Last week September vs. first week October

[WawaCoffee]

Currently planning a solo trip to enjoy the halloween festivities around WDW and Universal. This will be my first time visiting around this time of year. My two primary concerns are heat (due to a disability, I can't endure the heat for more than a few hours), and the timing of the Columbus Day crowds.

Which would you think is a better time for visit?

September 26-October 3
or
October 3-10.. I realize the crowds will pour in on Friday for the holiday, but I don't mind dealing with it for a day.

I was also considering later in October, but was worried about overall higher crowd levels as it gets closer to halloween.

 

[sponica]

Flip a coin, I don't think it will be dramatically different heat/crowd wise.

Avoid MK on non party days (especially Saturday), the crowds will be bonkers.

 

[Darcy03231]

Weather wise both weeks will be about the same. I'd do the last week of September to avoid any potential Columbus day weekend crowds. Some people might take the week to tie it into a holiday, I know I've done that before.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I say go the end of October. We used to go first week of October every year because that was our Fall Break, and because lots of schools have Fall Break then, it was very crowded. One year, we had to move our trip back to the last week of October (we were there on Halloween), and it was so much less crowded! In fact, we are planning on that same time period next year. Just be gone by the beginning of the marathon weekend which is the first weekend in November usually.

 

[evlaina]

Go the end of October. We went the last week of September into the first week of October and IT.IS.HOT. I don't know how much better 4 weeks later is, but I'd chance it. We usually go first week of December and are from the north, and we could barely stand being outside end of Sept.

 

[skippytx]

I'd pick the end of September out of those 2 weeks. The first 2 full weeks of October are busier due to several states having Fall Breaks around that time. We went Oct 5 to 13th in 2018 and it was wall to wall Kentucky Blue and Tennessee Orange.

Both weeks are going to be hot, but that can be mitigated by a good tour plan. Mix in the air conditioned sit down shows, avoid the hottest hours of the day, and eat lots of dole whip and mickey bars to stay cool.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I didn't even think about the weather issue. I cannot handle going in the summer anymore, but I can handle the beginning of October. With that said, I would still choose the end of October. The temperatures are SO much better at the end of the month.

 

[rpb718]

While the end of October can have lower temps, that wasn't exactly the case this past October. I was in FL from the 21st to the 28th last year and it was upper 80s and mostly 90s.

 

[BalooPA]

In the past, the free dining promotion carried until almost the end of September. As long as you check in on the last day of the promotion, you still get it for the length of your stay. I used to plan trips so that I would check in on that last day, and then my trip would carry into the first week of October.