Swore I'd never go to WDW during Spring Break, but now I am. What m I in for?

[kangaroodle]

A week ago I got it into my mind that we NEEDto get away for Spring Break, which is 3 weeks from today. I managed to get 4 nights at a DVC resort and am waitlisted for the last night. We're even driving down since it's last minute, but have friends in Atlanta to stay with overnight. I even managed to easily get dinner reservations at Epcot and HS. So excited to go again even though we were just there in June!

I KNOW it will be super crowded. I've checked easywdw for best days at which parks. Besides getting to the parks early (which my teens enjoy so much!), any other suggestions, strategies? In the past we always went at times of the year when crowds were low. As the kids get older, it's impossible to take them out of school so we have to go at peak times. June wasn't bad (went the 1st week), but I am nervous about Spring Break. We have been over 20 times so we are not newbies.......just newbies to Spring Break!

 

[catra121]

Well...it's going to be crowded...and you know that. So just plan for it to be busy and take a more relaxed approach to the trip. Be prepared to wait in line...but try to use fast passes (whatever form they are at that point) to your advantage. Definitely make sure you do your must do things in the morning.

All in all...I think the most important thing is to go in with the right attitude and expectations. If you expect the worst then you will most likely be happily surprised. Your attitude and how you approach the vacation will really have the biggest impact on how much you enjoy your trip.

 

[dmccarty]

We have been to WDW a couple of times at Spring Break. The park's were mostly 9's and 10s during our trips. We would be at RD each morning hopefully at an EMH park. For the Spring Breaks we visited, EMH was two hours early and made a huge difference. We would get into the parks early and pretty much be done by lunch time.

Our kids were younger then and they would be tired by lunch time so we would head back to the resort of rest and pool time. By using EMH we would ride what we wanted, often multiple times, before most people were leaving the resorts.

On one trip we had other family visiting WDW at the same time. They had a miserable time because the wife would not get up early to get to the parks. She would get up late, do he hair and makeup, have breakfast and then get to the parks to wait in line. They did not have a great time.

We had a blast.

With teenagers I would be thinking about using the night EMH parks.

The worst part of a Spring Break WDW visit was the drive down. What is normally a 9-10 hour trip was 12 hours of he..ll. I95 was bumper to bumper and white knuckle driving the whole trip. NOT fun.

Later,
Dan

 

[JennyDrake]

It is manageable w/ FP. Hit the parks at rope drop with breakfast already in your belly. Ride and FP the most popular attractions first. TAKE A MIDDAY BREAK. The crowds are going to be so dense that you won't be getting much done anyway. Then head back about 3 or 4 and stay until close. CS meals will be much faster than sitdowns, even so, eat at off times such as 11 or 1:15 for lunch. Bring waterbottles to refill. Lines at drink carts can be foolishly long.

 

[Barnhill9586]

This is the first year after going seven years in a row for us to not go for Spring Break, but it's not because of crowds at all, we love going for Spring Break but now that my daughter is a little older she had rather go to the beach with her friends instead of hanging with the parents. Imagine that! So this year we're going as soon as school is out.

In seven years we've only had one day where we thought the crowds were unmanageable and that was a Good Friday at the MK about 5-6 years ago. The weather is usually great. Not too hot but hot enough to use the pools. We are not commando touring people though. We hit RD/AM EMHs and ride and do everything we can before the crowds roll in then we head back to resort for lunch, nap/relax time, pool and I usually have a cocktail with me by the pool. Then we head back to a park that evening and take advantage of PM EMHs as well. We generally stay out of the parks between the Noon-3/4PM range. It has always worked well for us and another plus about Spring Break is that park hours are usually much longer than in the slower times. I don't think our style would work during the times when the parks closed earlier, frankly.

Have a great trip!!

 

[blondietink]

Take advantage of EMH's which in the am could mean rope drop of 7 am. But, it is worth getting up early ..... if at MK at 7 am, you can ride most of the rides by 11 am with no lines, no problems. Then eat some lunch, watch the Dreams Come True Parade which they often do around noon and 3 pm, then go back to the hotel and rest, go in the pool, etc. Then pick a park for evening hours. Many are open late, even without EMH hours. Parks like HS will have 2 shows of Fantasmic, and always go to the 2nd show. Not as much waiting and never full.

