Disney Crowds Surge in October With Sold Out Park Days and Lightning Lane Passes

Disney crowds were high this weekend at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. September can see some of the lowest crowd levels of the fall season, especially in Walt Disney World, as guests avoid hurricane season and many kids head back to school.

But it's now October, and the past three-day weekend at Disney World and Disneyland saw some wait times for the most popular attractions hitting the triple digits, and skip-the-line services selling out as fall break crowds descended at both resorts. At Mickey Visit, we are constantly monitoring the latest news, including ride closures and recent announcements.

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October Crowds Can Sneak Up On Guests

Many guests do not realize how crowded the theme parks can get in October. Not only do you have the three-day weekend before the second Monday of the month, with Indigenous Peoples'/Columbus Day taking place, but many schools also receive a fall break around this time of the month. This can result in some high-level crowds that feel like they materialized out of thin air!

If you're following along with our Mickey Visit Disney World Crowd Calendar, you can see we predicted Above Normal Crowds for this holiday weekend and extending into the week:

Unfortunately, we were right, and the crowds were out in full force at Disney World. We also rank this weekend as one of the worst dates for crowds at Disneyland. I have been at Disneyland during this three-day holiday weekend before, and the crowd levels felt heavier than some of the peak dates during the Christmas season! It definitely left a lasting impression on me.

Disney's Skip-the-Line Services Sell Out

Walt Disney World Lightning Lane Premier Pass includes access to each available Lightning Lane attraction once per day. Guests simply enter the Lightning Lane with no need to secure return times, which makes the process quite simple. This is the highest-priced tier of Lightning Lane available at Disney World, and it can range anywhere from $119 for the lowest crowd day at Animal Kingdom to $449 for a peak crowd day at Magic Kingdom.

The Premier Pass can sell out quickly, and over the weekend, it not only sold out but also reached one of its highest price points yet.

For example, on October 12th, the Premier Pass at Magic Kingdom hit $429 per person, one of its peak prices, and still sold out. Passes for Hollywood Studios also sold out that same day.

On October 13th, prices were slightly lower at $399 for Magic Kingdom and $329 for Hollywood Studios, but both parks sold out once again. Even October 11th saw sellouts at both parks, marking three consecutive days of Premier Passes selling out at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Disneyland also saw its skip-the-line service sell out, with Lightning Lane Multi Pass unavailable on October 10th. There’s a good reason Disney limits Lightning Lane sales, and honestly, we’re glad they do. If too many guests purchase it, the service loses its effectiveness. For example, Indiana Jones Adventure had already sold out of all return times for the day by 7:58 a.m. on October 13th, according to Thrill Data. When rides sell out before the park even officially opens, the service becomes almost useless.

Theme park reservations for both ticket holders and Magic Key holders also completely sold out from October 10 through October 13, making the entire weekend unavailable due to the massive crowds. This level of demand is rare for Disneyland and highlights just how busy the parks were over the holiday weekend. Guests without reservations were unable to enter either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure.

These are the highest crowd levels we've seen at both Disneyland and Disney World since spring break!

Disney World Rides Hit Three-Digit Wait Times

Hollywood Studios especially suffered under the strain of high crowds, as it is home to many of the most popular attractions at Disney World. Midday on October 11th, Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster went down, resulting in some of the highest wait times I've ever seen for Tower of Terror:

Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster was down during this time, which caused extremely high wait times at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror since the two attractions are next to each other. It is not uncommon for rides to go down during busy times, which unfortunately, does not help.

It wasn't much better at EPCOT on Saturday, with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind hitting 160 minutes, followed by Test Track at 105 minutes. While Guardians is one of my favorite rides, I would not be thrilled to wait nearly three hours for it.

I checked in on Sunday late morning to see what the highest wait times around Disney World were at, and I was shocked to see Expedition Everest at 160 minutes. While Animal Kingdom has fewer hard-hitting rides than the other parks, it is not common to see wait times that high for Everest.

Everyone was likely moving around the park in the same pattern, with the first stop being the Pandora- The World of Avatar, followed by Everest, hence the high wait time. Read more about our recommendations for touring Animal Kingdom to avoid falling into those same patterns!

After seeing these high wait times, it's not a surprise that Lightning Lane Premier Pass sold out. I would pay a pretty high price to avoid waiting in lines that long as well!

READ MORE – 11 Unwritten Rules of the Disney Parks You Really Need to Follow

If you visit Disneyland or Disney World when it's crowded, it's always best to be prepared. Arrive at the theme parks early and stay late after the evening shows end. You can read more about our tips for beating crowds at both Disneyland and handling crowds at Disney World in our separate articles.

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