August vs. Halloween

[akmomesq]

This will be our 4th visit to DL, and the first time we'll be venturing there during anything but the slow season. Our other trips have been in late January/early February. We have two options: we can go during the second week of August, or we can go during Halloween time.

I realize August will likely be a bit busier, and the obvious change in decor that will happen in October, but that's not enough for me to make a decision.

I would love to hear any comments you have - is Halloween just completely awesome and not to be missed? Is the weather much better in August (we're coming from Alaska so our standards are low...)

If you have any insight that might help me make a decision, I would sure appreciate hearing it.

edited to add: More info might be helpful. We're not too concerned with going to the party on Halloween, but would like to see the park decorated for Halloween. We're most concerned with avoiding the ride closures we have experienced in Jan/Feb (we realize we traded slow times for less rides but this time wanted to choose differently.) Am I correct that the Halloween overlays on the rides will be done in September?

 

[Abbey1]

I would definitely pick going in October. We went last year the third week of October and had so much fun. Even if you aren't too interested in the Halloween party, it is still really fun to see the park decorated differently than it normally is. Plus, they have fun seasonal treats (pumpkin beignets etc). The park just feels extra festive to me during halloweentime.

As for weather, it is generally really nice and warm in October. In fact, last year, it was incredibly hot for our entire trip. I would prefer October to August in terms of weather for sure. There also wouldn't be a ton of ride closures during this time like you are used to when visiting in February (other than the RofA, railroad etc that are closed long term in preparation for Star Wars Land).

Whichever you pick, I hope you enjoy your trip- which I'm sure you will!

ETA: The crowds will be much more tolerable in October as well, I think. Especially if you go mid-week.

 

[Winnowill]

We were there 8/7-8/12 last year and, while it was pretty crowded, it wasn't un-workable. We had perfect weather - low 80s the whole time except the last day (we left at 2:00 in the afternoon) when it was warmer, but we had friends who were there 8/10-8/14, and the weather the last part of their trip was godawful hot. And we live in Phoenix! So it can definitely be a mixed bag.

 

[figment_jii]

Weather can be pretty variable regardless of when you go. I'd say "on average" temperatures are likely to be warmer in August than in October, but I've been there in the late fall when temperatures were in the high-90s.

In terms of decor, we don't quite yet know how much of HalloweenTime will be impacted by the closures of the Rivers of America. Assuming most things happen like normal, there isn't a lot of Halloween decor in the parks. It's mostly concentrated on Main Street, Frontierland, and NOS. Both Haunted Mansion and Space should have their Halloween overlays in place. Both should re-open at the start of HalloweenTime, which usually starts in early-to-mid September (I'm guessing either 9/6 or 9/16 this year). If you're going towards the end of October there is a chance that IaSW and Jungle Cruise may be closed to have their Holiday overlays installed. Assuming operating hours and entertained go back to a more "normal" pattern, operating hours are likely to be short(ish) on weekdays and with reduced evening entertainment as well. There are a number of "events" in September and October that may result in high crowds (e.g., Gay Days, CHOC Walk, UEA, etc.).

 

[akmomesq]

Thank you, everyone! I think we're going to book the third week in October.

 

[tarheelalum]

The third week of October is a great time to be there. Much better than any time in August from my experience.

 

[wench]

I can not even say enough how much I love DL at Halloween. And Halloween Screams is far & away my favorite fireworks show ever!

 

[akmomesq]

So very excited now! Where should I look (I think the "when" is around July?) for tickets to MHP? And is there a big difference between attending it on a weekday vs Friday?

 

[emmybee]

So very excited now! Where should I look (I think the "when" is around July?) for tickets to MHP? And is there a big difference between attending it on a weekday vs Friday?

I don't know about you, but when I was planning on my Halloween season trip, I was very vigilant about monitoring the DIS boards and the Disney blog for ticket sales dates. I then made sure to buy my tickets the first day they were available because I was so worried about them selling out. People are so great about the info on this site, I'm sure you can find specifics about last year's season on the Halloween thread.

 

[akmomesq]

I hadn't thought about the Disney blog - I'll add that to my watch list!

 

[figment_jii]

So very excited now! Where should I look (I think the "when" is around July?) for tickets to MHP? And is there a big difference between attending it on a weekday vs Friday?

Almost all of the parties have been selling out in advance - last year, only one party was not sold in advance (the second one). In terms of the crowds, I didn't really notice much of a difference in terms of how crowded the parties felt when comparing a weekend (Fri) with a weekday (Tue) party.

