October travel questions

[Ashleybritton]

Is there a week in October that isn't quite as crowded? I thought the crowds were a 4 the first week, but I just read it will more likely be a 6-8. We're used to traveling in February so that scares me a bit. Also, I don't really understand MNSSHP. I thought it was a party with characters and food. It's in the Magic Kingdom every time? Can you stay in the park like normal and ride all the same rides? Is the park busier because of it?

 

[bratsmum]

Following

 

[Hootch]

I would look at the last week if that is a possibility. Temps should be more moderate and crowds should be a bit lower.

 

[georgina]

Is there a week in October that isn't quite as crowded? I thought the crowds were a 4 the first week, but I just read it will more likely be a 6-8. We're used to traveling in February so that scares me a bit. Also, I don't really understand MNSSHP. I thought it was a party with characters and food. It's in the Magic Kingdom every time? Can you stay in the park like normal and ride all the same rides? Is the park busier because of it?

October attendance has been picking up over the past few years I believe, as it is a great time to go, weather-wise. The Epcot Food & Wine festival is on, as well as MNSSHP at MK. The party is a separately ticketed event from 7-12, if you do not have tickets you have to leave at 7. There is a special parade, stage show, fireworks, trick or treating, and characters that are not always out, plus the some of the other characters are dressed in Halloween costumes. The rides are open as well.

There is a long weekend for Columbus day that may be extra busy. Sometimes attendance at MK is lighter on party days because people without tickets would have a short day so they may avoid it. Party guests can get in at 4 with their tickets, so it picks up then.

 

[Accident]

Is there a week in October that isn't quite as crowded? I thought the crowds were a 4 the first week, but I just read it will more likely be a 6-8. We're used to traveling in February so that scares me a bit. Also, I don't really understand MNSSHP. I thought it was a party with characters and food. It's in the Magic Kingdom every time? Can you stay in the park like normal and ride all the same rides? Is the park busier because of it?

It's a parade, fireworks, trick or treating, extra halloween/villian themed character meet and greets, stage shows with halloween theme and some treats you can purchase during it. they also have a villians desert party you can optionally buy into but not sure why anyone would take the time away from everything else which is hard to do in the time you have. There is 3 hours when both normal ticket and party ticket overlap (4pm to 7pm) but at 7pm the party starts and everyone without a ticket must leave. It it always in magic kingdom. It's also limited ticket so in theory it should be less people in MK during the party than during the day but to me, it doesn't work out like that.

There is really no such thing as low crowds anymore. you can count on your hands the number of days that are lower than 6 and they aren't next to each other. In some ways you can get MK with less of a crowd because on party days many people avoid MK since it's closing at 7 and the day crowd is usually pretty good. on the days without a party, people tend to favor MK making it more crowded than usually for that day of the week (but what seems like slightly less crowded elsewhere).

When the dates are announced, usually in march/april, you can tell what disney thinks the crowds will be for october. The ticket prices for MNSSHP are based on crowd levels they are expecting so if you pick a week to visit where the tickets are lower cost, then it might be less than the weeks it's higher cost. still crowded, just a little less.

this year after the almost hurricane the crowd just skytocketed and only today is it starting to feel like it's dropping finally. some exceptions but again it's certain days, not really a week with nicer crowd levels.

 

[Hopefully]

We've been going in October for over 10 years. Each year has been busier than the year before. There were reports of October 2016 crowds being higher than July crowds.
It is crowded. Unless you have gone during Presidents Day week in February, I believe it will be more crowded in October.
It is not as crowded as Christmas or Easter week, but it is not quiet.
The later in the month the better.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Is there a week in October that isn't quite as crowded?

Not really. if your goal is "lower crowd," October is not your month any more. I was looking at the retrospective on October on Touring Plans recently. Keeping in mind that MK was open 30 days, and one of those days should be thrown out as an outlier, 17 days of those 29 days were crowd level 8 or higher at MK. 9 of those 29 were 8+ at Epcot and HS.

