What is spring break like at DL?

[las3888]

Hi all,

We have been to WDW many times for spring break (and really all other seasons) and we have ventured out west to DL about 4 times now, all during summer months. We were fortunate to be able to book a villa at GCV for DS's spring break, last week of March, and I am just curious what to expect weather-wise, crowd-wise, etc. I have done some research but I am just looking to hear a little more first-hand experience. Friends of ours ventured out there last year (for the same week of spring break) and said that they were there for a weekday or two, all was fine, and then BAM the weekend hit and it was extremely crowded. Also curious if it's swimming weather or not. I also believe that this week is extremely popular at WDW of the 6 (or so) spring break weeks but not sure if that's true for DL. Just curious if anybody has any input or can compare it to WDW spring break. Thanks!

 

[bearette]

From previous experience the last two weeks of March are extremely crowded. Many California schools including colleges are on break. My kids birthday are the last week of March and I stopped going because by 10am it was packed. Expect large crowds. Go in early, rest in the afternoon then stay late to avoid the worst of the crowds.
Weekends are always crowded, Disneyland has more locals then vacationers. Evenings and after work will also be more crowded for this reason.
We have been having a heat wave the last few years so swimming depends on your cold pool tolerance but odds are good.

 

[goooof1]

very crowded! The pools at GCH are heated (a little too much, IMO), so swimming is a go.

 

[Laundress]

We always go for spring break. (our only choice) it is crowded. But i don't remember it being as crowded as WDW. To help out with the frustration of so many people we do the usual rope drop/mid day pool break/evening park plan.

 

[Kindermouse]

It is crowded and the weather at the end of march could still go either way. It's not likely to be very cold but it could be rather windy and/or rainy or it could be super nice in the 80's or it could even be baking hot. I have been in march and february many time and had nice tshirt weather but I have also been when it rained pretty good for days -we just put on Rain coats, rain boots and used umbrellas and drank cocoa and we still had a blast-many of the hotels had laundry facilities for guests so we just washed and dried our wet stuff during afternoon breaks.

California has been in a historic drought for the last few years though so unless we get a dramatic change (always a possibilities california have sure been hoping for it) youre not likely to see the rains that we have had in the past

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

Those weeks in March will not be the worst. Those are the actual week of Easter, which will be On April 16. That is the local school district break time.

 

[Diznotyzed]

Most schools in Oregon will have that week off.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Well, more and more schools are moving away from a holiday based on Easter Sunday, and picking something like the 10th week of the Semester.

Add to that that there are many different school districts and have different schedules (both K-12 and College/Universities). Heck, in the City of Anaheim, we have 7 different K-12 districts.

Here is a great thread with the lists of some school districts and its breaks.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/2017-calendar-of-events-school-breaks-and-dlr.3528760/

So it seems that Disney starts increasing its hours the second week of March expecting larger crowds, and then they get longer later in March and April, and then slows down until the last week of April. And it is hit and miss, as you also look at weather issues, that can impact locals that attend, and of course AP Blockout dates.

Disney has extended hours in March in the past on the actual day due to very large crowds that showed up.

So well, you have the week you get due to the kids, and just deal with it. Disney does try and offer more entertainment and shows/parades during the busy time to help deal with the crowds.
Hope you have a great trip.

 

[Canuck16]

We were there during Spring Break in 2015 and the parks were very crowded but we still managed to do everything that we wanted and had a blast!

 

[MinnieMouse84]

I'll be there April 10-12. I know it'll be very crowded, but hopefully not quite as bad since it's midweek.

 

[eeyore70]

Any suggestions on how to deal with the crowds?

 

[las3888]

I'm a little encouraged that it may not be as crowded as WDW at spring break!

 

[Darkbeer1]

Basic, get to the park as early as you can.

Learn how FastPass works and take advantage of it.

Get the Disneyland App for your smart phone to keep track of wait times and ride closures.

If needed, take a mid-day break to avoid the heaviest crowds.

Eat meals off sync to keep the waits down.

I also like to keep the walk down, so try and do complete lands at the same time.

There is a start in how to try and maximize your day.

 

[prprincess]

We always go for spring break. (our only choice) it is crowded. But i don't remember it being as crowded as WDW. To help out with the frustration of so many people we do the usual rope drop/mid day pool break/evening park plan.

I agree with this. We went two years ago, and while it was crowded, not as bad as WDW was for us the previous year.

 

[glk2009]

Is it a bad idea to go during Easter week? We were considering it since airfare isn't awful.

And if we do go that week, would it be better to go at the end of the week or at the beginning?

We are WDW vets and are used to early December type crowds.

TIA!

 

[Laundress]

Is it a bad idea to go during Easter week? We were considering it since airfare isn't awful.

And if we do go that week, would it be better to go at the end of the week or at the beginning?

We are WDW vets and are used to early December type crowds.

TIA!

This year we arrived Easter Sunday. We were very surprised at how pleasant the crowd level was. Monday was still ok and Tuesday was a definate increase. But it still does not compare to WDW crowd levels. I can only assume it got more crowded as the week progressed.

 

[GenGen22]

Keep in mind sometimes it rains also. We went this year for our first spring break. It was busy but still fun. It started to rain but not heavy rain. And we got to Do the Easter Eggstravaganza egg hunt which was silly but fun.