Oct 2016

[amym2]

Thinking ahead to Oct 2016 and planning a trip with friends (4 adults, 4 kids ages 12-16). Our family of 4 are seasoned WDW vets, but our friends have only been once, so we want to do a mix of both WDW and US/IOA. We've been to US/IOA just after the original HP section opened, but our friends have never been.

For October, we would either need to do WDW over Columbus Day then US/IOA Thu-Sat or US/IOA over Columbus Day then WDW Thu-Sat. We have DVC, so it would cost us more to stay at WDW over the Thu-Sat timeframe, but I really want to plan it based on crowd levels. Which would you pick?

Can we do US/IOA in two days with a park to park ticket, or do we really need 3? Looks like right now tickets are buy 2 days, get the 3rd free, which would be ideal, but who knows if that will still be around? Trying to squeeze WDW into 3 days since we've been so much, but our friends may want more time there.

 

[macraven]

Thinking ahead to Oct 2016 and planning a trip with friends (4 adults, 4 kids ages 12-16). Our family of 4 are seasoned WDW vets, but our friends have only been once, so we want to do a mix of both WDW and US/IOA. We've been to US/IOA just after the original HP section opened, but our friends have never been.

For October, we would either need to do WDW over Columbus Day then US/IOA Thu-Sat or US/IOA over Columbus Day then WDW Thu-Sat. We have DVC, so it would cost us more to stay at WDW over the Thu-Sat timeframe, but I really want to plan it based on crowd levels. Which would you pick?

Can we do US/IOA in two days with a park to park ticket, or do we really need 3? Looks like right now tickets are buy 2 days, get the 3rd free, which would be ideal, but who knows if that will still be around? Trying to squeeze WDW into 3 days since we've been so much, but our friends may want more time there.

HHN is a hard ticket event that is held at the studios in october.
if you plan to go around the Columbus day period, the studios will close at 5:00 pm on thur, fri, sat, sun prior to columbus day monday.
again on the following wed, thurs, fri, sat, sun, studios will close at 5:00 pm

IOA should be open until 7:00 on hhn nights.
on non hhn nights, parks close about 6:00, 7:00 pm.

i don't know if the parks closing early in that time period will be an issue for you.

are you planning to do day trips and stay at dvc for the period you are visiting UO?

i stay onsite at UO the week before and days after columbus day.

park crowds are not bad during the day before the Columbus day weekend and the tuesday/wednesday period after that monday.
this past year, the time after CDay was really low crowds in the parks.

monday (cday) was not bad and tue/wed had lower crowds in 2014.
i would go with that time period for visiting UO.

since your planned trip is a over 20 months away, the crowd pattern could always change.
i know you need to book your dvc far in advance so you are wanting to get info now.

suggest you check the threads in october to see what others state about crowds in october 2015.
maybe that will give you the edge on making the decision of your darkside dates for 2016.

 

[amym2]

Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about HHN. No, we're planning on staying DVC for the WDW portion and switching to a Universal hotel for that portion. We'll probably try Cabana Bay (or isn't there a new one opening summer 2016?). I can't talk hubby into paying $400 per night for a room we won't be in very much, even for FOL access. We did US/IOA last time the week between Christmas and New Years without FOL, granted it was freezing that year and it kept the crowds down.

Good to know the Tue/Wed after Columbus Day had low crowds this year. With Easter being two weekends later, I'm thinking we're better off going our first week of fall break (the week of Columbus Day) than the following week.

We don't have to reserve DVC until Nov, so we have plenty of time to plan, but it was on my mind, so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for your input!