Orlando Experts - Need opinion

[3kids4me]

Some neighbors of ours are deciding whether to go to Disney during a President's Week or their April Vacation week, which I believe is not the week before or after Easter but is still in April. (They live in the next town and their vacation schedule is a bit different from ours this year.)

What would you all recommend in general? I personally think it can get hot in April, but maybe it's less crowded than President's week if it's not Easter?

Thanks for any advice!

Sharon

 

[Vodo]

Because school systems all across the country do Spring breaks at varying times (ours is in mid-March), April tends to be a very crowded month in the Disney area. Presidents Week would be much less busy. It may be a little cool in February (or it may be 85 degrees - we never know in Florida from day to day), but I would still choose less crowded, especially if my plans included the theme parks.

Cindy

 

[JBRES1]

I vote for April

Presidents week will be very busy at Disney.
The weather can sometimes be cool in Feb.
Avg high in Feb =73 deg Avg high in Apr = 83 deg.
The month of April is the best month of the year in Orlando, lowest amount of rain and great weather.
Jim breslin

 

[Vodo]

Well, now that you're scratching your head and feeling no better off than you were when you posted your query , I'll add that, IMHO, the very best times to go to the Disney area are May and September. Though I also enjoy October, November, early December and January. I do still believe, given only February and April as options, that I would choose February for crowd purposes and April for weather purposes (unless I didn't want to get overheated at the theme parks - April is great pool weather, but a little too warm for traipsing around Disney all day).

Cindy

 

[Big Matt]

I will never, ever return to Disney during Easter week. I was in Animal Kingdom trying to get from the tree of life across a bridge to Dinoland and I couldn't get there. There were people everywhere on the bridge with strollers, kids, etc. I stood there and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a human traffic jam that rivaled any busy highway.

 

[timetraveler]

We too only travel to Orlando during late April, May, late September-early October, November, and occasionally mid January. We avoid Orlando like the plague during school breaks.

 

[elaine]

easter is lovely weather and CRAZY at disney

I have been at xmas, thanksg., MLK and easter----xmas and easter are the worst times to go to disney. BUT the weather is lovely--so we are going again this and next easter.
if they go at easter, they should plan to stay at a nice resort with pools that they can enjoy--it might still be cold and yucky in the NE.
For disney, they HAVE to get up EARLY and get park hoppers---disney opens at 8 am for EVERYONE during easter---bite the bullet and get up and get to park by 8:30---take train staight around to frontier or futureland and ride rides in that area--we got onto big thunder 2X in a row at 9 am--small world, etc. the same. They MUST learn ahead of time about fast passes--and you must be "on an agenda." Might seem a little rushed, but it knocks out HOURS of standing in line!
Ride only rides in the area that they are in for the AM--then get a fast pass that will now be an hr or so away in time at one favorite ride, eat lunch, ride that ride and LEAVE park---go enjoy the pools, etc. We made the mistake of going back after a HUGE rain shower from 4-6 pm, so we thought that magic kingdom would be empty--well, at 7 pm, still TONS of people walking around with rain ponchos and all fast passes, were, of course, gone!
If they have park hopper--they can do AK, MK, epcot in the AM with the same drill (get a book and find secrets), then go home and then go back to MGM for bigger shows---we got right in for several shows without any fast passes--this works esp. well when everyone has gone over to watch fantasmic, etc.
I love EASTER at disney b/c of the weather--but if they are going just to do disney and this is there one big trip--then NOT at Easter. THis Easter, we will only go to the parks 2X max the whole week. The rest of week will be using pools, and maybe disney waterpark.

 

[travel girl 2]

Subscribe to www.tourguidemike.com and traveling at crowded times is not a problem, and you see everything you want!

We went at Christmas 2 years ago and following his advice we had a fairly crowd free experience.

We just got back last Saturday from an early Dec. Disney vacation and there was NO ONE there - totally worth taking the kids out of school for that!!!

 

[frenchieinme]

Your question was Feb or April, correct? As mentioned before, Feb for crowd reasons and April for weather reasons. But then again, we go every Feb to orlando and we have hit 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, & 90s for weather. Go figure, uh?

