For planning purposes for a trip in Florida following a cruise (April 17 for a few nights), is this a timeframe when all of the Florida attractions will be overtaken by families with children? We're a couple of 50 somethings that just want a nice few nights in Florida following our cruise but don't want to book if it's too busy then.

Next year Easter is March 27, so we waited until the week after was over thinking the bulk of schools would be back in by then?

Can anyone help?

Peak Easter travel for families will be the weeks before and after Easter.

If you are trying to avoid families, avoid March 18-April 3rd.

Also avoid Presidents Week in February which is around the week of February 21st.

Lois,
My husband and I are teachers and our school break is the week of April 17. In Massachusetts it is always around Patriots' Day. Rhode Island is usually the same week or the week before. Can't speak for the other states.

I live in southern Illinois and when I was in high school our spring break usually coincided with the week before Easter. At SLU our spring breaks usually falls in the first and/or second week in March.

We were in Fl the second week of April 2 years ago and it was fine. We were in Tampa and Orlando and the lines were surprisingly light at all attractions on the weekday... not sure about weekends. Seemed the mass Spring Break is as GoTravel indicates. Tx has an early spring break, like the 2nd week of March.
If you go to Orlando, stay in a park hotel so you can get those speed passes that put you in a special line, bypassing the crowds.
Sucks if you are in the regular line, awesome if not.

Just an FYI - South Florida schools (Miami & Ft. Lauderdale) have Spring Break from Mar 21 - 25 next year.

Spring Break does vary & you have to consider regular school as well as colleges have the break. Another thing to consider is Senior Trip. Many high schools have their senior trip during the end of April. Our daughter's school went from 4-29 to 5-3. They hit all the parks & there were tons of other schools there too. I felt sorry for anyone there during that time.

Seems like you might be ok but have a very limited window.

I teach in upstate New York. Our spring break is the week of April 18.