One thing I did notice was that the party felt a little different depending on when it starts (7:00 pm on Fri/Sun and 6;00 pm on weekdays usually). The general advice is that the lines are shorter at the end of the party (i.e., after fireworks). While both parties last five hours, the one starts at 7:00 pm has two hours after the fireworks for trick-or-treating, characters, entertainment, and attractions. The 6:00 pm parties only have one hour after fireworks (10:00 pm to 11:00 pm). So in that way, the parties that started earlier felt shorter even though the characters and trick-or-treating started at 6:00 pm. Part of is that the first activity (Monster U Dance Party) didn't start until 7:45 pm, so aside from characters and trick-or-treating there isn't a lot of MHP-specific stuff to do in the first two hours of the party that starts at 6:00 pm.

It's hard to explain, but it felt like those first two hours weren't as "efficient" as having two hours after fireworks to trick-or-treat, ride attractions, meet characters, etc. So, if possible, I would recommend going to a party that starts at 7:00 pm (unless you have little ones that won't last until midnight, then it's probably better to go the party that starts at 6:00 pm).

Last year, the party dates were announced on July 15th, which was on the later side. They're normally announced somewhere in very late June or early July. The tickets went on sale for AP/DVC/Disney Visa holders on July 22 and then to the general public on July 29. The Halloween night party was the first one to sell out on August 8, followed by the first party on August 24. I tracked the information in the 2015 Calendar Thread too and plan to do so again in the 2016 Calendar Thread.

 

[akmomesq]

Almost all of the parties have been selling out in advance - last year, only one party was not sold in advance (the second one). In terms of the crowds, I didn't really notice much of a difference in terms of how crowded the parties felt when comparing a weekend (Fri) with a weekday (Tue) party.

One thing I did notice was that the party felt a little different depending on when it starts (7:00 pm on Fri/Sun and 6;00 pm on weekdays usually). The general advice is that the lines are shorter at the end of the party (i.e., after fireworks). While both parties last five hours, the one starts at 7:00 pm has two hours after the fireworks for trick-or-treating, characters, entertainment, and attractions. The 6:00 pm parties only have one hour after fireworks (10:00 pm to 11:00 pm). So in that way, the parties that started earlier felt shorter even though the characters and trick-or-treating started at 6:00 pm. Part of is that the first activity (Monster U Dance Party) didn't start until 7:45 pm, so aside from characters and trick-or-treating there isn't a lot of MHP-specific stuff to do in the first two hours of the party that starts at 6:00 pm.

It's hard to explain, but it felt like those first two hours weren't as "efficient" as having two hours after fireworks to trick-or-treat, ride attractions, meet characters, etc. So, if possible, I would recommend going to a party that starts at 7:00 pm (unless you have little ones that won't last until midnight, then it's probably better to go the party that starts at 6:00 pm).

Last year, the party dates were announced on July 15th, which was on the later side. They're normally announced somewhere in very late June or early July. The tickets went on sale for AP/DVC/Disney Visa holders on July 22 and then to the general public on July 29. The Halloween night party was the first one to sell out on August 8, followed by the first party on August 24. I tracked the information in the 2015 Calendar Thread too and plan to do so again in the 2016 Calendar Thread.

Thank you for the links! I'm watching the 2016 thread from here on out. And thank you for that observation re: tuesday vs. friday. I wouldn't have guessed and was actually assuming Tuesday would be better. Do you know if there were any room discounts that have historically run around that same time frame in October? I'm trying to decide which hotel to book....

 

[tarheelalum]

Usually not many discounts around Halloween due to the great demand. Most places have a little AAA discount (you must present the card upon check in) but other than that its slim pickings for deals during Halloween. I'd make reservations TODAY for the best deal you can find, wherever you want to stay, and then regularly check the rates in between now and then and book a better rate if you find one and just cancel the old reservation. If you are very flexible on where you stay and the number of beds you need you can get great deals via hotwire and priceline.com bidding but if you have little ones or need a particular location, its difficult to use those websites.

 

[jennilouwho]

Utah's UEA weekend is October 20th and 21st and I have heard that the parks are crazy busy, but I haven't been to know how to compare that to summer crowds. Just a heads up!

 

[JWigs]

For DLR, Labor day is a bad time to go but I'd definitely recommend doing October for the "Fall" decorations as well as the Halloween Party. We did WDW for Halloween last year and we loved it. Totally worth the extra 'hard' ticket price in our opinion plus we got to dress up too!