October. Y'all are freaking me out.

[DCLMP]

Check 2019 data from thrill-data, and see how October stacks up with the other months:
https://www.thrill-data.com/waits/park/dlr/disneyland/graph/calendar/full/year/2019

That's an informative chart. I looked at last year and the end of October was busier than the first two weeks of December, but certainly not a 10. I have a feeling December will also be busier this year because they are bringing back all the Christmas festivities. I love Christmas time at Disneyland, but I hate the short days and the cold nights. I got some time to decide.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Keep in mind comparing wait times from before Genie are going to be off as well. That's why I grabbed 2019 since maxpass/fastpass is a better comparison point than 2021's standby only. I hear what you are saying about PPH. It does seem even farther though because there is no direct entrance from the hotel to DTD, unlike the other two hotels. It does have a shorter path now directly to DCA thanks to the new entrance!

 

[DCLMP]

Keep in mind comparing wait times from before Genie are going to be off as well. That's why I grabbed 2019 since maxpass/fastpass is a better comparison point than 2021's standby only. I hear what you are saying about PPH. It does seem even farther though because there is no direct entrance from the hotel to DTD, unlike the other two hotels. It does have a shorter path now directly to DCA thanks to the new entrance!

No hotel at Disneyland is a far walk unless you consider a 10-minute walk a workout. As far as PP you just go through the parking lot gate and it's less than 50 yards from DLR. The charts actually show shorter wait times in 2019 than 2021. Looking at the charts from 2022 it seems like every day is orange or red except for a few days in January and early February. I would expect crowds no matter when you go. Disneyland and WDW seem to be very popular this year. There are still a lot of restrictions on cruising. International travel has lightened up a bit, but flights are a headache. The economy is in the tank...I don't know I guess we'll see how things are this Fall.

 

[DLgal]

Do you go everyday in October to verify this theory. Im just looking for some facts not hyperbole.

I look at the wait times via the app pretty much daily, just for fun. There are some good rides to hone in on to determine how crowded the park is. I've visited the parks well over 500 times (probably closer to 750 by now). I don't go in October much anymore. I still go, but it's always something I regret once I get there.

I'm bitter about it because my birthday is in October and I never have an enjoyable park visit on my birthday. It's always a madhouse.

 

[Version 6]

I'll make it easy for you:

Every day in October will be a 10.

In your experience, is this true for the last week of September also?

I'll be in the parks then and curious about whether the "October is horrible" advice also holds true for end of September.

 

[DLgal]

In your experience, is this true for the last week of September also?

I'll be in the parks then and curious about whether the "October is horrible" advice also holds true for end of September.

No. End of September is alright.

 

[CO2CA]

No. End of September is alright.

After this thread, probably not. Everyone will be moving their trips to September lol

 

[Version 6]

No. End of September is alright.

Thanks. I really hope you're right. Touring Plans just bumped our dates to 9s and 10s

 

[MonocularVision]

Thanks. I really hope you're right. Touring Plans just bumped our dates to 9s and 10s

I think this largely the reason I think that website is mostly bull. They claim that their days is based on historical patterns. What historical data changed that has changed their predictions? Perhaps they have some insider info? Maybe they look at hotel booking availability? Maybe they read this thread?

 

[katyringo]

As the person who made this post, I am going to chime in.

We aren't changing our dates. I made our park reservations and I'm ready for battle. Uh I mean, ready to purchase OBB tickets.

I made this post based on anxiety. I over think every aspect of our trip and then the second we get to the resort it all melts away. Happens every single time.

I've been reading a lot of posts about crowds lately.. I think what had happened is that with the reservation system and Covid reopening last we went back to talking about crowds more.

I thought back to 2019 and realized that for my family we had hit a point where our mottto was to go when we could, set priorities, make a plan, and just go for it.

I think we have to get back to that. Disney wants those reservations booked and they are going to do things to make it happen. They don't want down days.

On the other side of the coin, what we expirenced December 27-29, 2017 will probably never happen again. (Capacity closures, etc). And for folks who travel during that time, the reservation system is a huge plus.

 

[Littlebitofsunshine]

As the person who made this post, I am going to chime in.

We aren't changing our dates. I made our park reservations and I'm ready for battle. Uh I mean, ready to purchase OBB tickets.

I made this post based on anxiety. I over think every aspect of our trip and then the second we get to the resort it all melts away. Happens every single time.

I've been reading a lot of posts about crowds lately.. I think what had happened is that with the reservation system and Covid reopening last we went back to talking about crowds more.

I thought back to 2019 and realized that for my family we had hit a point where our mottto was to go when we could, set priorities, make a plan, and just go for it.

I think we have to get back to that. Disney wants those reservations booked and they are going to do things to make it happen. They don't want down days.

On the other side of the coin, what we expirenced December 27-29, 2017 will probably never happen again. (Capacity closures, etc). And for folks who travel during that time, the reservation system is a huge plus.

I hear you on this. It’s more of the anticipation vs just accepting once you’re there.

 

[KPeterso]

I'll make it easy for you:

Every day in October will be a 10.

Do you go everyday in October to verify this theory. Im just looking for some facts not hyperbole.

To grab more data, you can always check the historic ride waits for october, and search threads here for in-park experiences, but for my money DLgal's info has been accurate on everything else so I'd trust it.

