Which is the better crowd avoidance strategy?--MK and HS

[BradyBrenMom]

Trying to decide between two theme park touring strategies for visiting this October and I could use some advice from the park veterans out there! We will be there over Columbus Day weekend, which I'm sure will be crazy. I need to decide which day to visit MK and which day to visit HS on Friday 10/9 and Saturday 10/10.

On Friday, MK has a crowd level of 5 and is closing early for MNSSHP. HS has a crowd level of 6.

On Saturday, MK has a crowd level of 7 and is open until 10 p.m. HS has the extra magic hours and a crowd level of 8.

On one hand, I figure it would be better to avoid MK on weekends. On the other hand, visiting HS when it's an 8 crowd level doesn't sound too ideal.

Other factors: Whichever day we go to HS, we'll be doing the Fantasmic meal package with lunch, we are typically at the park each day when it opens, we have park hoppers, and we are going with 2 DS, both 12, so we won't be doing attractions for super young kids or anything with a princess, other than Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, which I'm insisting on

I'm embarrassed that I'm obsessing about the schedule this much, and I hope sound advice from DISers will help me make a good decision!! Thanks.

 

[DWillowBay]

Why not start at MK on Friday and hop to HS late in the day. That way, if you visit HS on Saturday (crowd level 8) you will have done some of the park already. Pressure off. Then you can enjoy your Fantasmic! lunch and not feel rushed to get everything done before the show.
If 'hopping' is not an option, then I would do HS on the Friday and MK on the Saturday, especially given that you're not interested in the 'younger' or 'girly' things. Not matter how you choose to do it, enjoy your trip!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have noticed consensus that although the park closes early for the Halloween party giving you less hours, people tend to stay away.

We went in October once and I don't recall what we did . We were not there over the weekend.

One thing to keep in mind is that it can get busy at 4 when party guests are permitted to enter. This may complicate ADR plans if you have them as well as ability to do rides without a FP. Party guests can book them and this throws off getting additional ones per feedback here.

As we prefer EMH, I would aim for DHS on Saturday.

 

[Alesia]

Use the crowd calendar at easywdw.com.

 

[mommajo143]

honestly these crowd levels are so close I would to to MK on Fri AM through lunch and HS that PM then you can flip opposite on Saturday since you have park hoppers. If you get to MK and it is crazy busy you can reverse course but our experience has been that up until the 4pm window opens MK is pretty slow on party nights. HS is going to feel crowded no matter what, esp with the many closures they have had so you may find after Friday you dont even need (want) to go back over??

 

[BradyBrenMom]

Use the crowd calendar at easywdw.com.

That's where I got the crowd level numbers from They don't recommend going to MK or HS on Saturday (or EP!) but we will only be there for 4 days / 5 nights and don't want to spend a whole day at AK.

 

[BradyBrenMom]

honestly these crowd levels are so close I would to to MK on Fri AM through lunch and HS that PM then you can flip opposite on Saturday since you have park hoppers. If you get to MK and it is crazy busy you can reverse course but our experience has been that up until the 4pm window opens MK is pretty slow on party nights. HS is going to feel crowded no matter what, esp with the many closures they have had so you may find after Friday you dont even need (want) to go back over??

I like the park hopping idea, although our Fantasmic meal is lunch and it's a group of 13, so not super easy to re-arrange. We have to see Fantasmic the same day we eat the meal in the Fantasmic package, right? I can keep checking back and trying to get dinner instead of lunch for the package. Right now, if we keep it at lunch, we'd be eating at Mama Melrose at 11:50 on Friday or 11:35 on Saturday.

How long would it take to travel between MK and HS? Would it be worth it to start at MK Friday but get to HS for our reservation at 11:50?

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That's where I got the crowd level numbers from They don't recommend going to MK or HS on Saturday (or EP!) but we will only be there for 4 days / 5 nights and don't want to spend a whole day at AK.

I think I recall that EMH parks are often not recommended. Could be why DHS appears. Sometimes he writes up why he favored parks and not favored the others for a specific day.

 

[mommajo143]

I like the park hopping idea, although our Fantasmic meal is lunch and it's a group of 13, so not super easy to re-arrange. We have to see Fantasmic the same day we eat the meal in the Fantasmic package, right? I can keep checking back and trying to get dinner instead of lunch for the package. Right now, if we keep it at lunch, we'd be eating at Mama Melrose at 11:50 on Friday or 11:35 on Saturday.

How long would it take to travel between MK and HS? Would it be worth it to start at MK Friday but get to HS for our reservation at 11:50?

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions!

yeah i didnt see your reservations being that early in the day - a later time would be ideal. Given this kink in the plan i would not hop because you really wouldn't get a whole lot out of MK that day and, at least for my family, having to be at another park by 11:50 would be a big stress creator... we usually book late lunches. i have not ever done the fantasmic dinner package - we have usually just gotten in line and gotten decent seating but i can see how having a group this size would make the dinner package worthwhile. Have you tried getting overlapping dinner reservations with a smaller party - say a table for 6 and a table for 7 at 6 and 615 or something like that? Its the only way you could probably work this...keep checking the ADRs though - 60 day FPP window and 45 final pay deadlines are approaching and i would that alot will open up. we always mix up our ADRs last minute because of crowd and park hour changes released AFTER the ADRs are made... so i feel your pain. i am currently desperately seeking a BOG on 9/11 or 9/13 (lunch) and a H&V lunch for 9/13 or 9/15. i have both reservations on different days but with changes released after our reservations were made i want to change days up...

