October crowds?

[psdjmem]

We are leaving for WDW in 10 days for a 8 day stay - FTP ofcourse - we were at WDW 3 years ago around the same time and found there was not long lines for most rides and fastpasses helped out alot. I have seen on several sites to expect really huge crowds - there is a golf tournament going on the week we are there also! Should we expect long lines and lots of other disney lovers?? Are the parks usually a bit less crowded right at opening and do the crowds get larger as the day goes on? We had such a terrible trip our last vacation (hard to believe you could have a bad disney vacation!) just wanted to be prepared. A very nasty CM by the name of carol at guest realtions told me it is crowded year round there now and we should expect june and july crowds ...... boy I was not happy to hear that!

 

[AkiraRaptor]

I highly doubt June and July crowds.

It will be less than high crowds, but I'd expect maybe a bit more crowded than a normal October at that time of the year. There are a lot of things happening this year all at the same time that will contribute to this.

• I think the FTP will make the resorts crowded, but I'm betting a lot of the people staying normally would have been going to WDW, but staying off-site. But the FTP drew them into the resorts.
  
• The Food & Wine is always on at this time of the year, so I'd consider it a wash.
  
• The golf tournimet will draw some as well, exspecially if Tiger Woods plays in it.
  
• And of course the two new attractions opening this month, M:S and PhilharMagic, plus the new Wishes firework show, and MNSSHP will all add to the crowd levels.

We normally go the first week or so of October. The crowds are light, most rides are walk on, except for the weekend of Columbus Day (very bad days to visit MK). So I'm still expecting a similar crowd level except for a few rides and attractions. But June/July crowds, I don't think so.

 

[BigAL]

Crowds

The crowds during October will be larger than in the past due to many school systems taking fall and spring breaks now.

 

[diegorivera2]

Our favorite times of the year for visiting WDW are the third week of October (leading up to the golf tournament) and the end of January. We find the park attendance to be quite managable and *far* better than when we visited in June and July.

 

[mikedvcmember]

we just left

We just got home 20 mins ago the parks from last friday 3rd to 8th where slow but the 9th 10th and today where packed like as when we where there around easter time.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

Re: we just left

Originally posted by mikedvcmember
We just got home 20 mins ago the parks from last friday 3rd to 8th where slow but the 9th 10th and today where packed like as when we where there around easter time.

Exactly! I was there the beginning of october expecting everything to be slow but I ended up having 20-30 minute lines on a weekday (not early entry day) and had one hour wait line for this hotel which likes to drop you!!! What's the fun in that?

And if I knew MK was so packed on a weekend I wouldn't have went!!!! At least MNSSHP and IOA were kinda slow! :brick: :hammer: :brick:

 

[diegorivera2]

Don't forget the special events at WDW over the past few days (Mickey's PhilharMagic and Mission:Space official openings and media events) caused the attendance to spike a bit. I still think, like the attendance mikedvcmember mentioned for 10/3 through 10/8, October is a great month to visit with lower than summer attendance crowds.

 

[billybaruch1]

Disney crowds depend on school attendance. We can do the happy dance of lesser crowds when the schools are back in session, in my opinion. :lol: :sohappy:

The golfers and their fans don't stand in line for Pooh or Space Mountain during regular park hours.