October 2014 Disney World Crowd Calendar, Fastpass+ Booking and Dining Windows and Best Times to Visit Disney World
Updated 8/11/2014
October starts off as a warm month and begins to cool off as the month goes along. It’s still in the high season for hurricanes, so be sure to check into travel insurance for your trip. We tend to see moderate rainfalls, but showers can happen any afternoon and some Halloween Parties experience rainfall. The crowds in October tend to be in the low to moderate range. The Halloween Parties are quite popular and sell out often on weekends and around Halloween.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival with the Eat to the Beat Concert Series will bring in some crowds, but nothing like Summer season or the big Holidays. The Columbus Day weekend is typically really busy, but can be managed with good TOURING PLANS and Fastpass+ usage. Mid-week Halloween Parties are generally the best if you’re vacationing here. It’s my opinion that everyone should experience the Halloween Party at least once. The lower crowds can also lead to Attraction Refurbishments that are typically not announced until summer. Be sure to check back during the summer months to see if anything has changed.
October is a great month as far as crowds are concerned and is among the best times to visit. Regardless of the times you can still enjoy the parks by going to a green park, arriving at least 45 minutes before rope drop.
I recommend the strategy of arriving early and taking a mid-afternoon break. Go for a swim with the kids and enjoy the pool, then take a nap of an hour or so before returning to a park for evening entertainment and rides.
What will the weather be like during your October trip?
| Month | Avg. High |
Avg. Low |
Mean | Avg. Precip |
Record High |
Record Low |
| Oct | 84°F | 66°F | 75°F | 2.52 in. | 95°F (1958) | 38°F (2008) |
October is in the median range in terms of temperature and rain. It’s still hurricane season, so be prepared. Late in the month may have some cooler nights, so bring a sweater.
Dress in light colors and wear comfortable shoes with socks that breathe. Bring a small, handheld fan for each child. Bring a poncho for each person and a stroller cover because there’s often afternoon thunderstorms in the summer.
Should I use Extra Magic Hours privilege?
Avoid the trap of visiting a park on its longest hours day. More people will be there and the wait times can be 30% to 100% higher than other days. The BEST day to visit the Magic Kingdom in terms of lines is a Halloween Party day. Many attractions are walk-on.
The Magic Kingdom will only offer Wishes and Main Street Electrical Parade on select nights each week. Those park days tend to be more busy than others. If the evening spectaculars are important, chose the day with the lowest hours or park hop into the Magic Kingdom at night.
If you are planning to use Extra Magic Hours, use the morning ones, they are a great benefit, if you leave after lunch or parade time. Avoid the parks that offer evening Extra Magic Hours because they have large crowds at night and many rides have long lines. If you choose a Late Extra Magic Hour park, you should plan to sleep in the next day.
What attractions are actually open for Extra Magic Hours at Disney World?
What are the hours for Disney Quest and Cirque du Soleil?
- Disney Quest – 11:30am to 10pm Daily
- Cirque du Soleil – 6:00pm & 9:00pm Tuesday-Saturdays
What attractions will be CLOSED for refurbishment during your October trip?
Do you need to know what activities will take place at your Disney World during your October trip?
Updated at the first of each month!
Special Events at Walt Disney World
- Free Dining Plan – October 1-3 & 26-31 (Be sue to book your Table Service meals in advance!)
- Epcot Food and Wine Festival featuring Eat the to Beat Concert Series- October 1-31
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: Magic Kingdom –
- October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31
Do you need a great map that includes attractions, restaurants, Fastpass kiosks and characters?
Typical Best Days to Go
| Magic Kingdom: | Tuesday and Friday |
| Epcot: | Monday and Thursday |
| Hollywood Studios: | Sunday, Tuesday and Friday |
| Animal Kingdom: | Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
| To read the crowd aspect, follow the DATE at the top! |
| Lowest Crowds |
| Low Crowds / Best Park |
| Moderate Crowds |
| Busy Crowds |
| Insane Crowds / Worst Park |
Click on an image for a full sized view. BE SURE TO PRINT IN LANDSCAPE MODE!
What does the yellow/orange mickey heads on the first line of each week mean?
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It was an attempt to point out the difference in crowd sizes
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Where is Character Palooza held in HS at 4:50 on 10/10? Thanks!
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http://kennythepirate.com/category/character-palooza-2/
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Sorry to post so much but where did you see that he magic kingdom will be open until 2am on 10/4 ? The disney world site doesn’t even have that just curious
Thanks
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WDW did have it posted as 2am last night and then it changed all of a sudden. I’m hoping they change it back!
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Why hope, this is correct
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Disney World’s official website is the least reliable source of information. The times here are accurate.
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Gotcha, I’m a newbie, I just asummed they would be the most accurate, lol. But, that’s great news!
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Nope, they are usually the last to know and their own blog releases information that is often wrong too.
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Is there no character palooza on 10/1-10-4? I noticed its on the rest of the month but don’t see it listed any info would be appreciated thanks
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Confirming times for Oct and will repost shortly
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Reposted for October
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Hello! Love your site, just signed up and paid yesterday! I’m looking forward to getting a reservation from “fetch” lol! I just have a question about the MNSSHP on Friday October 3rd. Why is that Friday party considered a light crowd party compared to the rest of the Friday’s in October? We are trying to decide if we should go the Oct 3rd party instead of Oct 10. We were there last year at the Thursday Oct 10th and thought is was crowded and I read on your site how that night was sold out last year. Thanks in advance!
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Because the other weeks have holidays or they are getting closer to Halloween and sell out more often.
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Kenny,
What party would you suggest my boyfriend and I get tickets for? We will arrive on the 11th and leave on the 18th. We already have tickets for the 13th, but I’m wondering if Thursday or Friday would be better? Do you think I should try to switch to Friday? I was thinking that because it’s our last day and we want to spend the last day in MK. Help!
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Probably very similar as both sold out last year. Friday will sell out, Thursday could sell out, so maybe Thursday? Sorry for the clear as mud answer.
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Thank you for your website! I trust your info bc I know you visit the parks often and you’ve conquered the crowds. Plus, it’s so fun to read about all of the character experiences.
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Thanks SD
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We will be there the week of Oct 20th, planning on visiting as follows, Mon = Epcot, Tues = AK, Wed = MK, Thurs = Epcot, Fri = MK . Seeing your calendar however makes me nervous about visiting MK on Wed since you’ve labeled it red. We have a 2 yr old, so my plan all along was to be at the park for opening and leave by 12, then returning after a 5 PM dinner at Ohana so that we can see fireworks and the parade. The only priorties for that day are Peter Pan, Small World, and Dumbo, and meeting Mickey after dinner. I know that with this being the only day that week with Wishes and the night parade we will see more volume than a Party day, but will we be okay with my basic plan? PS. Love following you along. This will be our first trip as a family (and I haven’t been in over 20 years) so I can’t wait!
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Christina,
You’ll have a great time if you arrive before park open, use FP+ and return for evening spectaculars. You’ll have a great day. Your plan will work well. You’re going to have a great vacation.
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Curious. What is going in Oct 17-21 that makes it orange? I would have thought Columbus Day weekend would be busier??
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Current models aren’t showing it as busy that weekend, but that could change when park hours are updated in the future.
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