Early October 2011

[hsmamato2]

good/bad time to visit DL?
any 'unofficial' or official events happening that we should know about?
crowds? we're locked into a date, but I assume the crowd calendar is very different from WDW....I plan to avoid the weekend there....

 

[HydroGuy]

good/bad time to visit DL?
any 'unofficial' or official events happening that we should know about?
crowds? we're locked into a date, but I assume the crowd calendar is very different from WDW....I plan to avoid the weekend there....

First, October is a mix of high amd low season. You may not want to avoid the weekend.

See "What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889

Early October usually has these special features:

1. HalloweenTime - there are special threads on this. I am sure someone will post a link.

2. Gay Days

3. Utah School Days - lots of Utahans come to DLR because they have a special school break

4. Columbus Day

See this list from Oct 2010:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/9396/Disneyland_Resort_Update#Events

 

[ducky_love]

This is really helpful!

Any idea when we will get 2011 dates? Even though we live in Orlando we fly out to Cali every few years. We have never been for Halloween and I think this is the year! We'd love to get to a Halloween party and see Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Thanks in advance for all your help. I have a feeling I'll be hanging out over here a lot for the next few months!!

 

[hsmamato2]

wow- seems like a lot is going on.....so the halloween party,would the park close early that night? and....gay days? what is that? is it like 9 million extra people in large groups taking over the park? does it change crowd levels a lot? I obviously need to start looking at a schedule now, why wouldn't I avoid the weekends? I thought that was the busiest time at DL?
stressing already....

 

[hsmamato2]

ok hydroguy- I am starting to read your threads now thanks for all the info!
I see now what you meant about the weekends in off season...DL and WDW are totally different-planning wise!

 

[Sherry E]

wow- seems like a lot is going on.....so the halloween party,would the park close early that night? and....gay days? what is that? is it like 9 million extra people in large groups taking over the park? does it change crowd levels a lot? I obviously need to start looking at a schedule now, why wouldn't I avoid the weekends? I thought that was the busiest time at DL?
stressing already....

Yes. Disneyland will close a bit early on the nights of the party. What will happen is, the party will begin at 7 p.m.-ish on (probably) Friday nights, but guests with special party tickets will be allowed in at 4 p.m. This is all assuming that things are run as they were last year. Non-party park guests will be allowed to stay in Disneyland until 7 p.m. or so. Everyone who remains in the park after 7 p.m. will have to have a special party ticket and wrist band, I think. There will also be a weeknight - likely Tuesdays every week in October - and on those nights, the exact same thing will happen except for that the witching hour will be 6 p.m. and not 7 p.m.

California Adventure will probably stay open later to accommodate those who do not wish to attend the Halloween party in DL.

Gay Days is an annual event that usually takes place on the first weekend of October. I believe this year they are starting it in late September and carrying through October 2nd. I could be wrong on that but their website will have the dates. Yes, crowds pick up substantially for that.

Basically, up until Columbus Day, the crowds for October are considerable. Then they calm down a little bit, and climb again in the days immediately leading up to Halloween.

Halloween Time has gotten very popular and it is now a destination time to go for a lot of people, whereas in the past it was merely considered off-peak season.

This doesn't mean that the crowds will be as bad as, say, post-Christmas/pre-New Year's crowds. And not as bad as peak Summer crowds. And that doesn't mean that you can't plan wisely and have fun. But anyone who has done Halloween Time multiple times in the last few years agreed that the crowds started increasing significantly in about 2008, with a steady rise each year after that. Cast Members' reports seem to substantiate that.

Last year, there were some folks who said they would not go to DLR in Ocotber again because it was too crowded for their liking. Others said the crowds were not unreasonable and they would go again every year.

So it's anyone's guess, really. I think the numbers/crowds have definitely gone up, but what some people view as being too crowded might be what someone else views as manageable.

Add in the fact that we now have World of Color, and by October, the Little Mermaid ride and the new Star Tours will have been open and going strong for several months, and I think it's a safe bet that October (at least early to mid-month) will see pretty healthy attendance.


Stay tuned to the Halloween at DLR Superthread - Part 2. Page 1 and 2 have lots of info. We'll be discussing any breaking news on the season - including dates when they are released - and I'll update the first post with specific 2011 information when we get it.

 

[hsmamato2]

thanks- I will be watching....when one says 'crowded'.....in WDW terms,like what? Since that's my reference..... last year we visited WDW Dec 10-17- we are used the the place,soe we had a fine time.....any sort of comparisons?
we are usually the types to go against the crowds, avoid the norms,and find smaller waits......

 

[Sherry E]

thanks- I will be watching....when one says 'crowded'.....in WDW terms,like what? Since that's my reference..... last year we visited WDW Dec 10-17- we are used the the place,soe we had a fine time.....any sort of comparisons?
we are usually the types to go against the crowds, avoid the norms,and find smaller waits......

Not having personally been to WDW myself, I couldn't say. This is another area in which some folks (who have been to WDW) have commented and said they felt DLR was more crowded because it's more compact, while others (who have been to both Resorts) have said they felt DLR was less crowded! I have noticed a lot of that sort of thing on the boards in the last year. People definitely view crowds in both WDW and DLR differently, based on their comfort levels, I suppose. Even on days when DLR reaches capacity (post-Christmas/pre-New Year's), you will find people saying that it was the worst crowds they ever experienced, while others will say, "It wasn't too bad. There were no lines!"

