# Magic Kingdom on Easter



## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Did anyone on TUG go to the Magic Kingdom on Easter last year?  If so, did the park close before a certain hour and if so, when did it reopen?  

I'm going to Orlando for Easter week and would like to do Magic Kingdom on Easter.  Yes, I know it will be crowded but the park is open until 1AM and that is really the only day I can go.  I'll be taking three foster kids who have never been out of the state of Ohio before, let alone to Disneyworld so the last thing I want to do is tell them we are going to Disney and then show up on Easter and the park be closed.  How horrible would that be.  

We are not staying on-site or I wouldn't worry about the parks being closed at all.  In fact, I am thinking about getting after 2PM convention tickets and going at 2PM since I really want to be at our resort (Marriott Harbor Lake) on Easter morning and do lunch before leaving for the park.

Any advice would be great.  Thanks.

-Jim


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## bnoble (Mar 18, 2013)

The After 2 tickets are only available through conventions held at WDW (and maybe other nearby venues), so that is probably not viable.

This is the second busiest season of the year, after only the week between Christmas and New Years.  It is very possible that MK will enter phased closure, and arriving in the early afternoon is about the worst possible time you could choose to show up.  If that's the only day you can go, and you are not willing to go early, take a break during the afternoon hours (the worst of the crowds), and come back that evening, I would not even bother.


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Will the day after Easter be better?  Just realized the Magic Kingdom is open unitl 1AM all of Easter week.

I won't mind the lines as the point of that day is to give the kids the experience of Disney, if only for one day.  I just do not want to show-up and be turned away because of crowd closures.

I can always get convention tickets.


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## chicagosfinest1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Any day will be very busy during Easter week. It should be less crowded the day after Easter. Make sure to go as soon as the park opens. If you wait until noon you will be waiting in a long line for anything. Get a fast pass for anything that they want to ride for sure and get that fast pass right away. The Magic Kingdom does not have a lot of magic to me during peek times like Easter week. Just know going in that you can't even come close to doing everything in a week let alone a day. Have fun and good luck!


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## Loueloui (Mar 18, 2013)

*WDW Easter 2013 crowd levels.*

Hi Jdunn1,


I have been to WDW hundreds of times. I've found Touringplans.com to be the most reliable predictor of crowds out there. They are spot on probably 95% of the time, or more and they are well worth the subscription fee.

If you have any other questions about WDW, or Orlando in general PM me. I don't mind answering them at all. I have a special hatred of the tourist traps and other sleazy players in Orlando, and I hate seeing tourists get taken advantage of. 

Also, kudos to you for having foster kids.


*
From the Touringplans.com website:*

 Overall Crowds Easter Sunday March 31, 2013 

    Crowd Level: 10 out of 10
    Crowd Notes: Easter Sunday

 Magic Kingdom

    Crowd Level: 9.5 out of 10
    This is a Best Park (due to the 7-Day Rule)
    Park Hours: 8:00am - 1:00am
    Morning Extra Magic Hour at 7:00am
    Evening Extra Magic Hours until 3:00am 

 Epcot

    Crowd Level: 8.1 out of 10
    This is a Neutral Park
    Park Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm
    Morning Extra Magic Hour at 8:00am 

 Disney's Hollywood Studios

    Crowd Level: 9.2 out of 10
    This is a Best Park
    Park Hours: 9:00am - 10:00pm 

 Animal Kingdom

    Crowd Level: 9.4 out of 10
    This is a Park to Avoid
    Park Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm 


*Historical crowds for last Easter (April 8th 2012) for the parks were:*

 Overall Crowds
    Crowd Level: 10 out of 10
    Crowd Notes: Easter Sunday

 Magic Kingdom
    Crowd Level: 9.8 out of 10
    This was a Best Park (due to the 7-Day Rule) 

 Epcot
    Crowd Level: 9.3 out of 10
    This was a Neutral Park

 Disney's Hollywood Studios
    Crowd Level: 9.8 out of 10
    This was a Park to Avoid

 Animal Kingdom
    Crowd Level: 9.7 out of 10
    This was a Best Park


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks, Loueloui.  This is great information.  We are kind of locked into Easter day at Magic Kingdom but I decided on full day tickets verses the after 2PM tickets.  I'm having the tickets mailed to my house so I will not have to deal with will call on Easter morning.  Also, my sister will be staying on-site so I am going to use one of her room key cards so we can get in an hour early.  I hope to hit all the big rides within the first 2-3 hours and then everything else that happens Easter day at Disney will be a bonus.  

