Oct 2021=bad idea?

[StitchesGr8Fan]

So for that weekend you will have:
Anniversary events
Columbus Day
MNSSHP
Food and Wine.

With those events and built up demand, crowds are going to be nuts.

 

[Heather07438]

Plus the possibility of Guardians of the Galaxy &/or TRON opening as was planned. Remy's should finally be open, Space220, maybe fireworks and shows come back at some point in 2021, and a bunch of other stuff.

I get the feeling Oct right thru to the end of 2021 will see intense crowds with various visitor interests culminating into that period.

Economics likely will impact WDW over the next few years but not enough to offset that. I think the short term will impact WDW less... it's once everything goes back to normal and global travel starts competing to rebuild that WDW is going to have the hardest time, like 2022 and 2023. Just my hunch lol.

 

[kwdw]

I would keep your dates and decide later. The park reservation is in place through 2021, and we have no idea if they will be capping park attendance then or not. We also have no idea if FP will be back or how they will plan 50th anniversary celebrations. Right now, you have great dates reserved at a great resort around the 50th. I seriously doubt Disney will go back to full capacity without adding back FP. And until it happens, I’m personally not so sure everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be by then, so it’s still an assumption that COVID will be down to levels that eliminates the need for social distancing. I certainly hope so, but foreseeing the future is not a business that’s doing so well right now! October 2021 is a LONG ways away! 10 months ago would you have predicted the parks would close?

 

[kwdw]

Delete

 

[jamos14]

I went with Oct 24-Oct 31 at the Beach Club!

Keeping my fingers crossed that the vaccination effort works and WDW is truly normal again.

 

[Tess]

My family had a trip planned for April 2020. That didn’t happen and we’ve rescheduled (for the third time) to October 7-15, 2021 at Beach Club. I just realized that this pretty much coincides with the 50th anniversary. Do you think this is a bad time to go, crowd wise? We’ve been at Easter so we understand crowds but we also utilize fast pass!!! Who knows if fast passes will be back. What would you do?

We have been going around this time (+ or minus a day or two on each side of your dates) for the past 10 years.

This past October was the most crowded we have ever experienced--chalk it up to COVID, lack of FPs, no hopping or whatever you want, but it was busy and we waited longer than we have ever waited for rides (FoP - 90 mins within minutes of RD; SDD - 75 mins within minutes of RD; MF - 120 minutes within the first hour; SDMT 60 minutes at opening, etc.). Disney had put out a statement prior to our arrival that it was at 25% of capacity during the time we were visiting--we called BS on that one. A day or so after our return there was the quiet announcement that the capacity had been raised to 35%--that most certainly was the case while we were there.

Prior years have been manageable although crowded--not Christmas/Easter crowded, but busy. Rope drop was always, and this year was no exception, a must and the crowds this year descended on the parks much earlier than normal due to the shortened hours.

Hopefully, with hopping returning soon--we can get back to a more normal October (despite Columbus Day weekend crowds) experience. We will be there again in 2021 too--same dates and at BCV.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I'm going in September for that very reason, hoping everyone is waiting to go in October so I can miss the crowds.

My wife and I are thinking of sneaking a trip in around 9/11 or 9/18. Those are normally slow times to begin with, and we're thinking with the October festivities, it may be even less crowded. Seeing someone else think the same helps verify our thoughts.

 

[Rusty2rules]

My wife and I are thinking of sneaking a trip in around 9/11 or 9/18. Those are normally slow times to begin with, and we're thinking with the October festivities, it may be even less crowded. Seeing someone else think the same helps verify our thoughts.

I fly in on Saturday the 11th, check into CS on the 12th, and fly out the 16th. I thought the week after Labor Day week (on the 6th) and a couple of weeks before the crowds move in for the 50th would be just about right. Now I just hope not too many others are thinking the same thing. LOL Good luck with your trip! Maybe we'll see you there.

 

[newdeal]

it is hard to predict, crowds took ages to recover after the recession of 2009. I know people will have desire to travel, but I don't know if they will have the money to travel. Especially since Disney had a habit of almost 10% price increases every year for the last 10 years. The taxman will come to collect all of the free money back eventually

 

[wdw&sonny]

It will be crowded. How do I know? Read these boards. It is crowded right now. During the height of a PANDEMIC. People are dying in record numbers, highest rates of infections, high unemployment, global shutdowns, stay-at-home orders...and WDW is still "crowded". Wait times are nearly normal.
If the vaccine roll-out goes as planned and it works, we'll see drops in cases by mid-spring.
Pent-up demand will draw the most conservative homebodies out. Once this pandemic subsides, parks will be at capacity. October will be like Christmas time...and I'll be there too...happily complaining about how crowded it is.