We had never gone at Spring Break/Easter either because of the rumored crowds. Yes, it is crowded, but if you plan it right, you will have a blast. we love it! Especially love the Flower and Garden Festival (it is really beautiful) and Flower Power Concerts at Epcot!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I think it all depends on your attitude. You don't sound particularly enthusiastic. Set yourself up to have a bad time, and you coudl make that a reality. Set yourself up to have a good time, and you will probably have a good time. It's kind of a glass half fullhalf empty sort a thing.

We've had many fantastic visits to WDW over spring break/Easter/President's week.

It may mean you don't get to ride BTMRR twenty times in a row back to back, but so what? There are plenty of attractions with lesser waits that are plenty fun. It's extrememly easy to have fun if you just go with the flow.

If your kids don't want to get up, you don't have to make them. Just make sure you take advantage of the extended evenig hours instead.

If you are there for actual Easter, consider AK that day. If you will be at WDW over Earth day - consider skipping AK that day.

when it is crowded, we have good luck tweaking our days a tad and doiing simple things- like instead of eating lunch at noon followed by an ice cream at two - when both lines are long- have the ice cream at noon and the burger at two. If you can hold off eating dinner until 8 or 9pm, you'll also do well. Then again, if your kids are sleeping in- that's not all bad either. You miss the breakfast rush, and easily avoid the lunch rush, and can happily eat dinner late. So yes, you miss out on early morning short lines- but you gain because you avoid the food lines. (tha's what so many RDer's miss...the idea that they often make up the differnc some place else. Many RDer's are done by 9pm....Some folks can do both mornings and nights...making sure you can be awake for MK after midnight is also lots of fun.

 

[growinupdisney]

A week ago I got it into my mind that we NEEDto get away for Spring Break, which is 3 weeks from today. I managed to get 4 nights at a DVC resort and am waitlisted for the last night. We're even driving down since it's last minute, but have friends in Atlanta to stay with overnight. I even managed to easily get dinner reservations at Epcot and HS. So excited to go again even though we were just there in June!

I KNOW it will be super crowded. I've checked easywdw for best days at which parks. Besides getting to the parks early (which my teens enjoy so much!), any other suggestions, strategies? In the past we always went at times of the year when crowds were low. As the kids get older, it's impossible to take them out of school so we have to go at peak times. June wasn't bad (went the 1st week), but I am nervous about Spring Break. We have been over 20 times so we are not newbies.......just newbies to Spring Break!

We were put onto this situation about 5 years ago we had always been either May or November visitors. I have to say we love it we will continue this as long as we have to. I still love WDW in Nov. the best just because of the Christmas décor.

We have come to love the Flower and Garden festival, RD is a good idea but if your are ones that like the late EMH you can get a lot done too you rally need to work the FP to make it work.

We usually go rd then leave around noon at MK and DHS then return later in the afternoon but we also stayed the whole time and not left we just play it by ear with the heat and crowds. If you leave grab FP then you we be able to ride them when you return at that time of day most FP return times will later in the evening

 

[DSLRuser]

its not that bad. crowds are what you make of them,

the bigger worry is the weather. March can be all over the place, we have had sunny and 90 degrees, cold and windy and 40 degrees.

you never know.

We are going in 2 weeks. this will be the 5th trip in march.

 

[kapoof]

We went once and never would return during a busy time...we did rope drop, mk opened at 7:00a.m our alarm went off at 5:00 we were on the bus at 6:15 at the park by 630.... We were not alone. While I did enjoy disney I didn't like the crowds. So no more for us...ever. I wish you luck.

 

[BrerNashville]

Well, there's spring break crowds, and then there's the spring break the week before or after Easter crowds.

The former are heavy but manageable. The latter are "it's more crowded only once or twice a year" crowded, where it would seem your best bet is to take advantage of morning EMH and leave the parks during the 11 to 3 timeframe.

