First few days of November- crowds?

[todzwife]

We are trying to do a surprise trip for the kids which would be Wed-Sat Nov 2-5.

Anyone know how crowds typically are that weekend? Mickey's halloween stuff is gone, right? Is a bunch of stuff closed?

 

[twopeasonepod]

We go the day before Halloween and stay until the 9th. Did the same thing last year, and it was amazing! MHP is super crowded, but after that, it drops off considerably. The Halloween stuff is taken down and you will start to see Christmas stuff coming up. The castle will be lit, with snow on top, etc. And the "Christmas" parade and special will be taped around then. I love it. But...IASW is closed, as well as other typical overlays, and that is also a time that they do refurbs cuz the crowds are lower -- right before the holiday season. But you will have an awesome time!

 

[Sherry E]

I don't think that the parade will be filmed during 11/2 - 11/5 this year. That seems too early. But since the holiday season begins on Monday, 11/14, this year, there has been speculation that the parade will be filmed over the weekend leading up to it, maybe on 11/10, 11/11 or 11/12. I also think that IASW Holiday might open prior to 11/14 as well.

To my knowledge, the Winter Castle does not light up in full icicle lights before the official start of the season, especially not that early in November. The Castle lights up as usual, as it does every night, but not in the icicles. The 'snow' appears on the Castle before Halloween even rolls around because that's part of the decoration process that must begin early, but the icicle lighting/glowing intermittently through the night happens when the holiday season begins. It may happen a couple of days prior to 11/14 this year - just as I suspect IASW Holiday will do - but I doubt the Castle will be glowing between 11/2 and 11/5.

Haunted Mansion Holiday will already be up and running, of course. The Storybook Land ride may or may not be closed due to receiving its teeny tiny Christmas decorations.

The Round-Up will close to have its Halloween decor taken down and its holiday decor put up.

Pirates will be closed for refurb.

There's a reason why this post-Halloween and pre-Christmas season is slower, crowd-wise - because most of the holiday offerings have not begun yet! It's pretty much off-peak. So if it's primarily lower crowds you want, you will get them!

 

[todzwife]

I don't think that the parade will be filmed during 11/2 - 11/5 this year. That seems too early. But since the holiday season begins on Monday, 11/14, this year, there has been speculation that the parade will be filmed over the weekend leading up to it, maybe on 11/10, 11/11 or 11/12. I also think that IASW Holiday might open prior to 11/14 as well.

To my knowledge, the Winter Castle does not light up in full icicle lights before the official start of the season, especially not that early in November. The Castle lights up as usual, as it does every night, but not in the icicles. The 'snow' appears on the Castle before Halloween even rolls around because that's part of the decoration process that must begin early, but the icicle lighting/glowing intermittently through the night happens when the holiday season begins. It may happen a couple of days prior to 11/14 this year - just as I suspect IASW Holiday will do - but I doubt the Castle will be glowing between 11/2 and 11/5.

Haunted Mansion Holiday will already be up and running, of course. The Storybook Land ride may or may not be closed due to receiving its teeny tiny Christmas decorations.

The Round-Up will close to have its Halloween decor taken down and its holiday decor put up.

Pirates will be closed for refurb.

There's a reason why this post-Halloween and pre-Christmas season is slower, crowd-wise - because most of the holiday offerings have not begun yet! It's pretty much off-peak. So if it's primarily lower crowds you want, you will get them!

That sounds PERFECT (except Pirates being closed, but the rest we can skip for this year and not be too sad)

Last year, we went the first few days before T-Giving and it was insane Back to back people with no room to move made DH really cranky...lower crowds are what we are looking for for this "do-over" trip...

We are planning to go next year (week after T-giving) so it's not critical we see EVERYTHING this time around, the main reason is to enjoy the Disney that we missed out on last year.