Good Friday weekend-good or bad time to visit Disney?
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Thanks,
Mike
Thanks,
Mike
Eastertime crowds are second only to Christmas week crowds. Since nearly all Catholic schools are out of session that time of year it's quite busy.
Disney is massive and very expensive. You'll be totally overwhelmed if you go when there are huge crowds. I just don't think it's possible to enjoy it very much when it's that busy, and if it's your first trip, that bad experience will be remembered forever.
(I've been there over 25x and still would not go at Christmas or Easter!!)
The best thing, I've found, is to go at an off peak time such as mid-September. While there are many Europeans and S. Americans there at that time, the general crowd size is much less. Of course for most people this would mean taking the kids out of school (unless they get time off for the Jewish holidays in late Sept. like kids here on LI do.)
The real secrets to Disney lie in doing your homework, getting a lay of the land before you arrive, and knowing what are your 'must sees'. I always cringe walking into the parks on a busy day and seeing the family of 6 standing on Main Street with a map in their hand saying "what should we do first?". Plan, plan, plan!!
It is true that Disney does plan refurbishment at off-peak times, but parks (especially the Magic Kingdom) are aging, and maintenance and refurbishment are necessary evils. Sometimes rides go down unexpectedly for a few hours or days so you can never be sure. Some major attractions like the Haunted Mansion, Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean have recently undergone major refurbishment but can still be down at any given time. Disney will always try to keep one water park open when the other is closed for refurb (usually in Jan and Feb).
Mid-Nov. used to be a great time to go. I would sandwich a trip in between the Election Day and Veterans Day holidays and get a week long vacation with minimal disruption to my kids school schedules. Weather was pretty nice too. But the past few years have been "Jersey Week" at that time in Disney...almost all public schools in NJ are off for that week and it sure seems like a trip to Disney is a mandatory requirement....yikes...so I now try and avoid that time of year.
If you choose to go at a busy time, the best thing to do is research and advanced planning.
So much for that plan, but thanks for the advice!
Mike
For the past few years, instead of going for a week during off-season, usually Oct/Nov, we have been making more shorter trips of 3-5 days. These trips have mostly been during holiday weekends.
There is a massive difference between going at holiday times and off-season - even with the extended hours.
We can usually get on every ride we want multiple times with little to no waits during the off season. During holiday periods the lines are much longer, and because we go so often, we won't even wait for them.
That's why I do whatever I can to discourage people with young children from going during holiday/busy periods. They can easily get turned off and think that it's that way all the time. Plus, they'll be pretty much fed up with the crowds & wait times after 4 or 5 days.
Indeed. There's always a tradeoff anyway. Busy times have extended park hours and off peak times have greatly reduced hours and an increased amount of rides down for rehab.
That being said, I agree with the other posters. If you can go at traditionally inconvenient times you'll have fewer people competing with you for everything.
The best times to go are February and September. You might have to take the kids out of school, but the experience will be much more fun and enjoyable.
Good advice. If your kids go back to school after Labor Day then late August/very early September works well for crowds but the weather can be brutal (and rainy).
The best times to go are February and September. You might have to take the kids out of school, but the experience will be much more fun and enjoyable.
Any time around Easter is bad. Add to it that many people use this school time off to take their family when the weather is nearly perfect, and you've got a recipe for huge crowds.
I know that my neighbors all take their kids away for Easter break - whether or not they celebrate the holiday.
Over the years, I've found that Easter has turned into a non-holiday. First stores started opening, and then people started using this as a big vacation week.
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