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Thread: Best time to go - October 2011

  1. #1
    Princess in hiding underthesea1987's Avatar
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    Best time to go - October 2011

    Hey all-
    When would be the lowest attendance point for October next year?
    Thanks

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  3. #2
    Happiness is that smile MammaSilva's Avatar
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    Being thankful for the gift of time.

    October is a CRAZY busy month...first weekend is Gay days, second or third weekend will be CHOC walk. This year CHOC and the fall MA were on the same day...with all the construction over at DCA and moving the Trick or Treat party to Disneyland every single weekend will be very busy.

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  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by MammaSilva View Post
    October is a CRAZY busy month...first weekend is Gay days, second or third weekend will be CHOC walk. This year CHOC and the fall MA were on the same day...with all the construction over at DCA and moving the Trick or Treat party to Disneyland every single weekend will be very busy.
    That weekend of CHOC walk it was also the week when Utah and Arizona kids were on break and made it super crowded. They added a 3rd F! Saturday night. I sure hope CHOC Walk and MA are not on the same day (CHOC walk will be October 16 this year)
    Siggy aka Jill

  5. #4
    Registered User fairestoneofall's Avatar
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    October used to be a great month to go. Now, not so much. At lease crowd wise. It's a beautiful time to visit with the Halloween decor, but the crowds are heavy.

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  6. #5
    Princess in hiding underthesea1987's Avatar
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    At least I know that going in now

    I want to go the first week of December but nobody else is havin' it haha

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    Sweet Spot - we miss you! shna's Avatar
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    We were there over Halloween weekend this year. Saturday the 30th was fairly busy, but not horrible. On Halloween during the day, DCA was practically deserted -- and this was on a Sunday! The wait for Soarin' was 15-20 minutes. The line for Toy Story was the longest one we saw (which is usually the case anyway) - it was 35-40 minutes. Pretty much everything else was almost a walk-on.

    They were doing three shows of World of Color since DCA was open until 11pm (stayed open late since Disneyland closed for the Trick or Treat party). At around 4pm, they were still giving out FastPasses for the second WoC show -- hadn't even GOTTEN to giving out the FastPasses for the 11:15 show.

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  8. #7

    When to go in October??

    When should we go and excapt the crowds to not be horrible?


  9. #8
    Happiness is that smile MammaSilva's Avatar
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    mid week might not have big crowds but between Gay Days the first weekend, the CHOC Walk mid month and the trick or treat parties every week October is a busy busy month.

    Life is too short to wake up with regrets ~So love the people who treat you right
    Forget about those who don't ~ Believe everything happens for a reason.
    If you get a chance, take it If it changes your life, let it ~Nobody said life would be easy,
    they just promised it would most likely be worth it~ remember, Sometimes Miracles Hide

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by MammaSilva View Post
    mid week might not have big crowds but between Gay Days the first weekend, the CHOC Walk mid month and the trick or treat parties every week October is a busy busy month.
    Don't forget the Utah and Arizona School breaks too! But it is so worth it to see all the Halloween Decorations. I loved the Halloween party this year!!!
    Siggy aka Jill

  11. #10

    Hmmmm....we were planning to go October as well, but were hoping for lighter crowds. Does anyone know when the Halloween decor is usually up? Would going the end of September be a better choice? I worry about lots of refurbishments too, if its a "down" time at the park!


  12. #11
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    If you want lighter crowds with less refurbs, I think the best time to go is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There usually isn't enough time for a major refurb and if you can go during the week, crowds are lighter. The weekends are still pretty busy. Check past Disneyland Updates (hit Disneyland link on top of page here) for past refurbs and it gives you an idea of what to expect, quantity wise. The refurbs are towards the end of the Update.

    In October- totally avoid Columbus Week. That is the week all AZ schools are out. This year it coincided with UT schools being out as well as the CHOC walk which led to HUGE crowds that caught a lot of people off guard. The first week may not be too bad but Gay Days bring in the crowds that weekend and with the Halloween parties, the hours are sorta crazy. Weekends are tough with locals wanting to see the Halloween stuff.

