How busy over Columbus Weekend??!!

[siriusly]

We are planning a trip and will be there 10/6-10/11. How busy will the parks really be? We would probably avoid MK on Saturday as I know that would probably be busy even without the Holiday. We are from WI and our schools do not have any time off during that time but I heard the East Coast schools do & it tends to get busy during that time. We were wondering if we should change our days if it was going to be really busy. ANy advice would be appreciated
Thanks!
Kim

 

[jcemom]

I'd like to know the answer to this one as well, as I think I'll be there around that time next year, but am flexible and will change my dates if it's too crowded!

 

[jtjarvis]

We're going that weekend, Thursday 10/7-Monday. Not going to parks Monday, just traveling home. (This will give us three park days-- we're in Ga. and travel short! ) Our main point of interest will be mnsshp.

I spent a fair amount of time worrying about crowds and I'm going to expect them... but I'm just planning a strategy. This weekend is the only Halloween-season one that we can do.

I don't blame someone for reconfiguring plans if need be, but it has been pointed out to me that at least it will be better crowd-wise than summer or of course any other holiday weekend. Good luck with your decision!

 

[siriusly]

thanks for the info. I think we will just try & make a good plan. We are pretty flexible & I think if we avoid MK on Saturday & do something else that day we will be ok!!

 

[kilee]

I too am looking at that time frame. DS has that Monday off for Columbus Day-- and that would mean only 4 days missed from school instead of 5 (every day counts). I think the 3 days of the weekend are going to be busy, but not overwhelming!

 

[44disney]

We were there last year at that time, arriving the Saturday before Columbus Day and leaving on Fri.

On Sat., after checking in, we went to Blizzard Beach around 3pm. It was not very crowded but, obviously, it was getting close to closing time. We then went to MGM for supper and had a 75 min wait for Tower of Terror (fast passes were gone) but I think the reason for the long line (and the reason we were there) was because Tower was supposed to be closed for maintenance for the rest of the week (which actually didn't happen and so we waited that long for nothing -- later in the week we got a fast pass for it and so had no wait). I don't really know how the rest of the park was because that is all that we did.

On Sun. we went to MK and it was crowded, particularly in Fantasyland. We have been several times in the past during the same week and this was the most crowded I have ever seen the MK. However, it was still manageable, particularly with the fast pass. My guess, although I have never been in the summer, is that the crowd level would be light compared the summer crowds.

On Mon we went to AK -- I am pretty sure that it was early entry day there. We rode the Safari 1st, got a fast pass for later, rode the River Rapids with very little wait, got the the Lion King show about 30 minutes before showtime but did not get in (already full). Got a fast pass for Dinosaur and ate lunch while we waited for our time. Later we got into the bird show right at showtime. The walkways were extremely packed but with the fast pass we didn't really wait for much, except I think we had to wait at least 1/2 hour for the train to Conservation Station (there was no line for the return). We came back later in the week on a day when it did not open early and the crowd was light so I don't know if the reason it was so crowded was because of the early entry or because of the Monday holiday. MK remained crowded throughout the entire trip, but the other parks were not bad at all.

Also remember that there was a special deal last Oct. , where Disney hotel guests purchased 4 nights plus park passes and got 3 nights plus park passes free. That is why we decided to go in Oct, and probably a lot of other people did, too.

We still had a great time!

 

[Celestine]

Last year we arrived on the Saturday (Columbus day was the Monday). We spent Sunday at AK & although busy, was not unbearable & did everything we wanted to. Monday we went to MK as DH & Dad did the magic behind the steam trains. It was busy, but we had a plan & stuck to it. We left after the 3pm parade. We had a PS for CP at 1130 & if you didn't have a PS you wouldn't be seated until 7pm. We staked out parade places 30mins early opposite LTT. Use of FP was a must (otherwise waits for Peter Pan exceed 90mins). As we were returning to MNSSHP later that week, if we hadn't done something we weren't too worried. THe most important thing was to hit the park early. The rest of the week was OK and no real horrendous lines except the first day of food & wine when FP for MS & TT were out very early & stand by waits long