Gay Days and Columbus Day?

[mrsw94]

So my family and I currently have reservations arriving Sat October 6 and leaving Friday October 12. Sat & Fri will be driving days. Sun & Mon at DL, Tue at Knotts and Wed, Thurs at DL. We are not planning on doing the Halloween Party. We will have 6 adults, a 3 year old and a 10 year old.

We want to see Fantasmic, the Fireworks and World of Color, so we chose to go over the holiday weekend since Monday should be later weekend-type hours and we can do Fantasmic one evening and Fireworks the other. I don't think the kiddos could handle both in one night.

My question is this....are we shooting ourselves in the foot trying to go that weekend? Are we
better. off going the following week Sat, Sun, Mon at DL, Tue at Knotts (there is some senors deal for the chicken dinner that my FIL wants) and then Wed at DL?

We have reservations, but I'd imagine we can change them if needed. Thanks for your help!!

 

[skiingfast]

Columbus Day is not a Holiday everyone gets off, so it has only a small effect on crowds. Gay Days is not a huge event, so it has only a small effect on crowds. Together they will have a medium effect, they do not make it terrible.

I would probably choose that Monday over the next Saturday.

Once you choose your trip period, keep an eye out for Halloween Dates this summer. The Tuesday only idea may change.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I agree with Skiingfast.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Our kids get that entire week off of school not just Monday.

We have been going that week since 2006 and while it used to be not too crowded it has gotten more crowded each year. I believe schools in Arizona and possibly Utah also have that week off. One year there was more cars in the hotel parking lot from Arizona than from CA.

 

[rosie2283]

We were there this past fall on the Gay Days weekend. The Friday night was super busy. We didn't go to the parks for the rest of the weekend and instead went and visited other parks due to the crowds. Friends of ours that overlapped our days and stayed through the Columbus Day weekend were in the parks for Columbus day and said they wouldn't go back at that time again due to the high level of people (and they have been to Disney numerous times). Also that same weekend is the Canadian thanksgiving.

 

[dbbydk]

Our kids get that entire week off of school not just Monday.

We have been going that week since 2006 and while it used to be not too crowded it has gotten more crowded each year. I believe schools in Arizona and possibly Utah also have that week off. One year there was more cars in the hotel parking lot from Arizona than from CA.

Yes, Arizona schools have that week off. That's why we are going that week. I may miss school, but at least my 7 year old won't. Fortunately, we have flexibility though, because she doesn't go back to school until the following Tuesday.

 

[bumbershoot]

But CA schools tend to have it as a holiday.

Went in 09 over c day and DL closed to capacity on the Sat. We got there on Sun, if memory serves, and as AP holders entering DCA we were made to get handstamps, because of anticipated crowds. This was upon entering, remember.

Waiting for my birthday dinner on the 12th in NOS was absolute madness with the crowds.

But after the Monday, just like with DS's mem day birthday, things cleared up.

Add Gay Days to the mix and I doubt if I would want to brave the crowds, after experiencing what just c day does to crowds!

 

[kkmcan]

This past year in Oct during that week was absolute madness! Yes, we are from Arizona too and just about every school district in Tucson is out for fall break. We ended up going with 3 other families and then we ran into numerous Tucson people we knew.

Also that particular week last year had temps of over 100 degrees! I think this coming Oct could be our last fall trip to DL. It's almost not enjoyable going that time of year anymore. Our APs expire the 9th so we will be taking our one last trip on them.

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

FYI park hopper tickets are cheaper

http://www.gaydaysanaheim.com/

 

[mrsw94]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like it's a bit of a toss-up. Uggh. If only I wasn't so attatched to the shows!

 

[larina]

Many regular schedule (not year-round) CA school districts gave up Columbus Day for Martin Luther King years ago (no, we did not get another holiday, we traded). Many (Sacramento Unified, San Francisco Unified, and San Juan for sure) still don't get it off, but a lot of schools seem to take a week there for some random break that I've never understood. My niece always had the entire week (loved having her for a week, but didn't get what the vacation was for, lol) off after moving to Stockton. So, that was my long winded way of saying, some kids are off, some aren't, just depends.

 

[dbbydk]

This past year in Oct during that week was absolute madness! Yes, we are from Arizona too and just about every school district in Tucson is out for fall break. We ended up going with 3 other families and then we ran into numerous Tucson people we knew.

Also that particular week last year had temps of over 100 degrees! I think this coming Oct could be our last fall trip to DL. It's almost not enjoyable going that time of year anymore. Our APs expire the 9th so we will be taking our one last trip on them.

