Spring break is an extremely popular time for families to visit Walt Disney World – which means the lines can be long, the crowds can be a bit insane, and overall you might feel a bit frazzled by the sheer volume of people at the Parks at any given time during March and April. Luckily, there are some things you can do to try to curb the spring break madness:
When it comes to traveling to WDW…
Fly Smart: If you will be boarding a plane to WDW, then you will want to pack smart – only bring what you really need and check your airline’s website for the most updated baggage fees/carry on size restrictions. Arrive early so that you have enough time to check in, check bags, and go through security (which can take QUITE some time during the busy Spring break timeframe!), and bring plenty of food/snacks along with you to avoid having to buy (super expensive and not always tasty) airport food
Drive Smart: My family used to drive to Florida every year, we would tow our camper and stay at Fort Wilderness (a great place to stay – I highly recommend it!), so I have a little experience spending TONS of time in the car (two days each way from New York…). I recommend you have a GPS and that you know how to use it, as you will want to plan for possible detours, and be prepared to hit some traffic at some point along the way too. Make sure you have plenty of snacks, drinks, games, books, and other activities for the kids (and adults!) – and above all, no matter how long the drive is, be prepared to hear “Are we there yet?” about 1,000 times
Pre-Plan: You’ll definitely want to make those Advance Dining Reservations 180 days in advance to ensure you have those special meals booked, and I find that having some kind of itinerary built around your ADR’s really helps make sure you’re making the most of your Park days (and not spending all your time traveling from Park to Park just for a meal!). In addition to booking ADR’s, make sure you are making your Fastpass+ selections for each day, to ensure that you get to check out some of the more popular attractions/rides – even if you have to wait in long lines for other things, at least you know you have that fastpass waiting for you for your favorite ride! Other pre-planning tips you’ll want to utilize include online resort check in, airline check in/mobile boarding passes, and making sure you have all your paperwork in order: online check in paperwork (and credit card you added online too!), Magical Express reservations, Magic bands, plane boarding passes/ticket information, etc – keep all this stuff together and in an easy to get to place in your carry-on bag to save time upon arrival
Take Advantage Of Extra Magic Hours: If you happen to be staying on site at a WDW Resort (which I HIGHLY recommend, for many reasons), then you have the added perk of getting to enter certain Parks an hour before, or stay an hour after, the general public on certain days. Even if you aren’t a morning person (as I am clearly trying but failing to be in the picture above as I wait for the bus!), you will want to take advantage of this – as you can squeeze in some popular rides early in the morning before the crowds get too intense, or you’ll also sometimes find that keeping the kids up late past their bedtimes for the evening Magic Hours has it’s perks too – its cooler in the evenings, and with shorter ride lines you may get a lot done in just one short hour (note – if you plan on doing this, you may want to make sure everyone – not just the kids – gets an afternoon nap so they can make it to the end of the night!)
Know What To Expect: There will be crowds, and heat, and meltdowns, and crowds, and long lines, and crowds…did I mention crowds? Seriously though – it can still be an amazing trip for you and your family, no matter how many other people are there at the Parks. You’re all there for the same reason – to enjoy all the rides, food, entertainment, shows, and Magic that WDW has to offer – so make the most of it and utilize these travel and planning tips to ensure that your Disney Spring Break is the best vacation ever!
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