding weather, here is a link that may help:

"Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098

Comparing crowds at WDW vs. DLR is a bit confusing. DLR wait times for rides are consistently much lower than at WDW. Best example might be TSMM. At DHS is always seems to be 80-120 minutes mid-day. At DCA it is 40-60 minutes mid-day. And no FP. So that would lead some to say DLR is less crowded.

However, DLR has smaller parks - especially DL - and walkways are narrower. So DLR feels more crowded because it does not handle crowds as well.

Finally, summer crowds at DLR are very manageable. One key IMO is to choose a walking distance hotel. That just makes the trip a whole different experience than you can have at WDW.

 

[Butterfly123]

We used to love Spring Break when the kids were small. It was a nice break from school, the weather was great, and the crowds pretty light. But as the years went on the crowds became much heavier, so we switched to summer and will never go back. Summer crowds are manageable, the hours are great, and there are less refurbs!

 

[rwhistler92]

I really hope this is true.
We were there over Easter weekend and didn't think it was bad. Crowded, but manageable with FP and shows during the busiest times. The only break downs we encountered were RSR and Mr Toad. I guess we got lucky.
We are heading back the last week of July and hope the crowds aren't too bad.