 

[DVCcurious]

We are waiting for "return to normal" before we go back to WDW. No masks, no social distancing, return of FP+, nighttime shows, etc.

I imagine there are lots of people like us. If this happens in late 2021 then I would expect October to be as busy as WDW has ever been. So I guess you should be hoping there are still a bunch of pandemic restrictions in place when you go.

 

[Meglen]

What are people's thoughts on oct now? We have a trip planned 11-17th and added the 9-10 which is sat,sun. I'm assuming the weekend will be nuts all the way into columbus day on Monday. So planing epcot/ak on the long weekend. I hope by Tuesday the crowds will die down. "Fingers crossed"

 

[wdw&sonny]

More optimistic than 2 months ago. Israel leads the world in vaccination rate. Of 523,000 fully vaccinated, only 4 severe cases and 0 deaths. IT WORKS! And, we have just begun to fight. U.S. is only 3% fully vaccinated increasing by about 15% per month and accelerating. We will progress much farther in the next 1 (ONE) month than in the previous 12.

As I said above 2 months ago, it is busy now. It will be at/near capacity all summer, fall next year...forever.
I am looking forward to some revenge travel.

 

[Farro]

We are going last couple weeks of October.

I think it will be great! Perhaps some restriction loosening, I think more entertainment at night will be back, more restaurants open, better hours, better hopping.

Also I think people will still be hesitant to travel from reading posts on social media, so I don't think the big crowds will be there. And it seems the 50th Anniversary isn't going to be as big as we once thought, so less of a draw.

Or it will be crazy crowded!

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

One thing to consider in terms of crowds is that many resorts are still closed. So unless Disney opens up more resorts between now and then, in theory those are thousands of people who aren’t there who normally would be. And I think Disney would have to open them up sooner rather than later. They can’t announce they are going to open up Port Orleans in August and have it full by October. People need more time to plan and save for a vacation. So I think it will be crowded, but I don’t think it will be apocalyptically crowded. Yet again, I may just be being optimistic here because I have an October reservation.

 

[Skywalker3]

We go often over Columbus Day weekend, and often at Thanksgiving, did both of those times in 2019, and 2020. Had great trips. We are accustomed the crowds, and plan accordingly, but yes, there are definitely crowds, just manageable. .
Not having FPs in Oct and Nov, 2020, did somewhat affect our doing rides. Had to for sure make the most out of rope dropping and riding things in the last hour before closing. But we rode everything we wanted. Oct, 2020, was our first time w/o FPs, and it took some adjusting, but we enjoyed ourselves.
I keep forgetting about the 50th celebrations, so that will probably bring in a bit more folks.
But we love going in Oct (and Nov. ) We love Food/wine , fall decorations, etc.

 

[Blondie58]

What are people's thoughts on oct now? We have a trip planned 11-17th and added the 9-10 which is sat,sun. I'm assuming the weekend will be nuts all the way into columbus day on Monday. So planing epcot/ak on the long weekend. I hope by Tuesday the crowds will die down. "Fingers crossed"

I think you are already a bit weary of this trip and what it may entail from the sound of your posted question. Maybe listen to your inner voice? That being said, we will be there at almost the exact same time as we want to attend Party for the Senses. Unless things get worse, we are going no matter. We will deal with crowds and hope to be vaccinated by then.

 

[Meglen]

I think you are already a bit weary of this trip and what it may entail from the sound of your posted question. Maybe listen to your inner voice? That being said, we will be there at almost the exact same time as we want to attend Party for the Senses. Unless things get worse, we are going no matter. We will deal with crowds and hope to be vaccinated by then.

If we don't go we lose about 3k from a dvc rental befor covid hit. Not ideal but hoping it goes well enough

 

[Blondie58]

If we don't go we lose about 3k from a dvc rental befor covid hit. Not ideal but hoping it goes well enough

I hear that. I am going for eight days in July as not to lose DVC points from cancelled vacations. Not thrilled about the heat but I guess I won't need to pack as much as I normally do. Just shorts and tanks. Hope you have a great time!!

 

[wings91]

There's not going to be anything special happening for the 50th, don't go for that reason.