Brutality of Crowds Oct. 9-13th?

[patrickpiteo]

You want brutality? Try standing in an outdoor queue in the middle of July, with 50 or more 15 year old Brazilian girls all chanting as loud as they can. THAT is brutal!

(take it easy, just making a joke....)

So you were there also

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Have been going in October for several years now. Each year gets more crowded. Still love the Halloween decorations and F&WF, though. Be sure to have a good touring plan and make rope drop if you can.

Have fun!

 

[Auntie_Maim]

Gotta admit, I love the title of the thread. "Brutality" of the crowds...

THE PURGE: DISNEY WORLD

 

[BroganMc]

Brutality in October? Well, I think that the Visigoths clear out by the 10th, but the Huns usually appear around then and stay until the third week. The Mongols often favor the end of the month.

Extra points for most creative response!!!!

This will be my 11th October in Disney World. My birthday is 10/2. I learned long ago that's just too much in the middle of the school year for anyone to gather and celebrate so I go off and celebrate with Mickey. Sometimes my family and friends join me. This year I get to go for the entire month of October. I have annual passes to all the theme parks so Ill be coming and going as the whim takes me.

September is usually less crowded and very hot. Too hot. I'm talking summer hot for the MidAtlantic and only tolerable after the sun goes down. October it gets a lot better. Warm during the day, cool at night.

Crowds do pick up around Columbus Weekend. That's the one break school's get off in the Autumn, but not all school's actually get the day. It's nowhere near as crowded as Christmas/New Year's (I go for NYE weekend too). Nor is it as unbearably hot as summer. I've had worse crowds in March/April at the height of Spring Breaks.

I pretty much never plan much these days. The more Disney wants me too the less I'm inclined to want a schedule. I'm on vacation from schedules!!!! So I'll pick a few meals at places I know book early (like Cinderella's, Beast's or Le Cellier). The rest I fill in as I go. I never pick my FP+s until I'm a couple weeks out and even then I'll change my schedule entirely the night before a park visit or throughout the day.

I never EVER go to Magic Kingdom on a Saturday. (Everyone in the entire state of Florida plus several smaller Central and South American
nations go then.)
I avoid EPCOT during F&W on a Friday or Saturday night. (That's when the Locals come and everything gets busier and more drunk.)

If I'm going to a crowded park (remember I go for NYE), I fall back on my veteran touring plans. I have multiple depending on how the crowd moves. I use FP+s and meals to set a framework for my park visit. Parades and fireworks are the sweet treats throughout the day. The rest is a mixture of dodge, weave and enjoying the ambiance.

The best thing about holidays? As soon as they end, there's this post-holiday lull where everything seems a little less.

 

[AngiTN]

I am basing my crowd predictions on some of the more reputable crowd calendar websites, and also the mantra that has been going on since summer that it is no longer the most busy season at Disney and that the fall time might be overtaking it. Also, I have NEVER seen so little availability for WDW hotels... there is virtually nothing available anywhere except a pirate room at for $230 a night at CBR (yeah... because I'm going to pay that kind of money to stay in the middle of a construction pit at the worst themed rooms on property...)

Now I'm not too concerned about our magic kingdom day because it's just the halloween party on a Tuesday evening. Wednesday or Thursday would be food and wine. I'm sure Pandora is still a madhouse of heat and lines that will make you want to cry. Either way, I feel compelled to check it out!

First, the availability at the resorts have been this way for months, before Irma ever even formed off the coast of Africa, so she had nothing to do with it.
Second, see this post. Specifically the bold
Fall break has been the week it's been for years. The crowd predictions haven't increased on my TP scheduled since all this started. Basically, you are a bit off base on your interpretations of the data, your week isn't all that bad and it's crowd levels are impacted by Irma guests rescheduling. Many of those guests wanted to keep Free Dining and they couldn't book that week and keep it

Here's what we (TouringPlans) are doing to update the crowd calendar:

1. We've started surveying large travel agencies to get a sense of how many people cancelled their trips outright and how many rescheduled.
2. For those guests that have rescheduled, we're asking for the dates to when they rescheduled.
3. We're added data to our models that take into account the park impacts from storms Hermine ('16), Colin ('16), Matthew ('16), Beryl ('12) and Irene ('11), including their severity and proximity to the parks.

That update should be available in the next couple of days.

Beyond that we're also looking at two other things:

1. The possibility that Disney may announce non-hurricane-related parks & resorts layoffs in the next few weeks. I'm told this is likely.
2. An issue with Disney's reservation system that's incorrectly showing lower room availability. I'm told a summer update to the reservation system is causing 1 reservation request to reserve rooms at 2 separate resorts. That's causing the second resort to show artificially low occupancy. I was able to confirm this in person a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Boardwalk III]

I have been several times in October (Col Day) over the years but the last time I went was maybe 3 years ago and it was also Columbus Day weekend. I have to say it was one of the busiest times I've ever experienced at WDW (other than one year when Easter and New England April spring breaks overlapped - brutal indeed!). On our Col Day trip Magic Kingdom was wall-to-wall people even at 1 AM and we literally almost got trampled in a crowd that got out of control following Wishes on Main Street which I had never experienced in 25 years of trips. And I'm not someone who mind the crowds in general.

We just got back from our first August trip (due to our friends' schedule) and while I wouldn't do it again because of the heat, it was one of the least crowded times I've ever been other than January.

With all that said, just plan really well and try to avoid certain parks at their most crowded times. The weather is usually fabulous in October. Have fun!

 

[McNs]

I’m there that week so would be great if you stayed away

 

[sunshine1]

I had a choice of keeping my original booking during hurricane Irma or rescheduling for this same week as you.

I choose to reschedule and go during Columbus week.

If is busy what can ya do? Its not the end of the world.

