by Evelyn Long | Sep 23, 2022 | EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, WDW Blog, WDW Food, WDW Merch, WDW News

Find out what October at Disney World will be like this year! Read on for October crowds, prices, and special events…

Things are finally cooling down here in the sunshine state! Our tropical biome keeps the sunshine coming year ’round, but it also guarantees hot and rainy summers that seem to last forever. Floridians far and wide are welcoming the cooler temps and mild weather, and so are guests who plan to hit the Disney parks this season.

Although visits to Disney World each summer are a tradition for many families, it can be a challenging time of year. High crowd levels, pouring rain, and the Orlando heat can add up to a less-than-enchanting trip.

Vibrant summers at Disney World hold a special place in many hearts, but I’d argue that autumn is the most magical time to visit the most magical place on Earth.

Along with the perks that the autumn season brings (like perfect weather and low crowds), the month of October offers unique experiences that you won’t find any other time of year at Disney World. Considering a trip to Disney World in October? Keep reading to learn why October is this Floridian’s favorite time to hit the parks!

Enjoy the Rainy Day Cavalcade at Magic Kingdom. Photo by Laurie Sapp

Disney magic can do a lot of things, but all the Disney magic in the world still can’t control the weather (yet). The truth is that weather can make or break your trip to Disney World. Orlando, Florida rests in a humid sub-tropical climate zone – which means lots of humidity caused by heavy rain and brutal heat. This is most extreme in the summer months and finishes with a bang during hurricane season, which primarily occurs between August and September each year.

Guests can comfortably dress in shorts and t-shirts toward the beginning of the month while lucky visitors may even get away with jeans or leggings closer to Halloween!

Compared to earlier months, Dole Whips melt a little slower and guests stay much dryer in October. Rainfall decreases by about 50% in October, averaging at a modest three inches of precipitation each day—not bad compared to September’s hefty six inches of rain each day! Still, pack a poncho or two for safe measure.

Added perk of autumn months: earlier sunsets, meaning it cools down quicker. Plus, guests will finally be able to catch a glimpse of Pandora all aglow again after the sun goes down!

Gold Stitch statue. Photo by Julie de la Fe

As the holidays approach, ticket prices creep upward from the deals that guests enjoy during September but don’t quite hit the ceiling for yearly ticket prices. This makes October a relatively affordable time to go, but definitely not the cheapest time of year. But what it lacks in affordability is made up for in seasonal fun in a month where the special events and limited-time offerings are at their peak!

October offers special events all month long, making it one of the best times of year to get the most bang for your buck.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party happens all month long in Magic Kingdom, which offers tricks and treats to both special ticketholders and daytime parkgoers. Across the property in EPCOT, the annual Food and Wine Festival continues throughout the entire month of October, taking guests on an international journey of cultural cuisine.

The entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Photo by Cliff Wang

Halloween itself will be the most crowded and likely the most expensive day of October, with weekends being more expensive as well. Weekdays are your best bet for low crowds and affordable tickets – especially if you’re headed to the Food and Wine Festival, as locals tend to hit up the fest on weekends so tickets get a bit pricier!

Parkhopper tickets will of course be more costly than one-park tickets, but I think they’re well worth the price. I suggest hitting up Magic Kingdom on a day when MNSSHP will be happening and then heading over to EPCOT in the evening to grab a bite (or many bites) to eat at Food and Wine to maximize your day! Parkhopping tacks on $65 to your typical admission price, so you’ll want to make the most of it.

If you’re looking to get your spooky groove on, Magic Kingdom’s after-hours Halloween bash is the event for you. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party happens select nights throughout the month, offering an array of tricks and treats that are bound to be the highlight of your October trip! Ticket prices for MNSSHP range between $109 – $199 for adults and $99 – $189 for children. 

Pluto having fun outside of Grand Floridian. Photo courtesy of Disney

Just as with admission costs, October tends to lie in the middle of the road when it comes to resort stay rates. There are 22 resorts on property that are owned and operated by Disney, making your vacation as seamless as possible. These 22 resorts range in level of accommodation and subsequent cost, offering a wide array of options for you and your family! Disney conveniently categorizes these levels into Value, Moderate, and Deluxe resorts.

