I'm so Disney trained I wouldn't have even thought about calling them directly, but we know from not being able to use Tables in Wonderland there that they are independent, so makes total sense.
I'm about to the have the same convo with husband because our ADR day is Apr 25 next week. I have a pretty solid plan that took me weeks to configure so I reallly hope dining lines up well with our parks/days. Otherwise, he gets cereal. haha
We found that out when we booked hotels. I had no idea F&W made such a difference. I think the crowd calendar is lower in general during an average October weekday for ride times, but there are certain weekends and situations (Epcot at night, dining and hotels within proximity to Epcot, MNSSHP at MK and the dining issues that go along with that) making it seem crazier. Fall is not the best kept secret any longer. It will depend on which hotel you stay at and how early you feel like waking up. I get the impression many families are vacationed out by fall AND don't want to deal with the school hassles, but short breaks + a lot of people making non-traditional Halloween plans amp up the numbers.
