November 2015? Could as busy/crowded as the summer?

[Yellow Strap]

Right now could mid-November prior to Thanksgiving see 8-9 level crowds? We have gone several times during these dates in past, and it has always been one of the best times to go. Small crowds, great weather...etc. But every hotel is booked solid and there are almost no dining reservation to be had.
Are we looking at a jump from 3-4 level crowds to 8-9?

Talk me off the ledge.

 

[sxeensweet]

This close to November hotels often are booked solid or close to fully booked, and dining as well at the most popular restaurants since people have booked a lot of those 180 days out. I just looked and there are plenty of reservations left but maybe not at the harder to get ones like 'Ohana, BOG, CRT, Askerhus, etc. Do not know which ones you were looking for specifically.
These things have no real reflection of crowd levels in the parks always because even if onsite hotels are booked offsite ones are often empty. Offsite hotels are the ones that mainly fill the parks a high percentage of it.
The only week that will be slap full is Thanksgiving week itself and the weekends before and after that week.
Yes park attendance has been higher but the first few weeks of November will not be 8-9 crowd levels. Maybe not 3-4 always anymore but might be 4-6 perhaps. I never go by crowd calendars or predictions anyway. We always travel sometime from Oct- mid December (to avoid summer crowds and heat) and even as recent as last year at these times have never seen 8-9 crowd levels ever or even close. Not saying that would never happen but haven't experienced that yet even in November. We will be there in a few weeks again this year.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Free dining was available for Nov 08-19 bookings.

This will definitely impact restaurant availability.

I've been during free dining periods in October and didn't find the parks to be overly busy.

 

[sxeensweet]

Free dining was available for Nov 08-19 bookings.

This will definitely impact restaurant availability.

I've been during free dining periods in October and didn't find the parks to be overly busy.

Yep forgot to add that about free dining. Thanks and I agree! They have free dining at this time pretty much every year.

 

[PinnySmart]

Right now could mid-November prior to Thanksgiving see 8-9 level crowds? We have gone several times during these dates in past, and it has always been one of the best times to go. Small crowds, great weather...etc. But every hotel is booked solid and there are almost no dining reservation to be had.
Are we looking at a jump from 3-4 level crowds to 8-9

Talk me off the ledge.

It really is hard to say. I've been during free dining when hotels and restaraunts are fully booked but the crowds in the parks just didn't represent that. I can say from personal experience that the secret is out though. There are really no slow times anymore just occasional slow days and those are difficult to predict. I think this year you will find the parks more crowded than you have seen in the past. Just go in with a good touring plan and a little patience and you should be fine.

 

[Ausdaddy]

Attendance during the free dining period has been higher than historicals so far this year from what I see. Weekends, in particular, have tracked much higher. Last week was several levels above predicted.

 

[Yellow Strap]

Thanks all

 

[JohnD]

Right now could mid-November prior to Thanksgiving see 8-9 level crowds? We have gone several times during these dates in past, and it has always been one of the best times to go. Small crowds, great weather...etc. But every hotel is booked solid and there are almost no dining reservation to be had.
Are we looking at a jump from 3-4 level crowds to 8-9?

Talk me off the ledge.

I suspect there will be a higher crowd levels this year, particularly since this is the last year of the Osborne Lights at HS. While I was fortunately enough to book early, the week of November 8 is pretty much sold out. I don't see the trend changing very much through the holiday season.