Hi everyone,
We are thinking of going to Disney world in April 2012. We would like to go within the first two weeks of April. We looked at the calendar (for 2012) and figured out that Easter will be on Sunday, April 8th.
We are wondering..
should we go BEFORE Easter Sunday (example: Sunday 1st - Thursday 5th) or would it be better to book it on Monday 9th - Friday 13th, AFTER Easter?
Thanks!
If you can wait, I would HIGHLY recommend going in the latter part of April or early May. Many schools have spring break around the Easter time frame and it is a VERY busy time. We try to always go the first part of May and it is just fabulous - not too crowded and the weather is perfect!
I live in Orlando. Either week will be crowded because of Spring Breakers from out of town, but I would vote for the week after as a lot of people go home after Easter. "Snow Birds" are here during the winter and typically leave after Easter. Our spring break next year is the week of March 19th, they don't coordinate ours around Easter. Weather will be great! Have fun! I love visiting Walt Disney World! Being born and raised here, we always got to go and I was even there when it opened in 1971 at age 4. :)
Before. The date after Easter might be around the times when they have Spring Break. If that is the case, it will be packed. I am from Florida, and know that Disney is a huge hot spot that time of year. Plus, if you go before Easter, the weather might be more forgiving as far as it being warm/humid/and rainy.
If you can wait one more week you can get the lowest crowds of the year. It is SO worth it IMO....Disney crowded is an entirely different experience than uncrowded. Here is a crowd calender:
http://yourfirstvisit.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/2012...
I agree about it being crowded during spring break weeks, but it is hard to judge. You can check websites to see, just google "spring break florida schools" and see what comes up. We went during April one year, and not only was it packed with Americans, there were also lots of Brits on holiday as they get a two week break in spring. Disney is often crowded, and it can get hot in spring as well. We went one year in October, and it was much better, though a little chilly for swimming. If your kids aren't school age, you have lots more flexibility--we even took our daughter out of school for a Disney trip in kindergarten, as we figured she wouldn't miss that much, and it was sooo worth it! But even crowded, Disney is great. Just take mid-day breaks from the park to take naps, swim, or unwind--the travel books advise this, and they are right!
I would not go either date based on crowd levels. Your trip will be much more enjoyable the less crowded it is. FYI... My favorite week is the first week of May when spring break is typically over for everyone.
We just went right after Easter. I followed the touring plans from the "unofficial guide to disney world" and we did not wait in a single line for more than 10 minutes!
I live in Orlando, Disney is always crowded, Disney is always amazing!! You will have fun no matter when you go, there will never be a time that it is not busy. We go at least twice a month and my girls go crazy for it all the time. The lines can be long, but there are fast passes, but many of the kid rides have enough going on in the line to keep kiddos entertained. I would advise you to pack snacks and juice boxes in a backpack, snacks are great for longer lines.
If you want to check the spring break dates you can google Orange County and Seminole County public schools and look at the calendar for next year. For the past few years our spring breaks have not been near Easter, and the college is even earlier.
You will have an amazing time no matter what, the more you stress about it the less you will be able to enjoy it. :)
We went for Christmas 2009 and are going again this September. So we went at the HIGHEST time of the year and this time we planned a trip around the lowest of the year. Our kids were 6, 4, and 2 last time and it was a lot of waiting sometimes. This time they will be 8, 6, and 4...so I'm hoping we do better. I'd try to go when it's NOT busy though for sure!
i live in Central FL and spring break for most people is normally the week BEFORE Easter. It will be crazy busy. Any time there is a holiday around, it's busy. I would go the week after Easter myself. or as the other poster suggested try to go for early May. It's going to be busy no matter what. We took our kids last year from Jan-May about 4 times and the closer you got to summer it seemed the busier it was. When we went in May it was early, and we went to Hollywood Studios and the wait for the rides was pretty bad. Just make sure you do the Fast Pass. Its a life saver, especially if you have younger kids. Also if you have a hotel on property, go in the early morning and then go back to hotel for midday swim, or nap and lunch. Then head back to the park afterwards to see the night parades. Have fun!
I would call Disney and see if they are offering an Easter deal or something really special for Easter then make your decision.
I can't speak for Disney World but we have had passes for Disneyland for 15 years...April is always busy with spring break here (the schools and dates are all staggered). In my mind, a crazy day at Disney is better than a boring day at home!
