Mid-Oct Crowds: Columbus Day or Utah Fall Break?

[brittu]

Se we're trying to take our 3 & 5 year old boys for their first magical trip to Disneyland for 4 or 5 nights sometime between October 11th and 20th. The weekend of the 11th is Columbus Day weekend and I assume it would be packed with local crowds. I understand the following weekend is Utah Fall Break. So which is the lessor of the two evils? Sigh, I thought this would be a great time to go but crowds are just not my thing if I can avoid them. Even armed with great touring strategies, the Unofficial Guide and an early start I'd just rather go when other people are off doing something somewhere else ;-).

Any advice appreciated!

Britt

 

[brittu]

Oh heck, found a post with a similar question and it all looks grim for October but maybe kind of the 13th through 16th midweek wouldn't be too bad.

Maybe I should just plan to go in Feb, March or May instead? Dang, I was really getting excited about this but if the crowds for more than one of the days we're there is like a summer or spring break crowd I'm not sure I'm up for it.

Thoughts anyone? Would actual Columbus day and the 2-3 midweek days following it be as miserable as the rest of the October weekends?

b

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

Im going oct 12-17 it does not matter when you go it is always busy.

Dec was busy march was somewhat busy may was busy too there is no slow time anymore go and enjoy it.

 

[avalon451]

Well, from a lodging point of view it's getting late to plan for Oct., anyway. Hotel rooms are filling up or already sold out. Have you looked into hotels yet? That alone might make you want to wait.

We'll be there Oct. 12th-16th, but we're just planning on it being busy, and we will be there before opening daily.

If you look at the park hours for that week, it looks like Disney is expecting lower crowds Tue, Wed and Thursday. Hours are 10-8 Tue, wed, and 9-11 Thursday.

If you can get the lodging you want, I'd go for it but try to stick at least partly to midweek, maybe? Fireworks are on Sunday and Monday.

 

[julw]

It will be very busy. It is also Canadian Thanksgiving holiday/break. We have family in Canada that are coming the 8th to the 13th to join us on our vacation.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

If you really care about the crowd levels, I'd switch months. I really loved all the Halloween decorations, and everything but it was just wayyyyy too crowded for us. Even POTC and the Pooh ride had super long lines.

For those who don't mind crowds, have a wonderful time. But we can't handle big crowds like that, so we pick different months now!

I wouldn't always go by Disney's hours either, and what they expect. We had early closing all the days we were there, and it was still SUPER crowded on those days. Just meant even less rides we got to go on! I remember saying many times "Why don't they keep the park open later, with crowds like this?" Maybe the crowds caught them off gaurd.

 

[jason417]

I agree, it's always crowded now. Of course, there are times when it is worse than others but gone are the days when the crowds were non-existent. I remember in the mid 90s we went in October and we rode Space Mountain 13 times in a row without even getting off. We told them to just keep running it through. Then one of my friends threw up and they made us get off.

 

[Sherry E]

There are always crowds at DL, and I always get frustrated with my friends who complain of long lines when long lines kind of come with the territory there. BUT, the word has been that crowds have been down overall this summer and another poster just reported in her thread that when she went two days ago to DL (Labor Day), it was not crowded. Now, Labor Day is a major holiday, and I have heard of it being quite crowded in the past. Perhaps, most out-of-towners were aready back home, preparing for school, and maybe most California locals are avoiding going because of the bad economical conditions and gas prices. In any case, October is generally not as horrible as the real peak season crowds, and this year, because the economic climate is so bad, they might actually turn out to be lower than we expect. And if it happens to be raining even a little bit on any given day, that will drive attendance way down.

 

[tlovesdis]

Crowds are definatley down this year! I have been going to DL the past three years at the end of June for the Baton Twirling Spectacular and 2006 & 2007 were crazy packed! I mean, super! This year was nothing like that! We were in the parks on a Thursday, Friday and Sunday at the end of June and kept asking what was going on, where were all the people??? It was very strange.

I think gas prices and the overall economy are keeping people at home!

