Is April a good time of year to visit Orlando Theme Parks?

Is April a good time of year to visit Orlando Theme Parks?

Isn’t that the million dollar question.

We say yes. April is a great time. When we initially started to think about booking our trip to Orlando we were set on August, as the Schools were out for the summer break it just felt like the right time. And then when it came to booking our flights we realised we could get a better flight at a lower cost if we traveled in April. So, we booked our trip for April 2019.

We booked roughly 1 year in advance, with just our accommodation to find. And of course to plan the actual trip. We’ve never really booked package holidays, Mr H prefers to map out our trips himself. He’s a planner. As this was such a big trip, we gave ourselves one year to save. I’m glad we did. We were going with the attitude that it might be a once in a lifetime holiday for us. Let me tell you a secret, once you visit Orlando you will go again. It’s inevitable. We are already planning our return.

 

Is April a good time of year to visit Orlando Theme Parks?

For us, yes. Definitely for your first trip. Looking back, I wouldn’t change the time of year that we visited. Not at all. We wanted to experience the parks out of any specific season like Halloween or Christmas time. We wanted to see the parks and characters in their traditional themeing if that makes sense. I thought I would answer the questions that seem to come up time and time again which might help you in your planning.

 

What is the weather like in April?

We had glorious weather, between 25-30 degrees each day. A light breeze which was very welcomed. And with only two rain storms in 18 days. We also didn’t suffer with the humidity and rain that I’ve read about in other months. We had friends that visited in May and August of the same year. They experienced rain most days as well as high humidity. It did ruin some days for them. If I had a choice, I would prefer not to have to worry about the rain, soggy footwear and carrying extra clothing. We enjoyed the sun shining everyday. You can read more about what to wear and pack in these posts.

 

Are the theme parks busy in April?

Yes they are. I have read that April and December are the busiest months to visit. Don’t let that put you off. The parks were indeed busy, Disney more than anywhere else. We always knew that would be the case so we had a plan. We researched the ‘Spring break’ dates and booked towards the end of that period, which coincided with 1 week of Easter for us and then we took George out of School for the remainder. Due to bank holidays we saved on days out of School and work for us. Win win.

We booked our fast passes in advance. Avoided the busier parks at weekends, opting for water parks or days out which weren’t theme parks. We had quick queue for the Universal and Seaworld parks but actually we didn’t need them. Those parks are considerably quieter than the Disney parks.

 

How busy are the car parks in April?

We were in all of the theme parks roughly 45 minutes prior to them opening so in all honesty they were empty. For the Disney parks that meant around 7 am. For the Seaworld parks around 9 am and for the Universal Parks it was 7.30 am. Which, meant that we were parked near to the entrance and at the front of the queues before they built up. Going into the parks early helped with my anxiety and meant that we were travelling when the I4 was least busy. For us it made sense.

 

Will I be able to book fast passes for April?

Yes absolutely. We did by using the system at the 30 days out point. There were only 3 rides that we couldn’t get fast passes for – Flight of Passage, Severn Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash. You can follow my 6 tips for booking fast passes here which will help you in your planning. Don’t panic. What I will say – if you do visit in April or anytime actually, and don’t go with a plan you will spend hours in queues. It’s inevitable given the number of visitors.

A little bit of planning will ensure you don’t have grumpy children or adults. We pre-booked our fast passes and only queued for two rides. One for 15 mins (Severn Dwarfs Mine Train) and 90 mins for Flight of Passage. And due to Toy Story Land being so new when we visited we treated George to Early Morning Hours which meant that we had exclusive access. I would highly recommend this if you are fans.

 

Would you visit in April again?

Definitely. We really enjoyed visiting at this time of year. I always recommend April to anyone that asks. You just need to plan and get your head around booking fast passes. That said, when we do return we would be open to visiting during Halloween, I think it would be really cool to see all the decorations and all of the shows they put on across the parks. But only because we have seen the parks out of a specific season. We did the same when we visited Disneyland Paris and I would highly recommend it.

 

I think that’s it. Do you have anymore questions? Do let me know in the comments. It’s safe to say that whatever time of year you visit Orlando and the theme parks you will have a wonderful time.