Is there a slow season any more?

[figment_jii]

I always thought DL was emptier than DW but it looks like I'm wrong!!! We're going in about 2 months, Oct-20-25. Do you think the crowds will be unbearable or decent? I really want to prepare myself in case we're forced to wait 3 hours to get on any ride! xD

I doubt you're going to see three hours waits when you are there. I wouldn't be surprised if waits for RSR get to around 2 hours on the weekends, but that's one of the most popular attractions in DLR. At this point, I haven't heard of any major conventions, school breaks, etc. during the Oct 20 to 25 period, so I think you're most likely to experience manageable crowd levels throughout your trips. Weekends (Friday nights through Sunday) tend to be pretty busy during HalloweenTime, so be prepared for an uptick in crowds during that period. I wouldn't go to the parks expecting walk-on attractions, but I don't expect peak crowds either.

 

[agamble]

Three hour waits are pretty rare at DL. Even in the summer the listed wait time for Racers is generally 2 hours. I'd expect in October to have lighter morning hours with heavier evening hours as our experience has been that many locals visit the park after work/school hours. Make sure you get there for rope drop and enjoy the mornings.

If I was trying to pick a less busy time of year I'd go with late April, so long as Easter isn't late that year, which it's not in 2016. You could run into ride closures, but most rides are open from winter refurbs by Spring Break, except last year. I actually think the last week of June is a pretty good time to visit. Crowds do pick up a bit, but the grad nights are over and there are blackout dates for a lot of locals. The park hours and open rides are at maximum.

 

[GatorChris]

Slow seasons seemed to have been eliminated by marathons

Ding ding ding. Winner! I suppose from a business perspective, it's pretty smart to put the marathons in the slowest seasons. Great way to help fill the parks. It really stinks for someone like me who can get away with the kids anytime and visit DL. You can really see the difference in crowds when a marathon happens on the weekends. Seeing as how I hate to run long distances, this just makes me hate it more.

 

[brianerickson]

I always thought DL was emptier than DW but it looks like I'm wrong!!! We're going in about 2 months, Oct-20-25. Do you think the crowds will be unbearable or decent?

I really want to prepare myself in case we're forced to wait 3 hours to get on any ride! xD

I went there in August, the exact day that Annual Passholders came unblocked for the summer, and the longest line I ever had to wait in was only about 45-50 minutes

You should be fine

 

[wench]

According to Touring Plans, it looks like the best overall month for DL is September. No surprise there as most kids are just back in school. Then there are random weeks throughout the year that are predicted to be really low. Like the last week of January. If your flexible on your dates, & low crowds are most important for you, I would spring for a Touring Plans subscription. I think it was under $10 for a DL subscription & then you can use the crowd calendar to see their predictions for one year. Good luck!

 

[CassieF]

I'll chime in...the last couple of weeks have been mostly empty compared to summer season. Wait times today even, a Friday of a Marathon weekend, seems less mid day than most of summer, with Indy hovering around 30 minutes (only e ticket I walked by a few times)

 

[Lebestiole]

Thanks everyone for their opinions! It looks like we're going to have a fun trip with decent crowds! I just can't wait to get there!!!!