 

[HydroGuy]

thanks- I will be watching....when one says 'crowded'.....in WDW terms,like what? Since that's my reference..... last year we visited WDW Dec 10-17- we are used the the place,soe we had a fine time.....any sort of comparisons?
we are usually the types to go against the crowds, avoid the norms,and find smaller waits......

I have been to WDW over Memorial Day and in mid-June and will have my first Spring Break experience here in a few weeks. So I have some experience here and can answer better than some people but probably not as well as others.

DLR feels more crowded than WDW even with a similar number of guests per park because the DLR parks are physically smaller. The walkways are narrower. However, since DLR has so many more rides per park than WDW parks it has more places to put people.

Also the DLR park hours are often longer than WDW parks and that spreads people out more.

My sense is that crowds at the parks at each resort tend be roughly comparable - although DLR may draw more (or maybe less) people seasonally like in October (I suspect they draw more at DLR in October now). DLR parks feel more crowded especially at certain times of day and at certain places. E.g., since Fantasmic is performed inside DL rather than at a stadium at another park as at WDW it makes DL feel a lot more crowded at night.

Epcot of course never seems to feel all that crowded because it is so huge.

Not sure how much have helped here.

 

[GrandBob]

I think Hydroguy has nailed it - again. Here's my guess about the subjective reports on relative crowd levels.

The people who report DLR feeling more crowded are talking about being able (or not able) to move around the parks, especially through the dreaded Adventureland gauntlet. And the crowding for shows and parades. Both feel much more crowded because of the narrower walkways.

The people who report DLR being less crowded are probably talking about the wait times for rides. It's my impression (and I don't have a lot of WDW experience) that, season-for-season, the ride wait times are less at DLR.

JMHO
Bob

 

[hsmamato2]

First, October is a mix of high amd low season. You may not want to avoid the weekend.



3. Utah School Days - lots of Utahans come to DLR because they have a special school break

4. Columbus Day

See this list from Oct 2010:

http://www.mouseplanet.com/9396/Disneyland_Resort_Update#Events

anyone know when Utah school break days are this year? I am starting to worry now......

 

[camidges]

I just looked at their website, and the convention dates look to be Oct 20-21 this year - hth!

If you wanna double check:

http://www.myuea.org/Default.aspx?page=calendar (then scroll to October).

 

[oumagic]

There are some schools in AZ that are off for fall break. I know, because our kids have the last week in Sept and first week in Oct off and we will be there with them Oct 2-6.

 

[hsmamato2]

Lord have mercy.... I'm beginning to second guess our plans.....

 

[oumagic]

Lord have mercy.... I'm beginning to second guess our plans.....

It is getting to be more and more that there is not an ideal week to go to DL. It is kind of their job to make sure the park is always full and they have been doing their jobs better it seems to me We went last year on our fall break and had a wonderful time with only 1 out of 5 days being "packed." I think you would have fun. I don't think anyone here wants you to book your trip and then you be disappointed when you get there and do not have the park to yourself.

I have seen a number of threads pop up asking if this week or that week would be good to go and nearly every thread has had reasons why it would be busy. As I said, it seems to me that DL are doing a good job keeping it busy. One thing to add: if it looks to Disney like the fall will be slow, I am sure they will run a special to help make it busier.

 

[cyclenut]

Lord have mercy.... I'm beginning to second guess our plans.....

Having this information is good, but it shouldn't cause you to change your plans. I've been impressed at how well DLR handles crowds. There are a few times during the operating hours where you would really notice them, but to some degree the crowds add to the ambiance.

I think you should put it into perspective too. As was already mentioned, although the crowds do pick up at times, it is not the same as the busy summer months or the Holiday season between Christmas and New Years. For our family, October is when we tend to visit the park the most. Crowds are lower than in the summer, we get to experience Haunted Mansion Holiday without the Christmas crowds and we spend more of our time at DL than at DCA.

It is good to plan, but don't stress about it too much. You'll have a good time regardless of the crowds.

 

[hsmamato2]

...thanks...I figure it's probably like the WDW threads....lots of people worry after reading the 'what could go wrong' threads there...since I'm familiar with WDW,they never worry me. B/C I've never done DL, this type of thing worries me,and I have to assume we'll have a blast anyway,just like we do in FL!
BTW, what is the 'convention' on the Utah calendar? is that when the major exodus to DL occurs?

 

[Hound 109]

...thanks...I figure it's probably like the WDW threads....lots of people worry after reading the 'what could go wrong' threads there...since I'm familiar with WDW,they never worry me. B/C I've never done DL, this type of thing worries me,and I have to assume we'll have a blast anyway,just like we do in FL!
BTW, what is the 'convention' on the Utah calendar? is that when the major exodus to DL occurs?

This is the proper attitude & perspective to have.

Yes some weeks are busier than others (for lots of reasons).....but if you're reading HG's tip threads, you will see that what is consistently mentioned is that if:

- You get to the parks EARLY.
- Have a flexible plan & know how to use FP.
- Plan (each day) to hop to DCA when it gets crowded at DLR.
- Take a mid day break or rest if it makes sense....

...then you'll be ahead of most of the crowds & will have FPs etc. (or plans for other stuff like Aladdin) when it's crowded during the mid day or early evening.

Have fun & report back.