October crowds

[TerryD]

Just reserved flights for mid October, anyone know what the crowds are like around mid-October?

 

[TerryD]

hmmm...how about if anyone knows of a list of closed attractions during that time period (mid oct.).

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Go to the Disneyland website and plug in your dates. Hours, entertainment schedules and rehabs will be listed.

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage

As far as crowds, Fall is becoming very popular at DL, also many schools have fall breaks during the middle of October. Weekdays should be fine, but weekends are always busy.

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

hmmm...how about if anyone knows of a list of closed attractions during that time period (mid oct.).

You should check the event schedule closer to your date.

When I'm going on the 10th-12th the attractions that will be closed are :

DL:

Fantasmic!
it's a small world
New Orleans Square Railroad Station
Sailing Ship Columbia

DCA:

Hyperion Theater
Sun Wheel

If you wanna check what will be closed or down for refurb the days when you go, visit disneyland.com and look at the event schedule under the plan tab.

 

[Sherry E]

Just reserved flights for mid October, anyone know what the crowds are like around mid-October?

It USED to be that October was a slow month - considered the 'off peak' season - with the exception of the conventions in town. However, this year, not only are there conventions but there are lots of people going who received special PIN # promo offers for discounts at the three Disney hotels, which is new this year, and so all the off-season weeks are going to be much busier than before, I think. That October 10-12 weekend is a holiday weekend (Columbus Day) and also Yom Kippur, so it is likely a lot of people will be at the park then. The weekend I am scheduled to go (Oct. 3-5), although I initially wanted 10/10-10/12, is Gay Days, so there will be a bunch of people then too. And, now that more people are catching on to the Halloween decorations/Haunted Mansion-NBC, that is a big draw too.

 

[avalon451]

I'm going to be there Oct. 12-16th. So I will be there on Sun and Mon of the Columbus Day holiday, which will probably be busy. They expect it to be, judging by the hours-- 8-12 on Sunday, 8-11 on Monday, then back to the quieter 9-8 on Tuesday and Wed, and 9-11 on Thursday.

Weekends are busy in October because of Mickey's Trick or Treat party in DCA.

Arizona schools this year seem to be mostly out on fall break the week before we go. Utah schools are out from Thurs the 16th to the following Monday, although some of the districts take the whole week of Columbus Day off.

But the parks are decorated for Halloween, it's not too hot, and it's not as crowded as Spring Break! I can deal with that!

 

[heatherleigh]

We went mid October last year and it was very crowded. That's the main reason I chose to delay our annual trip for an extra month. Of course the weekends were worse. I still remember the last Saturday of our trip- there was a HUGE line for IASW. Normally that has the smallest line of all! We went home and swam for the remainder of the afternoon. That night was so crazy, I thought the park was at capacity. One other guest made mention of it when we were walking w/ a huge crowd of people (being swept along was more like it.) He said it seemed as if they let too many people in, and it was over capacity. It was kind of scary. I think this year will be different though, because of fuel prices. There should be less people travelling (or at least I hope.)

 

[EnnEss]

We went mid October last year and it was very crowded. That's the main reason I chose to delay our annual trip for an extra month. Of course the weekends were worse. I still remember the last Saturday of our trip- there was a HUGE line for IASW. Normally that has the smallest line of all! We went home and swam for the remainder of the afternoon. That night was so crazy, I thought the park was at capacity. One other guest made mention of it when we were walking w/ a huge crowd of people (being swept along was more like it.) He said it seemed as if they let too many people in, and it was over capacity. It was kind of scary. I think this year will be different though, because of fuel prices. There should be less people travelling (or at least I hope.)

There's often absolutely huge crowds but they rarely rarely reach capacity and they dont go over it. A large crowd in a certain area exiting after something can be deceptive and frightening if you're not used to it, but I doubt they went over capacity on an October day, I bet they were aways off.

October still is relatively slower. The fact they even offer pins tells you this, it will not be dead as in walk in to all rides in 5 - 10 minutes as the off season used to be but it will be much slower than it is currently. Weekends are hit and miss all year and can cause huge spikes in attendance, but weekdays will be pretty good.

