Going to be crowded?

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

I just checked costco and DL.com for our travel dates to see what popped up price wise (I already booked, but I still like to check and make sure I have the best rate), and all the hotels in the area are booked... we are going 10/24-10/27. Tell me this is normal 60 days out, and it isn't going to be as busy as mid-summer at the end of October? I was hoping for a fairly quiet trip...

--Lisa

 

[annieb727]

Well, CHOC walk is the 21st, and then the 29-30th Utah has their teacher's convention/fall break...which will probably make that week before a bit busy. The Mickey's halloween treat is sold out for the 26th. With all the halloween stuff, mid-late October is no longer as off-season as it once was.

 

[noryglory]

Hi Lisa,

can you go the first week of November, ie after Halloween and way before before Veteran's Day? That's when we were there last. The weather is still much nicer than the fantastic Pacific NW (by the way where did our summer go, it's been pouring rain today and I heard the geese this morning)...and it's a lot quieter. You get the Nightmare Before Christmas layover and some of the Christmas decorations are going up.

We didn't wait in any lines more than a couple minutes. It was fantastic. We went Saturday night, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Saturday night was busy but died off after the fireworks and this was during the 50th which I think was keeping the parks busier than usual.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

Noryglory... I wish we could go later... that week is the biggest break I have at work... so there it is... plus we wanted to do Halloween stuff... anyhow... we have a friend that just got back, and she said the longest line they were in was 10 minutes... so I guess we'll just see how it goes.

Oh, and yes where did summer go? Looks like November here... is Christmas almost here?



--Lisa

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

We went a few years ago in late October and it was pretty darn crowded! With Halloween and everything else going on, it sure isn't the off season it used to be. We'll be there the 9th-13th. My fingers are crossed that it won't be as bad!

 

[noryglory]

Well in Oregon "statewide inservice day" (read: no school) is on that Friday the 12th and I know some people take trips around that three-day weekend thinking it's less crowded in October. Based on what I know from a couple of friends, I think lots of schools in other states that start in August also have a fall break that is, generally speaking, right around those dates. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I'll put it to you this way, in 1997, the last time I went to DL in Oct, my AAA agent told me there really was no longer an 'off-season' for DL anymore. More kids are in year round and multi track schools which means somewhere in this country there is someone who is off and headed to DL. They have a lot of conventions, etc....We didn't believe her. The park was packed. This was before FP and I remember waiting in a 2.5 hour line to get on Splash. I'm headed back to DL this Oct for the first time since '97. It was a last minute trip for me (booked 3 months in advance is last minute for me) and I had a hard time finding the room type I wanted at Hojos where we always stay. I'm sure we'll have fun because we're going to DL!

 

[disney-super-mom]

I just checked on Expedia for 10/24-10/27, and it showed most hotels in the area are available for bookings. Plenty of openings.

Maybe it's just the "packages" getting booked, which I believe are limited in number. But for those needing to book a hotel room, they shouldn't have any trouble.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

that is good to know... I had visions of every hotel room for miles booked because everyone is going to DL... but if just the packages are gone, whew!

Thanks!

--Lisa

 

[Phalene]

I've been getting worried myself. We're going Nov 1-6 and there is NO availability at any of the Disneyland hotels, and hasn't been for months. I'm hoping its not too crowded while we are there.

 

[bumbershoot]

Maybe it's just the "packages" getting booked, which I believe are limited in number. But for those needing to book a hotel room, they shouldn't have any trouble.

Yep.

You might see if checking with the hotels themselves would make you feel better. They seem to all have online reservation systems, so you could just toodle through the good neighbor hotels (I wouldn't try the DLR hotels) to see what direct-booking availability there was!

 

[jemilah]

There is no school in Vegas on the 26th for Nevada day , that means lots of NV plates at DL! I think that is one of the reasons that day for MHT is sold out first.

 

[tinkermell]

I've been getting worried myself. We're going Nov 1-6 and there is NO availability at any of the Disneyland hotels, and hasn't been for months. I'm hoping its not too crowded while we are there.

Have you called Disney directly???? Cuz I talked to my AAA travel agent, and she told me nothing was available at Disney or the ones I requested from the Good Nieghbor Hotels for December. Well just the night before, I had called myself to inquire at some of these hotels and they were open. So I thought to myself.............did everything sell out in one night?????? Now way!!! So I called my first choice Good Nieghbor again and the Disney Hotels, and they all had openings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And still with either AAA rates or AP rates. What the world??????? I think she wanted me to stay at the hotels that she wanted. Which is a first for me, cuz AAA is usually so good about this stuff. So I'm still wondering how that happened.
Anyways call directly if you haven't already done so. You might get lucky!!

 

[Phalene]

Have you called Disney directly???? Cuz I talked to my AAA travel agent, and she told me nothing was available at Disney or the ones I requested from the Good Nieghbor Hotels for December. Well just the night before, I had called myself to inquire at some of these hotels and they were open. So I thought to myself.............did everything sell out in one night?????? Now way!!! So I called my first choice Good Nieghbor again and the Disney Hotels, and they all had openings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And still with either AAA rates or AP rates. What the world??????? I think she wanted me to stay at the hotels that she wanted. Which is a first for me, cuz AAA is usually so good about this stuff. So I'm still wondering how that happened.
Anyways call directly if you haven't already done so. You might get lucky!!

Unfortunately, I have. They had a night here or there for Concierge when I called, but nothing for the entire stay.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Have you called Disney directly???? Cuz I talked to my AAA travel agent, and she told me nothing was available at Disney or the ones I requested from the Good Nieghbor Hotels for December. Well just the night before, I had called myself to inquire at some of these hotels and they were open. So I thought to myself.............did everything sell out in one night?????? Now way!!! So I called my first choice Good Nieghbor again and the Disney Hotels, and they all had openings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And still with either AAA rates or AP rates. What the world??????? I think she wanted me to stay at the hotels that she wanted. Which is a first for me, cuz AAA is usually so good about this stuff. So I'm still wondering how that happened.
Anyways call directly if you haven't already done so. You might get lucky!!

I think that the way it works is AAA and other travel agencies have blocks on certain rooms, and once that block is sold out AAA will show that hotel as sold out even if the hotel still has rooms available. Then if you go to say Expedia or Travelocity or other companies, their blocks may not be sold out and they may show room availability. If you call the hotel directly they will still honor AAA rates if they have enough rooms available. I think they will quote AAA rates at a slight discount even if they are almost sold out. That may be part of their deal wih AAA in order to be a part of their network.