Just Back

[schnare]

Just back from WDW from Oct 3-8.

First let me say that all the parks are very crowded. Most at very near capacity. MK was closed this past Tuesday at 11:30am with 125,000 folks in the park. If you’re staying on property I suggest you do early entry at every park.

Did MK the first day. Arrived at 9:30 and it was already crowded on main street. Headed to the haunted house which was a 10 min wait. Did Pirates next which was a 30 min wait. Pooh was a 40 min wait so we passed and got into Mickey’s Philamagic which was wonderful! By this time the park was mobbed so we left and went to Epcot. Ate lunch in France but was disappointed with the menu. Went back to YC to unpack and swim in SAB. Went back to Epcot around 5pm and went to Imaginations. NO WAIT!, Liked the old figment better. Saw Illumination, nice but we liked the old one better.

Did EE at AK the second day. Arrived at 7:40 and the lines were already long for security check in. Even longer for entry into the park, because local folks with season passes have to use the fingerprint detection machines and this REALLY slows down the lines. Took 20 min just to get in. Walked rather than run to the Safari ride and had a 10 min wait by the time we arrived there at 8:30. Glad we went early all the animal were out. Did both trails, saw a bug’s life. By this time it was packed so back to the YC and another swim in SAB. Did take out from Spoodles and ate on our balcony at the YC with the wine we had brought with us. Went to MGM to see Fantasmic. Arrived 60 min early and has nice seats. GREAT SHOW!

Did early entry at MGM. Had the shortest entry lines this day of my whole trip. Walked on the TT. 10 min wait for roller coaster. 10 min wait for star tours. 10 min wait for movie ride. By this time a mass of humanity had arrived so we left and went to Epcot.
Crowded 60 min wait for MS and Test Track. Left to go back to the YC and swim in SAB. Went to boardwalk that night and watched Illuminations from there.

My mother and sister arrived the next day, Sunday, and they were staying off property so my use of EE came to a halt. So Sun thru Wednesday we did all four parks again with them. We all arrived each day at 8:30 and there were long entry lines. By 11am they were packed. Long lines for everything in every park. Every day we left by 12 to go back to the YC and swim in SAB.

 

[kilee]

Wow, what's w/ the crowds??? I mean October doesn't usually have park closing days does it?

 

[cd&kids]

Very surprised by this...we were there Sat 9/27-Sat 10/4 and crowds were light....maybe a day or two in the afternoon MK got real crowded.

 

[Harambe]

Could it be because of the FairyTale Package? I think this has really beefed up the crowds for this fall!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I was at Magic Kingdom on last Tuesday, and the crowds did not seem bad at all! I was on the Keys to the Kingdom tour that morning, and we never saw any really bad lines or crowds. I was at WDW from Oct 2 to Oct 8, and thought the crowds weren't too bad at all on my whole trip. I could do all the rides I wanted when arriving early.

I thought Monday was much busier, since it was a Jewish holiday for some schools. That day I left MK and headed to Epcot, which was not too busy.

In fact, I would love to do another October trip next year, since I though it was great!

<img src="http://home.att.net/~disneysue/hugsmall3.gif">

 

[Scott2tune]

We must have picked the right days- because the only time we had crowds described like that were when we went last Saturday night to the 9:00 fireworks and 10:00 electric parade at MK. But we knew it would be crowded and only went there for the parades.

All else was phenomenal- the lightest I have seen
9/28- MK
9/29- US & IOA (nearly empty)
9/30- TL & BB
10/1- MGM
10/2- Epcot
10/3- AK
10/4- Epcot
We did so much- everything we wanted to do- missed very little. Thank-you disboards for all your help. Happy to answer any questions.

 

[mansionfan]

I'm going on the 18th-20th with the MNSSHP on the 19th. I hope the crowds aren't that bad, although it is on the weekend. Once I get in the "Magic", it won't matter.

 

[Meekomaria]

I too just got back (Sept 26-Oct 8). This is my take -- crowds were very light from Sept 26 to Oct 3. Oct 4 (saturday in MK was a ZOO! Sunday also seemed crowded -- much more than the previous week. It appeared like half the world checked in on Sunday. As for Oct 6 - Oct 8 -- it was hit or miss. MK was busy on Monday but very dead on Wednesday (the 8th). MGM was packed on Tuesday the 7th -- we actually left the park because it was too crowded -- but I say that we were spoiled at that point. We were used to waits of less than 10 min -- now they were 40 min.

