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WDW Prep School

October at Disney World

Last updated on 12/01/2022

January February March April May June July August September October November December

October used to be a relatively slower time of the year, but now many schools have fall breaks, which means it can get kind of busy.

Here’s what you need to know:

Cinderella castle halloween boo bash
  •  Ready to dive in? Jump down to the October Crowd Calendar

Is October a good time to visit Walt Disney World?

We used to love recommending October to people. The crowds didn’t use to be that bad, and the fall decorations at Magic Kingdom were always fun. And then a few years ago the crowd trends changed and suddenly, October took on an entirely different feel.

Here’s the deal:

We know that there are lots and lots of people who can only visit during October. And we don’t want to say anything to scare anybody or to make them think their trip will be ruined because the parks are crowded.

Our goal is to prepare you. There are still lots of reasons to love Walt Disney World in October – and if you go into it knowing that you’ll need to plan for the crowds, you’ll still have a magical trip.

Why we love October at Walt Disney World

  • Because the parks are so busy, you’ll often find them open later into the night – which is great for people who prefer closing the parks down (rather than opening them up!).
  • Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party happens several nights per week during the month, and if you’re looking for something extra special to tack onto a trip, we think the party is a great option for any group that can stay up until midnight.
  • The Epcot Food and Wine Festival can be a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy sampling new food and drinks from around the world.

There are a few downsides to visiting Walt Disney World in October, too. Here are some things to consider:

  • October is busy. Like, really busy. If you have a good plan and are flexible, we are positive you will still have a great time. Just be warned that it absolutely, positively will be crowded.
  • When it comes to the weather, it will be hot. Plus, October is still in the middle of Hurricane Season, and speaking from experience a hurricane doesn’t have to be super close to Orlando to cause it to rain even more than what you’ll usually see.
  • While the Food and Wine Festival over at Epcot can be a lot of fun during the day, during the evenings and especially on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights it can sometimes feel more like a club and less like Disney World.

Is Disney World busy in October?

Yes. Over the past 5-10 years, October at Walt Disney World has increasingly grown busier and busier, to the point where now nearly the entire month of October is busy.

The main reason we’ve found for this is the increasing number of schools that now offer extended Fall Breaks much like the traditional Spring Breaks.

That, paired with a holiday, the runDisney Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon, and “Jersey Week,” makes WDW a popular place for families to vacation during the fall.

Even though most of the month will be busy, there are still a few days that will be busier than others.

To avoid the heaviest crowds in October, skip these dates:

  • October 6-9 – peak Indigenous Peoples’ Day crowds
  • October 10-16 – heavy crowds as many schools are out for fall breaks
  • October 30-31 – heavy crowds as guests arrive for Halloween and the runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon

PLANNING FOR DISNEY WORLD IN OCTOBER

PARK HOURS | PRICES & DISCOUNTS | SPECIAL EVENTS | WEATHER | WHAT TO WEAR | REFURBISHMENTS & CLOSURES | WHAT’S NEW | TIPS

PARK HOURS

Disney publishes its park hours about 75 days in advance, but those hours can (and very often do) change.

Note: This used to be about 180 days in advance, but since the reopening, they have transitioned to a roughly 75-day window.

As the dates get closer, it isn’t unusual for Disney to tweak either the opening or closing times. And during especially busy times of the year, they may change both.

That means to avoid having your plans sidetracked, you’ll definitely want to keep checking the park hours – including while on your trip.

When it comes to park hours – in general – the heavier the crowds, the longer the parks will be open during the day. Of course, that also means that the parks will be open fewer hours of the day during less busy times of the years.

It isn’t unusual to see park hours extended in October to accommodate the busy crowds.

Read More:

  • Guide to Magic Kingdom Park Hours
  • Guide to Epcot Park Hours
  • Guide to Hollywood Studios Park Hours
  • Guide to Animal Kingdom Park Hours

PRICES AND DISCOUNTS

The busier that October gets, the fewer the discounts that have been offered – but they are still around, there just may not be as many rooms available to be booked at a discounted rate.

But remember: Disney doesn’t offer discounts to be nice, they do it to fill hotel rooms. For the best chances of snagging a good deal, keep your travel dates and preferred resort flexible. 

  • Guide to Disney World Discounts

SPECIAL EVENTS

International Food And Wine Festival

October at Disney World Canada Food and Wine

Probably the most famous of all the Epcot festivals is the International Food and Wine Festival.

