Where did all these people come from?

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I'm in shock.

I guess since I never travel in peak season I hardly have to deal with it but...

Where did all these people come from?

I mean, we are staying at HGVC tuscany and I had to park about 6 buildings down because the parking lot was completely full. Not one single spot when we came home from dinner. Not even a handicapped spot.

I thought we were having a recession. Everyone is supposed to be broke.
Why are they all here this week. It's not even spring break.

Is it always like this in Orlando in March?

Yikes. What was I thinking.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Yep, March is a nut house at Disney--spring break is a great opportunity to go and you better book it early.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

If it's this bad now then I can't imagine Spring Break,

and I thought that summers were bad.

Summers seem like off season now.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

Good, 'cause I'm here now, and coming back in July!

II's demand index lists week 9 as one of the four highest-demand weeks of the year (along with 13, 51, and 52), and February through early April is in general more in-demand than summer is.

The *theme parks* aren't generally as busy in the spring as they are in summer, except for holiday weeks, because of school schedules---and families with kids tend to dominate the theme park attendance profile. But, anyone with half a brain who isn't tied to the school calendar would much rather be here in March than July. (Even given this year's really stinky weather.)

I'm tied to the school calendar, so my half-brain status is immaterial.

[GeoPatSK Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GeoPatSK]

I believe this is bike week in Central Florida and College Spring Break week are this week and next.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

I believe this is bike week in Central Florida

That totally makes sense to something we saw on Sunday coming back to Ocean Pointe. The parking lot of a nearby pub was absolutely jammed. There must have been at least 150 bikes (and quite a few police cars too) because we were wondering what was the deal.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

My DD is going to be there Memorial Day weekend. Ut-Oh!


Disney states:

The Lowest Attendance --

January (except New Year's Day) until just prior to Presidents' Week in February
The week following Labor Day until the week prior to Thanksgiving
The week following Thanksgiving until mid-December



More Moderate Attendance:

After Presidents' week in February through early March
Late April through early June (except Memorial Day weekend)
Columbus Day Weekend (October)
The first part of Thanksgiving week



Highest Attendance:

Presidents' week in February
Mid March through Late April ("Spring Break")
Memorial Day weekend
Mid June through Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day and weekend
Christmas week through New Year's Day


We recommend TouringPlans.com for Crowd Level conditions!

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Chris, bnoble is there because it IS his kids spring break.
My friend is at Mar BeachPlace Towers this week because it is her DDS college spring break.

So spring break really does go from the end of Feb thru early April and next year it will extend further because Easter is April 24.

You should be home anyway making up that sofabed for me

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

See what happens when you don't have kids.

I had no idea that Spring break was scattered all over the place like it is.

I guess it makes sense because all these resorts can't accomodate everyone at the same time.

I need to start paying attention to the school calendar.

I figured since I was able to get a room pretty easily that it must not be crowded.

Boy was I wrong.

Pat the couch is being rented this week by my cousins but when they leave in 2 weeks you can come on down. It's their spring break. Duh.

[dolly1504 Member Find all posts View Profile Close dolly1504]

What amazes me is that whatever month we go to Disney the park is crowded with children. This trip must be a priority for most families with school taking a back seat. I don't think there are that many home schoolers.

Joyce

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

There are many parents who don't think twice about taking their kids out of school for a family vacation. When my daughter was in kindergarten, we did the same thing. Went to Disney for a week and loved it because there weren't very many crowds and the lines for the shows weren't very long. We cleared it with the school before we went. I wouldn't dream of taking an older student out of class because there is so much work that needs to be done. I have a friend who took their HS kids out for a week's cruise. The kids had tons of homework that needed to be done while they were on vacation (not much of a vacation for them!) Many of the schools around here are simply starting to say "NO" to family vacations during the school year and calling it an unexcused absence.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I don't think there are that many home schoolers.

There's a fair few. "According to an unsourced National Home Education Research Institute statement, an estimated 1.9 to 2.4 million children were home educated during 2005–2006." And homeschoolers, in my experience, are likely to have the money to go to Disney if so inclined. I personally know three or four homeschooling families who take their kids to Disney for two weeks or more at a time right regular, a couple of them every year. And of course they go off season to avoid the crowds.

We homeschool and are going to Orlando the last week of April - however, only one of my kids has any interest in Disney, so she and I will be going for all of one day.

[LynnW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LynnW]

We checked out of Tuscany on Sunday and we had the same problem last week when we got back late from dinner. It was really busy. The traffic getting out onto I-4 or going toward The Crossroads or Downtown Disney was crazy.

Lynn

[PigsDad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PigsDad]

What amazes me is that whatever month we go to Disney the park is crowded with children. This trip must be a priority for most families with school taking a back seat. I don't think there are that many home schoolers.

I find it amazing how many self-righteous people there are out there that think they know what is best for other people and their families.

To think that education only happens in the classroom is foolish and naive. I find it hard to believe that a child missing a few days of school would have any detrimental affect on them 20 years down the road.

Kurt

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

Pat: actually, my kids had midwinter break *last* week, but U-M is off *this* week. The wife and kids went on a four day cruise, we all spent a few days together, they flew home, and I'm staying here thawing out. The kids also have the first full week of April off for spring break, but I teach that week.

Christine: there's a reason that the Disney resorts charge more during the P-Week through Easter season than they do in the summer.

Lynn: I've noticed that mess by I-4/535/Hotel Plaza/Crossroads as well. I plan to avoid that intersection as much as possible from now on---very odd, because last year at this time, I don't remember it being nearly so bad.

Kurt: we choose not to pull our kids out of school, but not because it has a material impact on their overall education---I suspect it does not. Rather, we limit our 4-5 weeks of annual vacations to the ~15 weeks of school vacation each year because of the message that it sends. We want our kids to take care of business before having fun, because that's our philosophy. But, if you work hard and get things done, there is plenty of time for vacations as well. Naturally, different families make different decisions about this, but that's what works for us.