JMHO of course

frenchieinme

 

[BocaBum99]

Well, now that you're scratching your head and feeling no better off than you were when you posted your query , I'll add that, IMHO, the very best times to go to the Disney area are May and September. Though I also enjoy October, November, early December and January. I do still believe, given only February and April as options, that I would choose February for crowd purposes and April for weather purposes (unless I didn't want to get overheated at the theme parks - April is great pool weather, but a little too warm for traipsing around Disney all day).

Cindy

I agree with May, but not September. September is the peak hurricane month and the worst weather of the year. It is the least busy in September, but there is a reason for it. If you are going to pick fall, then late October, Early November is the best. And, you get the International Wine and Food festival as well.

 

[Vodo]

We love September because the best resorts are incredibly wide open with regard to availability, the theme parks are empty (extremely so), and we feel like we own the area. It's completely dead. My husband and I are both lifelong Florida natives, and I can honestly say that until 2004, we never gave hurricane season a thought when planning our vacations - or our lives for that matter. After Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan, we do now take that risk into consideration, but it still doesn't flavor our decisions much. Hurricane season runs from June through November, which is a pretty long stretch. September has been an active hurricane month for the last two or three years and has historically marked the end of the highest risk period, but like I said, my husband and I had never, in our 58 and 47 years, respectively, even given hurricane season more than a passing contemplation until just recently. I'm hoping that this current trend toward more tropical activity in Florida is short-lived, both in September and throughout the storm season. I'm a little hurricane weary in general (vacations nothwithstanding).

When there isn't a hurricane impacting the weather, September, while still very hot, has typical summer weather patterns for Florida. That means mostly sunny with quick afternoon thunderstorms most days, although we've had some near drought weather in September too. (In the Tampa area, we've had watering restrictions for years now because of inadequate rainfall.)

Cindy

 

[BocaBum99]

I've lived in South Florida since 1999, hence my screen name. September is the hotest and most humid month of the year. The hurricanes are just an added bonus. June and July weather is far superior to September weather. Our August and September is equivalent to the Northeast July and August in terms of hot and humid weather.

 

[moonlightgraham]

I'm writing this email from Old Key West and thought I would add some realtime experience. The weather this week started out drizzly and cool and since Tuesday has been wonderfully clear and in the mid-60's for highs and mid-40's for lows (although usually mid to low 50's during evening park hours). It's been interesting to see the clothing choices of those at the parks. Everything from shorts and t-shirts during low-50's evenings (obviously the northerners making a statement) to those from the warmer climes dressed as if on an arctic expedition! Our last visit was in January and we had the place to ourselves unlike now and the weather wasn't really any colder. We've been in May too and also had very little crowds, although more than in Jan., but summer temps were certainly in place.

The Christmas decorations, the resort's ginger bread/chocolate displays and special shows have all been great as advertised, especially the Illuminations Fireworks at EPCOT, but the crowds make getting around a challange, so next time we'll focus on the off-peak times, it's just a lot more enjoyable to me to not feel so rushed and crowded.

 

[gjw007]

It may be a little late to get President week. I'm taking the week off and was really surprised that I could find no availability. As far a preference to the time of the year, I have gone in May, July, August, September, and December. I go to WDW every year the week before Xmas and have gone for the last few years during May as well. Crowds in early December and May have never been a problem but the crowds get worse as Xmas approaches and it was more crowded during the last week of May last year than I have experienced in May before. Don't go during July; too hot, crowded, etc. I have gone toward the end of August twice; the first time was very pleasant with nice temperatures and low crowds but the second was way too hot and busy. Early September the crowds thinned but it was still too hot.

 

[Dean]

There is a significant difference in park attendance for Feb compared to March and April. However, the weekend associate with presidents day and president's day itself will be very busy. If it were I, I'd go in Feb and try to do more relaxing on that specific weekend. The last week of April will be good also when it doesn't abut Easter.

 

[3kids4me]

Hi and thanks all.