 

[BradyBrenMom]

I will definitely try the split group option you suggested for Fantasmic. We're not touring the parks with all 13 people, thank goodness, just meeting up for a few meals and activities during our stay. You mentioned that park hour changes happen after your make your plans sometimes. How far in advance do they announce those? If they keep HS open for a 2nd Fantasmic, maybe there would be more dinner times available.

Good luck with your ADRs! I have been trying unsuccessfully since April to get any sort of reservation at BOG for only 3 people and no luck yet. Keeping my fingers crossed that breakfast at BOG will open up for later in October.

 

[mommajo143]

here is another option, unless you are FD in which case you can ignore this...
have you considered doing the party and dropping the fantasmic dinner? i would guess the cost is pretty close to each other unless you are using FD credits. We loved going in 2010 and 2012 and will be going again this year.

 

[Mikie]

I have gone on Columbus weekend in 2012 and 2014. I used EasyWDW and Touring Plans crowd predictions to choose days. Of course, I can't know whether I would have had a better experience doing it another way, but I found that even with shortened hours on party days, if you get there at opening you get a whole lot done and may well be ready to leave the park at 7! I would do MK on Friday. Saturday will be very busy because it always is on a Saturday, because it's a holiday weekend, and because it's a non-party day so many people will want to be there. Triple-whammy of bad in my opinion. I'd definitely do MK Friday, DHS Saturday and since you have hoppers, if it's not working out for you, you can head somewhere else instead.

2014, I traveled with 12 people, so I know making any reservation changes is not feasible. I would not try to do morning at MK and hop to DHS by the 11:00 hour for lunch. On your DHS day, if you do rope drop and your lunch reservation and then find it's too crowded, you can always walk or take a boat to Epcot for a while and return to DHS for evening and Fantasmic.

 

[mommajo143]

I will definitely try the split group option you suggested for Fantasmic. We're not touring the parks with all 13 people, thank goodness, just meeting up for a few meals and activities during our stay. You mentioned that park hour changes happen after your make your plans sometimes. How far in advance do they announce those? If they keep HS open for a 2nd Fantasmic, maybe there would be more dinner times available.

Good luck with your ADRs! I have been trying unsuccessfully since April to get any sort of reservation at BOG for only 3 people and no luck yet. Keeping my fingers crossed that breakfast at BOG will open up for later in October.

Park hours change alot and often - even up until the DAY OF sometimes. Ours changed pretty dramatically last February, but the parties really limit too many changes...this trip we had 3 parks with the same crowd levels when we began planning then a few changes in hours were made and BOOM! HS was a 4 and the other two plummeted to a 2 and a 1...and our ADR is of course are at HS THAT day. Small potatos compared to your crowd levels but if i can flip days by swapping ADRS i will get HS on a 2 day instead of a 4 and MK on a 1 instead of a 3.

 

[BradyBrenMom]

here is another option, unless you are FD in which case you can ignore this...
have you considered doing the party and dropping the fantasmic dinner? i would guess the cost is pretty close to each other unless you are using FD credits. We loved going in 2010 and 2012 and will be going again this year.

Oh my goodness, your little guys are adorable!! We had that Buzz costume too! I really don't know much about the party, but thought it was more for younger children? My boys will be almost 13 when we go, which is why I didn't really look at it. And no, sadly, we are not going with free dining--missed it by 4 days. Our vacation dates were set when my sister was getting married at Disney--they are now eloping in Hawaii instead and the "honeymoon" with both families will be the Disney trip!

 

[rtbreneman]

We will be there both of those days (last two days of our trip), and are planning MK Friday, RD 'til whenever and then HS the following day. With park hoppers, I would suggest you hit MK Friday, head to HS for Fantasmic, etc. that evening, and then play Saturday by ear. You may have gotten enough of HS in your half day/evening that Saturday could be a MK day as well.

 

[JennyDrake]

RD at MK on Friday, hit it hard and do all you can then hop or go back to resort and take a break. Having been during this same time frame, I would expect the crowds to be at least a 7; it was very crowded.

 

[BradyBrenMom]

Everyone's suggestions are making me really think I need to find a way to get dinner reservations rather than lunch for Fantasmic. Oh well, that will give me something to alternate with my constant searches for Be Our Guest reservations! My stress levels are going down, thanks to everyone's thoughtful advice. Don't know what I'd do without DIS Boards!

 

[maryj11]

http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/10-october-2015-crowd-calendar/

 

[BradyBrenMom]

http://www.easywdw.com/category/calendar/10-october-2015-crowd-calendar/

When I looked at easywdw.com, I had originally focused on the detailed daily descriptions for each day we were going to be there. When I clicked your link (thank you!) I saw that on the calendar, even the "not recommended" parks are ranked in order. Can't believe I overlooked that in my rush to get the detailed scoop!