???? for CRUISINMAMA06

[mommyx2]

Hi Michelle,

 

I am been on these boards for a while and see that you have been to DW a few times and offer alot of suggestions. Can you help me with this??

We live in CA and want to come to Florida and do a cruise and stay a few days either pre or post and do DW. I am thinking of our Spring Break march 2009. we are off for 2 weeks last week of march and first week of april, will it be a mob scene there? not sure when other spring breaks are.

 

Since we live in CA we have been to Disneyland quite a few times, but I went to DW as a kid and my kids are 10 and 6 so I am wanting them to experience it as well. Neither of them are die hard disney lovers so just to experience it and say we have been there.

 

Give me your personnel experience and any advice .,

thanks

Tami

[crusinmama06]

Well yes and no as far as mob scene. If it is Easter during that week, the week before, during and after Easter is one of the busiest times at Disney. I have gone there at that time. It wasn't horrible...not as bad as a summer mob would be. Here is the site I found AFTER I had booked Easter week...lol.

 

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/weather/whentovisit.asp

 

It lists Spring Break as "crowded"

[mommyx2]

Hi michelle,

 

easter is late next year not until april 12th. here in ca they give us our break early, doen't always match up with easter.

 

any suggestions on where to stay???

 

tami

[thunderbird1]

I'm not cruisinmama06, but I hope you don't mind me jumping in here. We are big Disney fans with 10 WDW trips under our belts (and about the same # for DL), and would be happy to pass along a little advice.

 

You know how much you learn about cruising here on cruisecritic.com? There's a Disney counterpart at www.disboards.com. I just got into it a couple of years ago and I couldn't believe how much I learned, even after having been to WDW many times. You'll get tons of great advice about when to go, where to stay, what to eat, how to tour the parks, etc.

 

You should also order the Disney World planning dvd from www.disneyworld.com. It will give you a great overview of all the resorts to help you decide where you want to stay.

 

Personal experience and advice: I've never been during spring break, but I have been during Christmas (another peak time of year). It will be crowded, but you can manage if you know what you're doing and have a plan. Get to the parks early, use fastpasses, and take a break in the afternoon. Stay onsite if at all possible. You can save a little money by staying offsite, but it's so much easier to get around and you get a lot of extra perks when you stay onsite. Which resort really depends on what you expect out of a hotel and how much you're willing to pay for it. I'd be happy to give you a primer on the perks and the resorts if I haven't put you to sleep yet, LOL.

[rebeccalouise]

Avoid Easter. It was horrible. I had been to Disney before (thrice)- once with my family over Thanksgiving, another time in the summer and another time in mid-March. Then I made the mistake of going over Easter vacation. What a mobscene and April is hot in Orlando. My son was three at the time and was bored standing in the lines and baking in the sun. I made him stay in the stroller when he wasn't on a ride because the crowds were so thick.

 

So, I went again in May with my son and a friend and her daughter and it was great- hardly any lines and was so much better. About half (or less) people.

[ncmomof2]

I'll chime in with a plug for the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (book) and/or their website http://www.touringplans.com If you pay the nominal annual subscription fee for the website, you get access to all the info that's in the book, plus some additional features. They're great for touring plans that get you through the parks with a minimum of waiting in line -- even during crowded times.

 

They saw me through a visit to WDW during Gay Days with no waits in line longer than ~15 minutes!

[crusinmama06]

I'll chime in with a plug for the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (book) and/or their website http://www.touringplans.com If you pay the nominal annual subscription fee for the website, you get access to all the info that's in the book, plus some additional features. They're great for touring plans that get you through the parks with a minimum of waiting in line -- even during crowded times.

 

They saw me through a visit to WDW during Gay Days with no waits in line longer than ~15 minutes!

 

I totally agree! I went to Border Books and got the "Unofficial Guide To Disney" when we had book Disney on Easter. :eek: I didn't have ANY problems with Disney at Easter because I was pretty prepared before I left. I read that book cover to cover...lol.

 

I knew which parks to hit. Which ones to avoid. And what time to get there.

 

Thet book was invaluable.

[szubieta]

Check out ebay for the books. I got the Unoffical Guide to WDW, PassPorters, a WDW with Kids 2007 and the Hidden Mickey book, all really cheap. There are a lot of websites. PassPorter has one, Magic for less and WDW's is great too. We were there this last Christmas. We knew it was going to be crowded, it was. We knew it would cost more, it did. It was 80 degrees. But we had the best time ever!!! Even having to sleep on the airport floor coming home didn't bother us. The weather might be a lot warmer at Easter. But if you go at peak season, just keep it in mind and have a great time. Take the powerade singles.

 

P.S. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on the Arusha Savannah, room 2501. Even if the crowds were too much at times we would go back to the Lodge and sit out on the balcony and enjoy the animals. It was the perfect Hotel and a perfect room, though bunk beds would have been nice (4yr old and 16 yr old).

[Amok]

If you check out the disboards website that thunderbird gave you will survive going at any time. They will give you all the tips and tricks to beat the crowds. I've been there many times thru all types of crowds and always have a great time. I've been to DL twice but I don't think it compares to DW. You can get all the travel books you need for Disney at your local librairy also, no need to buy them.

[Cindy]

Check out ebay for the books. I got the Unoffical Guide to WDW, PassPorters, a WDW with Kids 2007 and the Hidden Mickey book, all really cheap. There are a lot of websites. PassPorter has one, Magic for less and WDW's is great too. We were there this last Christmas. We knew it was going to be crowded, it was. We knew it would cost more, it did. It was 80 degrees. But we had the best time ever!!! Even having to sleep on the airport floor coming home didn't bother us. The weather might be a lot warmer at Easter. But if you go at peak season, just keep it in mind and have a great time. Take the powerade singles.

 

P.S. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on the Arusha Savannah, room 2501. Even if the crowds were too much at times we would go back to the Lodge and sit out on the balcony and enjoy the animals. It was the perfect Hotel and a perfect room, though bunk beds would have been nice (4yr old and 16 yr old).

 

Ditto to using the books and websites to do your research before you go. We were there during a very busy time last summer before a cruise, and we were able to do the major attractions in all four parks with little to no waiting. I found one of the most valuable things to be the information on the touringplans.com website, especially the calendar that tells you what day to visit each park for the duration of your visit. It worked like a charm! You can also generate park plans with maps that suggest a plan of action for different types of groups...young children, older children, adults, etc. I really believe that the hours spent researching a Disney vacation pay off in a much more enjoyable experience than if you just go and wander aimlessly around.

If you can afford to stay on-site, I think it really enhances the experience and makes everything much more convenient. Even though we're a couple in our 40's without kids, we loved getting lost in the fantasy for a few days!

[rphx2nc]

Another vote for Intercot. Love it!