Week before Easter vs. May

[drkate]

Hello all, we are debating on the days before Easter (Wed, Thurs, Fri) this year, or a weekend trip in mid May.

Unfortunately, I teach and my school schedule only allows for a full week over Easter, or a short weekend in May. We haven't had a vacation in a long time and would like to do a full week. With the capacity restrictions, would these days in early April be much more crowded than May? We aren't huge ride people and would take advantage of rope drop and later hours. The flight and hotel costs seem similar.

All of our plans assume that the pandemic will quiet down before then. We are in high risk groups and may be able to get vaccinated prior to our trip. If the pandemic is still an issue we will not go.

Thanks for your opinions!

 

[cjlong88]

We visited over a weekend in early May 2019 and it wasn’t crowded at all. A lot of families will wait until the end of May when the school year officially ends. There are school districts who have their spring break in early April, so crowds may not be so hot. I had an April spring break in GA and a ton of my students would visit WDW during that time off.

With early April, there might be a better chance of parks reaching capacity? But who really knows what 2021 is going to look like.

 

[kathy884]

Although the week before Easter usually has glorious weather (even better than May which isn't bad either), Easter is such a busy time of the year to go. I would personally do a weekend in May for lower crowds. Now if you had said summer months I'd take the Easter crowds before the heat and humidity.

 

[CarolynFH]

The week leading up to Easter is so popular that it’s the most expensive time on the DVC points charts, as expensive as Christmas to New Year’s week. I’d go in mid-May. It should be less crowded.

 

[sponica]

I would do May. Easter is too crowded.

 

[disneyseniors]

Wow, I'm surprised at all the recommendations to avoid pre Easter!
I am looking at those times, too, and thought pre EAster by at least a week would be good?
I have heard on these boards that May can be really hot so was hesitant about May. But maybe that's a good time to go, and just suffer the heat. I don't tolerate heat very well and live in a northern clime.

 

[CarolynFH]

Wow, I'm surprised at all the recommendations to avoid pre Easter!
I am looking at those times, too, and thought pre EAster by at least a week would be good?
I have heard on these boards that May can be really hot so was hesitant about May. But maybe that's a good time to go, and just suffer the heat. I don't tolerate heat very well and live in a northern clime.

The heat issue is real - we're from Texas, and we don't go to WDW between May and September into October due to the heat.

Are your dates the Wednesday-Friday ending on Good Friday? That would be the very busy time that everyone is advising you to miss. If it's the Wednesday-Friday ending a week before Good Friday, it's still Spring Break season for some schools and might be more crowded than mid-May but shouldn't be nearly as crowded as that following week, and I'd go at that time as opposed to May if heat is an issue for you.

 

[gharter]

It's a toss up. Pre Easter can be really busy. May can be much hotter. In past years, May also has had lots of school groups for their class party going to WDW. I have seen groups with their "graduation" t-shirts from 2nd grade to 12th grade groups. Some well behaved and chaperoned, others running free.

 

[Ksquared]

Nobody knows what the crowds will be like going forward so pick the time that appeals most to you. Honestly, I'd go in April before Easter but that's me. I've been there at that time previously and while crowded, it's manageable. Not knowing whether they will increase crowds or bring back fast passes it's really a coin toss.

 

[pigletgirl]

April could offer better weather, but May could have better crowds. It is so hard to know. We are planning for a May 2022 trip.

 

[jeepnjudy]

Pre-COVID, the week before and the week after Easter are the most busy due to school breaks.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Honestly if you're in a high risk category I wouldn't even plan on this spring. Not enough of the population will be vaccinated yet. I think it would still be risky. We are hoping to go in August but know it might be too soon.

 

[sethschroeder]

All of our plans assume that the pandemic will quiet down before then.

Then don't plan until May 2022 as the best dates then.

No one and I mean no one should be planning until 2022 if they are any what worried about traveling during the pandemic. If things "need to get better" or "stay the same" or "just not get worse" then you need to opt out of everything in 2021.

I am not trying to be a jerk or say you should not worry. I am simply saying I don't see huge improvements between now and next fall/winter unless Covid dies out itself.

You have states saying vaccines for normal public will not be going out until summer. Then it's going to take months to give out the vaccines to the "public" which is the largest group between front line, at risk, and general public.

If you have full ability to cancel everything and won't be worrying everyday you can shoot for 2021 just be ready for it not to get better.

 

[sponica]

Wow, I'm surprised at all the recommendations to avoid pre Easter!
I am looking at those times, too, and thought pre EAster by at least a week would be good?
I have heard on these boards that May can be really hot so was hesitant about May. But maybe that's a good time to go, and just suffer the heat. I don't tolerate heat very well and live in a northern clime.

I think it depends on when in May you go. I've gone early May and found the heat to be fine, but the humidity hadn't quite caught up with the heat. If that makes sense.

 

[drkate]

Wow, I'm surprised at all the recommendations to avoid pre Easter!
I am looking at those times, too, and thought pre EAster by at least a week would be good?
I have heard on these boards that May can be really hot so was hesitant about May. But maybe that's a good time to go, and just suffer the heat. I don't tolerate heat very well and live in a northern clime.

Our park days would be probably the Wed and Thurs before Easter.

 

[drkate]

The heat issue is real - we're from Texas, and we don't go to WDW between May and September into October due to the heat.

Are your dates the Wednesday-Friday ending on Good Friday? That would be the very busy time that everyone is advising you to miss. If it's the Wednesday-Friday ending a week before Good Friday, it's still Spring Break season for some schools and might be more crowded than mid-May but shouldn't be nearly as crowded as that following week, and I'd go at that time as opposed to May if heat is an issue for you.

Yes, the park days would be Wed and Holy Thursday.

 

[drkate]

It's a toss up. Pre Easter can be really busy. May can be much hotter. In past years, May also has had lots of school groups for their class party going to WDW. I have seen groups with their "graduation" t-shirts from 2nd grade to 12th grade groups. Some well behaved and chaperoned, others running free.

I don't worry about that, because I teach. I'm used to it. ha!

 

[drkate]

Honestly if you're in a high risk category I wouldn't even plan on this spring. Not enough of the population will be vaccinated yet. I think it would still be risky. We are hoping to go in August but know it might be too soon.

We are both healthcare providers and I actually just got vaccinated today! We assumed we would have them by then... didn't know it would be so quick!

 

[drkate]

Then don't plan until May 2022 as the best dates then.

No one and I mean no one should be planning until 2022 if they are any what worried about traveling during the pandemic. If things "need to get better" or "stay the same" or "just not get worse" then you need to opt out of everything in 2021.

I am not trying to be a jerk or say you should not worry. I am simply saying I don't see huge improvements between now and next fall/winter unless Covid dies out itself.

You have states saying vaccines for normal public will not be going out until summer. Then it's going to take months to give out the vaccines to the "public" which is the largest group between front line, at risk, and general public.

If you have full ability to cancel everything and won't be worrying everyday you can shoot for 2021 just be ready for it not to get better.

I think more information about me would have clarified this. We are both healthcare workers and I actually just received the vaccine today. We were pretty certain we would have the vaccines by spring, but got them much quicker than expected.

 

[sethschroeder]

I think more information about me would have clarified this. We are both healthcare workers and I actually just received the vaccine today. We were pretty certain we would have the vaccines by spring, but got them much quicker than expected.

I misunderstood I took it as you were more worried about restrictions and such to do with the ongoing pandemic which I don't see any changes with any time soon.