October

[WDW Mad4Mickey]

Thinking about planning a 5 day trip the first week of October next year. Is the 1st week in October a good week crowd wise?

 

[PSUGuy]

As long as you're outta there by Sat the 7th you'll be good. The 7th is the start of Columbus Day weekend and WDW will be busy until Tues or Wed. We've been hitting it in Oct the last 5 years, love Food&Wine, and other than one time over that weekend we find crowds to be not bad at all. Avoid WS on any Sat during F&W.

Bill From PA

 

[Farro]

There is about to be an onslaught of people telling you how horribly crowded October is now due to fall breaks, etc. From reading all threads, it is definitely more crowded, the worst being the middle 2 weeks.

Remember, what is so crazy busy to some is not that busy to others.
Like some will say Pirates has a 30 minute wait, it's insanely busy. Maybe if you are used to walking on, but to others (like myself) a 30 minute wait just isn't a big deal.
You have to decide what it means to you.

I am going the last few days/first few days of November, I am not worried, read that week this year had some crowds, but completely manageable. I was there in 2014 10/21-10/30 (and no discounts were available at that time), it was perfect.

My sisters went the week you are going in 2014 and said it was hot, but great crowd-wise. I think you are fine the first week, moderate/manageable crowds.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

I think one of your biggest answers to your question is to look and see when Bounce back days are available. Nothing for Oct. anymore. It's now one of the only months without a discount. Also I truly believe the reason for the increase in date for F & W into Sept. is to ease some of the Oct. crowding. We have gone to WDW in Oct (last week) for the past 8 years and we used to get Free dining or a % off now our room is sold out by Jan. if we don't have a ressie by Dec. I don't mean to be all doom and gloom because it's a beautiful time to go and there are lots of extra things to do but don't let anyone kid you... it is busy!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

1. Keep in mind that this year, on 10/6, all parks closed early, and on 10/7, everything was closed for shelter-in-place for the hurricane. The rest of that week was atypical because of the hurricane stuff; many people cut short their stays or arrived late.

2. October IS hurricane season.

3. Prior to that, on 10/1 Touring Plans had the crowd at 9 in MK. On 10/2, all parks were an 8, and on 10/3 MK was a crowd level 10, with other parks at 7. Consider these crowds typical for that week.

4. The following week, as things normalized, every park save AK hit a 10 at least once per Touring Plans (HS was a 10 on Columbus Day!).

5. The week of the 16th also had a number of crowd level 8-10 days ar all parks save AK.