 

[heatherleigh]

Yes, that huge surge of people was right after the parade and Fantasmic! So it probably was worse. I think the halloween festivities are getting a bit more popular too. That night was scary. I even broke down w/ anxiety at one point because I couldn't get to the podium for my preferred seating tickets. The combination of wrong information (I had to walk back and forth from the HM to the NO area in a SEA of people) and crowds were too overwhelming. It was hot from all the people, and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. It was not like this on the rest of our trip- just the single day. Not sure what that was all about. Typical Saturday, probably.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Yes, that huge surge of people was right after the parade and Fantasmic! So it probably was worse. I think the halloween festivities are getting a bit more popular too. That night was scary. I even broke down w/ anxiety at one point because I couldn't get to the podium for my preferred seating tickets. The combination of wrong information (I had to walk back and forth from the HM to the NO area in a SEA of people) and crowds were too overwhelming. It was hot from all the people, and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. It was not like this on the rest of our trip- just the single day. Not sure what that was all about. Typical Saturday, probably.

I guess it's a good thing then that Fantasmic will be closed all October!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

5-10th ill be in the parks from what i had read it would be the slower time of oct. 5th is last day of gay days. and something the weekend of the 12th is going on.

I already excpected kids from spring brake it may not be as dead as my nov 27-dec1st trip was but it will still be fun.

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, that huge surge of people was right after the parade and Fantasmic! So it probably was worse. I think the halloween festivities are getting a bit more popular too. That night was scary. I even broke down w/ anxiety at one point because I couldn't get to the podium for my preferred seating tickets. The combination of wrong information (I had to walk back and forth from the HM to the NO area in a SEA of people) and crowds were too overwhelming. It was hot from all the people, and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. It was not like this on the rest of our trip- just the single day. Not sure what that was all about. Typical Saturday, probably.

I know what you mean, Heather. I have been to DL before in crowds like what you are referring to, but it was in December, between Christmas and New Years - the busiest time of the year (not in 2007 but back in 2000). There is something that comes with the territory in DL as far as crowds go. We have all come to expect it and we consider ourselves very lucky if we get there on a 'slow day.' BUT, every now and then, like what you described and what I remember from this one trip back in December 2000, it gets, literally, SCARY crowded. There is a certain point it reaches where the crowds are so thick and everyone is jammed together in a herd, that you have to literally cling to whoever is with you or you will lose them in the crowd. And once the pack starts moving, you had better keep up at the same pace or risk being trampled! You pray that you can find some sort of 'pocket' or opening that you can slip into to help get you out of the pack, and then you end up having to stop in some location you hadn't planned on stopping in. We were stuck in wall-to-wall people who were supposed to be moving but who were at a standstill on Main Street, and it WAS indeed scary. I felt a little panicky myself. I mean, everyone was in the same boat, but it just feels like you are trapped and have no way out! One of my friends in my group 'suddenly' came down with a sore throat and had to go back to our hotel room to sleep. At least that was what she said. I knew that, secretly, she saw the mobs of people on Main Street and got nervous and couldn't take it. Hence, the sudden throat issue. I couldn't blame her. I managed to stick it out with my other friend but it was very uncomfortable. Sometimes things get very congested in certain lands, too, like Adventureland. Eventually the crowds pass and disperse, but it is unsettling momentarily!

 

[edit1]

I have to agree with heatherleigh. We went last October and during the days we were there it was so unexpectedly busy. Line ups for rides were huge and slow. People we talked to guessed it was because of the school breaks. Anyways, TerryD, I too expect it will be less crowded this October because of the higher fuel prices, so have a great trip!

 

[tomjhansen]

I'm going to be there Oct. 12-16th. .... Arizona schools this year seem to be mostly out on fall break the week before we go.

We are going the same days and the breaks in the Phoenix area are Oct 13th - Oct 17th....so I'm sorry to say, we'll be crowding up the place again this year. We are going on the AP discount rates.

 

[Canyon girl]

Does anyone know if there are any schools out Oct 19-25? And if so, which ones?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ya the schools i checked would be out 12-17th not 5-10th but hay every one good luck

 

[imjen]

Does anyone know if there are any schools out Oct 19-25? And if so, which ones?

When I researched our dates it seemed that most breaks were over by the 19th. There will be some here and there, with year round schools, but most of the general school breaks were over, which is why we chose our dates of the 21-25. When we went last year during this week, the weekdays were very slow, Friday picked up a lot by mid-afternoon, and Saturday was pretty crowded as they usually are.