10/7-10/8. That was crowded!

[zoicca]

Well up here in Canada it's Thanksgiving! I've had 3 turkey meals so far this weekend.

 

[EveDallas]

That makes a difference? Most schools here don't even mention it, let alone take a day off for it

Every school here is closed.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

AK was insanely busy today, too. We got there for EMH and rode navi river journey right away since we had a FP for FOP. The line for FOP seemed crazy immediately but by the time we got off of the river ride (which only had a 5 min wait at opening) the FOP line literally zig zagged across a significanf portion of pandora. They had the line stretching down the passage to Africa and back. We saw the line go from 2-4 hrs on MDE throughout the morning. That being said since everyone spent the morning in line in Pandora we got a lot done. Between 8 and 1 we rode NVJ, the Safari, Bugs Life, Festival of the lion King, expedition Everest, and FOP plus had lunch at yak and yeti and wandered around getting some pictures taken. At that point we needed a break from the heat and head back to our hotel. I looked at the wait times on our way out of Pandora and NRJ was 110 and FOP was 185. Those Wait times sound like when it first opened

I'm still trying to get my arms around the idea that someone would wait 4 hours in line to ride anything. It simply amazes me. I'd just hang out at the resort pool before standing in a line for 4 hours to ride a 5 minute ride.

Anyway, sorry it was so busy this week for everyone that is there. Hopefully you are able to get done what you want to (without waiting 4 hours).

 

[neverlandsky]

We too arrive on Saturday. Already making plan B plans to be prepared. We made a deal to wait no longer than 30 minutes for a ride. Rope drop for Na’vi River was already at 90 minutes this morning. We don’t do crowds in general so it’s going to be interesting for us. Yet still way better then work and school.

 

[Farro]

We too arrive on Saturday. Already making plan B plans to be prepared. We made a deal to wait no longer than 30 minutes for a ride. Rope drop for Na’vi River was already at 90 minutes this morning. We don’t do crowds in general so it’s going to be interesting for us. Yet still way better then work and school.

Perhaps this is the disconnect between those who think it's crazy and those who think it is to be described as moderate crowds.

30 minutes for a ride (even Small World or something like that) does not seem unreasonable to me.

I wait in almost 30 minutes lines at Jewel all the time!

 

[Farro]

AK was insanely busy today, too. We got there for EMH and rode navi river journey right away since we had a FP for FOP. The line for FOP seemed crazy immediately but by the time we got off of the river ride (which only had a 5 min wait at opening) the FOP line literally zig zagged across a significanf portion of pandora. They had the line stretching down the passage to Africa and back. We saw the line go from 2-4 hrs on MDE throughout the morning. That being said since everyone spent the morning in line in Pandora we got a lot done. Between 8 and 1 we rode NVJ, the Safari, Bugs Life, Festival of the lion King, expedition Everest, and FOP plus had lunch at yak and yeti and wandered around getting some pictures taken. At that point we needed a break from the heat and head back to our hotel. I looked at the wait times on our way out of Pandora and NRJ was 110 and FOP was 185. Those Wait times sound like when it first opened

Yes - but the rest of park was okay. We all just have to accept those lines will be long for a loooong time.

Have fun!!!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

What holiday? Did I miss a day I should've taken off work?!

Thanksgiving in Canada was on October 9th

 

[hllb]

Thanksgiving in Canada was on October 9th

Yup. I had just completely forgotten about Columbus day here because no one in our area celebrates it!

 

[JohnneeO]

Not only do our schools take the day off, they are off all week too

We are here now. It's not that bad. Not worse than I expected at least. I knew Epcot was a no go starting Friday at noon through today (Monday). We'll return tomorrow. You never step foot in Epcot during FW on a weekend. Not if you are sane.

I had read about this last year before our trip in November on the last weekend of FW, so we were expecting heavy crowds at Epcot, and were not disappointed. After breakfast at the CP, we hopped over to Epcot from MK via the monorail to avoid parking issues. Thankfully, we either had FP's (FEA, SE, MS), or the waits were not long (Ann/Elsa M & G, Mexico Ride, UOE). The worst part was the crowds in the WS, and the long lines at the kiosks. And it was a dapper day as well.

We are going around the same time frame this year, but are planning our Epcot days for a Tuesday and Friday (no Hopping this year), and keeping our fingers crossed.

 

[NinaBella]

What holiday? Did I miss a day I should've taken off work?!

My brother is at Universal this week with his daughter. They live outside of Memphis, TN and the school district gives a full week off.

Funny, here in our Florida school, my kids went to school Columbus day but have the following day off as a teacher planning day. LOL. I know the teachers say to get in any missing work so that teacher planning day must be the end of the grading period.

 

[CMNJ]

I'm still trying to get my arms around the idea that someone would wait 4 hours in line to ride anything. It simply amazes me. I'd just hang out at the resort pool before standing in a line for 4 hours to ride a 5 minute ride.

Anyway, sorry it was so busy this week for everyone that is there. Hopefully you are able to get done what you want to (without waiting 4 hours).

I know I would never wait 4 hrs but there was a lady and her son on our bus who did. I felt so badly for them because we left AK between 1 and 1:30 and it opened at 8. That means they were there for a max of 5+ hours and spent 4 of them doing FOP

 

[CMNJ]

Yes - but the rest of park was okay. We all just have to accept those lines will be long for a loooong time.

Have fun!!!

Oh it was fine for us since we had a plan. I just couldn't get over the crowds. I guess I don't check wait times as often as other posters do when I am not here. After the initial crush of Pandora opening I saw FOP running about a 2 hr wait and NRJ about 1 hr. So double that was just surprising to me.

 

[dlavender]

Josh at WDW has a pretty good review of Saturday at MK. Looks like how our Sunday went...

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/magic-kingdom-8am-rope-drop-on-a-saturday-in-october-10717/

 

[ArielSRL]

This has been discussed every year lately, it seems. October has appeared to be as busy, and probably more busy than several of the summer months. Reservations are hard to come by and they don't feel the need to offer free dining during October anymore. Its just a perfect storm it seems.

Our school system has a teacher workday on Columbus Day - so the kids are out, but the system one over from us has the whole week off for fall break.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

When we lived in Georgia a few years ago they started having a "fall break" in October, so you had kids out for a week or so. And the schools there, and here in Virginia, always closed for Columbus Day. Seems like September might be the only true "slow" month any more.

 

[Claudia1]

We were there Friday thru Monday and, yes, it was insane. We didn't expect it to be that bad but we still managed some pixie dust. We focused on MNSSHP on Friday night and did what we could the rest of the time. It was very hot, too.

 

[Farro]

Josh at WDW has a pretty good review of Saturday at MK. Looks like how our Sunday went...

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/magic-kingdom-8am-rope-drop-on-a-saturday-in-october-10717/

Yikes!!!

So we know Saturday was pretty horrid...any reports from yesterday and today?

 

[Haley R]

We live in Iowa and the school I work at had a pd day yesterday so no school for kids but teachers were there. We’ve never had a fall break before and no one in our area does that. I wish we did though. Two other districts in our area still had school yesterday. We didn’t even acknowledge that it was Columbus Day.