When to Go - The Easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit 2015 - page 32

Party. The Magic Kingdom is actually less busy on days when there is a Halloween
Party because it closes early. If you have park hopper tickets, you may want to
start at Magic Kingdom and then hop to another park to end the day. Without a
park hopper, consider a dinner reservation at one of the resorts connected by the
monorail or watercraft and, then proceed to the beach or lookout area at the resort
to watch the fireworks. Tuesday Parties are the least crowded.
• Night of Joy is a contemporary Christian concert inside Magic Kingdom from
7:30pm-1am, on Friday, September 11, and on Saturday, September 12, in 2015.
Like the Halloween Party, Night of Joy closes Magic Kingdom at 7pm for every-
one who has not purchased an additional ticket to the event. Night of Joy tickets
are good for entry beginning at 4pm, which increases crowds in the park after 5pm.
Crowds are low before then. Avoid traveling to Magic Kingdom on the monorail
or ferry after 4pm because buses and buses of kids will be in line.
• The Epcot Food and Wine Festival begins September 25. It runs every day through
November 16. There are also bands performing throughout the Festival outside at
the American Gardens Theater for free. It's a fun event with interesting food, edu-
cational classes, and several expensive dinners. During the Festival, Epcot is ex-
tremely busy on weekends, and weekdays in World Showcase are also busier.
BEST TIME TO VISIT Any September date before Food and Wine begins will have low crowds
and some of the lowest prices of the year, especially when considering the likelihood of
significant discounts. Any date later in the month to the beginning of October is still more
than do-able with well below-average crowds, other than the weekends at Epcot.

October

COST Most of October is a mix of Fall season and Regular season 2, with pricing slightly
below average. Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 9-11) is the exception, with average pricing.
WEATHER Weather cools slightly with an average high of 84 and an average low of 68 de-
grees. Precipitation is much lower than the summer months, with a 26% chance of showers
on any given day. Peak hurricane season ends early in the month.
CROWDS Crowds are heavier in October than in past years with domestic school schedules
moving towards week-long fall breaks. South American attendance is also higher in the
first two weeks, culminating in the largest crowds of the month over Columbus Day week-
end. Still, they won't be anywhere near as bad as summer or other holiday weekends. If
you are flexible with your dates, hold off until after October 18.
REFURBISHMENTS

Expect a couple minor attractions to be closed briefly throughout the

month.
SPECIAL EVENTS THAT MAY AFFECT CROWDS OR YOUR STAY:
• The Gartner Symposium likely will return to the Swan, Dolphin, Beach Club, and

Yacht Club from October 4-8. All of the Epcot-area resorts will be sold out, and
most of the restaurants in the area will be booked solid for those dates. The con-
vention does not affect theme park attendance, except for Epcot, which is busier in
the evenings.