But, it's still Disney and there are still Fastpasses to help out.

 

[denise5374]

I'm with you, we normally go in the summer so its never crowd levels of 1s but usually 5's or 6's (last week of August) so this could be interesting. But my DSs high school baseball team is going for Spring Break and playing Wide World of Sports, so I am going Plus the 2 families that we are traveling with have only been 1 time so....

My plan is to get up early and hit rope drop do as much as possible and then leave and head back to the same park at night. We are doing all CS meals this time. Plus we will be leaving at various times to watch the baseball games.

Hoping for the best....Whatever it is, its better than being at home

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Who says you have to fight crowds in MK to have fun?

If you go to MK for a bit, and it's too crowded..leave. Swim, rent a surrey bike, play mini golf. There's never a line to tour resorts, there's almost never alnie to loko at Flowers in Epcot, you can always rent a pontoon boat. There's also paddle boats at the Swan.

It's usually quite easy to find SOMETHING that you've enver done before at WDW, or haven't done in a long time.

Sometimes, it amazingly fun just to pick a spot outside MK, and watch the masses come and go. I can't say I want to rent aboat every trip, but it's amazingly peaceful out on the lake.

If crowds are low, then it's not always worthwile to leave the parks, but if they are busy, it's pretty easy to hop from MK to a MK area deluxe - or from WS/HS to a BWK area deluxe- and enjoy a quiet lunch. As another poster said, graba fp- leave for lunch- then head back in to use it.

What you don't want to do it spend your time in very long standby lines. it's also probably a good idea to have a few ADR's.

Still one more option, spend an evening having dinner offsite. There are tons of great options. Many of them are rather reasonable. If you don't have a car, take a taxi. Just past the DTD resort is a large plaza witha bunch of options. In fact, just off WDW is almost any direction are a bunch of good options.

 

[eliza61]

I KNOW it will be super crowded. I've checked easywdw for best days at which parks. Besides getting to the parks early (which my teens enjoy so much!), any other suggestions, strategies? In the past we always went at times of the year when crowds were low. As the kids get older, it's impossible to take them out of school so we have to go at peak times. June wasn't bad (went the 1st week), but I am nervous about Spring Break. We have been over 20 times so we are not newbies.......just newbies to Spring Break!

Truthfully Kathy, I think you've got a big advantage.

1) you're a dvc member. so what if you don't get to ride tsm 5 times. you know you'll be back.

2) you've been before so you know what works for you. You won't be stumbling around. you already knowhow to maximize your time.

I'm due in the world for a break also 3/17-3/22. I've got 1 adr's and I'm not worried about eating cs. I've got park hoppers so If I don't like the crowds at one park I'll go else where. no worries. I'm taking 3 teens/young adults so I know we won't be making rope drop and I am absolutely willing to bet we'll have a great time.

Truthfully I'm more excited about taking pictures of the new fantasyland than stress over rides. that's one big advantage ofbeing a dvc member.

Pretty much I'm more concerned about having nice weather than crowds.

 

[RookieLady]

Be prepared to explain to your kids that they need to choose their priorities. I have been at New Years, but every other time we went, it was low crowds. My kids were used to riding a ride 10 times in a row if they wanted with no wait. I took them for New Years one year and they refused to wait in line. I remember this surreal moment trying to explain to my children that waiting at Disney is more normal than not waiting. After the first day of waiting (and whining), they got up early to go. We went at the crack of dawn and walked on, the way they were accustomed to doing. I learned that my kids will not wait. They will sacrifice other things so as not to wait. You need to figure out what's more important to yours, sleeping or not waiting. It will be a shock for them if they are truly accustomed to the low season. Be prepared for it.

 

[edk35]

A week ago I got it into my mind that we NEEDto get away for Spring Break, which is 3 weeks from today. I managed to get 4 nights at a DVC resort and am waitlisted for the last night. We're even driving down since it's last minute, but have friends in Atlanta to stay with overnight. I even managed to easily get dinner reservations at Epcot and HS. So excited to go again even though we were just there in June!

