So now that October is over let's talk crowd levels?

[Farro]

I know mid month is crowded - Columbus Day and fall breaks - I'm interested in the end of month crowds?

We are going next year from 10/25-11/3. We are expecting moderate to heavy crowds and will be ready! But I'd love to hear about your thoughts of this past October .

I do know from my past experiences to avoid MK on Saturday non-party night and Epcot on weekends.

Thanks!

 

[Accident]

This october made summer look empty.. it's been insane ever since the hurricane and much more people than summer crowds.

 

[Farro]

This summer was unusually low though, right?
I was monitoring wait times for my time-frame, outside of the big rides, waits didn't seem to hit more than 30 minutes or so for the less popular rides, which is fine for us if we fast pass the popular ones.

Whatever the case, we are there for 9 nights, so crowds aren't really a concern I guess.
Thanks!

 

[NashvilleMama]

http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/october-2016-disney-world-crowds-return-with-a-vengeance/

 

[Farro]

Thanks! I read that, but that was written on 10/13 and I'm interested in around the last week. He did say he expected a bigger drop toward the end of the month - so I'll stick with that!

I'll just go with the idea it will be crowded and if it's not, I will be pleasantly surprised. We went around the same time in 2014 and it was perfect - crowded but manageable, just one bad night, the Saturday at MK.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The week we were there wasn't bad, save at HS (we were there a Galactic Spectacular night, and those days were heavier) and Epcot was bananas all week. AK was a vacant lot, and our MK days we got a ton done.

 

[Farro]

Thanks! We are definitely only doing Epcot during weekdays. We plan to hit food/wine on a Thursday after 11 am (Future World at open) before we go to the MNSSHP that night. Then again the next week for two evenings (probably Tuesday and Wednesday) with one more morning thrown in there somewhere!

 

[Texas Mickey]

We just returned from an Oct 28th to Nov 4th trip. The Halloween weekend was busy but the rest of the trip was great for getting rides. Quite a few walk on rides late in the day.

 

[Farro]

Perfect! Thanks!

 

[Govols1997]

We were there over Columbus Day (right after hurricane). We found crowds to be great. We avoided MK on non party days and did just fine.

 

[Accident]

This summer was unusually low though, right?
I was monitoring wait times for my time-frame, outside of the big rides, waits didn't seem to hit more than 30 minutes or so for the less popular rides, which is fine for us if we fast pass the popular ones.

summer wasn't that low, it was back to what it was before frozen came out so yes a decline from previous couple years but those years were also record breaking attendance years. It's all relative to what your used to seeing when you travel, do you get the chance to see it more crowded and also what your interested in doing. There are tricks to finding the low crowd and many were mentioned (skipping MK on non-party days for example).

I do want to add that it was very weird crowded. There was several trips in where i'm walking around thinking damn it's packed and miserable, but when I actually went up to a ride I wanted and saw the line was much more shorter than this size crowd should have it was rather fun to do things, just a lot slower and more people around you inbetween rides you wanted to do. epcot looked like it should have been impossible to eat aroudn the world several times I went in, but I found very short lines to get some food if there was a line at all. It was just weird this october..

 

[dkhillerud]

We were there 10/27-11/3. I found crowds to be very similar to our trip over thanksgiving week in 2014. Pretty busy, but still able to get a lot done.

 

[Heidi K]

We were just there from 10/26 to 11/1. On 10/27, we did Epcot using 8 am EMH (regular opening was 9 am) and we finished both Frozen and Test Track by 9:08 am without Fastpasses. Epcot "felt" crowded, I'm sure due to Food & Wine, but we didn't really wait for anything all day, including at the food booths. We left the park around 8 pm. The longest wait was when my husband wanted coffee at Starbucks around 10am.

On 10/28, we did Hollywood Studios with minimal waits. Our longest waits were about 15-20 minutes for Great Movie Ride, when I couldn't convince my traveling companions to wait and try to get it as a fourth Fastpass, and waiting for our ADR at 50's. The park did not seem crowded. We left after Fantasmic.

On 10/29, we did MK with an 8 am open (arrived by 7:30). By 9:30 am, we had ridden Peter Pan, Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates without Fastpasses. We had minimal waits all day--longest was probably for the carousel in the early evening, when we had to wait for a full ride before getting on. We left around 8 pm.

On 10/30, we did AK with a 9 am open, but arrived at 9:15. By 11:30, we had done Everest 3 times and Kali 4 times and were changing into our dry clothes. The park did not feel crowded. Our longest wait was about 30 minutes to meet Baloo and King Louie.

On 10/31, we did MK again. It was a 7 am EMH but we didn't arrive until around 9:15. We had minimal waits all day, and after scanning our third Fastpass around 11:30, we were able to get four more Fastpasses in succession (scan one at noon, immediately get another one, etc).

On 11/1, we did 1/2 day at Epcot. We arrived at 9:45 (park opened at 9) and rode Soarin with about an 8-10 minute wait. Park was very quiet.

