Lesser of two evils...Thanksgiving or March Spring Break

[tng123]

We can no longer pull our kids out of school for vacations, so I am trying to decide between Thanksgiving week or middle of March during spring break. Either T-giving 2016, or March 2017 (Easter that year is in April). Last trip we went the week before Thanksgiving and loved the weather!! Does the weather compare in March? We don't care to tour in hot weather. Our biggest concern is crowds. We have always been able to go at low crowded times, but now with kids in highschool we just can't. I think it would be fun to spend Thanksgiving there, but if crowds are worse than March spring break, than we would do March. Thanks!

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'd go in March since Easter is in April. One of our favorite trips was a March 2014 trip. Not before or during Easter break so crowds were relatively low, weather was spectacular and Flower & Garden was an unexpected treat--lots of fun.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Better chance of swimming time in March! Easier to get away from the crowds if there are more options......

 

[Alesia]

The crowds in mid-March will be fine. Thanksgiving isn't really that bad either, but it will be busier than March.

The weather is nicer in March.

 

[isestrex]

Based on the timeline they are very even as long as you are avoiding Easter. The average temperature is actually lower in March than Nov for Florida and the pricing and crowd levels will be roughly equal.

 

[Micca]

I'd prefer Thanksgiving. We don't swim at WDW, and I think you'd get some Christmas theming around the property. Besides, who wants to wait until 2017 to go to WDW?

 

[MermaidMommy]

Spring Break crowds will start the second week in March, with summer-level crowds starting that week. It won't be Christmas/Easter crowded, but it won't be light or moderate. However, the parks usually stay open later, and the weather is usually quite nice. So, with a good touring plan -- especially rope-dropping -- it's manageable.

 

[Alesia]

Spring Break crowds will start the second week in March, with summer-level crowds starting that week. It won't be Christmas/Easter crowded, but it won't be light or moderate. However, the parks usually stay open later, and the weather is usually quite nice. So, with a good touring plan -- especially rope-dropping -- it's manageable.

I've been in mid-March and during the summer. Mid-March is much less crowded.

 

[MinnieMSue]

We are going for it all - this Thanksgiving and next Easter! My daughter has an extra day off this year for both of those breaks and I have the needed weekends off for a change so we pulled the trigger and are getting AP when there for Thanksgiving. So maybe we will go in the summer too and then there is Halloween...

 

[Flamingeaux]

Thanksgiving has Christmas decorations and you might get FD.

 

[MermaidMommy]

I've been in mid-March and during the summer. Mid-March is much less crowded.

Not really. We've gone the second week in March for the last three years. Crowd levels that week are usually 8's, with an occasional 9, which is summer-level. Not July 4th crowds, but typical for summer. There's not much of a difference, and we've gone during both seasons as well.

 

[LOL!]

I wish we could avoid the holidays simply because the airlines and WDW resorts both jack their rates up to ridiculous levels! But like OP, our kids are still school age and we can't take them out so we have no choice but to go when so many other people are in the same situation. For us, Thanksgiving week has been better than Spring Break. The crowd levels might be comparable but the temperatures are much more tolerable. Plus you have the holiday decorations!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

At least spring breaks can be staggered based on locale, T-giving is a set time and is CRAZY. Not to mention the weather can be so-so. I went for a few days the week prior to T-giving 2014 and it was 30 degrees at some points. That, for humid Florida, is VERY cold. It did get to be T-shirts during the day by the end of the week, but that was a nasty week starting, and I'm not sure how the holiday week fared after. Basically, if the whole country starts dropping to below 0s, FL is in for it as well. (not 0, but COLD.) On the other hand, March is like 87 already! So that's pool weather! But if 87 is too hot for you, you might love the idea of 50s. (NOT ME!!! I hate it.) In that case, you could get to go sooner if you go a year from T'giving (which is a really long way off!) You should come sooner, make a shorter trip. I've learned that a few more trips more often pay off more than a stressed out expensive 10-14 day trip. By then, we all wear on each other's nerves. 5 days, just right.

 

[tng123]

Not really. We've gone the second week in March for the last three years. Crowd levels that week are usually 8's, with an occasional 9, which is summer-level. Not July 4th crowds, but typical for summer. There's not much of a difference, and we've gone during both seasons as well.

How has the weather been your last few March trips? is it rainy at all?

 

[MermaidMommy]

How has the weather been your last few March trips? is it rainy at all?

We haven't had much rain at all in March. Maybe a few times (out of about a total of 20 days), and it usually only rained for a few hours at most, not all day. I think March is one of the lower months for rainfall. The temps can vary a lot -- we've had times where it was cool enough to need jackets during the day, and days were it was very warm, in the upper 80's. But, usually, the weather is really nice in March. Just make sure you pack for a variety of temperatures.