4/2 - 4/7- How bad crowds?

[brockash]

We usually go in late Aug./early Sept. However, we're only 11.5 hrs away and I'm seriously considering driving down for a few days over our spring break (we've never driven before.) It would most likely just be me and 3 kids (16, 10, and 3.5). It would be a very different trip for us. We usually go during a slow time, with extended family, during free dining for 8 nights, sometimes value, moderate, deluxe, or villa. This would be value (only value available is Sports - which scares me about the crowds). We wouldn't be on a dining plan and would mainly do counter service, and we'd do 1 day at each of the main parks - no water parks and really probably no time for DTD.

I'm concerned about how it will be/feel since it'll be so busy. I'd hate to spend the money and the time, for us to be disappointed, but we'd love to squeeze in another trip.

What is the week after Easter like...how bad? Looking at the hours, they look the same as this past late Aug trip, if not even shorter hrs, so I'm just trying to get an idea of how crowded it'll be/feel.

If we go, would you recommend avoiding EMHs? We usually do, but not sure of the difference for spring break crowds.

Any tips to an April trip... I would def. be looking forward to the better weather

Thanks for any thoughts/opinions!

 

[Davey Jones II]

I've heard that most spring breaks will be in March, so it might not be that bad in early April. I would still plan on doing rope drops, or hitting headliners just before closing time. I recommend avoiding EMH mornings unless you can take advantage of them, then leave the park by midday to hop to another.

If you go to MK at rope drop, avoid Fantasyland and hit the other parts of the park while almost everyone is headed for FL. You can get a lot done with this contrarian strategy. Just use most of your fast passes for the Fantasyland headliners, a little later in the day.

 

[teachmedis]

We'll be there that week as well. I've been during Easter week before and it's busy, but with planning you'll be fine. I went to the parks on emh mornings as sometimes it was two hours (opening at 7 a.m.). Beautiful weather, and in the end it's Disney how bad can it be? Have a great trip!

 

[sharonabe]

The weeks surrounding Easter are normally the 3rd - 4th busiest weeks of the year, so expect it to be VERY busy. MK will probably have 7 a.m. EMH most, if not all, days that week, so you'll have to do at least one early EMH there. Hours will change before then and be extended.

If you decide to go, just prepare the kids for how busy it's going to be. You'll have your FP+ to help you. That early EMH at MK is golden and you should get most of FL done in that hour. But there will be long lines for everything and it will feel very crowded to you. Plan your meals for off times to avoid the biggest crowds in the restaurants.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We usually go in late August too. The week after Easter is very crowded in my experience. It's a week that I personally wouldn't do again but people vary. On the bright side, the weather is usually gorgeous

 

[kniquy]

I was there the week after Easter last year. It was busy, but even with that we were able to tour with using our FP and MDE to plot out rides that have shorter waits. We were able to hop on PoC and HM with only 20 minute waits. Any time is a good time to go to WDW, but you have to adjust your expectations to the crowds. So pretty much expect that you will not get to see and do everything and you won't be disappointed.

Epcot will be flower and garden so even worth it to go down for that.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Easter is as crazy as Christmas isn't it?

 

[jk and ek]

we will be there that week as well. i've never been outside of "slow" (and cooler!!) early december, january and feb. times, so this will be an adjustment. we're planning a much more laid back trip with early mornings and evenings in parks and pool time during the day to try and avoid heat and crowds (plus we're never there when its warm enough to swim). plus only one ADR for the trip (at my MIL's request) when we are normally big time sit down nice restaurant meals at disney folks. even though i'm not looking forward to potential crowds and heat that we don't usually deal with, i'm excited for a 'different' kind of trip.

we're cruising on the fantasy the following week, so honestly how bad can it all be? haha

 

[pitpat]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/spring-break-2018-poll.3616158/

 

[GovieMom]

I just looked at Kenny the Pirate's 2018 crowd calendar. It shows April 1 thru 4 as "insane crowd levels," changing the 5th to "heavy crowd levels." Meaning, the parks will be slammed that week. At least the weather should be great though.

 

[FortForever]

First week of April predicted to be crowded like Christmas. I have friends up north that were planning on that week, since it's their spring break, but I talked them out of it. It would be their first Disney experience and I don't want them to hate it.

 

[sharonabe]

Easter is as crazy as Christmas isn't it?

Not quite, but it comes close. WHEN Easter falls in the spring has a huge influence. Last year, Easter was late (mid April), so all the college spring breaks were over, and more school districts chose to make their spring breaks a little earlier too. This year, April 1 still means colleges will be done, but more school districts will opt for the weeks around Easter. When Easter falls in mid March, you then have the college spring breaks matching up with school districts, and THEN it is just as crazy as Christmas.

 

[daemom]

My son just told me he tried to make a reservation for that week--checking Value and Moderate. Only Caribbean Beach had availability. We're Going down that week with our high School band.

 

[Donalyn]

We are going to be there, starting the Thursday after Easter and continuing until the following Tuesday. I'm expecting crazy crowds through Saturday and then somewhat more manageable.

(Our spring break is the same week each year. I hate it when it intersects with Easter. In 2014 we went to WDW this same week and it was perfectly fine crowds.)

 

[kandb]

It all depends if you don't mind extremely crowded parks, restaurants, restrooms, buses, monorails, etc. You have to know yourself. Some go with the flow and know what they are getting themselves into, others would never go when it is mob-like crowded (myself included).

 

[cole4/25]

We have always gone in Jan or Feb until last year & things worked out to go at the same time as my sons HS band which was last week in March. So not Easter but non the less I was shocked at the difference in the crowd level! We agreed tho the weather was warmer we would take less crowds over weather & from now on keep our trips to Jan & Feb!! I’m sure someone will argue this but I would rather have a slow time - tho we did notice a difference between Jan 2009 & Jan 2014!! Slow times may be a thing of the past.