Thanksgiving vs Easter vs summertime

[ms*mountaineer]

Trying to decide between going over Thanksgiving week, the week after Easter or sometime in the sumer. We would avoid the parks on any actual holiday, but there are the times that we can go. Is DL equally busy over these 3 times of the year? Or is one a slightly better, crowd-wise, than the others?

 

[skiingfast]

Thanksgiving day is better than its week. Crowd Wise similiar to a week in the core of Spring Break.

In the Summer it can work well if you can go mid week.

 

[jennilouwho]

I did Thanksgiving in 2009 and then July of 2011. Thanksgiving Day and the day after were less crowded than the July days, but the July days were less crowded than the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. From what I hear, Easter is pretty crazy. I would probably go with summer during the week. I think Wednesday and Thursday were our lightest days. That said, Carsland might make summer even more crazy than usual this year....

 

[yoyo93]

I agree with what everyone is saying, mid week during summer is your best bet. I would never ever ever recommend going on Easter, it may be different now but when my parents took us there back in the early 2000's it was way to crowded. We were there for three days (fri-sun) and it was packed all of those days.

 

[lulubelle]

Avoid Easter and spring break times at all costs (if you can). It seems like after Christmas it's the busiest time in the parks. Summer can be good if the timing is right.

Have a magical trip.

 

[ms*mountaineer]

thanks for the advice so far! Anxious to read what other say!

So - it sounds like we'd be better with Thanksgiving week or sometime in the summer. We would be flexible enough to pick our park days during the week or early the week of Thanksgiving if it helps with the crowds. We don't need to celebrate Thanksgiving in the parks - that's just the week we can go.

So - Early thanksgiving week? Or mid-week during the summer??

 

[GeneandCleo]

Out of those three we avoid Easter.

We were just there for the week of Thanksgiving this past year, and it was busy. But not SUMMER busy... I think the weekends are always packed so those were the most crazy days. Thanksgiving Day was really nice - spent most of the Day over in DCA and only waited 10 minutes for most things. (Besides Toy Story which I think breeds long lines... lol) Disneyland was a lot more crowded on that day. (And you couldn't find a Turkey Leg anywhere... )

Weather was nice for Thanksgiving... jacket weather in the evenings. I would totally go during that time again, knowing that their WILL be people.

Easter was CRAZY the last time we were there during that holiday. But not as bad as New Years Eve... LOL! We figure we can survive ANYTHING at Disney if we survived New Years... HA!

 

[chttyangel]

Crowd wise; summer is the best. BUT Guess I am the odd one out. I like Easter time. Great weather, beautiful flowers, long hours, extra shows. Crowds are bad mid day but usually mornings/evenings are fine. One of my fav spring break spots!

 

[mickeymom629]

We're going Mon, Tues and Wed the week before Easter this year, so I will be able to report on that in several weeks!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We visited the last 2 Thanksgivings *same days, Thurs-Sat, '10 was fantastic, low crowds - last year was quite a bit more crowded *still with efficient FP collection and usage and my superb DLR skills we were fine I think this has to do with all CA being eligible for monthly AP payments.

I'd choose weekdays in the summer the 2nd week of July through mid Aug *when S CA APs are blocked.

 

[Butterfly123]

For years we always went during our kids April break. The weather was warm but not hot, it was a fun break from school, and the crowds were doable...especially because you weren't standing in 90 degree heat!. Our summer trips have been good, too, but hotter! I do love the fireworks show in the spring...much better than the summer fireworks, IMO. But I do love a warm summer evening at the parks. I think any decision you make will be great!

 

[jennilouwho]

Early Thanksgiving week is bad, at least from my experience and what others have said. Thanksgiving Day, Friday, and Saturday are not as bad.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Having done each of these choices multiple times in the last several years, here's how I would rank them best to worst with our (highly subjective) crowd experiences:

Summer after So Cal AP blackouts take effect (probably skewed this summer though by the opening of Carsland)

Wednesday after Easter through the weekend

Thanksgiving Day through weekend after Thanksgiving

First half of Thanksgiving week through Wednesday and Easter weekend through Tuesday after Easter are probably about a tie although I like Easter morning before the crowds come rushing in between 10 and noon

Week before Easter, especially Good Friday and Saturday before Easter

 

[HydroGuy]

thanks for the advice so far! Anxious to read what other say!

So - it sounds like we'd be better with Thanksgiving week or sometime in the summer. We would be flexible enough to pick our park days during the week or early the week of Thanksgiving if it helps with the crowds. We don't need to celebrate Thanksgiving in the parks - that's just the week we can go.

So - Early thanksgiving week? Or mid-week during the summer??

You have some really good answers here. I would add that in many cases - especially TG week - the answer depends mostly on the SoCal AP Blockout schedule. If that changes, then your answer changes.

See "Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2365983

 

[llump41]

Times of the year when I almost refuse to go to the parks. Spring break. the week after Christmas and the first week SoCal AP reopen. We spent 3 days on property last Aug and found that it wasn't that bad. Since we could easily be there at rope drop and MM we were able to accomplish a lot before the crowds ramped up. Lunch, mid afternoon nap and then dinner back in the parks and we did everything we wanted to in those 3 days.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Early Thanksgiving week is bad, at least from my experience and what others have said. Thanksgiving Day, Friday, and Saturday are not as bad.

As I said in my previous post - we were there the "good" days of Thanksgiving week the last 2 years, 2010 was far less crowded than 2011. See my post/this thread.

 

[ms*mountaineer]

Thank you all for the tips! I never would have thought that summer might be a good time to go - I didn't understand how things work with the blackout days. Thanks again!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Early Thanksgiving week is bad, at least from my experience and what others have said. Thanksgiving Day, Friday, and Saturday are not as bad.

Yes, this is what we found. After all of our Disneyland trips (going about 3 times a year for the last 10 years)--our most crowded trips were:

Thanksgiving week: Monday thru Wednesday BEFORE Thanksgiving (this was the most crowded I have ever seen the parks--it was impossible to even move from one area to another and beyond all reason).

Spring break: The week just prior to Easter, but avoiding the holiday. Again, similar crazy crowds (with threatened park closures due to masses of people). If you go a few weeks prior or after you will be fine, but he closer you get to the actual holiday, the worse I believe it gets.

We typically go once or twice every summer (usually June and July), and those are crowded, but in a very summer crowds crowded way. So not over the top crowded, just busy.

I personally love going in the summer. Full schedule any day of the week with great fireworks weather.

I personally will never go Thanksgiving week again, since it was so crowded for us 2 years ago. The memory lingers! I know that if you go Actually on Thanksgiving day and beyond it is much better, but I like to be home for Thanksgiving, not at Disneyland.

 

[todzwife]

I personally will never go Thanksgiving week again, since it was so crowded for us 2 years ago. The memory lingers! I know that if you go Actually on Thanksgiving day and beyond it is much better, but I like to be home for Thanksgiving, not at Disneyland.

We were there then too and it was miserable. My family has a tradition to go to Knotts on TG day and DL during the week and I told them I can't do it again. Now, the Friday after TG wasn't nearly as bad but still pretty crowded. We left Saturday.