Hope this helps! The weather was PERFECT and we thought the time of year was great as well.

Edited to add: we did MK on a non-party Saturday, fully expecting it to be packed, and it really wasn't bad at all. We used rope drop and Fastpasses wisely, but saw minimal waits.

 

[Farro]

We were just there from 10/26 to 11/1. On 10/27, we did Epcot using 8 am EMH (regular opening was 9 am) and we finished both Frozen and Test Track by 9:08 am without Fastpasses. Epcot "felt" crowded, I'm sure due to Food & Wine, but we didn't really wait for anything all day, including at the food booths. We left the park around 8 pm. The longest wait was when my husband wanted coffee at Starbucks around 10am.

On 10/28, we did Hollywood Studios with minimal waits. Our longest waits were about 15-20 minutes for Great Movie Ride, when I couldn't convince my traveling companions to wait and try to get it as a fourth Fastpass, and waiting for our ADR at 50's. The park did not seem crowded. We left after Fantasmic.

On 10/29, we did MK with an 8 am open (arrived by 7:30). By 9:30 am, we had ridden Peter Pan, Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates without Fastpasses. We had minimal waits all day--longest was probably for the carousel in the early evening, when we had to wait for a full ride before getting on. We left around 8 pm.

On 10/30, we did AK with a 9 am open, but arrived at 9:15. By 11:30, we had done Everest 3 times and Kali 4 times and were changing into our dry clothes. The park did not feel crowded. Our longest wait was about 30 minutes to meet Baloo and King Louie.

On 10/31, we did MK again. It was a 7 am EMH but we didn't arrive until around 9:15. We had minimal waits all day, and after scanning our third Fastpass around 11:30, we were able to get four more Fastpasses in succession (scan one at noon, immediately get another one, etc).

On 11/1, we did 1/2 day at Epcot. We arrived at 9:45 (park opened at 9) and rode Soarin with about an 8-10 minute wait. Park was very quiet.

Hope this helps! The weather was PERFECT and we thought the time of year was great as well.

Edited to add: we did MK on a non-party Saturday, fully expecting it to be packed, and it really wasn't bad at all. We used rope drop and Fastpasses wisely, but saw minimal waits.

Super helpful! Thanks!!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thanks! We are definitely only doing Epcot during weekdays. We plan to hit food/wine on a Thursday after 11 am (Future World at open) before we go to the MNSSHP that night. Then again the next week for two evenings (probably Tuesday and Wednesday) with one more morning thrown in there somewhere!

We were at Epcot on a Tuesday and a Thursday. Crowds were still nuts. Like, Living with the Land was a 40 minute wait nuts.

 

[Farro]

We were at Epcot on a Tuesday and a Thursday. Crowds were still nuts. Like, Living with the Land was a 40 minute wait nuts.

Good to know, thanks! If that's the case when we go, then we will be ready for it.

 

[RachaelA]

We have been here since the 28th. I think crowds are like early May. I didn't find them bad at all.

 

[Farro]

Good to read! Besides late October, early May is our favorite time to go.

I'm sure if Pandora is open by the time we go, the crowds may be affected, but hey, who cares. Pandora will be open!

 

[Ellwood970]

summer wasn't that low, it was back to what it was before frozen came out so yes a decline from previous couple years but those years were also record breaking attendance years. It's all relative to what your used to seeing when you travel, do you get the chance to see it more crowded and also what your interested in doing. There are tricks to finding the low crowd and many were mentioned (skipping MK on non-party days for example).

I do want to add that it was very weird crowded. There was several trips in where i'm walking around thinking damn it's packed and miserable, but when I actually went up to a ride I wanted and saw the line was much more shorter than this size crowd should have it was rather fun to do things, just a lot slower and more people around you inbetween rides you wanted to do. epcot looked like it should have been impossible to eat aroudn the world several times I went in, but I found very short lines to get some food if there was a line at all. It was just weird this october..

Epcot was jammed Friday night but it seemed people were just walking around, none of the food booths had lines. There was a huge convention that spilled out around 830 PM from between Canada and England "the national association of gifted children" they really jammed up the place then a few sprinkles fell and many people left leaving it less crowded till 10 pm closing. Also there were three Marathons this weekend. It seemed like food sales were light. Prices were reasonable. Saturday the EPCOT parking lot closed people were redirected to park at the MK which seemed odd. During the week crowds were manageable everywhere we went. The Halloween party Sunday night was very good. Not crowded.

 

[Accident]

Saturday the EPCOT parking lot closed people were redirected to park at the MK which seemed odd. During the week crowds were manageable everywhere we went. The Halloween party Sunday night was very good. Not crowded.

Is that why there was a 20-30 minute wait to get past the MK parking lot toll booth? the line of cars was all the way back to the epcot billboard (and that's not close). I thought it was the cub fans coming to the parade only that was jamming it up. There also was a nonstop line of cars heading behind MK like they emergency called in tons of workers for the crowds...

It's been such an odd crowd lately..