Room rates can vary based on the size of the room, the view it looks over, and the amenities you select. Average cost for standard rooms during October:

💫Value: $165 – $265/night

Resort stays during spooky season just hit different. Coming back to a clean room after MNSSHP with tired feet and buckets full of Halloween candy is an experience that every fan should indulge in. Where else will Mickey Mouse cartoons, room service, and a hot tub await you after a long night of trick-or-treating?

The only thing better than immersing yourself in the whimsical world of Disney is doing it at a discounted rate 😉 Discounts are offered for select parties during specific times of the year, making them hard to hunt down. We’ve cut the work out of it for you and compiled a list of all the discounts you can take advantage of when planning your trip to Orlando, which you can check out here!

As far as October goes, there are a couple of deals you’ll want to take note of. Firstly, annual passholders are offered 25% off of Disney resort hotel stays on select nights October 23-December 25, 2022. While the discount is only available during the last week of October, that’s still just in time for the perfect Halloween hotel stay!

The second deal that guests can take advantage of is dedicated to military members and their families. Disney offers admission at a discounted rate to service members when they purchase 4-day or 5-day tickets. The offer is appropriately called “US Military Salute Tickets”, which are actually offered annually by Disney – meaning military families can come back year after year to enjoy the parks.

If you’re anything like me, you hate crowds. There’s nothing like people walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk, hitting your ankles with their strollers, standing in hours-long lines, and getting a whiff of a stranger’s B.O. to take you right out of the magic. This is the less glamorous side of the parks, and unfortunately, those who only visit during peak times of the year are led to believe that dream trips to Disney have to be characterized by nightmarish crowds.

🌟Expect high crowds at EPCOT on October 1, 2022 as guests celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the park!

🌟Expect crowds to swell in the evening at EPCOT on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween nights as non-party guests leave Magic Kingdom. EPCOT is the easiest park to get to via monorail. Crowds may also increase a bit on MNSSHP nights at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

The truth is that crowd levels at Disney World are relatively formulaic; if you’ve got your math right, you can learn how to avoid the stampede and make the most of your days at Disney. Not your best subject? No worries! Thankfully, some Disney World experts out there have broken it down for even the least-experienced of parkgoers to understand.

The folks over at Dad’s Guide to WDW are the unofficial crowd analysts of the parks and have created the throng-loather’s best friend: Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars! Check out their predictions for October 2022 crowds:

As always, the golden rule of avoiding peak dates at Disney World is to forego holidays and weekends.

Locals like me tend to spend our weekends off at our happy place and families flood the parks during holidays, making non-holiday weekdays perfect for those who are looking for shorter lines and more personal space (regardless of the time of year).

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is happening on 18 select nights throughout the month of October, making planning for crowds a little bit more complicated. Magic Kingdom sees fewer crowds ahead of the party, so you may want to take advantage of low attendance to hop on as many rides as you can. General admission guests can only stay until 6:00 pm, but if you start your day at 8:00 am when the park opens, you’ll have more than enough time to get a day’s worth of activity in.

The Ice Gator welcomes guests to Blizzard Beach. Photo by Laurie Sapp

Don’t be spooked by unexpected closures during your stay at Disney. Promising the kiddos a close encounter with a yeti and finding out your Himalayan expedition has been canceled at the foot of the mountain is, admittedly, less than magical. The subsequent tantrum is justified, in my eyes.

There are few worse feelings than getting hyped up for weeks to experience the attraction at the top of your list… only to walk up to the entrance and realize that it’s under refurbishment. Perhaps equally devastating is getting back home from your trip and realizing that the ride you thought was closed had quietly opened back up, and you totally missed out on the attraction while you were there – darn it!

Avoid the heartbreak and stay up to date with all October 2022 closures and openings on the blog. We’ve got the scoop on what’s out of commission and what’s making its return this October!

That delectable Brazilian cheese bread. Photo by Lex Mancini

Did somebody say wine? Oh wait – I did! That’s right, the 2022 Food and Wine Festival is still going strong in EPCOT. It seems as though the fest gets longer and longer each year, but believe me: I’m not complaining!

This year, the festival is being held from July 14 to November 19, meaning that you’ll be able to get your bites and sips in all month long. Food and Wine is showcasing over 25 booths based on a variety of cultures and concepts, guaranteed to ignite your tastebuds and tickle your brain. With all those options, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Check out our ultimate guide to the 2022 Food and Wine Festival to avoid an overstuffed stomach and a blown-up budget!