The quieter days at MK are party nights, as @Accident says; Epcot is a madhouse weekends. DHS is busier on party nights at MK.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We've gone in both January/February and October (2 years ago for the first October trip) and I thought October was more crowded than February but still very manageable IF you do rope drop in the mornings and take advantage of evening EMH if possible. Disney World is always crowded during midday in my mind regardless of the time of year. The Food & Wine Festival is fun to attend and the weather was MUCH better in October than February. We attended the Halloween Party on Halloween and it was fun but very crowded, at least on the parade routes and for the shows. The rides, however, were all largely walk-on, so that was a plus. We hope to go again this coming October.

 

[kangamangus]

We loved our October 29-November 6th trip this year! Crowds were definitely manageable and we loved MNSSHP.... on Halloween night

 

[bwang123]

we went to MNSSHP one Halloween night and thought the crowds were manageable. We saw characters and trick or treated during the first parade and the 2nd one was dead. We got a seat on the curb on main street with no issues maybe 30min or less before it started. The crowds at all of the parks during the week weren't bad either. I wouldn't worry about it too much,.,

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I've been during several parts of the year over the last few years and the last week of October 2015 trip in my signature has been the busiest one overall, by far! I cannot tell you how many times I asked myself "why aren't all you people in school" on that trip!

I too was spoiled by Feb trips at first but have had to adjust to higher crowd time periods as my son has gotten older and I have to live with the school calendar.

 

[senadler]

We have done a few trips in October, and I think there is a pretty noticeable difference between the week of Columbus Day and the other weeks. We found the crowds to be manageable during the last week, but absolutely had to avoid Epcot during the weekends due to food and wine. Overall good weather, but you will certainly have to manage the crowds more than you would in February.

 

[ujpest_doza]

We've been October 1995, 2007/09/11/13 and 16

It was pretty quiet 1995 and 07/09/11 but a bit busier in 2013

2016 was unbelievably busy and I notice touring plans had some days predicted as being a 6 but actually being a 10

The food and wine festival coupled with the Halloween parties and cooler weather than in the summer seems to have made October a busy time now.

 

[Minsc]

We've been in October every year since 2007, and the first few years were pretty good up to Columbus day weekend. The last three years, and 2016 in particular, were far more crowded than the previous trips. Manageable, but more crowded than I had ever seen them during that time. Early/Mid September has been the lightest crowds I've personally experienced in the last few years.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We've been October 1995, 2007/09/11/13 and 16

It was pretty quiet 1995 and 07/09/11 but a bit busier in 2013

2016 was unbelievably busy and I notice touring plans had some days predicted as being a 6 but actually being a 10

The food and wine festival coupled with the Halloween parties and cooler weather than in the summer seems to have made October a busy time now.

I would also add that some schools in recent years have started doing "fall" breaks in late September into October, at least in schools that our kids attended in Georgia and Virginia, so you can go during those times without having to take kids out of school. Would like to be able to go in September at some point but doesn't work currently because of wife's work requirements.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

What about first week or two of November? Anyone have experience with whether that time-frame is better than October?

 

[Serenebean]

We went in October a few years back and loved it, but I know there has been a shift. Im bummed because we really loved October and our anniv is on the 19th, so we will be braving the crowds for a possible trip Oct 17-24. Hoping it won't be too bad! I'll probably hit MK on 2 party days for low crowds.

 

[SPAM]

We went in the middle of it October and it was much busier than we thought, still a fun time though and we loved mnsshp.

 

[Farro]

I take everything with a grain of salt. What's "INSANELY CROWDED" to one is "great!" to someone else.
When I read other places besides this site, most people say it's more crowded, but still totally manageable. And the last week is still pretty nice from what I've read elsewhere and here and this was discussing this past year. We were there the last week or so of October in 2014 and it was great. Only real crowds were at Epcot on weekends and MK on a non-party Saturday night.

The middle two weeks are the worst - that's the consensus I'm taking away.

Regardless, plan what you can and just enjoy!

 

[ellie05]

We were there in October last year and the year before. More than the crowds the weather bother us much more it was warmer than expected in years prior and the humidity were killers.