Planning for October 2014- advice on dates?

[Goldilocks07]

Do children have off the week before Columbus Day as well as the week after? I am trying to plan my next trip for this October, I want to hit warm weather as well as the MNSSHP. Clearly I'd like to avoid the big school breaks, if possible.
Thanks!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Do children have off the week before Columbus Day as well as the week after? I am trying to plan my next trip for this October, I want to hit warm weather as well as the MNSSHP. Clearly I'd like to avoid the big school breaks, if possible.
Thanks!

The later in the month the better.
http://www.easywdw.com/disneybest/disney-world-calendar-of-crowds-cost-weather-events/#more-935

October Crowds: Crowds are heavier in October than past years with domestic school schedules moving away from the typical long summer vacation, in favor of a larger number of shorter breaks throughout the year. That includes a week off in October for schools in the south, which feed Disney World attendance. South American attendance is also higher in the first two weeks, culminating in the largest crowds of the month over Columbus Day Weekend, from the 10th – 13th. Still, they won’t be anywhere near as bad as summer or other holiday weekends. If you are flexible with your dates, hold off until after October 19th. Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is scheduled for September 26 – November 10, which makes Epcot busier on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

 

[jkc0325]

We went the week before Columbus Day last year and the beginning of the week was slow. We noticed a big jump in the crowds starting on the Friday before Columbus Day.

 

[Goldilocks07]

Both posts are helpful.

We went the week before Halloween last year, and the parks were pretty packed, even for the MNSSHP at night. I think this was due to the fact that we were close to Halloween, which oddly enough I didn't think about when planning my trip. We went Thursday/Friday to the parks, and I think Halloween was on the following Thursday. So we were there the weekend before the actual holiday.

ANYHOOOOO.....

I may shoot for the first week of October, before Columbus Day Weekend. Which I know to avoid.

I would love to go the end of September, but it's both my mom's birthday and a big Jewish holiday. It might be frowned upon by my family if I skip them both!

I just want to avoid crowds for once, but still have good weather. Is there such a time????? Or has the ship sailed on low crowd weeks?

 

[AshleeH]

The week after Columbus Day would be my ideal time to go in October. Not an option for us, with school breaks, but that's my preference.

 

[Goldilocks07]

The week after Columbus Day would be my ideal time to go in October. Not an option for us, with school breaks, but that's my preference.

So you are saying that if Columbus Day is Monday, you would go AFTER?

That is really my preferred option, but I have heard that some schools get a fall break that week. So I'm not sure if that's a great option or not (hence my post).

I guess another way to see what's popular, is to go ahead and see what resorts are open to book around that time.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

So you are saying that if Columbus Day is Monday, you would go AFTER?

That is really my preferred option, but I have heard that some schools get a fall break that week. So I'm not sure if that's a great option or not (hence my post).

I guess another way to see what's popular, is to go ahead and see what resorts are open to book around that time.

I was watching the wait times via the MDE app this past Oct. I did this as "research" b/c of a hopefully upcoming trip. Anyway, Columbus day is always a Monday and the weekend before and the days after were crazy cray as far as wait times. Things seemed to slow down the week of Halloween (just looking at wait times only - I have no idea of how many people were actually in the parks). I am in IL and it's quite common for schools to have a teacher institute day the Fri before Columbus day and maybe even the Tue after off as well.

 

[frozengurl]

I'm going the Wednesday before Columbus Day to the Friday after Columbus Day... I'm not going to lie I'm concerned bc I'm so used to going the last week of October when the crowds are low... Sigh

 

[Coloradomom]

We have gone the last week or two in October for many years In 2013 we found the crowds crazier than we had ever seen (there from the 11th to the 25th). October just is not the relaxed pace it used to be but with planning it can work out well. Just get to the parks early! We love the weather in October.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

We have gone the last week or two in October for many years In 2013 we found the crowds crazier than we had ever seen (there from the 11th to the 25th). October just is not the relaxed pace it used to be but with planning it can work out well. Just get to the parks early! We love the weather in October.

Did it drop off at all towards the end of your trip?

 

[Goldilocks07]

I was watching the wait times via the MDE app this past Oct. I did this as "research" b/c of a hopefully upcoming trip. Anyway, Columbus day is always a Monday and the weekend before and the days after were crazy cray as far as wait times. Things seemed to slow down the week of Halloween (just looking at wait times only - I have no idea of how many people were actually in the parks). I am in IL and it's quite common for schools to have a teacher institute day the Fri before Columbus day and maybe even the Tue after off as well.

