Touring plans/crowds in April? Online touring plans aren't helping

[littlbugmom]

We had the choice of vacationing the last week of March or the first week in April. We picked April to avoid being there at Easter. Is it still going to be crazy?

I've tried looking for touring plans but not sure which to go with. UndercoverTourist, Dad'sGuide, EasyWDW....etc..... They all recommend different parks!

What has been your experience during the first week of April?
What touring plans have you used?

 

[minnie mum]

No crowd calendar is infallible, but we have been happy with easywdw for our trips over the last few years. We use both his crowd calendar, including the daily overviews, and the cheat sheets as touring guides.

April 1 and 2 will have the last of the Easter crowds, and should be very crowded. Second only to the Christmas/New Years crowds. But after that the crowd levels should drop to average.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I am a big fan of Touringplans.com. I have used their crowd calendar and basic touring plans on every trip to WDW and DLR since 2010. Even Easter Week in WDW this year was a complete success!

 

[JennyDrake]

I don't use any touring plans so I can't comment on that, but it will still be quite crowded.
MANY school systems (including ours) have spring breaks not linked to Easter in any way, shape or form, so you will still be dealing with spring break crowds.
Rope drop is your best friend along with a midday break. The good news is that you should have gorgeous weather!

 

[wdw71]

I just posted this to someone else on another thread LOL. We have been twice when SB fell the second full week after Easter and we really like it. In fact we will be there again this coming SB (April 8-14) It is somewhat crowded because there are still Spring Breaks going on but the crowds are more typical summer busy, not at all busy like Easter. We love this time of year because the weather is usually pretty nice (not very Humid) and the crowds are very manageable IMO.
In the past we have used a TP in the morning hours and usually play it more by ear in the late afternoon but we might rely more on a TP throughout our day this trip since FP+ is in play. We think TouringPlans.com is a great help.

 

[FirstDown]

Easter week isn't bad. Trust me or look back at previous year's data. Easter wasn't a 10 at any park.

 

[MouseMamaToMany]

I'm planning a trip for my 12 year old son and I from 4/7-4/14. "Your first visit"website ranks this week as #7 week to visit in 2016. It's not all based on crowds, but also weather, special events, etc. Easywdw is ranking most days that week (and for most of April) as a level 5-6 crowd out of 10.

With a solid plan, I think the parks are going to be very doable in April. Of course, I'm hoping the week we will be there is a "sweet spot" of sorts- later than most spring break crowds, but earlier than the late April break that many schools in the NE seem to have.

 

[alhurricane]

April is definitely interesting when you compare the crowd calendars. We are going 4/10 to 4/17. ************** lists it as the 7th best week of year to go and Easywdw has it mostly 5-6 levels. However, touringplans lists it as mostly a 7 week. I have found in our past 3 trips that Touringplans was typically the least accurate. This is our first April trip, so I am curious to see how it all works out. We typically go in late May so I don't think it will be any busier and the weather will likely be more pleasant.

 

[senadler]

I have found easywdw to be the most accurate. If you are going Sat-Sat I would expect the first couple days to still have heavy Easter crowds. The rest of the week should be better. Our school system is always the last week of March, and the crowds are night and day depending on when Easter falls.