I KNOW it will be super crowded. I've checked easywdw for best days at which parks. Besides getting to the parks early (which my teens enjoy so much!), any other suggestions, strategies? In the past we always went at times of the year when crowds were low. As the kids get older, it's impossible to take them out of school so we have to go at peak times. June wasn't bad (went the 1st week), but I am nervous about Spring Break. We have been over 20 times so we are not newbies.......just newbies to Spring Break!

WOW YOU SOUND JUST LIKE US. Last Friday....we booked at SSR for 4 nights with a wait list...that same night I noticed my next night was open...so I cancelled my wait list and grabbed that night. THEN 30 min. later LOW AND BEHOLD...my next night was available...so I grabbed it. Then I noticed that AKV Kidani had the next two nights so I grabbed them and CALLED IT A DAY. LOL Our first spring break was LAST YEAR. We actually stayed off site in a rented home and had AP's so we didn't have to pay for parking. Honestly...we didn't think it was that bad. This is trip 24 for us....and I am looking forward to it. I will take a BUSY WEEK AT DISNEY over not going at all. We have teens and a 22 year old...so we know...they hate getting up BUT the early bird gets the worm. We always use Tour Guide Mike for any trip and this was no exception. Was it more crowded than an off peak time...yeppers...but we rode everything using fast passes. MK was always crowded and we expect that this trip even more so with the new Fantasy Land stuff. I was even able to grab a couple of ADR's as well. IT WILL BE FUN.....ENJOY YOUR TRIP!!

 

[tmbacon]

We went at Spring Break a few years ago and swore the same thing - "Never Again"! But 'lo and behold, here we are tacking a few days after our Spring Break cruise at VWL in early April. This is our 10th trip, so we're not *quite* as experienced as some of you, but we're meeting long-time family friends who are DVC and go at least twice a year. I think they've been there about 30-35 times. So, I'm going to put my trust in them to help us navigate through our priorities (which are minimal, given the high crowds).

I know we'll be back again - so we're going to go in with a good attitude, just like many of you recommend, and low expectations to get on many rides/attractions. Truthfully, despite the horrendous crowds we'll encounter, none of us can wait to be back at WDW.

 

[Tomader]

We were there for our midwinter break and President's weekend and it was very busy. Rides that would usually take 10-20 minutes were taking 40-50 minutes. I can't even imagine what spring break will be like. Some days we could only do a couple rides. Not as enjoyable when there is so many people. It became very stressful. I almost enjoyed staying at our pool for the day. I want to add if I had a chance to go even at spring break time I would go in a second!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

We have gone spring break the last two years and found it very manageable. We did RD everyday, had a touring plan, and used FP. We never waited more than 20 minutes all week and rode many things more than once. The weather was gorgeous both times too.

 

[kangaroodle]

WOW YOU SOUND JUST LIKE US. Last Friday....we booked at SSR for 4 nights with a wait list...that same night I noticed my next night was open...so I cancelled my wait list and grabbed that night.

I think you got the room I was looking at on Friday at SSR! I waited too long and it was gone. Dragged my feet all weekend trying to figure out how to "tell" my husband we were going to Disney for Spring Break! I took a chance and booked a 1BR at Saratoga for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday and waitlisted Monday and Thursday. Monday has come thru, waiting for Thursday. I was so excited when Monday came through that I was dancing around the kitchen! I know my co-workers all think I'm crazy for being so excited to go to Disney when we just went there this past June. They can't even figure out why my kids ages 13 and 16 still love going! True Disney fans know the feeling.............

I KNOW my waitlist will come through and I KNOW we will have a great time at Disney despite the crowds. As you all have said (more or less), even a crowded day at Disney is better than sitting around looking at the gloomy skies around Chicago! 3 weeks from tomorrow we'll be on our way!

This is so out of character for me. I am an uber vacation planner, usually planning things about a year in advance! We aren't commando at the parks but I do like knowing which parks we will be at each day. After that, we do plan a few "must dos" and then go with the flow. Last minute has a bit of a thrill to it! (Also, not telling the kids till the day before we go. ALL their friends are going away and they think they are staying home too.)