Do many not know about Columbus Day Crowds?

[jkl2000]

There are so many different threads right now about the past week being more crowded than usual, attributing it to FP+, F&W, etc. Usually someone in the threads mentions the possibility that the Columbus Day holiday (three-day weekend) made the crowd levels higher. I'm hoping this is the reason, but it seems very odd that so many people aren't aware that the holiday might result in increased crowd levels.

Do you think the fact that for many people there was no school or work yesterday (October 14th - and I've heard some say that some schools get the whole week off, though I'm only used to it being a one-day holiday) has been in large part responsible for higher crowd levels on days surrounding Oct. 14th (not sure the weekend itself)?

 

[Master Yoda]

Any holiday, especially a school one will increase crowds at Disney. Food and Wine, plus the weekend will just add to it.

 

[Dubman]

Any holiday, especially a school one will increase crowds at Disney. Food and Wine, plus the weekend will just add to it.

I should expect about the same crowd levels for Veterans Day weekend.. We will just try to do the Kiosks early afternoon. Being the last few days of F & W may help us or hurt us.. What do you think?

 

[Master Yoda]

I should expect about the same crowd levels for Veterans Day weekend.. We will just try to do the Kiosks early afternoon. Being the last few days of F & W may help us or hurt us.. What do you think?

Food and wine on any weekend is a zoo, holiday or not.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Food and wine on any weekend is a zoo, holiday or not.

A buncha drunks pretty much = a buncha zombies. It's a mad house!

 

[Tinkerbella16]

Food and wine on any weekend is a zoo, holiday or not.

We are going during F&W for the first time Nov 6-12th... usually we get there just as it all ends. I am going to Epcot on a Wednesday and again on Friday morning, only for the first half of the day since we have MVMCP that night. We are staying away from Epcot on Sat and Sunday. Do you think it will be a zoo on a Wednesday? We have FP+ so I am not worried about the lines for rides, it is more so the drunks in World Showcase I am worried about. We have dinner in Japan that night.

 

[Longers]

We are going during F&W for the first time Nov 6-12th... usually we get there just as it all ends. I am going to Epcot on a Wednesday and again on Friday morning, only for the first half of the day since we have MVMCP that night. We are staying away from Epcot on Sat and Sunday. Do you think it will be a zoo on a Wednesday? We have FP+ so I am not worried about the lines for rides, it is more so the drunks in World Showcase I am worried about. We have dinner in Japan that night.

We go every year in Nov and it is definitely busier for F&W and certainly more at the weekend but its not as bad during the week but it is still busy but that normally adds to the atmosphere. I have never seen anyone drunk and abusive yes many are merry but most are there to have fun!

 

[Tinkerbella16]

We go every year in Nov and it is definitely busier for F&W and certainly more at the weekend but its not as bad during the week but it is still busy but that normally adds to the atmosphere. I have never seen anyone drunk and abusive yes many are merry but most are there to have fun!

Great thanks! I am still looking forward to walking around a bit. Good to know that it won't be AS bad as the weekend.

 

[Longers]

Great thanks! I am still looking forward to walking around a bit. Good to know that it won't be AS bad as the weekend.

Don't get me wrong it's still busy and when F&W finishes its so much more empty but to be honest you learn to live with it. With the fast pass at least you will get on some rides too! - enjoy

 

[Master Yoda]

We are going during F&W for the first time Nov 6-12th... usually we get there just as it all ends. I am going to Epcot on a Wednesday and again on Friday morning, only for the first half of the day since we have MVMCP that night. We are staying away from Epcot on Sat and Sunday. Do you think it will be a zoo on a Wednesday? We have FP+ so I am not worried about the lines for rides, it is more so the drunks in World Showcase I am worried about. We have dinner in Japan that night.

Weekdays tend to be better. The weekends draw all the locals and the out of towners like myself making it almost unbearable north of 1:00 PM.

 

[Hot Lava]

and I've heard some say that some schools get the whole week off

I know someone who works for a school district that gets a fall break - a whole week off, just like Spring Break. I do not know how many school districts do this, but the one I know of typically does it the last week of October, not around CD.

 

[ljs1691]

Columbus Day weekend leads in to a week long fall break for many schools systems in the southeast. (Some schools have two weeks during this same time.) We noticed that entire week really starting to gain popularity in 2004-ish as more schools here have gone to a modified year round schedule. I don't think I will ever go back during this particular week.

 

[Hot Lava]

Columbus Day weekend leads in to a week long fall break for many schools systems in the southeast. We noticed that entire week really starting to gain popularity in 2004-ish as more schools here have gone to a modified year round schedule. I don't think I will ever go back during this particular week.

When I was a kid, some of my cousins were in a year round school. I think they went for 9 weeks, and then had 6 off (something like that). They always had time off in Sept/Oct. They always went to WDW during that time b/c of ability to take advantage of low crowds (this was 80s, so very low crowds). I would love to be in a school system like that, where you have some time off when everyone else is in school.

 

[Disvillain63]

Columbus Day weekend coincides with the end of the first grading period for alot of schools in the southeast. Many southeastern school systems start school near the first week of August, therefore, 9 weeks later it is report card time and break time.

Back in the early 90's, we noticed that even Yom Kippur could increase the guests at WDW, because some northern schools had this day for holiday.

 

[dicksonthunder]

Like the Disvillian said, our school system went to this about 15 years ago with a 2 week break in October. We took advantage of it about 10 years ago and it seemed more crowded then than what I expected but probably not like it is now. Some of the colleges are even taking a mini Fall-Break now. My daughter got out for a 4 day weekend this year.