September crowds vs. October crowds

[dxcspilk]

We would like to go when all the Halloween decorations are out, but are debating going in Sept vs. Oct. What are the differences in crowd levels? How about temperature wise?

Thanks!

 

[suzy021372]

I went for halloween last year. Crowds during the day were great, but it got VERY crowded at night, especially for the fireworks and the Space Mountain transformation. DCA closes very early for the Halloween party, so everyone filters over to DL. We went to the Halloween party one night. It was fun, not lines for rides, tons of characters, and not so-good candy. It sure beat taking the kids door to door back home. In September, I am sure you would not have these problems, but being there for Halloween was definitely fun!

 

[Sherry E]

The Trick or Treat Party will not be in DCA this year. It's going to be held in Disneyland, on every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday in October. So Disneyland will close hours early on those TOTP nights to everyone but the folks who are attending the TOTP. Of course, the TOTP costs extra. So if you don't want to attend the TOTP, you can head over to DCA where the new World of Color show will be. That may affect crowds in both parks a great deal - we won't know until WoC debuts and people start reporting back about crowd levels.

In any case, if Halloweentime begins on September 24th, as I suspect it will, and you decide to go then, you will miss the TOTP, which won't start until October 1st, but you will see all the other stuff like the fireworks, Haunted Mansion Holiday, the Halloween Round-Up, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and any other Halloween entertainment, food, merchandise, etc.

Suzy021372 is right - it was very crowded last year in October on the day we went as well. More so than it had been the previous year. It definitely got much worse at night. And this year, WoC may bring even more people to both parks. So unless you have a need to see the TOTP in October, the crowds might be slightly better in late September, I think.

Weather-wise, it is sometimes very, very hot in September. Sometimes it's raining. More often than not it will be quite warm, but October can be that way too (in 2008, we went during a heat wave in October, where it was in the upper 90's!. September is often hotter than August or July!!

 

[dxcspilk]

Thanks for all the great information. I don't think we will be doing the Trick or Treat Party, though we initially had planned on it. I think we have decided to go on Oct.17th - 24 and just plan to not hit the parks on days of the TOTP unless we want to do WOC that day.

Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

How about temperature wise?

See "Detailed Weather Data for DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

 

[dxcspilk]

See "Detailed Weather Data for DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=23004158

Great info, thanks! Wow, crazy that Oct. has the record high of 111 degrees! That is our summer temps here, and exactly what I was hoping to avoid going in October. Well, here is hoping for no record high temps this year!

 

[Sherry E]

Great info, thanks! Wow, crazy that Oct. has the record high of 111 degrees! That is our summer temps here, and exactly what I was hoping to avoid going in October. Well, here is hoping for no record high temps this year!

I have lived in SoCal my entire life and I have seen some crazy Octobers. October is one of those months that doesn't realize it's not Summer, so it's not going to turn willingly into Fall!!

As I said earlier, two years ago when we were at DLR in October, it had been a miserable, hot, record high week all week long - actually, for like two weeks in a row. The heat was just hanging in the air. Plus, it's dry, dry, dry - so heat + dry = wildfires. Wildfires cause all kinds of bad air. It was starting to cool down by the time we got to DLR and it was a "comfortable" 98 degrees!!! But last year, October was a little more manageable and not as hot. It was in the low 80's on our day at DLR.

October will almost always certainly be dry. Now whether it is hot and dry or windy and dry or all of the above is anyone's guess. I have seen windy, cool temps - but still dry - and I have seen windy, extremely hot weather. Other days, it might be a really pleasant 70 degrees! Sometimes it might rain out of the blue. It is a very weird month.