I understand that it's busy when we have fall break and descend upon DL, but when you say it's absolute madness, is that madness for October, or madness like it would be in summer?

 

[dbbydk]

FYI park hopper tickets are cheaper

http://www.gaydaysanaheim.com/

I have a really stupid question, but I am going to ask anyway... I followed your link for cheap tickets, and looked at hotel rates too. Wow, they are low! If you book thru Gay Days, the web site for booking has a group id code for the low rate. Here's the stupid question: do you have to attend any of the conference to get the low rate?

 

[mrsw94]

Ok, Here's another idea. Would it be better to go the following weekend, do Friday at DL, Sat at Knotts, then Sun-Wed at DL? (Providing I can convince my FIL to give up his Senior Special chicken dinner at Knotts? Or am I better off giving up my 2 show plans and going for a Sunday-Thurs scenario the following week in favor of smaller crowds when the kids are back in school?

My daughter is in year-round school and off for 3 weeks starting Columbus day, so we have some flexiblity.

Thanks All!

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

I have a really stupid question, but I am going to ask anyway... I followed your link for cheap tickets, and looked at hotel rates too. Wow, they are low! If you book thru Gay Days, the web site for booking has a group id code for the low rate. Here's the stupid question: do you have to attend any of the conference to get the low rate?

The answer is NO u don't have to attend. I bought tickets park hoppers and used them no problem. Just make sure they are valid for when you go.

 

[dbbydk]

The answer is NO u don't have to attend. I bought tickets park hoppers and used them no problem. Just make sure they are valid for when you go.

Yes, they should work. They are valid for 2 weeks after Gay Days, and which are Oct 5-7, and we will be there the 7th-12th. And my friends shouldn't have a problem booking the hotel with the GD rate code? I will find a red shirt sometime before then to show my support at least.

 

[stubby]

Columbus Day is not a Holiday everyone gets off, so it has only a small effect on crowds. Gay Days is not a huge event, so it has only a small effect on crowds. Together they will have a medium effect, they do not make it terrible.

I would probably choose that Monday over the next Saturday.

Once you choose your trip period, keep an eye out for Halloween Dates this summer. The Tuesday only idea may change.

What he said. We went on Halloween 2 years ago during Gay Days and the crowds were minimal. We had a great time and the only problem we found was a group of people got drunk in DCA and were talking really nasty on Soaring. Not good when you have little ones. We are going again this Oct. 5-11th. Hope to see you there!

 

[mrsw94]

What he said. We went on Halloween 2 years ago during Gay Days and the crowds were minimal. We had a great time and the only problem we found was a group of people got drunk in DCA and were talking really nasty on Soaring. Not good when you have little ones. We are going again this Oct. 5-11th. Hope to see you there!

Thanks! Good to know! I do think I'll have to sit down and have a talk with my 10 year old before we go!

We already have our hotel reservations, and since things are filling up, I think we'll stick with them. I'm going to cross our fingers and hope for not too many people!

 

[stubby]

I understand that it's busy when we have fall break and descend upon DL, but when you say it's absolute madness, is that madness for October, or madness like it would be in summer?

Not the original poster but I went for Gay Days in Oct. 2010. We also took a trip in July of 2011. July was insane. Gay Days was not. There were crowds Friday night because of Gay Days and the Halloween party. But, Saturday and Sunday were not bad. Monday it rained and the park was empty. July was busy for all 6 days we were there. We have decided to take another(and probably our last for awhile) trip this October. We will be there for Gay Days and Columbus Day. Can't wait!
Here's hoping for light crowds!

 

[dbbydk]

Not the original poster but I went for Gay Days in Oct. 2010. We also took a trip in July of 2011. July was insane. Gay Days was not. There were crowds Friday night because of Gay Days and the Halloween party. But, Saturday and Sunday were not bad. Monday it rained and the park was empty. July was busy for all 6 days we were there. We have decided to take another(and probably our last for awhile) trip this October. We will be there for Gay Days and Columbus Day. Can't wait!
Here's hoping for light crowds!

Thanks for the occupancy report. That's great info to hear. I found out last week that the OMDD trip has to include a Saturday, which I normally prefer not to do at DL. We were originally just going to be there at the tail end of Gay Days, but I think now we will be there right in the middle of it. And we'll also be there Columbus Day, but we were there on Memorial Day a few years ago, and it wasn't bad that day, and died down the next two.

So, I know you wear red in support of Gay Days. Is there something special you wear to support Columbus Day?