To be specific, these are the **only** two options they have:

The week of April 15th, 2007 (Easter is April 8th, so we are talking about arriving a week after Easter). (I was concerned about spring breakers...but how many spring breakers go to Disney?)

The week of February 18th, 2007 (President's Day is February 19th).

They have four children and can only go during their school break. They like rides and swimming but do not like things very hot. (They went to Mexico once during summer and said never again. The dad and two oldest girls got to go to Paris during Thanksgiving and had a great time.)

They will be staying off property. They are not timesharers but I will probably help them get something, either by exchange or rental.

Hope that helps!!

Sharon

 

[Detailor]

Hi Sharon-

I'd suggest mid-April over the February week. It should be solidly in the 80s in April - nice beach weather, nice pool weather, maybe a little hot if they try to spend every hour of the days that they go to the theme parks in the parks. But then you know that the theme parks can be a bit much at any time of the year if you stay all day.
As others have pointed out, February weather can vary greatly - from being too cool to being pretty nice. I tend to think that my family has always had a better time in Orlando when the weather is more stable. So, I'd go in April if it were me.

Dick Taylor

 

[Dean]

Hi and thanks all.

To be specific, these are the **only** two options they have:

The week of April 15th, 2007 (Easter is April 8th, so we are talking about arriving a week after Easter). (I was concerned about spring breakers...but how many spring breakers go to Disney?)

The week of February 18th, 2007 (President's Day is February 19th).

They have four children and can only go during their school break. They like rides and swimming but do not like things very hot. (They went to Mexico once during summer and said never again. The dad and two oldest girls got to go to Paris during Thanksgiving and had a great time.)

They will be staying off property. They are not timesharers but I will probably help them get something, either by exchange or rental.

Hope that helps!!

Sharon

I'd think both weeks would be busy. The April likely more so every day, the feb more so for the first couple of days.

 

[dgdbloe]

Hi and thanks all.

To be specific, these are the **only** two options they have:

The week of April 15th, 2007 (Easter is April 8th, so we are talking about arriving a week after Easter). (I was concerned about spring breakers...but how many spring breakers go to Disney?)

The week of February 18th, 2007 (President's Day is February 19th).


Sharon

Thought Easter is April 16th this yr- which means you would be there for Easter

 

[jackio]

The schools here on Long Island have the week before Easter off and go back the Tuesday after Easter. I would think that if spring breaks were scattered throughout March and April, it would be less crowded then than in Feb.

 

[3kids4me]

Thought Easter is April 16th this yr- which means you would be there for Easter

Yes, but I'm talking about 2007.

 

[spiceycat]

I would go with April.

April will have longer hours.

So they could go early in the morning leave when the parks get full or crowded. then come back later in the evening.

I say evening and I mean evening - not late afternoon - still too crowded.

but around 7pm in the evening - lots of families are leaving.

most of these weeks the parks are open late - midnight for the MK, Epcot and Studio 10pm, AK (which is only surpose to be open dawn to dusk) can be open late.

these are the REGULAR hours. So if your friends can afford to stay onsite and get the extra hours too - they can and do everything in April.

during the time they aren't in the parks - go resort visiting (wdw has some beautiful resorts), swimming (even WDW value resorts have some nice pools), shopping and most important napping - so they can return that night and not miss any sleep.

I did this for the July 4 holiday time one year and it worked great. the parks closed early because of crowds - but we were gone LONG before then - came back that night.

 

[spiceycat]

oh don't count out the DVC resorts - you can get a studio at OKW for $110 (11 points at $10) a night for Sun-thurs and have all the WDW benefits of staying on site.

the weekends Fri/sat are more $270 (27 points at $10).

 

[elaine]

definitely april, esp since week after easter

I bet few, if any, schools will be on spring break that late, and you are arriving a full week after easter ended. The crowds will have dropped off a lot and the weather should be divine!

 

[BocaBum99]

I bet few, if any, schools will be on spring break that late, and you are arriving a full week after easter ended. The crowds will have dropped off a lot and the weather should be divine!

I totally agree with the week after the week after Easter. That gets close to early May and early May is my favorite time. Especially around Mother's day.