Held every year in the fall, if you are a fan of good food and fun drinks, you’ll definitely want to plan to spend some time at Epcot during your trip.

  • Complete Guide to the International Food and Wine Festival

Halloween

Halloween has always been an extremely popular time to visit Walt Disney World, with specially ticketed events at Magic Kingdom a highlight for many guests.

  • Halloween at Walt Disney World
Donald Duck halloween

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party


One of the hottest parties around, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a specially ticketed event (translation: it costs extra) at Magic Kingdom. During the party you’ll find special character meet and greet opportunities, dance parties, the popular Boo to You parade, fireworks, and of course, trick-or-treating.

  • Complete Guide to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

WEATHER​

While October at Disney World remains hot, there are some glimpses of cooler temps, especially in the mornings and after the sun goes down. 

During October, the temperatures will range from lows in the upper 60’s to highs in the low 80s.

The rain chances also decrease, with October only seeing around 3 inches of rain per year.

But even though the rain chances aren’t as high, we still recommend that you come prepared with ponchos, multiple pairs of shoes (in case one pair gets wet), and umbrellas just in case. Remember, October is still hurricane season in Florida – so the chance for extended rains is there.

  • How to handle the weather at Disney World

Swimming In October

Art of Animation Cars Pool

The heat of the midday sun means that the pools are still a good option for those looking to take a swim.

In addition to the pools at the resorts, at least 1 of Disney’s 2 water parks will remain open.

If swimming is a must-do, and you are worried about the crowds, consider starting your day at the pool and head to the parks later in the day. Most people reverse that plan, which means the pools can get quite busy by the end of the day.

  • FAQ’s about the Pools at Walt Disney World

WHAT TO WEAR​

Traveling in October? Summer clothes are still likely going to be your best bet.

Shorts, Capri pants, and moisture wicking socks are all good options.

One place where you might get cold, however, is inside some restaurants and attractions.

And in fact, even during the hottest months we keep a light jacket in our park bag because coming out of the sun into an air-conditioned space is sometimes too cold for our liking.

Gran Fiesta Tour

If you’re the kind of person that finds sitting under the AC to be too much, you might want to consider tossing in a light jacket, too.

  • Ultimate Packing List for Walt Disney World

REFURBISHMENTS AND CLOSURES​

While routine refurbishments aren’t typically scheduled in October, you’ll likely still run into a few attractions that are closed.

  • Disney World Refurbishment Calendar

WATER PARKS​

Mid to late October is often when 1 of the 2 water parks will close (one at a time) for refurbishment. Which one closes first often changes from year-to-year, so be sure to check the calendar if you have plans to go to one on your trip.

WHAT’S NEW?​

  • At this time, no major new attraction, restaurant, or show is scheduled to open in October.

TIPS FOR DISNEY WORLD IN OCTOBER

  • Fall breaks are very common now, so plan for the parks to be busy.
  • Keep checking for discounts. Even if you’ve already booked, discounts can still be applied.
  • The pools can get quite busy. For the lowest crowds, consider visiting in the morning.
  • If you plan to visit the Food & Wine Festival, consider going on a weekday when the crowds are lower.

WHAT ORDER SHOULD YOU VISIT THE PARKS?

Depending on the length of your trip, here’s how many days we recommend for each park:

Suggested number of days in each park

When it comes time to decide which days are best for each park, here are some general things to keep in mind:

  • Hollywood Studios is consistently the first park to reach capacity, primarily because of popular attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash.
  • Magic Kingdom is the most popular park overall. It is also the park most first-time visitors think of when they think “Disney World”. Saturdays are the busiest, with mid-week typically the least busy.
  • Epcot hosts nearly year-round festivals, and those festivals are popular with both out-of-state visitors as well as with locals. And, since a lot of what the festivals are famous for are alcohol and food, the areas around the Festival Booths can be a lot busier (and a bit rowdier) than what you’d find during the daytime hours on the weekdays. If that isn’t the vibe you are looking for, you may want to skip Epcot during the nighttime on Friday and Saturdays.
  • Even with the new Park Pass system, Animal Kingdom remains one of the “easiest” parks to fit into a trip. You should be able to plug it in wherever it makes the most sense for you.
  • We go into a lot more detail in our guide on The Best Days to Visit Each Park.

HOW OUR CROWD CALENDARS WORK

How the Crowd Calendars work

1. For each day of the month, we tell you on a scale of 1-10 how busy the entire Walt Disney World Resort is when compared to other days of the year.