I do believe that October will be a very busy month == much more so than in the past.

My suggestion if you are going in the next few weeks -- AVOID the park that has early entry that day. we found that if we went to EPCOT on non-early entry day it was a lot less crowded -- same true for MK and MGM.

Also, avoid MK on saturday like the plague -- go in at night to see the parades only. That's what we did and we were much happier for it.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Wierd! I guess going before MNSSHP began was the way to go. Like I reported earlier, last Wed(1st) in MK and MGM and Thurs.(2nd) in Epcot were practically deserted! We had WS to ourselves at one point. No wait for anything at any park those 2 days. Could just stay on the rides and go again. But I hear those are the 2 slowest days in the world. Looks like we timed our visit right as I heard the weekend before was crowded too.

 

[schnare]

24 hotels on property all mostly booked

1000 rms per hotel

4 folks per soom

124,000 folks on property. So you can see that early openings can be very busy.

The fellow that runs the limo service is booked like it was summer time for the month of October. He was going to take vacation this month. He's going to try for next month.
He felt that 9/11 and the war delayed peoples vacations and now folks all seem to be going at the same time.
Also, just UK flights alone into Orlando have increased from 2 flights a day to 8 flights a day.

I did EE at MGM, did 4 rides then took the boat over to Epcot.

 

[travelgoddess]

We were at WL 10/3-10/10, and I agree that the parks were
very packed. 10/9 at MK was a madhouse for the debut of Wishes, I have never seen it so jammed packed.

 

[WDWAurora]

To the OP: Not just the locals scan their fingers. All of us with Annual Passes have to do that, including me, and I'm from 1000 miles away! Not a local! And trust me, we hate the finger scans too. I definitely do since I'm in the 1% of the population whose fingers change enough every night for the stupid thing to not be able to recognize my fingers...I just hand them my driver's license when I get up there hoping that it does it, but prepared for if it rejects my fingers.

 

[mecook]

I didn't think anything was too crowded except for Wishes on Thursday night. We walked on (10 min. posted) most everything we did. Only pulled FPs for Jungle Cruise on Tues. , Mermaid on Wed., and Test Track on Thurs. DH says he thought it was bad crowded, but he doesn't know the 1/2 of it since he wasn't at Wishes with DD9 and me....now THAT was a crowd! Melanie

 

[scorpad99]

we must of been at the right place/right time too!!! thank god! Wed oct 1st we did mk and breezed through.........snow white, peter pan, small world, pirates,jungle cruise,haunted house,and a few more.......thurs had breakfast at chef mickey and headed to ak.......not crowded at all.............epcot in the pm for the best fireworks show in the world! fir am was spent with pooh &
friends at crystal palace and off to mgm...(rode r&r 3x,no wait), went back to our room and changed for the nssmp, which was the most crowded mk was all week, but we were so excited 2 c cop open..not many ppl knew it was so there was no wait!!! stumbled into cinderella, which brought a tear to my eye 2 c my daughter with her (she was dressed as cinderella for the party!) Sat we had the princess breakfast and decided to stay at ecpot for the morning, then dashed out when we the crowds came in, went to planet hollywood for dinner, no wait at all and did dq.
Sunday was spent at bb.............and I vegged in the lazy river til around 3...............dinner ressies at h&v and fantasmic show (front row!),mon mgm am, did the rest of mk in the pm and was so disapointed with the fireworks there after seeing epcots and the special nssmp ones with the show!
Tues ak for the tarzan show did rr which guess who got soaked and had to sit thru pocahantas wet? ME!!!! dashed to the hotel to quick change, got back to mk in time for goofys barnyard, my ds got picked to boot scootin boogie with woody!!! and took the ferry to wl for the hoop de do! was fabulous! wed woke up gathered our bags and went to mgm to prime time 50s for lunch and took dd to tot with fp.............so disapointed, it sucked! caught a street show b4 returning to the hotel to make the bus to the airport!