Which of these bad (crowded) periods will be the least bad?

[dmaxdmax]

We live under the tyranny of the school calendar and can't handle summer heat so are left with the following times for the 2016-17 school year:

1 - Thanksgiving.
2 - The week leading into Christmas
3 - The week between Christmas and New Years
4 - The week leading into Easter (Friday 4/7 thru Saturday 4/15)

I'm not certain how many park days we will want but probably 3. We have 5 days left on our never-expire tickets and don't want to spend them all at once. If we go during one of the weeks (i.e. not Thanksgiving) we may add a day or two at Universal.

Anyone have ideas or opinions?
Thank you

 

[JoannaTN7]

I'm not positive, but I think the week leading into Easter would be your best bet. I know that the anytime near Christmas is like, unholy busy there.

My husband and I struggled with this, but the only way we can reasonably make a vacation work within budget is by going during slow season. We'll do what we can to work with the kid's teachers, but I won't deny my kids the experience. I value my children's education, but I also value family bonding time.

Good luck with your trip!

 

[Alesia]

Thanksgiving will be the least crowded.

 

[dmaxdmax]

We'll do what we can to work with the kid's teachers, but I won't deny my kids the experience. I value my children's education, but I also value family bonding time.

Good luck with your trip!

We used to do that but this will be their Junior year and it's getting pretty intense. It will be our 4th or 5th trip so we love it but not so much that we'll die if it doesn't happen.

 

[dmaxdmax]

Thanksgiving will be the least crowded.

That's not what I guessed but we have friends who have done it more than once so it can't be too bad.

Any Thanksgiving dinner suggestions? We do not require traditional Turkey and fixin's. Our favorite place at WDW is probably California Grill.

 

[Ensusieasm]

We live under the tyranny of the school calendar and can't handle summer heat so are left with the following times for the 2016-17 school year:

1 - Thanksgiving.
2 - The week leading into Christmas
3 - The week between Christmas and New Years
4 - The week leading into Easter (Friday 4/7 thru Saturday 4/15)

I'm not certain how many park days we will want but probably 3. We have 5 days left on our never-expire tickets and don't want to spend them all at once. If we go during one of the weeks (i.e. not Thanksgiving) we may add a day or two at Universal.

Anyone have ideas or opinions?
Thank you

Thanksgiving

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I would pick Thanksgiving - great weather and great park hours will make the crowds not seem like an issue We just went the week after Easter this year, and crowds and temps were both fairly high, and park hours weren't that great. I helped a family member plan a Thanksgiving trip last year, and I was so impressed with the park hours. She said the crowds were not worse than when we all went in early June a few years back.

My second choice would be the week leading up to Christmas - I've been in Disney as late as Dec. 23rd and didn't feel like it was super crowded. Next year, Christmas falls on a Sunday, so most people won't be taking off work or leaving for vacation until Christmas Eve. I'm a teacher and bound to the school calendar as well, and I know we'll be in school on Friday, Dec. 23rd. I imagine most other schools are as well, so kids won't be out until Christmas Eve.

While I don't mind the Easter time period, if you don't like the heat, then I'd avoid it - mid-April can feel like summer sometimes.

 

[JoannaTN7]

We used to do that but this will be their Junior year and it's getting pretty intense. It will be our 4th or 5th trip so we love it but not so much that we'll die if it doesn't happen.

Yeah, see, my daughter will be 13 and hasn't been since she was 4. My son will never have been at the age of 5. This trip is long overdue, so I'm sure that makes a HUGE difference. ~.^

 

[Alesia]

That's not what I guessed but we have friends who have done it more than once so it can't be too bad.

Don't get me wrong, it's still going to be busy. But it will be less busy than the other 3 options (which are 3 of the 4 busiest weeks of the year.)

Personally, I would pick late May or early June if your kids get out of school early enough.

 

[AshleeH]

Thanksgiving, probably. With Easter coming in second. Christmas will be swamped in the weeks surrounding it because most schools get out for Christmas break in mid-December.

 

[JennyDrake]

Another vote for Thanksgiving. YES, it will still be very crowded, but not the unholy level of the other times. Avoid Christmas and NYE at all costs.

 

[To the honeypots]

Another vote for Thanksgiving

 

[dmaxdmax]

Yeah, see, my daughter will be 13 and hasn't been since she was 4. My son will never have been at the age of 5. This trip is long overdue, so I'm sure that makes a HUGE difference. ~.^

Go this year for sure. We have found that each year is tougher than the last as far as taking them out of school for a few days. Certainly not impossible but they are way more conscientious than I was in 10th grade!

 

[dmaxdmax]

The consensus is certainly Thanksgiving. Late May early June will be much too hot. The advantage of the week before Christmas is that there will be more days for extra activities, perhaps even throw in some Universal days.

What I haven't taken into account are hotel rates. I'm sure all of these dates are super premium. Looking now....

 

[MinnieMSue]

Yep Thanksgiving! We did that and pre and post Easter in the last year and Thanksgiving was definitely better. Weather was perfect and crowds more manageable. The Christmas decor is also quite beautiful and festive. Would repeat Thanksgiving again - not so much Easter.

 

[dmaxdmax]

Yep Thanksgiving! We did that and pre and post Easter in the last year and Thanksgiving was definitely better. Weather was perfect and crowds more manageable. The Christmas decor is also quite beautiful and festive. Would repeat Thanksgiving again - not so much Easter.

Are the Christmas decorations up at Thanksgiving?

 

[anniemae]

Another vote for Thanksgiving. Nothing better than November weather IMO. Plus, a holiday at Disney? You are living my dream! I have heard on Thanksgiving day AK is not very crowded. Most go to MK. For dinner, I would do Yak and Yeti. That is one of my favorite restaurants. Very non-traditional LOL, but would be an ideal holiday for me!

 

[dmaxdmax]

Actually - I just checked undercovertourist whose crowd projections are quite reasonable (code Yellow) for the first half of the week leading up to Christmas. easywdw suggests the same thing though not quite as positive.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[dmaxdmax]

It just occured to me that if we go over Thanksgiving we'll be leaving Grandma alone. If we go before Christmas we can be back in time to spend it with her. This might be the deal-sealer.

 

[Janed]

Parent/Teacher conference days are an option to consider. In my district we had Parent/Teacher conference days the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving. These were half days of instruction and students had Wednesday off. One year we left early in the morning on the Friday before that week and had 'relatively' low crowd park days on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We flew back home on Thanksgiving day.