Park Attendance Numbers on Columbus Day Weekend?

[KBG]

Hello everyone, I am hoping you can help me…

My family and I are making a trip to Disneyland from the Bay Area, attending the park on Sunday, Oct 10 and Monday, Oct 11, 2010. We chose these dates as the week of Oct 11 is conference week at my kids’ school, so they have half days and its easier to pull them out of school.

I was doing a little bit of research, and was surprised to see that Columbus Day weekend is considered a higher attendance weekend! Disneyland is open late both days!

So I thought I’d come to the experts—is Disneyland REALLY busy these two days? I know probably any three day weekend is busier, but Columbus Day? Do employees and schools really get that off?

TIA for any advice,

Kathy

 

[bumbershoot]

YES.

Everyone else in CA has that weekend as a three weekend as well. (OK gov't workers and schookids) And many of those people think "surely no one goes over that weekend, let's go!"

My birthday is the 12th, which is THE Columbus Day, though not always celebrated on that date. Last year that was the Monday holiday. We checked in on, hmm, the 9th? 10th? Not sure. Went to DCA first. We were AP holders. As we *entered* the park at the Grand entrance, they stamped our hands, because they were already having park closures the day before, and wanted to make SURE we got the handstamps (soemthing only done to AP holders in dire circumstances) so we could hop to DL later.

At that moment I got scared!

High crowds. Didn't disburse on the 12th (for Memorial Day weekend two years in a row the crowds petered out on the holiday Monday...not for Col Day!), that started the next day. High crowds.

Expect it, plan for it, have fun with it.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

Actually, as of this year, state workers no longer get Columbus Day as a holiday in California. I don't know of any districts in the Sacramento Valley region who have it as a holiday, either. Its being phased out. That's not to say Southern California school districts don't still have the day off, though. I think you should plan for it being crowded (get there early, take full advantage of fastpass, make reservations for meals to avoid meal lines, etc.), but with fewer people getting Columbus Day as a holiday, I can't help but wonder if you might not get lucky with longer hours and lower crowds.