I am local too. And I completely agree with DLGal's assessment of October. We tend to skip most of the month too. Just too many crowds. And to give you a comparison... We were at WDW and the MK on 10/1 last year. That is the first and only day MK has been closed from hopping. DL on a Saturday in October was far worse than 10/1 at MK. The only part of MK that was miserable to me was exiting while people waited for fireworks and the crowds were incredibly deep. Locals (well not us or DLGal) come out to DL in droves during Halloweentime to try every new offering. there is a serious FOMO thing going on during Halloweentime.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

As the person who made this post, I am going to chime in.

We aren't changing our dates. I made our park reservations and I'm ready for battle. Uh I mean, ready to purchase OBB tickets.

I made this post based on anxiety. I over think every aspect of our trip and then the second we get to the resort it all melts away. Happens every single time.

I've been reading a lot of posts about crowds lately.. I think what had happened is that with the reservation system and Covid reopening last we went back to talking about crowds more.

I thought back to 2019 and realized that for my family we had hit a point where our mottto was to go when we could, set priorities, make a plan, and just go for it.

I think we have to get back to that. Disney wants those reservations booked and they are going to do things to make it happen. They don't want down days.

On the other side of the coin, what we expirenced December 27-29, 2017 will probably never happen again. (Capacity closures, etc). And for folks who travel during that time, the reservation system is a huge plus.

This is the best attitude and best way to approach Disney in my opinion! Yes it will be crowded but Halloween time is really fun. I feel like the people who come in October expecting low or moderate crowds have a hard time adjusting to the crowds when they arrive and it can put a negative spin on the trip. If you expect crowds, it’s not shocking when it’s crowded and you just roll with everything.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I am local too. And I completely agree with DLGal's assessment of October. We tend to skip most of the month too. Just too many crowds. And to give you a comparison... We were at WDW and the MK on 10/1 last year. That is the first and only day MK has been closed from hopping. DL on a Saturday in October was far worse than 10/1 at MK. The only part of MK that was miserable to me was exiting while people waited for fireworks and the crowds were incredibly deep. Locals (well not us or DLGal) come out to DL in droves during Halloweentime to try every new offering. there is a serious FOMO thing going on during Halloweentime.

The DL Halloween FOMO is real!

 

[jennerjoo]

We went for fall break (mid October) in 2019 and honestly it was one of our best Disney trips (Monday Oct. 14 - Friday Oct. 18, 2019) . We arrived on Columbus Day, and I will say that day really slapped us in the face in terms of crowds. But day 1 is always a culture shock. Once we got into a rhythm on Tuesday, it really didn't feel bad at all. Of course, we stayed at the Grand Californian so we got to enter the parks early and we took advantage of MaxPass at the time. During the day, the crowds were extremely manageable and it would only get more crowded at night. We did the Oogie Boogie Bash and it was amazing! We did it that Thursday night and it was perfect as a grand finale of for the trip! We were able to do parades, shows, treat trails, plus multiple rides with no wait. It was great! The weather was perfectly reasonable all week (it was chilly in the morning and night, but warm to hot in the day). We are going again this October trying to recreate a very similar trip. My only worry is Genie+ (there is no way it is even comparable to the awesomeness that was MaxPass). We used Genie+ at DisneyWorld this last March and I'm not a super fan of it. It's just overly complicated. I'm assuming it will be better at Disneyland since there are more rides/attractions per park. But I know Disneyland has more ILLs, so I'll have to see how I feel about it after the trip.

All and all though, just wanted to share we had a very positive experience in October 2019!

 

[tink89]

I will say that we have gone the week of, before, and after Christmas many times and when we went to Oogie boogie bash in 2019 i felt like it was the most packed i had seen the parks. I do think it has to do with DCA closing earlier in the day.We stayed on site got breaks and we were only there for 3-4 days so it was a bit rushed but yes parks felt very crowded. But if you are staying onsite like we did and have more days you will be fine. Go with a plan and be ok with changing the plan.

 

[msbatchelor5]

Ok. If you’re two choices were :
Last week of October or week of Thanksgiving…

Which is worse? Ha

 

[Cal-Pie]

Ok. If you’re two choices were :
Last week of October or week of Thanksgiving…

Which is worse? Ha

Last week of October, assuming you have hoppers and can work around early closures for OOB. I think most fall school breaks are over by then, and it will be *maybe* *possibly* quieter than Thanksgiving, but with the reservation system it's hard to guess anymore.

 

[Parkhopstacker]

Ok. If you’re two choices were :
Last week of October or week of Thanksgiving…

Which is worse? Ha

Neither is worse. You are in Disney World. Lol
I’m in the camp of: I don’t care what day I’m there. Don’t care if it’s a 10 or a 1 for crowds. Don’t care if it’s 30 degrees or 120 degrees. Don’t care if I’m at All-Stars or Poly. Don’t care if I ride the best rides or I end up rope dropping Swiss Family Tree House. I’m in Disney world. And I am so very thankful that I am able to be in my happy place.
(That wasn’t intended to be an argumentative point. So apologies if it came out that way! )

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Neither is worse. You are in Disney World. Lol
I’m in the camp of: I don’t care what day I’m there. Don’t care if it’s a 10 or a 1 for crowds. Don’t care if it’s 30 degrees or 120 degrees. Don’t care if I’m at All-Stars or Poly. Don’t care if I ride the best rides or I end up rope dropping Swiss Family Tree House. I’m in Disney world. And I am so very thankful that I am able to be in my happy place.
(That wasn’t intended to be an argumentative point. So apologies if it came out that way! )

This is the DLR side, but I agree - you are at Disney, so pack some patience and it'll be great