The “slow” season is starting to wrap up in Disney World!
Magic Kingdom
Typically we see lower crowds in Disney World during the second half of September, as many students go back to school. That means that for the past few weeks, the parks have been fairly empty and wait times have been lower. But now that we’re in October, we’ve got a big warning for you.
You may not think about October being a busy holiday season in Disney World, but there are two major events that make it crowded — Halloween and Indigenous Peoples’ Day (known formerly as Columbus Day). With these two things on the calendar, we’ve seen the parks get packed on select days in October.
This is Halloween!
This year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is scheduled for Monday, October 14th. And with the long holiday weekend, we’ve noticed that many schools will schedule their Fall Break either the week before or the week after that date. Those who don’t get a full-scale Fall Break may come to the parks for a long weekend. And based on the Disney Park Pass availability, it looks like that weekend may be busy!
Crowds in Magic Kingdom
When checking availability for Disney Park Passes, we noticed that passes for Magic Kingdom have been completely booked up for ticket holders and resort guests on Friday, October 11th. That date is still available for Annual Passholders at the time of publishing.
©Disney
Keep in mind that Disney Park Passes are only required for tickets that aren’t date-based, so if you have valid admission to Magic Kingdom that includes the date October 11th, you should still be able to get into the park, barring any day-of capacity limitations. (Although we haven’t seen anything of that caliber in YEARS.)
Magic Kingdom
If you’re traveling to Disney World in mid-October, treat your vacation planning like you would aa trip during Spring Break season. Be ready to encounter crowds and long lines, and do your research on Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass to see if it’s right for your family.
Lightning Lane
We’ll make sure to keep you updated with any more news about crowds in Disney World. Stay tuned to DFB!
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We will be at DW starting Monday the 21-25th. How do you think the parks will look for that time?
Interesting tidbit for you: according to the U.S. Department of Commerce website, the holiday in October you referenced is currently knows as Columbus Day. Some states officially recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, but Florida is not one of them.
Can’t we call it Columbus Day? I’m so tired of this! Where would we all be if no one explored the World? Say no one ever left where they were born. What would the World be like. Give the man his due.
Just a bit of information, not to offend, but just inform: Florida still celebrates Columbus day, but also recognizes those who celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day. There are 12 states and Washington, DC that do not celebrate Columbus day. A state can choose whether to acknowledge a Federal holiday, or not. But the Federal Holiday is still officially called Columbus Day.