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  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by dancermom View Post
    Hmmmm....we were planning to go October as well, but were hoping for lighter crowds. Does anyone know when the Halloween decor is usually up? Would going the end of September be a better choice? I worry about lots of refurbishments too, if its a "down" time at the park!
    For 2010 the first day of Halloween season was around 9/17. The year before it was the last Friday in September.
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  14. #13

    eek! I need help for October planning!

    My family(there will be about 25 of us!) is planning a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth in October...I've been put in charge of the dates. I've been reading and reading about when the best/lease busy times to go would be, and my brain is mush! I've read about Gay Days, CHOC, Utah fall break, and so on. October seems like a very busy month. Someone mentioned the Halloween decor is up mid-September, so I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the crowds would be like Sept 30th-October 7th? Are there usually any major refurbishments during this time? We'd be devestated in Pirates or the Haunted Mansion were closed

    We are basically looking for as light as crowds as possible during Halloween Time..and really hoping its not as crowded as the summer months! We were there Memorial Day weekend last year, and that was about as crowded as I could handle! lol


  15. #14

    Pirates, no one can say for sure this early. HM will be open with the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay for the Halloween/Xmas season.


  16. #15

    Utah's fall break in 2011 will be October 20-21, however pretty much Wednesday through Saturday that week they'll be there. Arizona (Scottsdale, according to my sis-in-law) is October 10-14.

    From wdwinfo.com:
    The Unofficial Gay Days at Disneyland 2011
    September 20-October 2, 2011.

    CHOC/Disneyland Resort Walk in the Park - 5K Walk
    October 16, 2011

    So, two things to take away from this info. 1: Everything is much more spread out this year. Last year CHOC walk, Utah fall break AND Arizona fall break were all on the same week. It was rough. 2: Because everything is more spread out, it's harder to find a clear week. If you want to be sure nothing major is in refurb, I'd shoot for the week of the 3rd of October. You could go earlier, depending on when the Halloween stuff is up, but waiting until October starts reduces your risk of big refurbs somewhat.

    It's a great time to be there! Have fun!

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  17. #16
    D23 Charter Member D Dog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dancermom View Post
    We are basically looking for as light as crowds as possible during Halloween Time..and really hoping its not as crowded as the summer months!
    Dancermom I was at DL at almost the exact dates your are saying a few years ago and the crowds were very light, we were able to get onto any ride we wished with next to no wait. If this is your highest concern then this time will suit you well. We did find though that even with the Halloween overlay staffing was lighter than busy times and there was also more attractions closed than at other times we have visited. For us though the biggest thing missing was that we found the lower numbers actually reduced some of the magic felt, it is amazing how infectious crowds of people having a "Magical" time is. Just some of our experience and hope that helps, but I'd take any day in a Disney park if that was the only date I could go, I've never had a "bad" day at DL.
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  18. #17

    We have been the last couple years in Oct. and it has been very busy! Last year we were there for a week during AZ. Fall break and Utah's and it was VERY BUSY! Busier than times we have been during the summer. I would suggest finding out when those Fall breaks are and NOT going then . I don't know how busy gay days are. If I had to pick, I would go late Sept. There might be a some attractions down but I can't imagine a lot. When DLR official "Halloween season" begins (usually mid to late Sept.) Haunted Mansion etc. are all ready and open. The Fall is a beautiful time to visit Disneyland. Happy Planning !


  19. #18
    CL--DLR Trip Planning and DVC Toocherie's Avatar
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    October 21-22, 2011--Blizzard FanFest

    The Orange County Business Journal is reporting that a convention of up to 30,000 gaming enthusiasts will be descending on the Anaheim Convention Center on the specified dates. Be warned if you are planning a trip around then.

