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Getting slightly nervous about crowds for the last week of October when we will be arriving at WDW. Used to be a great time to go but I get the sense from the lack of dining and FP's that it is now one of the busiest. We booked this trip last minute so getting shut out of a lot. Does it just appear that way because of My Disney Experience App or is it totally, slammed crazy because of Halloween and MNSSHP?
I went last year and it wasn't that bad. It was busy but not crazy busy. We actually booked out FP+ about a week out and had no issues getting the rides we wanted. This is definitely a busy time of year thought. There is also F&WF in addition to all the holiday parties.
I wish I could concur, but I can't.
Over the past few years, we've found the entire month of October to be very busy and pretty crowded. It seemed the later in the month, the busier.
Waits for popular rides like TSM, 7DMT, Soarin', Peter Pan, Space Mtn, etc all had anywhere from 90-120 minute waits. Ressies at restaurants were full, and we saw may walk-ups turned away at 50's Prime Time, Narcoossee's, Crystal Palace, Le Cellier, Sci Fi, and other popular places.
We were able to snag some last minute FP's, but not for anything like the more popular rides I noted above. Those were booked solid.
Epcot was packed for F&WF. We stayed away in early evening and weekends. Packed in with a bunch of drunks wasn't all that pleasant.
Be prepared, and you won't be disappointed. Just know going into it that you will most likely have bigger crowds, and you won't be too surprised.
It's not a "slow" time of year like it used to be, the new fall breaks that most schools have now added into their curriculum make it one of the busier times of the year. Even when you had F&W and MNSSHP it was a good time to go but that all seems to be ancient history now.
We leave Saturday and I'm nervous too. I'm trying to keep realistic expectations. I was able to get all the FP+ I wanted and all the ADRs I wanted but I'm just facing the fact that when it gets busy we are going to head back to the WL. I'm traveling with a "non-Disney" person who also isn't big on crowds so I'm trying to not force him to do stuff he doesn't want to. I've been watching wait times on MDE all week and they just look scary.
Wiltsan, we just returned form 11 nights in mid-September. We chose that time because our last trip was in October and we were surprised how crowded the parks were back then. This time, for mid-September, a time when the crowd level should be low, the parks were packed!
That being said: things were still manageable if you planned properly. We got plenty done. It was maneuvering the walkways with heavy crowds that was most daunting. That, and transportation. Buses were plentiful, but always SRO!!!
Best of luck!!!
We are heading down there on October 31st, our four years in a row during the last week of October and it really has not been that bad. That is why we having been returning each year at the same time. Like everyone said, we proper planning with fast pass+ you will get everything done. I always focus more on the weather. Give me sun and warmth!
I've found the crowds in October over the past ten years to to be pretty much the same. Light, with the exception of F&W at Epcot. Are they like they were in the 80s and 90s? No. But still manageable.
We went last year the second week of November. It was packed, and I could not figure out why for the life of me, as everyone said that it would be a medium crowd level. I think it's really in the eye of the beholder, the discounts available, school break timing, runDisney events, etc. It just turned into a crapshoot.
We are here right now. Crowds aren't too bad. But thicker than say earlier in the month. Lots of British here, strangely enough.
Epcot gets pretty busy starting after lunch. But the FW is great and worth it. MK is a zoo, but w/ MNSSHP not a surprise. AK wasn't too bad. But due to issues with some of the rides, some rides were more crazy than usual.
Still beats coming in June or something. The parks close kinda early (today Ak was 6pm, HS and MK was 7pm, with Epcot being the late one). BB is closed altogether. So that probably affects things.
Might try dinner reservations for EPCOT as I wonder if most people eat at the kiosks. I know we are pretty full with just that, and never eat anywhere else (during FW visits).
Have to disagree with Texas - not to be disagreeable, but because we have been coming in October for over twenty years, and have never seen things this incredibly mobbed!! Went in at rope drop and waited over 60 minutes for TSM. Same thing another day at MK - over 60 min for mine train. It's ridiculous! We went to the Halloween Party Sunday PM, and it is clear that they are selling way more tickets than they used to - it was not sold out and we still managed only four attractions and four or five candy stops - waits for good attractions were over thirty minutes. Tried to watch the parade in Frontierland and was in a crowd six deep in front of us (and there were more behind us!).
Disney and the City of Orlando are doing one darned fine worldwide marketing job - that much is clear.
Might have to try mid winter or something.....Jan maybe??
Well, one thing I noticed was rope drop was off. At MK for example, they let people in 20 minutes early. At Epcot 30. So things are all over the place. But boy do they not start serving food before 11.Quote:
Originally Posted by ddcrna
Epcot was a zoo. I didn't think AK was that bad. And one of the MK days wasn't that bad.
We skipped DHS this time, and spent some time at SeaWorld.
We prefer end of Sept. As I hate the Halloween nonsense.
Most British schools have a 1 week half term break in October, tying Florida vacations in with this helps reduce time taken off school.Quote:
Originally Posted by texas211
We were in WDW from October 21st to November 5th but that was back in 2004, crowds were manageable that year but a lot can happen in 11 years I guess.
That was also before FP+ changed traffic flows on rides.
Interesting about the British coming. We noticed all sorts of variances in British accents, which was interesting. Especially as some of them were talking about the English/Irish areas of Epcot.
I photo bombed some British folks who were standing by the Liberty Tree. Thought it would be funny.
We ran into this a LOT last week (I'll be posting a report in Trip Reports) but literally almost everyone we talked to was from the UK taking advantage of a term break. In spaceship earth where you can show where you are from, the big map had the UK area completely highlighted with visitors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggy
We've come across a number of Europeans around the end of October too.
We just got back last night and it might as well have been Jersey week! Jersey schools close for Election Day and two days of teacher conferences so it seems as though a number of people take the extra two days to get down for a mid-Fall visit.
Overall (except World Showcase for F&W) crowds weren't too bad.
I know people like to blame FP+ for higher wait times, but the fact is, according to the industry group that estimates attendance for Disney parks, the Magic Kingdom saw over 2,000,000 MORE people visit the park in 2014 than in 2012. And that's not averaged out per day. So on any given day when people think there are way more crowds than there used to be, that's probably because there are. :wave:Quote:
Originally Posted by texas211