 

[dhlovesbelle]

I remember in the mid 90s we went in October and we rode Space Mountain 13 times in a row without even getting off. We told them to just keep running it through. Then one of my friends threw up and they made us get off.

 

[dleyel]

I live in an adjacent city to Anaheim and we do not get Columbus Day off of school. I don't believe the other local school districts do either. That said, as you've heard from pps, October is a very busy month due to various non-local fall breaks (wish we had fall break!) and Halloween festivities. I was there mid-week a couple of years ago to meet cousins who were on fall break and it was ridiculously crowded. My cousins live in Santa Clarita, but I overheard people saying it was fall break for Arizona schools. They did make an announcement that day that they would remain open later than originally scheduled. Since your kids aren't in elementary school yet, I would advise waiting until November. If you wait until November, It's a Small World will be open again. We always go on a Sunday in October to see all of the Halloween decorations, but we have APs, so we don't worry about doing to much.

Whenever you decide to go, have a magical time!

 

[avalon451]

I remember in the mid 90s we went in October and we rode Space Mountain 13 times in a row without even getting off. We told them to just keep running it through. Then one of my friends threw up and they made us get off.

Ahhhh... those were the days, weren't they?

(thanks for the chuckle!)

 

[The Rocketeer]

I understand your wanting to go when it's not so crowded, because that's how I feel too. However, even with the crowds you can make the most out your time there. My family and friends also will be there during that time, October 11-13th, Columbus Day weekend. It's not the ideal time to go crowdwise, but my niece planned this trip in February around her fall school break.

DS and I went to DL August 23-25, because it was the first nonblocked out weekend for deluxe AP holders. It was crowded, but we would get a fastpass and do a ride and then snag another fastpass as soon as the window opened up. By late afternoon, we have gone on many rides plus we were holding lots of fastpasses. That worked out great because by then the lines were long and a lot of the fastpasses were gone. That's the strategy we're going to employ in October.

 

[avalon451]

Crowds are definatley down this year! I have been going to DL the past three years at the end of June for the Baton Twirling Spectacular and 2006 & 2007 were crazy packed! I mean, super! This year was nothing like that! We were in the parks on a Thursday, Friday and Sunday at the end of June and kept asking what was going on, where were all the people??? It was very strange.

I think gas prices and the overall economy are keeping people at home!

You know, that's the one thing that is keeping my hopes alive, that maybe it won't be hopelessly busy Columbus Day week! I've heard so much about the crowds being reduced over the summer. I'm really sorry that the economy has been hitting everybody so hard (us, too, but this trip was already paid for by saving up my personal money over the last year), making it more difficult for people to get to DL... but I have to say, it makes it less crowded for those who are there. Here's hoping.

 

[Mom of three]

You know, that's the one thing that is keeping my hopes alive, that maybe it won't be hopelessly busy Columbus Day week! I've heard so much about the crowds being reduced over the summer. I'm really sorry that the economy has been hitting everybody so hard (us, too, but this trip was already paid for by saving up my personal money over the last year), making it more difficult for people to get to DL... but I have to say, it makes it less crowded for those who are there. Here's hoping.

Im with you Gail....I keep thinking the same thing.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

My fingers are crossed for all those going that the crowds will remain low, like they were this summer! One can always have hope for that!

 

[Rapunsel]

The columbus day weekend also falls during yom kippur Oct 9-13th.. And from past experiences most public schools in the so cal area give kids that day off. Instead of columbus day. As we have the 2nd largest Jewish Population ouside of Israel. So our school in Hermosa Bch and the local schools will take off the 9th and some the 10th also. So they do not get low attendance and have a day off instead ,to not lose out on funding.

One day we went on oct 1st, 2006 as we had a local release, not knowing that is was for the jewish holiday, that it would take us 36 minutes to get a parking spot from getting off the 5 to having the security line past world of dinsey. Since we have ap's with parking we just went back to our car. A trip from our home to a Dl parking space a only takes 35 minutes on a good day.

So this is just a heads up.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Utah's fall break (UEA) is 10/16 & 10/17 ~ the kids and I are headed to Seattle to visit family that weekend.