<p>We’ve only been to Disney during off-peak times and it was great. This time we’re thinking of going the week of March 12. Apparently the spring break time lasts about five weeks, starting the beginning of March and ending around the middle of April.</p>
<p>We know to avoid Easter week, but are the other spring break weeks really that bad? Is there anyone here on CC who’s been there during this time or anyone who lives in the area and is familiar with how bad it gets? I really dislike long lines.</p>
<p>It’s bad…but not sooooo bad. Not July bad. It’s kind of fun to see all the groups in their different colored tees. Use Fast-Passes whenever possible to avoid long lines. Take frequent breaks. </p>
<p>Toon-Town will be closing very soon to permit expansion of Fantasyland. If that closure has already taken place when you get there, it will put more pressure on the rest of MK.</p>
<p>It’s crowded. So crowded that they end up closing the park and not allowing you in. We were there 2 yrs ago and found that EPCOT was less crowded in the morning and the Magic Kingdom was better late afternoon. The MK was open till midnight and we stayed late. If you can stay onsite and have the park hopper passes that is ideal. If you stay off site traffic getting into the parks is ridiculous. I grew up 30 minutes from Disney and my family is all still there. FWIW we prefer Busch Gardens in Tampa</p>
<p>Though in my experience college kids tend not to want to head to D’World in flocks for Spring Break (too many rules! I mean, you gotta wear a shirt!), with Mexico having so much bad press, Florida may find more of the older kids choosing to go there again. </p>
<p>Spring Break at D’World is usually High Schoolers en masse and frequently large groups from places like Brazil. They can be rowdy.</p>
<p>We’ve been there a few times during that week when our kids were young. It’s busy. That week is March Break week in Canada so expect lots of Canadians.</p>
<p>It’s not the college kids causing crowded conditions,it’s the elementary school kids on break…I have been there once during a ‘break’ time,and wouldn’t go back at that time for free…When kids were younger,5th grade and lower,we’d take them out of school to visit WDW</p>
<p>I’ve been to Disney in July. When I walked into Epcot, I asked “Is it open?” The place was deserted…not crowded at all. I was also there during Christmas…when it was MOBBED…and again in March (on a band trip) crowded but not unmanageable.</p>
<p>Can you still get reservations for THIS March 12 week? That could tell you something.</p>
<p>Our experience was that we saw everyone from our town … at the airport parking, on the plane, at the hotel, around the parks, on the plane, on the bus back to airport parking … </p>
<p>We joked that we should just charter our own plane … and get group deals.</p>
<p>We did Epcot on Good Friday a few years ago. It was really busy, but I think the key was good planning. We researched where to park and went in a back entrance fairly early in the day. We knew exactly what areas we wanted to hit and had made reservations for lunch in advance. As Novelisto mentioned, find out where FastPasses are offered and use them.</p>
<p>The reason we picked that week is it’s because that’s my daughter’s college spring break (along with 2 million other kids, apparently). She’s graduating in May and this was going to be sort of a “last hurrah” for us as far as family vacations. My son is graduating high school in June, but he can afford to take a week off at that point in his senior year without jeopardizing his GPA, etc., but my daughter can’t (much harder to make up a week of college work). Assuming (hoping!) that she gets a job after graduation, there won’t be many opportunities for family vacations after that point. And she will probably want to spend them with her friends or boyfriend rather than at Disney with her family!</p>
<p>Oh well, maybe I shouldn’t push it. Standing in long lines in a crowded park is probably not the best way to spend our last vacation.</p>
<p>Frankly, though I am a Disney Fiend, I wouldn’t go there for a ‘last hurrah’. Depending on the budget, I’d do something like a Caribbean island, a cruise, or the Grand Canyon (check the weather!). Even Hawaii. Somewhere not so distracting, where you can concentrate on each other and have fun that lasts longer than a 4 1/2 minute ride.</p>
<p>I agree,a last hurrah should be spectacular,and WDW is kinda boring for the ages of your children…We’ve been ere at least 10 times, and with our oldest in their late teens,I couldn’t imagine them being excited to go…Take a cruise, there will be something for everyone</p>
<p>Join Tour Guide Mike (tourguidemike.com). It’s about $20. He gives you touring plans that work (but you have to be willing to not sleep in.) We were at WDW Thankgiving week and never waiting in line for a ride over 10 minutes.</p>
<p>My kids fondly remember our first vacation at Disney…and BOTH have said that they would love to do another family vacation there with all of us. They are 22 and 26. For some families the memories would make it a great last hurrah.</p>
<p>If you need to hire a ‘planner’ to negotiate WDW,you shouldn’t go…Having been there many times,and at Thanksgiving, I doubt that you ‘never’ waited more then 10 minutes for a ride, even taking advantage of ‘FastPass’ as they are restricted to one every 20 minutes or so,so you can’t accumulate them…AND a vacation there should be somewhat enjoyable,running to each ride to take it all in in as little time as possible seems very UN relaxing…</p>
<p>Thumper, just curious,what could twenty somethings find to do at WDW?..My kids loved it,but I can’t think they’d really want to return ,though I am sure they’d go if we asked (and paid)…since Disney,we’ve cruised and went to the Caymans,both types of vacations they’d rather do then WDW…</p>
<p>I guess the desire to go to Disney is mainly mine. One last bit of nostalgia perhaps, for when they were little. If we had been there ten times already, then I agree, I would probably never go again, but we’ve been there only three times, the last maybe seven or eight years ago. And there’s more to it than Magic Kingdom. Between the various parks, I’m sure there are things that we missed.</p>
<p>We would probably only spend three or four days there anyway. We want to visit Harry Potter world also. My kids grew up on those books (and my husband and I read them too), so we’d enjoy seeing that. Maybe a day or two relaxing by the pool, playing miniature golf, etc.</p>
<p>We’ve done the islands and came to the conclusion that we’re not really beach people. We kind of like to run around and go from one thing to the next. We’ve been to the Grand Canyon/Sedona and the west coast, and also on a cruise. Hawaii would be wonderful but one week would not do it justice, especially travelling from the east coast. </p>
<p>Orlando seems to fit the bill for one week. If only all those other people would stay home!</p>
<p>If you want to spend a week in Orlando, rather than at Disney, there are lots of things for older kids. Islands of Adventure is the favorite amusement park for my 18 yr old and her friends. Harry Potter is just the icing on the cake! They also love Sea World and Discovery Cove. Their favorite Disney park is Hollywood Studios.</p>