For me I would rather have a busy week than having the parks close for two days of my vacation.

 

[sunshine1]

We are going October 8-14th. I have only been in December & January. I am expecting it will be hot, humid, & extremely crowded. I have always wanted to go to MNSSHP (October 10th) & see the 7 Dwarfs. I have a strong feeling this will be my one & only October trip. However, we will make the best of it, love it b/c we are at WDW & I may even use the resort pool for the first time!

I think I am rescheduled to do MNSSP the party the same day as due (Hurricane Irma) - so will see ya at 5pm - in line for Dopey and Co.

 

[sunshine1]

We are planning a quick trip for the Oct. 10th halloween party and Food and Wine Festival. Also... we may or may not attempt to go to Pandora for the first time.

I am a bit concerned that crowds will be so severe that we are better off waiting for another time to visit? I have a premonition that October crowds this year will be worse than any other time in history and that wait times will be out of control even for attractions that traditionally do not have long waits.

Anyone else have an idea about crowds that week?

I wouldnt worry too much - I am more concerned with our little friend Kim in North Korea.

 

[jimmytammy]

We are going the 10th-20th and though the crowds may be be a bit more its not unmanageable. I attribute it more to F&W crowds, Columbus Day weekend will put a few extra bodies there, but again, not exceedingly bad. Make your ressies ahead of time, get some FPs and let the good times roll. I go with this thought in mind...I am in WDW, I am going to have a good time no matter what the circumstances that I can or can't control. A lot of people would trade places with me in a heartbeat at those moments!

 

[firefly_ris]

I just was looking over park hours again... they must have recently changed again -- on our MK day (Wednesday, October 11th) MK opens at 8AM and closes at 12AM, with EMH from 12AM - 2AM! It definitely wasn't like that a few weeks ago. We don't start our MK time until 3pm that day, so I'll be interested to see what that will be like! Wonder if I can get my husband to stay until a 2am closing....

 

[AngiTN]

I just was looking over park hours again... they must have recently changed again -- on our MK day (Wednesday, October 11th) MK opens at 8AM and closes at 12AM, with EMH from 12AM - 2AM! It definitely wasn't like that a few weeks ago. We don't start our MK time until 3pm that day, so I'll be interested to see what that will be like! Wonder if I can get my husband to stay until a 2am closing....

Yes, over the weekend

 

[Boardwalk III]

I just was looking over park hours again... they must have recently changed again -- on our MK day (Wednesday, October 11th) MK opens at 8AM and closes at 12AM, with EMH from 12AM - 2AM! It definitely wasn't like that a few weeks ago. We don't start our MK time until 3pm that day, so I'll be interested to see what that will be like! Wonder if I can get my husband to stay until a 2am closing....

This is how it was 3 years ago. And we still waited in line for 60 minutes at 7DMT at 1:30 am. It was like an alternative universe but loads of fun!

 

[firefly_ris]

This is how it was 3 years ago. And we still waited in line for 60 minutes at 7DMT at 1:30 am. It was like an alternative universe but loads of fun!

I have FP for 7DMT, Space Mountain and BTTMR, so those are covered....and an early dinner ADR so I don't have to worry about waiting too long to eat... I figure it's going to be crazy but that will at least help a little I think. I contemplated moving MK to earlier in the day and getting out of there by dinner, but, I'm going to just brave it... last time we were at Disney we didn't get to do MK at night because we had the kids with us, and they were little and just weren't going to make it. So I really just want to be in MK at night this time since it will just be the two of us; I just love Tomorrowland at night all lit up and all of that. My 2nd favorite place at night is Epcot, but we are taking such a short trip and the way I have things planned out, Epcot is daytime so I don't want to miss night time MK. And my kids would never make a 2AM closing, maybe if they were older.

 

[Boardwalk III]

I have FP for 7DMT, Space Mountain and BTTMR, so those are covered....and an early dinner ADR so I don't have to worry about waiting too long to eat... I figure it's going to be crazy but that will at least help a little I think. I contemplated moving MK to earlier in the day and getting out of there by dinner, but, I'm going to just brave it... last time we were at Disney we didn't get to do MK at night because we had the kids with us, and they were little and just weren't going to make it. So I really just want to be in MK at night this time since it will just be the two of us; I just love Tomorrowland at night all lit up and all of that. My 2nd favorite place at night is Epcot, but we are taking such a short trip and the way I have things planned out, Epcot is daytime so I don't want to miss night time MK. And my kids would never make a 2AM closing, maybe if they were older.

Sounds like fun..with earlier closings for parks in general there seem to be fewer opportunities to do MK at night unless it is EMH or a ticketed event so I agree, take advantage!

 

[Skallywag Steph]

First, the availability at the resorts have been this way for months, before Irma ever even formed off the coast of Africa, so she had nothing to do with it.
Second, see this post. Specifically the bold
Fall break has been the week it's been for years. The crowd predictions haven't increased on my TP scheduled since all this started. Basically, you are a bit off base on your interpretations of the data, your week isn't all that bad and it's crowd levels are impacted by Irma guests rescheduling. Many of those guests wanted to keep Free Dining and they couldn't book that week and keep it

Angi,
Ive been trying to understand the bold statement regarding an issue with the reservation system. The week of Christmas is still showing plenty of availability whereas every other time appears booked up. Do you have any insight why there would be a glitch for every week but the busiest week of the year?

 

[AngiTN]

Angi,
Ive been trying to understand the bold statement regarding an issue with the reservation system. The week of Christmas is still showing plenty of availability whereas every other time appears booked up. Do you have any insight why there would be a glitch for every week but the busiest week of the year?

No, I don't. I have no insight on it at all. Just happened to recall reading what Len posted. My guess would be that week didn't have a glitch. Glitches are funny creatures, they happen without rhyme or reason