Week before Columbus day v. week of Columbus day?

[ktlm]

Could someone who has been both weeks, or had a trip that overlapped both weeks give me an idea of the crowd differences between the week leading up to Columbus Day weekend and the actual Columbus day week? The last several years we have been the week leading up to Columbus Day and left the parks for ME in the afternoon on the Sunday of Columbus day weekend, so I know what to expect that week and for the first half of the 3 day weekend. This year, for the first time, our fall break is a week later, so if we go this year, we would arrive the Saturday of Columbus day weekend and be there that whole week. I don't know what to expect that week. Is it a lot more crowded than the previous week? I know the discount I usually get is out the window with the start of our trip being that weekend (which makes me question going this year), and I would love to hear how the crowds compare between the 2 weeks.

 

[PSUGuy]

We learned the hard way to avoid Columbus Day, the weekend prior and the day after. Two or 3 years ago we arrived the Wed before CD. Crowds were not bad at all until the Sat before CD when they ballooned and it stayed crowded through the Tues. after CD, from then on things were much better. This applied to all parks, of course, any Sat during Food & Wine is crazy in WS but the other parks are not impacted. Since then we've been arriving mid week after CD and crowds are lighter than the first week in March which used to be 'Our Week' before we discovered F&W.

Bill From PA

 

[AZMermaid]

Lots of schools have Fall Break the week of Columbus Day and that number seems to be increasing. I would avoid that week if possible.

 

[johnsgrl]

We were there the week of Columbus Day last year, expecting the crowds to die down by Tuesday. They did but not to any great amount. It was far more crowded than I expected and I booked a later week for this year's trip. That being said I have been there with much higher crowds and we managed just fine, and on Wednesday we took my grandson for the day so his parents could do the parks child free and they managed to hit all four parks, ride all of the headliners and do the Food and Wine booths, so maybe I missed the only low crowd day!

 

[JennyDrake]

Week before will be vastly better. THat week is Spring Break Level crowds.

 

[ktlm]

We learned the hard way to avoid Columbus Day, the weekend prior and the day after. Two or 3 years ago we arrived the Wed before CD. Crowds were not bad at all until the Sat before CD when they ballooned and it stayed crowded through the Tues. after CD, from then on things were much better. This applied to all parks, of course, any Sat during Food & Wine is crazy in WS but the other parks are not impacted. Since then we've been arriving mid week after CD and crowds are lighter than the first week in March which used to be 'Our Week' before we discovered F&W.

Yep- once you've done F&W, it makes it hard to go back to other times of the year doesn't it? We decided to go fall break once to see F&W and MNSSHP and the fall decorations, and we haven't been any other time since! This makes me think we would probably be okay if Wednesday to Sunday aren't too bad, but the other posters make me wonder if we should just skip WDW this year. Last year for the first time (and not because of the hurricane) we really felt the cut backs and losses of some of the special touches and characters- we felt like we really paid more and got less for the first time- so we were thinking about possibly skipping a year which would be our first year skip in 10 years.

We were there the week of Columbus Day last year, expecting the crowds to die down by Tuesday. They did but not to any great amount. It was far more crowded than I expected and I booked a later week for this year's trip. That being said I have been there with much higher crowds and we managed just fine, and on Wednesday we took my grandson for the day so his parents could do the parks child free and they managed to hit all four parks, ride all of the headliners and do the Food and Wine booths, so maybe I missed the only low crowd day!

Last year as in 2016? We were in the parks that Columbus day weekend Saturday (DHS, and MK) and Sunday (EPCOT) and it was the least crowded Columbus day weekend we have ever seen at WDW. We were sure it was because people cancelled or didn't get in because of the hurricane. Based on how it had been the last several Columbus day weekends, we thought it was great. We were even able to get a FP for SM at MK that night when we park hopped- which had never happened before.

 

[Accident]

my opinion of any extended weekend with school holiday is they all feel like summer (maybe not peak, but summer like crowds). The week that has the extra day off from school/work in it will be more crowded than the other week but both will be more crowded than the weeks surrounding both. But it's minor, we're talking an extra 5 extra minutes to wait for a ride, maybe 2 extra minutes more for the shorter week. It's always crowded, there is no escaping the crowd.

 

[Guyton dis lover]

This^^^^

 

[johnsgrl]

Last year as in 2016? We were in the parks that Columbus day weekend Saturday (DHS, and MK) and Sunday (EPCOT) and it was the least crowded Columbus day weekend we have ever seen at WDW. We were sure it was because people cancelled or didn't get in because of the hurricane. Based on how it had been the last several Columbus day weekends, we thought it was great. We were even able to get a FP for SM at MK that night when we park hopped- which had never happened before.[/QUOTE]

Yes, last year.
I was surprised at the crowd levels because of the hurricane. I had never been that week before and had expected crowds for the holiday weekend, and that the crowds would die down after Monday but they didn't seem to. Maybe it was because traveling with DGS, we visited different rides than our norm, so it seemed more crowded to DH and I . We normally avoid the 'little kid' areas in all parks but with a 2 year old, that was 90% of our touring plan. We didn't arrive till late on Saturday, so no park and went to MK Sunday.