Columbus Day Week

[KGD]

Does anyone know how busy the week is around Columbus Day, Oct 10?. We have reservations from Oct 10-20 and didn't know how busy the first few days would be after Columbus Day?
Thanks!

 

[treehugnmama]

I will see you there. I asked the saw question a while back and got lots of answers but the general was the weekend and Columbus day itself would be busy but that should be it. For me it is thanksgivi g day

 

[horselover]

I was there last year from the Wed. before until the Wed. after Columbus Day. The Wed. & Thu. before weren't too bad. By Friday it was getting crowded & the crowds stayed right through to when we departed. Just go in with a plan & you'll be fine. Avoid Epcot on Fri. & Sat. nights if at all possible. We'll be there again this year over the same timeframe. Would have preferred a different weekend but we need to work around the school schedule.

Have a great trip!

 

[KGD]

Thanks Horselover -
So, crowded like spring break or Christmas crowds or less than that?

 

[Tony-NJ]

It's definitely NOT like Christmas or Spring Break! We have gone at thsi time many times. We'll be there on the 12th!

 

[horselover]

Thanks Horselover -
So, crowded like spring break or Christmas crowds or less than that?

I would say a little less crowded than spring break, but nothing like Easter crowds. I haven't been over Christmas yet (this yr. will be the 1st!) so I can't compare it to that. Like I said just try to avoid Epcot on Fri. & Sat. nights if at all possible.

 

[DisneyPups]

I went 2 years ago, when the Wine and Dine race WAS Columbus Day weekend. That added to the crowds. This year the half marathon kicks off F&W the weekend before, so that should help. But there are also Halloween parties during the week. So it will definitely be manageable, but I agree that a little planning goes a long way. Look up what nights have the Halloween party, and look for special F&W activities that may draw a bigger crowd. It definitely is nothing like Christmas. And still probably lighter than spring break. Not all school districts have off for Columbus Day.

Long story short, I'll be there that weekend, and I promise, I will share the parks with you... just don't cut in line when I'm tryin' to meet the Mouse.

 

[DisneyPups]

Oh, I just reread the dates of your trip. You'll be fine. But again, keep an eye on the Halloween party dates. Have fun!

 

[KGD]

Thanks! So should we avoid MK on MNSSHP days, or go that day as it will close early and be less crowded?

 

[kendzee94]

That used to be our favorite week to go up until the last two years. Definitely getting busy. The Saturday before Columbus Day this last October was just outrageous at MK! The lines were out to the stroller parking at POTC and Haunted Mansion. We waited in line for POTC with both sides running and it was just out of control- 45 minutes for what we usually have for walk on then.....I think more and more people are finding it a good time to go....

 

[KGD]

kendzee94 -
Were you there for the week of (after) Columbus Day? We are booked from 10/10 (Columbus Day) through 10/20. Was wondering how the rest of the week was?

 

[kendzee94]

KGD- We went 10/6-10/12/10 which was Wed through Tues. I hope it will be a little better for you. That Saturday was outrageous! We've gone that weekend at least four times, and by far it was the worst. However, when we went at the end of January this year, the crowds were more than the same weekend last year. I think that numbers are just up as far as crowds go, which really worries me for our 10 night Christmas trip!

Anyway, maybe you'll have better luck because Columbus Day will be over. We usually go with touring plans vs. undercover tourist or TGM, so after a few trips of my family harping on me about being so anal about following the touring plan, we just winged it. Needless to say, they made sure I followed the "plan" and asked me best park/ worst park and crowd level this past January Imagine that!

 

[kendzee94]

Thanks! So should we avoid MK on MNSSHP days, or go that day as it will close early and be less crowded?

We usually get into the park 3ish on MNSSHP days (use our AP). Unless you go on a sold out night, the crowds are lower by then. Can't speak for earlier in the day. We try to hang out at the resort and rest up as it is a late night.

 

[VLee]

We have been a couple of times during that timeframe and found that the weekend leading into Columbus Day and that Monday more crowded but after that, the crowd thinned out.

 

[CarolMN]

Moved from DVC Boards

 

[KGD]

kendzee94 -

Thanks for all of the info. What are touring plans vs undercover tourist and TGM. We are kind of park commandos too and stick to a schedule, but I am hoping since this is our first DVC trip and a 10 day trip, we can actually relax a little.......maybe........

We were there this year the last week of January too. We thought it was CRAZY busy. Also, we have 3 children, 4 yr old daughter and 20 month old twin boys, so the crowds and long lines are really tough for our family. I would love to be able to "plan" according to expected crowd levels, etc, if that is what you are referring to with touring plans.

ANY help or guidance would be appreciated!

 

[elainesj]

I did Columbus Day weekend last yr. Sat at AK and Sun at MK.

It was busy and walking meant weaving through crowds. But we used TGM and it was completely manageable - never waited more than 10-15 mins or so. This was even with going on Sunday to MK which had MSEP and evening EMH.

Then I decided to go at the end of January to see what "low" crowds was like. Much lower crowds and easier walking. On the while though, we only saved a bit in time and again waited an avg of 10-15 mins.

So while it was nice going in low crowd season, I won;t stress out so much about it in the future. I still have no intention of going during spring break or super peak season....but mid busy days like Columbus Day won't phase me.

As for sites like TGM, it was invaluable for me. If you're a planner, you'll LOVE it. It teaches you what rides to choose when so you'll deal with the least lineups.

My friend just went for spring break and insisted on winging it. I gave her what advice I could. The first day, they decided not to use FP because they didn;t want to "walk back n forth". They only did a handful of rides. They then started using FP but not well planned out so they did more walking than I would do (because I plan to minimize it). They did stuff like waiting 2 hrs for TSM and 1.5 hrs to meet Tinkerbell.

I prefer planning thank u very much....although I do get that some ppl just don't want to. Their choice though I'm a planner who plans out a day at the state fair LOL!!

I did both TGM and TP and TGM was worth every penny. I didn't end up using TP much.

 

[kendzee94]

kendzee94 -

Thanks for all of the info. What are touring plans vs undercover tourist and TGM. We are kind of park commandos too and stick to a schedule, but I am hoping since this is our first DVC trip and a 10 day trip, we can actually relax a little.......maybe........

We were there this year the last week of January too. We thought it was CRAZY busy. Also, we have 3 children, 4 yr old daughter and 20 month old twin boys, so the crowds and long lines are really tough for our family. I would love to be able to "plan" according to expected crowd levels, etc, if that is what you are referring to with touring plans.

ANY help or guidance would be appreciated!

TGM, Touring plans and undercover tourist are different sites that you pay for a membership for. I don't subscribe to TGM, so not sure of what he offers.

With Touring plans (TP) and undercover tourist (got UT because it had an app for DH's iphone!) you get best park recommendations. They also recommend for your family (little ones, tweens, adults with touring plans) where to go in what order to get the most bang/rides for your buck. If you do a search, there are numerous threads debating which touring plan is best. I can tell you that for the most part they work vs using nothing. However, within the last two years, I have become convinced that a lot more prople are using these sites and skew things, but that is just me. Personally, we prefer TP vs UT, as their recommendation as to what park in what day is the recommendation was more accurate (we used both during one trip to see, and ended up leaving the park that UT recommended and going to the recommended park by TP!)

 

[ChrisHartman]

We went Oct 9-15 last year and it was busier than I had expected it to be. On a scale of 1-10, the week was about a 6 or a 7. There were definitely days when it was more manageable than others, but it was definitely a good idea to have a plan. I think the latter portion of your vacation will be much less busy than the earlier part.