Honetly, the kids are just going to be so excited being there, it won't really matter if the park gets crowded.  We will hit as many big rides as we can and get fast passes for them, too.  

This is purely a day for the foster kids, not me, and so I am just going to try and give them as much Disneyworld as I can on Easter day and not let the crowds and lines get to me.  If the park gets summer busy by lunch, we will take a break and hit the monorail and I can show them the Contemporary resort and other neat things to see around the monrail.

I'm very excited for the kids (ages 8, 10 and 16 + my own 7 year old).  My son has been to Disney a couple times and to Florida a few times but the foster kids have never had anything like this.  Wish it wasn't so expensive.  I just spent almost $500 on these tickets.  Ouch!!!

I'm glad I only like Disney and do not have to vacation there multiple weeks a year like I read others doing.


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## DeniseM (Mar 18, 2013)

Where do you get after 2:00 pm tickets?


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Hi denise.  This is where I always get them.

http://www.disneyconventiontickets.com/disneyworld/parks/tickets/






DeniseM said:


> Where do you get after 2:00 pm tickets?


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## vacationhopeful (Mar 18, 2013)

If you are doing EMHs, EACH person must have a ROOM KEY  ... at least that is how they have checked on me and my party when we do EMHs.


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## DeniseM (Mar 18, 2013)

After you add the 6.5% sales tax, it appears that the half-day convention ticket prices are the same price as buying regular full-day tickets at Undercover Tourist, with the Mouse Savers discount.


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

That's my fear but I've called the resort and best I can tell I can use one room key for my party if my tickets are not linked to a room key.  If I can't get in an hour early with my sister it is no big deal but I will at least send my son in with her and maybe the youngest foster kid so they can do kiddy land until the rest of us can get in an hour later.





vacationhopeful said:


> If you are doing EMHs, EACH person must have a ROOM KEY  ... at least that is how they have checked on me and my party when we do EMHs.


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

I do not see any discount on mousavers for a single day ticket.  What am I missing?  thanks.




DeniseM said:


> After you add the 6.5% sales tax, it appears that the half-day convention ticket prices are the same price as buying regular full-day tickets at Undercover Tourist, with the Mouse Savers discount.


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## DeniseM (Mar 18, 2013)

jdunn1 said:


> I do not see any discount on mousavers for a single day ticket.  What am I missing?  thanks.



I'm sorry - I didn't get the "single day" part.


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## bnoble (Mar 18, 2013)

> I can use one room key for my party if my tickets are not linked to a room key.


They usually insist on seeing one room key per person, to prevent exactly what you are trying to do.


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## jdunn1 (Mar 18, 2013)

Good to know.  We will wing it and see what happens.  It's only an hour early admission so no big loss if we can't all get in.  I'll make sure she gets five room keys, then.




bnoble said:


> They usually insist on seeing one room key per person, to prevent exactly what you are trying to do.


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## Paumavista (Mar 18, 2013)

*Smart to go early*

We ALWAYS arrived before opening "rope drop"........then you hurry directly to your most favorite "must do" ride & get fast passes to another favorite.  You might want to head to an area that has 2 of your favorite rides near by because the first two you hit at "rope drop" will be the shortest lines you'll see all day!!  Then you'll hit your fast pass ride & have the rest of the day to catch the last child's "favorite" pick.  (pick up another fast pass)
Even though you say it isn't a big deal to you.....I really can't emphasize enough what a benefit it will be if you just do a little reading ahead of time and agree where you want to be in the first 5 minutes!!  Do NOT waste all the time of getting up early and waiting for the opening to stand there reading the map while thousands run past you to form the lines.
You can download maps on line ahead of time and the kids can have an exciting time planning, reading about the rides or attraction, and choosing which one is most important to them.  
Once each child (4) have gotten to visit their favorite attaction you can try to relax, go back past all the shops and sites you hurried past.....you'll have the rest of the day to enjoy the ambiance and anything else that looks fun - but you won't feel like you missed anything if you've already seen all the "E" rides (ok....that's a very old joke)

Judy


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