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  20. #19
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    This event is HUGE and sells out very quickly. I have a friend that has gone the past few years and he reports that a TON of people end up spending some time at DL or DCA during this time. Luckily it is not the busiest time of year for DL/DCA, but it can definitely make the crowds higher than expected during October (especially just over a week before Halloween).


  21. #20
    Happiness is that smile MammaSilva's Avatar
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    My knee jerk reaction was oh crud, but seriously 30,000 isn't really THAT many people overall and during the day they are going to be at the conference, that Friday night will be a hard ticket Halloween event at one of the two parks, probably Disneyland again. I doubt many folks who just shelled out the bucks for that conference are going to want to come up with another $50 each to go to the trick or treat event and aren't going to want to buy hoppers for a park that closes early on Friday. It's good to know they're in the area but I'm not as concerned as I was originally.

    Life is too short to wake up with regrets ~So love the people who treat you right
    Forget about those who don't ~ Believe everything happens for a reason.
    If you get a chance, take it If it changes your life, let it ~Nobody said life would be easy,
    they just promised it would most likely be worth it~ remember, Sometimes Miracles Hide

  22. #21
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    From talking with my friend who went, it seemed all of those who didn't shell out the extra money to go to the parks at least went to Downtown Disney. So, with Halloween and the gamign convention, be prepared for crowds in Downtown Disney and in the parks. Maybe not terribly crowded, but definitely more crowded then other weeks in October.


  23. #22
    Happiness is that smile MammaSilva's Avatar
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    Thanks for the heads up but reality is every single weekend in October is going to be BUSY...Gay Days, Utah invades Anahiem, Choc Walk, the potential MA event, Halloween weekend...life is just busy in October!

    Life is too short to wake up with regrets ~So love the people who treat you right
    Forget about those who don't ~ Believe everything happens for a reason.
    If you get a chance, take it If it changes your life, let it ~Nobody said life would be easy,
    they just promised it would most likely be worth it~ remember, Sometimes Miracles Hide

  24. #23

    Closures/hiatus during October?

    Hello wise Disney peoples! It's time for me to start planning a 2011 trip to DL so I come here for the best info.
    I have been to Disneyland several times, but ONLY in the spring. This year will be DH's very first trip to the Park and I want it to be special. We were planning to go the last week in August right before our eldest daughter enters high school. But we started discussing crowds and heat and DH is really worried about that. He suggested we go in mid-October.
    So my question is, according to past closures as far as attractions and shows go, what will we MISS by waiting until October? I know HM and IASW close for their Holiday overlays, but I'm not sure on the estimated dates since I've never been to the Park during this season. And what about Fantasmic!? Does it typically show on weekends in October or does it go down permanently for the winter?
    Any advice would be wonderful! I'm sure I'll be back with more absurd planning questions soon ;-)!
    Kimbo


  25. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by kimbopotamus View Post
    But we started discussing crowds and heat and DH is really worried about that. He suggested we go in mid-October.
    Mid October is no picnic as far as crowds go. Halloween Time, which began Sept. 16 or 23 (can't remember which) is highly promoted and crowded.

    So my question is, according to past closures as far as attractions and shows go, what will we MISS by waiting until October?
    Not sure, but Haunted Mansion Holiday is open throuhgout Halloween Time


    Any advice would be wonderful!
    So Cal AP holders are blocked out all summer until the last week in August. Then it gets really crowded for a few weeks up through Labor Day, then there's a nice little reprieve from the crowds for a few weeks until Halloween Time begins. The crowd seem to get progressively worse the closer it gets to Halloween. If you can squeeze in that two week window after Labor Day that'd be ideal to avoid crowds, however, Space Mountain and HM will almost certainly be closed at that time and park hours may be a bit shorter.

  26. #25

    After Labor Day is out since it will be my daughter's first weeks in high school. She can't miss that. A few days out in October will be easier for her, but I don't want to miss too many attractions or shows that may be closed. So maybe moving UP the trip to mid-August would be better? Hotter but less So Cal APs??


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