2. Then, for each park you’ll see the park hours and any special events that are planned.

3. We also track refurbishments and closings (which you can toggle on and off).

4. We have a handy feature that allows you to automatically add your Advanced Dining Reservation date to your calendar.

5. And, one of the most useful features is the ability to be able to print the calendar so that you can have a paper copy for planning (or to just use as a backup).

October Crowd Calendar

Crowd Calendar
October 2023

Print as PDF

Official park hours are usually released around 75 days in advance.

Crowd Levels

The "crowd level" compares each day to the rest of the year; it indicates how crowded the entire WDW Resort area is on a scale of 1-10.

Thursday, November 1, 2018
10/10 crowd level
  • 1-3 crowd levels
  • 4-7 crowd levels
  • 8-10 crowd levels
  • About advanced reservations

  • - Advanced dining reservations: Advanced dining reservations can be made 60 days beforehand beginning online at 6 am EST or by phone at 7:00 am EST.
  • Tips from our ground crew

  • - In general, we recommend booking Park Pass reservations for Hollywood Studios early in your trip to maximize your chances to ride Rise of the Resistance.
  • - Magic Kingdom typically sees a surge on Saturdays, so other parks are usually a better choice.
  • - Since the festivals can draw lots of locals, avoid Epcot on Friday and Saturday nights.
  • - Animal Kingdom is a good option for most days, so plug it into your trip wherever it is easiest.

  • Quick Toggle

      Magic Kingdom Epcot Hollywood Studios Animal Kingdom Typhoon Lagoon Blizzard Beach Disney Springs Dining Closings Attraction Closings Reservation Dates
    Loading calendar...

      Recent Updates

    No updates published yet.

      Refurbishment Details

    December 3, 2018 - December 31, 2023 - WDW Railroad at Magic Kingdom, (Attraction)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular , (Attraction)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, (Dining)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Victoria and Albert's, (Dining)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Restaurant Marrakesh, (Dining)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Monsieur Paul, (Dining)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, (Dining)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, (Attraction)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Voyage of the Little Mermaid, (Attraction)

    March 16, 2020 - December 31, 2078 - Enchanted Tales with Belle, (Attraction)

    March 15, 2022 - December 31, 2023 - Boardwalk Renovation, (Resort)

    March 15, 2022 - December 31, 2023 - Boardwalk Renovation, (Resort)

    June 18, 2022 - December 31, 2078 - Narcoossee’s, (Dining)

    August 15, 2022 - December 31, 2078 - Kona Cafe Refurbishment, Kona Cafe will be closing for a complete refurbishment. No reopening date has been announced yet. During the closure, Mobile Ordering will be available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Kona Island. (Dining)

      Available Discounts

    No discounts currently available.

    See the chart of past discounts for previous promotion dates.

      Special Events

    January 1, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    January 2, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 9PM-11PM (Click for more info)

    January 4, 2023 - January 8, 2023 - WDW Marathon Weekend

    January 4, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 10PM-12AM (Click for more info)

    January 9, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    January 9, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 9PM-11PM (Click for more info)

    January 11, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    January 11, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 10PM-12AM (Click for more info)

    January 13, 2023 - February 20, 2023 - EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (Click for more info)

    January 16, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    January 16, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 9PM-11PM (Click for more info)

    January 18, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    January 18, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 10PM-12AM (Click for more info)

    January 23, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    January 23, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 9PM-11PM (Click for more info)

    January 25, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    January 25, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours 10PM-12AM (Click for more info)

    January 30, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 1, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 6, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 7, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 13, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 15, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    February 15, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 16, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    February 20, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    February 20, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 21, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    February 22, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    February 23, 2023 - February 26, 2023 - Princess Half Marathon Weekend

    February 27, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    February 27, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 1, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 2, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 6, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 6, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 8, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 13, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 13, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 15, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    March 16, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 20, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 22, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    March 27, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Magic Kingdom (Click for more info)

    March 29, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    April 2, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    April 3, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    April 5, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    April 5, 2023 - Extended Evening Theme Park Hours (Click for more info)

    April 13, 2023 - April 16, 2023 - runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

    April 19, 2023 - Disney After Hours – Hollywood Studios (Click for more info)

    We will update this soon.

      Crowds

    October 1 - 5
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    October 6
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    October 7 - 9
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    October 10 - 16
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    October 17 - 20
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    October 21 - 22
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    October 23 - 27
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    October 28 - 31
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    Related articles

    We will update this soon.

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