Photo via Disney Parks Blog

It’s the most boo-tiful time of the year! Ghosties and ghoulies are frightfully ready to creep out from their caskets and join the not-so-scary fun at Disney World this October. If you’ve never been to the parks during spooky season, you’re missing out. Limited edition merch collections, seasonal treats, autumnal decor, and of course exclusive Halloween festivities are all a ghoul could ask for this October.

You can’t talk about Disney World in October without mentioning Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The scream-worthy party happens every year, hosted by Hocus Pocus’ Sandersen sisters!  The bash is a special ticketed event, meaning that guests can enjoy shorter lines and exclusive experiences that you just won’t get with general admission.

Party invitees enter the park in the evening and watch Magic Kingdom transforms into the embodiment of Halloween! Beyond the spooky atmosphere, guests enjoy the annual Boo-To-You Parade, special character greetings, trick-or-treating, festive eats, a special Halloween nighttime spectacular, and much, much more. Costumes are highly encouraged, which provides the perfect conditions for my favorite free-of-charge activity: people watching!

For some, holidays are all about the ~atmosphere~. I have to admit that I fall into this candy bucket – sure, treats are nice and all, but nothing resurrects the season like spooky decor. Magic Kingdom is the only of the four parks to decorate, but to be fair, the park goes all-out. Dozens of flickering jack-o-lanterns line the edges of Main Street U.S.A. shops, scarecrows greet guests at the park gate, and fall garlands are draped across every corner each year.

Unlike most years, Main Street’s classic Mickey pumpkin wreaths have been swapped out for a more regal alternative: Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage, surrounded by a ring of autumnal foliage! While some were disappointed to be missing Mickey’s familiar face, others welcomed Cindy’s royal touches.

Trick-or-treat! Well, actually, hold the tricks – we’re only interested in the treats around here. Seasoned parkgoers who frequent Disney during Hallow’s Eve know that spooky season at Magic Kingdom is a sweet tooth’s dream. There are so many options to choose from that we actually had to compile a trick-or-treater’s Halloween snack guide – check it out here!

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Candy corn milkshakes, pumpkin mousse, caramel apple waffles, oh my! The Halloween season brings spooky spoils for guests while they enjoy the park, and for some, these snacks are the main attraction. Scream-worthy sweets are offered all across the parks along with peculiar potions (aka boozy and non-boozy bevies).

Looking for something a bit more filling? Monstrous appetites of festive foodies are satiated during Halloween, too. My savory picks are the bayou burger, pain and panic hot dog, and spellbinding fried pie (packed with buffalo chicken, mozzarella, and blue cheese)! There are few things much scarier than a grumbling tummy in the middle of a theme park. Keep our snack guide bookmarked if you want to avoid the spookiest haunt of all: being hangry!

Pain and Panic Hot Dog. Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Half the fun of Halloween is getting all dressed up in ghostly garb. Halloween 2022 merch collections are sure to catch the eye of fiendish fashionistas this year! Vintage Mickey and friends, Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, and Star Wars dominate the shelves of Disney gift shops, making sure that every guest will find something to bring back to their (haunted) home. Get a taste for each of the collections below.

Star Wars Collection: Ever wanted to trick-or-treat across the galaxy? Disney’s tech hasn’t made that possible quite yet, but you can bring some of ghoulish galactic goodies home til then. Check out all the Star Wars Halloween merch here!

Trick-or-Treat Collection: Disney brought all the vintage vibes this year with a collection of retro-inspired Halloween merch! These pieces will take you on a journey through Mickey’s neighborhood where he and his friends get into some Halloween hijinx. Want to see the full collection? Check it out here!

Hocus Pocus Collection: Grab your spellbooks and magic wands, we’re channeling the Sanderson sisters this Halloween! Disney’s Hocus Pocus collection pays tribute to the most wickedly hilarious sisters that act as the stars of MNSSHP. Come little children, take a look!

Nightmare Before Christmas Collection: This is Halloween, this is Halloween! Sally has crafted up some spooky threads for guests this Hallow’s Eve. Imported straight from Halloween Town, the Nightmare Before Christmas collection won’t last on shelves for long. Catch a glimpse of the frightful fashions here!

Anything we missed? Join us on Facebook to tell us all about your favorite highlights of October at Disney World. Autumn is a fantastic time of year with a lot going on at the parks. Can’t wait to see you there!

WDW Magazine is not associated with The Walt Disney Company in any way—we're just big fans!