disney tips in march
 

We are going to WDW. the third week of march,and I know the crowds will be large. But just how bad will they be,and what week will they be the worst?Also can anyone give us some tips on how to avoid the worst of them?This is our first time in disney and we are renting a home offsite our kids are 10 and 12.Any help would be much appreciated.Thanks Doug

Please post Disneyland or Disneyworld in your header. Just wanted to remind you that I have homes on both coasts - California and Florida. Minnie and I just want you to make things easier for Fodors readers. Same thing happens with those posts on Universal Studios

Get guide books ahead of time and let your kids decide what they really must see (they may also get advice from their friends). Start early each day, even if you hate mornings. It always takes longer to get into the Park than you would think. See the most popular things first. There is some deal now that you pre-sign up for attractions. Early afternoon, head back to lodging. Depending on your food preferences, you can just snack in the Park and stop and get real food on your way out. Swim, play mini-golf, veg-out in mid-late afternoon. Head back late afternoon, early evening when crowds are different and usually lighter - fewer over-tired little kids. When you go to Epcot (at that age, one of my kids had a huge preference for Epcot of Magic Kingdom), head to "countries" first. If it rains, wear rain slickers and go anyway. When you are tired and crabby, go back to lodging. Everyone fights over what to see next if they are tired, hungry, thirsty.

The third week in March would be very crowded anyway, but this year it's right before Easter, so the crowds at WDW will be at their peak. There is no way to avoid them; you'll just have to jump right in. I expect Magic Kingdom will be the most packed, so be there as soon as it opens. Same advice goes for MGM and Animal Kingdom. When it gets too crowded to move, head on over to Epcot for the rest of the day. It's larger and more spread out so seems like it has less people. And make use of the fastpasses, as the lines for popular attractions will probably be at least a 2-hour wait. My kids are 10 and 12 as well and they love Disney; have fun!

Take advantage of fast pass on the attractions that offer it. With fast pass you get in a seperate line and when you get to the front you put your ticket in a machine and it spits out a time block for you to return at. When your time comes you go back to the attraction and get in the fast pass holders line. This line is much shorter. We were at MGM and we only waited 10 minutes for rockin roller coaster since we had a fast pass. The stand by line was and hour and a half. Not all attractions offer fast pass and I believe you can only have one active pass per ticket at a time (not sure on that). Also, popular attractions will run out of fast passes on busy days since they only allow so many per hour. Be sure to get your fast passes early.

The local kids are out of school for spring break Mar 18-22. Disney really slashed the price of their Florida residents' annual pass, so I'm sure plenty of local kids amd families will be there as well.

Doug - Run to the bookstore and buy a copy of "Birnbaum's unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" . It will be the best $15 you spend... the guide gives you all of the insider tips and secrets you will need to beat the crowds.<BR><BR>I have used the guide on three separate trips to WDW and have absolutely no complaints about any of the information or tips given... have fun!

Birnbaum's is OK, but I like The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World better.

Get to the parks about 30 min. before the gates open. Head straight for the attractions you most want to see. The parks will be full by 11:30am and very crowded. MK will be the most crowded (and MGM) because they are small. Epcot will be better (much bigger) You might do the smaller parks first at early AM and come back at night and see parts of Epcot and Illuminations. Visit Orlando Trip Planner. Com for great tips and suggestions, discounts, etc... http://www.orlandotripplanner.com

Have been to WDW twice during Easter week. It gets VERY crowded, but can be handled. Go EARLY and get FastPass for attractions that offer it. Decide in advance what you want to do and see. When we were there, the parks were open late, so we would take an afternoon break and then go back in the evening. For a lot of great info go to<BR>www.disboards.com

Thank you all for the info,but I am a bit confused. Isn't Easter the last week of March? We have heard the week of Easter and the one after are the busiest??

Doug,<BR>We had a wonderful visit to WDW last March 12-18th with our 6& 10 year olds.<BR>The secret to our success was to read<BR>up on all the parks we planned to visit (UnOfficial Guide & Frommers were my favorites, my kids loved Birnbaum's guide for kids); check out websites like this one, and especially www.wdwinfo.com discussion boards for invaluable tips on attraction waiting times, closures, recommended dining choices, character encounters & touring tips including which days are least crowded at each of the parks; include the top 3 must dos for every member of the family on each day's itinerary (and do be sure to have a detailed plan for each day , even if you prefer to be spontaneous - the scope of options can be overwhelming ...narrow the choices & go for the your priorities, your feet & kids will thank you); do take breaks in your day - we swam every day last March - the Wilderness Lodge pool was a highlight and a respite from the parks for my kids; vary the routines - balance exciting thrill ride days with<BR>more relaxing dining experiences or more intimate learning/play encounters<BR>the next day. We loved e-night at the Magic Kingdom, riding in the driver's car of the monrail, using fastpass to <BR>walk onto major attractions & finding <BR>out of the way spots for R&R in the midst of the crowds ... all doable with help from your research. Good luck & have fun!

Doug, no you're not confused; Easter is the last week in March, but I guarantee the week you're going will be packed. I mean, it's the week BEFORE Easter. We were there the second week of March last year, when Easter was in April, and it was jammed. Don't forget, it's spring break and also a lot of schools take their break the week before Easter. Good luck!

I've been 5 times in the last 4 yrs. and would suggest the few following tips:<BR>1. Be at the park(s) when they open! <BR>2. Be at the park(s) when they open!<BR>3. Be at.... I think you get the idea. This will allow you to ride most of the "hot rides/attractions" early and mostly before the crowds show up (usually 1-2 hrs after the parks open). Then you can leisurely spend your time meandering throught the parks. PS: The fast pass is a great tool but you can only use one fast pass every few hours so it is not a fool proof system. Getting to the parks early is the best advice I can give!

So if it's packed BEFORE Easter, when do the crowds start to thin out before the summer holiday? Is April a safe bet or further into May?