We went the Wednesday before Halloween last year, through the Sunday before. We were in MK both Thursday AND Friday. The parks were pretty packed. One night we did the MNSSHP and that was about the only time we were able to get on the rides. The next day we stayed through dinner, and the park was SO packed by the time we left (we didn't stay again for the parade, but there was another MNSSHP and it was SO freakin' busy) I thought I might have a panic attack just trying to get out of the park.
So, I won't be doing that again- especially since Halloween this year is on a Friday so I suspect the Friday before through the week will be busy.

 

[DaniMoon]

We were there last October from the 2nd to the 11th . . . thought crowds were quite good. It was HOT -- in the 90s for the first five days. Only had rain showers one day.

Plan to go back at the same time in a few years.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Our schools are out that fri and mon around columbus day. So either week would be good for people to travel and minimize days missed at school. I would say shoot for late oct if you want the least crowds, although I find oct to be busier than i prefer.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We went the 19th-26th last year, and I felt the crowds were very reasonable after the 20th. The 20th "felt busy" but we didn't really have long waits. I thought the crowds seemed better than they had in 2012 when we went a week earlier (13th-20th) and seemed similar to the 2011 crowds, when we were there the 15th-22nd. Canadian Thanksgiving falls at the same time as Columbus Day and it's my understanding there is also a major UK school break at the same time and I personally think those all contribute to the crowds in the first half of October. By the second half, you've passed those holidays and I think the crowds reflect that. There is usually a Free Dining "blackout" during a couple weeks in October...once you're past that and into Free Dining territory, you see better crowds.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

We went the Wednesday before Halloween last year, through the Sunday before. We were in MK both Thursday AND Friday. The parks were pretty packed. One night we did the MNSSHP and that was about the only time we were able to get on the rides. The next day we stayed through dinner, and the park was SO packed by the time we left (we didn't stay again for the parade, but there was another MNSSHP and it was SO freakin' busy) I thought I might have a panic attack just trying to get out of the park.
So, I won't be doing that again- especially since Halloween this year is on a Friday so I suspect the Friday before through the week will be busy.

Yikes! Maybe my plan won't work. I don't have ressies yet, but I think my group will deal better with crowds vs the heat of September.

 

[Mightybee987]

We were at Disney World October 13-19 of last year. It was the week of Columbus Day, and the crowds didn't seemed bad to me. However, I have nothing to compare the crowds to since it was our first trip. I would gladly go the same week this year if we could.

 

[agavegirl1]

I chose Oct 17-25 after reading a lot of crowd calendars, checking event dates and weather forecasts. Yes, there are a few fall breaks then but overall, these dates seemed the best. The only crowd issue was MNSSHP and F&W but by choosing days of the week with those events taken into consideration, I feel I can tour efficiently. Last time I went in mid-November, very slow but also to cool for the pool.

 

[mhnewcomb]

We had a party of 14 there last year the 8th-15th, with the 14th being Columbus Day. It was a pretty great week crowd-wise, with the exception of MK...it was really crowded on arrival day (we didn't get there until 1pm or so) and on the 14th (though the morning was a breeze). Otherwise, it was fantastic. Best crowd day was Thursday the 10th at Epcot...from rope drop through the afternoon and evening, it was just easy.

 

[scard192]

we were there last year October 19-26. The only real crowd issue we had was MK. of the 6 days we were at the parks, MNSHHP was held on 4 of them. Which only left 2 days to go to MK for MSEP and Wishes. On those days MK was not the recommended park but what other options are there if you want to see the night time entertainment? MK was very crowded from noontime on the day we chose to go there, I think it was the 21st.

 

[glamdring269]

We have gone the last week or two in October for many years In 2013 we found the crowds crazier than we had ever seen (there from the 11th to the 25th). October just is not the relaxed pace it used to be but with planning it can work out well. Just get to the parks early! We love the weather in October.

We went during this time last year and it wasn't too bad. You just need to make some decisions on the weekend. I would RD a park, maybe even EMH, and get whatever you can get done efficiently done before lunch. Head back to the hotel for awhile and have some FP+ set up for a 2nd park in the evening. This of course assumes you have hoppers.