Crowd levels Oct vs Nov

[nemofans]

How do the crowd levels compare betw the 1st week of Oct (free dining) & early Nov?

 

[SheenaXena21]

The 1st week of October is pretty crowded. Especially compared to the weeks before Thanksgiving. I went the 3rd week of November last year, and going again this year, and it was awesome!!! The crowds were low and the weather was great!

October is fun, crowded and hot! I liked going during the F&WF, been twice. It's just now I've discovered November, and it's going to be hard to break from this time of year.

Either month, you'll have a blast. If you go in October, plan carefully. But the guidebooks, and read lots of past Dis threads, they help, ALOT!

 

[grimley1968]

Early November is typically much less crowded than early October.

Don't forget that October also features Fall Breaks for a lot of the country, and it's getting more crowded every year. Not nearly as many schools have fall breaks in November.

 

[Disney_Lover06]

I've gone to WDW during the first week of November and waited no lower than 15 minutes for a ride! So it wasn't too crowded.

 

[mainegal]

November would be best for crowds and weather.

 

[LuvnWDW]

Don't forget NJ week, usually the first or second week in Nov. It's the first week of Nov this year, 2009.

The last week of October has always been very nice for us. Low crowds, gorgeous weather!

 

[Anglefan]

There really isn't a difference between October and November for crowds. You just want to make sure to miss Columbus Day and Thanksgiving weeks.

 

[HaleyB]

I have gone for the first week of F&WF/end of free dining for the past several years. The crowds are manageable, we have never had any issues and I would say under 20 minute lines are typical (with exceptions, of course).

Some things do need to be planed around:
Epcot is very busy on the weekends and after 5.
MNSSHP close the MK down early lots of nights, so you have to take that into consideration too
EMH are a little unusual.

 

[nemofans]

Don't forget NJ week, usually the first or second week in Nov. It's the first week of Nov this year, 2009.

The last week of October has always been very nice for us. Low crowds, gorgeous weather!

How does NJ week affect the parks? Is it more crowded or are there special events happening?

 

[joybeth]

How does NJ week affect the parks? Is it more crowded or are there special events happening?

More crowded. We have gone a couple times during Jesey week. It was quite crowded in my opinion.

jb

 

[cccdisney]

There really isn't a difference between October and November for crowds. You just want to make sure to miss Columbus Day and Thanksgiving weeks.

Just how crowded is it the week leading up to Thanksgiving? Spring Break crowded? We would be arriving the Friday BEFORE Thanksgiving and staying through the Thanksgiving weekend (8 days). Is that a really bad idea?

 

[Anglefan]

Just how crowded is it the week leading up to Thanksgiving? Spring Break crowded? We would be arriving the Friday BEFORE Thanksgiving and staying through the Thanksgiving weekend (8 days). Is that a really bad idea?

I don't see why it would be a "bad idea". You've got eight days and it will be mild weather. It's the most crowded time from the beginning of August until Christmas, but I don't see why it'd be miserable or anything.

 

[Ashleybs]

What do the following mean: NJ week and F & WF? I'm not sure of all the Disney short hand!

 

[vroomagain]

What do the following mean: NJ week and F & WF? I'm not sure of all the Disney short hand!

Jersey week is when a lot of schools in Jersey have off so many families from Jersey go to WDW then.

F & WF is the Food and Wine Festival that my DH would give an arm to go to.

 

[grimley1968]

Jersey week is when a lot of schools in Jersey have off so many families from Jersey go to WDW then.

F & WF is the Food and Wine Festival that my DH would give an arm to go to.

I still believe early October is still more crowded than early November. Yes, Jersey Week (fall break for NJ residents) may be in November, but most of the rest of the country has their fall break throughout the month of October. Fortunately, fall breaks for the rest of the country are more staggered and often schools in the same state have their fall breaks in different weeks in October, but they're all in October, usually in the first half of the month, and it's 49 other states. Add the F&W Festival to October to bring more crowds to EPCOT, and MNSSHP to bring more crowds to MK, and you've got crowds in early October that are actually starting to rival the crowds of spring break on some days.

I've been in early November, and the difference in crowd levels from then to early October could hardly have been more stark, in my experience.