Whose "best day" advice should I trust?

[firecracker]

I've used TGM in the past but I've not purchased it (yet) for our April trip. We are going April 2-7, which is before the big Easter crowds (or so we hope). The unofficial guide seems to give standard advice that doesn't seem to vary week-to-week. They only recommend MK one day out of the week...we want to go at least 2 or 3 times b/c it's our favorite park.

So, should I pay the $$ for TGM or just go with my gut insticts for "best days" in early April?

 

[stacy6552]

Honestly, I wouldnt spend a dime. We, your best friends here at the DIS, will hook you up with all the advice you need.

Park attendence levels coincide with EMH. Avoid MK on the days it opens early, unless you are someone who is there early, and leave the park mid afternoon on days its open late.

The good thing about Spring Break is that the parks are open late. The best tip i can give you, is not to rush. There's plenty of time. Grab that bench along the parade route an hour early and rest with some ice cream. Take afternoon breaks. Crowds are only a hassle when you get frazzled. Use ADR to help your schedule, get into the parks before opening to eat and beat the gate crowds. Have dinner early and ride the rides during the dinner hours.....

When we went at Spring Break, the crowds didnt bother us a bit.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think paying the $21 for TGM ($18 special right now) is a no-brainer. We are planning our first WDW trip in May, and I have the Unofficial Guide and have reviewed their best days. I am going to trust TGM, which conflicts with UOG's TouringPlans.com advice. TGM accounts for more subtleties of what is actually happening on, before, and after your trip which will likely impact your days.

 

[crazyj4488]

Just dont get near an EMH park. Tried and true...I've tested it during my last 4 trips....some of the best advice out there. EPCOT evening EMH is pretty doable though...I would still avoid it during the Spring Break / Easter / Summer Months though.

 

[MessyJ]

My DW and I have been several times this year from peak times to less crowded times, and we have basically decided that nobody knows what they're talking about as far as crowds go. MK was most crowded on Saturday for our first trip, and Monday on our last trip. There really doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason to anybody's list, and depending on who you ask, you will find different people say to go to different parks on different days. Some lists make their judgments to keep you away from EMH, but I suggest making use of EMH to beat the crowds, and then leaving for another park. I would just go with my gut feeling.

Are you staying on property? We found that the best strategy for avoiding crowds as much as possible was to get up early and be at the park for EMH or at park opening if there were no EMH. Late morning, you'll start getting hot and it will get really crowded. This is a good time to have your advance reservations for lunch. Then go back to your hotel and take a nap or swim. About three or four, get up and go back to one of the parks. (If you have PH tickets, it's a lot more fun to go to more than one park a day). You'll have a couple of hours of crowds once you get back, so you can have an early dinner to avoid them. Or, once you've already seen Wishes, Fantasmic, and IllumiNations, these are great opportunities to get into restaurants that are usually crowded. Also, you can generally ride as many rides as you want while these shows are going on without much wait. NO MATTER WHAT--go to Magic Kingdom's Evening EMH. This was the best time we had on our trip, and we got special opportunities not offered to the general public or at other EMH.

We found that following these general rules helped a lot more than trying to go to a certain park on a certain day to avoid crowds.

 

[Mainebound]

I used to stress out about this too, but now I think Messy is right. And here's confirmation from touringplans.com that, aside from obvious things (relating to EMH) it just doesn't matter all that much:

"According to our data, the attractions you visit and the time of day at which you visit them will have the greatest influence on how long you wait. On the other hand, the day of week and the weather will play only a small role. Statistically speaking, the time of day is 5 times more important than the day of the week."
http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm

 

[lentesta]

I wouldn't stress too much about the best days for each park, as long as you plan to get to the park early, and have a touring plan. Those two things rank much higher in terms of potential impact to your waits in line.

The UG's calendar does vary, usually in response to changes in EMH days ot special events at the parks. But other than for these things, the patterns should be fairly static. There's no reason to believe that absent some external cause, many tens of thousands of people would tour the parks in a significantly different way from one week to the next.

Good luck on your trip!

Sincerely,

Len

 

[TAKitty]

I went with what fit into our schedule. I like to tour MK first and last, so that is what we will be doing. I found that arriving as soon as the park opens is the biggest help! Go and have fun!!

 

[firecracker]

Thanks to all who responded. We're early risers, we're always at the the park before opening and have never had many lines to deal with. I guess all this talk of UG's Best Days and TGM's AM best park and PM best park just got me nervous.

I'm a WDW veteran, I believe in my own powers of planning! Thanks for affirming me!!!!!