Columbus Day Weekend Crowds?

[mama22]

Just wondering if anyone has been there for this weekend and what their experience was with crowd levels and weather. Also, any special rates that anyone can remember for this time of year. We were thinking of Oct. 6-11.
Thanks!

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Wondering this too as we will probably go that weekend too. They'll have MNNSHP at least once during that weekend, right?? We went this year for the first time and now we're addicted!!
But, DS will be in "Big School" next year and we don't want to pull him out for very long.

 

[kj2mom]

Another wonderer here. We are planning to be there Oct 6-14.

 

[madge]

There were no specials that I can recall for Columbus Day weekend. Most of the Fall specials end within the first few days of October. free dining ended 10/4/04 last year, and I don't think (someone will correct me of I'm wrong ) there were any room only codes in October.

Crowds? You'll get varying answers on that. It's not Christmas/Easter/Spring Break crowded, but.... with MNSSHP and Food & Wine, it's certainly a busy time. Weather is good and it's fun time to be there, though!

 

[AUDramaQueen]

I looked up the dates at touringplans.com and it doesn't seem too bad. Friday Oct 7th looks to be the worst date. They've got MNSSHP on Oct 6 and 9th, but I don't think those are official dates.

Let's see if we hear from anyone with actual experience...

 

[Crazy Kanga]

We were there Oct. 2003 and 2004 and it was pretty crowded.Almost as crowded as this past June, but not quite. With so many schools in the south having a fall break that week, it has really gotten more crowded. It is still probably slightly less crowded than other traditional school break times since it is not a nation wide trend to have a fall break, but just be prepared that it is not the "quiet time of year" that it used to be.

 

[scubamouse]

my sister was there this year and thought it was less crowded than our day at MGM on 12/11/05. At MGM there were lots of people but we walked onto everything by getting there early.

 

[madge]

I looked up the dates at touringplans.com and it doesn't seem too bad. Friday Oct 7th looks to be the worst date. They've got MNSSHP on Oct 6 and 9th, but I don't think those are official dates.

Let's see if we hear from anyone with actual experience...

I have actual experience. I have gone the week leading up to Columbus Day every year since 1998 (except 2001, when my DD was born). What you can expect is this: the M-T-W of that week are pretty quiet, Thursday starts to get more crowded and Fri & Saturday are busy. I would avoid Epcot on Fri & Sat nights, because the Food & Wine Festival is crowded.

There is a big convention that is held at the Swan & Dolphin Columbus Day weekend, and those crowds spill over into the Boardwalk area. Restaurants are hard to get into without ADRs. Although, with the dining plan, that seems to be the case much of the time.

 

[mama22]

Thanks. Does anyone know what big convention is there that weekend? I was not aware the south had a fall break. Anyone know if it is the week before or the week of columbus day?

I also have my daughter going to "big kid" school next year, so I need some school breaks! She does have off on Oct. 2nd also, the monday before columbus day, so we could easily go that weekend as well. I just wanted to make sure we are there to try out MNSSHP!
Thanks again !

 

[eeyore45]

I have actual experience. I have gone the week leading up to Columbus Day every year since 1998 (except 2001, when my DD was born). What you can expect is this: the M-T-W of that week are pretty quiet, Thursday starts to get more crowded and Fri & Saturday are busy. I would avoid Epcot on Fri & Sat nights, because the Food & Wine Festival is crowded.

There is a big convention that is held at the Swan & Dolphin Columbus Day weekend, and those crowds spill over into the Boardwalk area. Restaurants are hard to get into without ADRs. Although, with the dining plan, that seems to be the case much of the time.

This was our experience as well!! I do have to say I was the big planner, and I had planned on Oct be "walk ons' and not crowded, not hot, so I was disappointed by my own expectations... while my dh and my mom were not, they thought it was wonderful!! Every time I got "over anxious" about the FP lines, mom would start timing it, and even the "long line" at Big Thunder, we were only in that FP for 18 minutes!!

So its definately a matter of perception!! Expect BIG crowds, and PLAN, plan, plan... definately a must - get there at opening!! (as well as FP and ADR!!)

 

[Lives4Disney]

Hi, we went in 2003 and 2004. I thought it was very crowded. My kids have a 5 day weekend over Columbus Day and I actually - on the spur of the moment - checked into going this past October but there were NO deluxe rooms available for those dates AT ALL. So, if there are no rooms available, that just tells me I don't want to be there.

As far as the convention at the S/D....That is the reason we were there in 2003 and 2004. It is a Gartner Symposium. I think my DH told me about 40K people attend. It is huge. Some come alone, but others bring their families. Our experience wasn't so great during those times - one year there was a hurricane and the parks closed. On another day we actually got stuck inside the pathway thru the castle on Sat before Columbus Day and I never felt so panicky before. We were smushed. Couldn't go back or forward - just stuck. I was 7 1/2 mo pregnant and had 2 little ones with me. We were staying at the CR, and the monorail CMs were just panicking too due to the mega crowds and didn't know how to keep crowd control. It was 90 degrees and I REALLY wanted to get back to our room. They wouldn't even let us on the monorail. Told us to walk. (I never minded the walk before, but to be miserabley tired I really wanted a ride!) Ugh. Never again. Epcot was extremely crowded and hard to get thru due to the FW Fest.

We have gone the past two Thanksgivings and I haven't even thought those trips were as crowded as our October trips. Just my experience, I know others (I can't imagine how) think it is a slower time to go. ????

On a better note, though...we did do the Halloween party and it was great. Better than the Xmas party.(we did that one twice and they seem to let more people into the Xmas parties)

Lives4Disney

 

[emilee&tylersmom]

We have been twice for Columbus Day weekend. We too thought it would be a slow week. We were wrong both times. We were there October 2005 for 9 days and it was extremely crowded. We stayed at the Swan and it was solid out. Also the weather was HOT, about 90 or more every day. With all that said we enjoyed ourselves and would probably choose that week again. We liked the fact that we only had to pull the kids out of school for three days. And we love the Halloween Party. Plus any day at disney is a good day. Have fun!!!!!

 

[madge]

Thanks. Does anyone know what big convention is there that weekend? I was not aware the south had a fall break. Anyone know if it is the week before or the week of columbus day?

I also have my daughter going to "big kid" school next year, so I need some school breaks! She does have off on Oct. 2nd also, the monday before columbus day, so we could easily go that weekend as well. I just wanted to make sure we are there to try out MNSSHP!
Thanks again !

I can't remember the name of the convention-- there are actually a couple of them that run through late Sept & early Oct. One is large enough that there is spill over into the Y&B Club and Boardwalk resorts. It is a very nice convention, LOL.

Fall breaks are becoming more and more common in the south, as well. Our school has had one since 1998, but every year I notice more and more schools taking a week off in late September or early October. My son's school is out the first 2 weeks of October 2006. Canadian Thanksgiving is also in October, around Columbus Day.

As I said, the crowds in the earlier part of the week aren't bad.... but the really do pick up on the Thursday prior to the holiday weekend.

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Does anyone think the free dining plan in october 2005 affected the crowds or is it always that crowded? Any word on whether they are offering it again?

 

[kendzee94]

We were there from 10/4 through Columbus Day 2005. There was an Amway convention and the Florida kids had two or three days off during that time. It was a little busier than I had anticipated, but thing thing we always do, is get to the parks early, leave by noon, eat, swim, and return to the parks for the evening, and most crowds are avoided. We were lucky enough to hit the MNSSHP on a Thursday (they also had it on Friday) and most everything (except DUmbo-) was walk on.