Epcot wine & dine marathon and veterans weekend

[betsie]

Hi
Just realised the Epcot marathon is on from 31st Oct to 3rd Nov.
Does this make all 5he parks extra busy or just Epcot? Should we totally avoid Epcot for these 4 days?
Also veterans weekend is the following weekend (I feel like I picked a really bad fortnight to go now&#128553
Does this make it really busy? Is Universal likely to be quieter this weekend?
Thanks

[Gill H]

Totally avoid Epcot on the weekend of the marathon (and all weekends in F&W) is the advice we were given.

We went several times during the week and it was fine, had a lovely time.

Downtown Disney (as it was then) was also busy on the Saturday afternoon, but maybe we noticed because we were trying to rush through it past loads of construction and people wandering lazily around with drinks in their hands, to get to Cirque de Soleil on time!

We went to MK that morning and it was fine.

For Veterans Day, we timed our one night stay at Universal to coincide with 10th and 11th so we could have FOLP and early entry to beat the crowds. Well, apparently MK was rammed, but Universal was practically deserted! They had a special Veterans parade in Universal Studios but the park was still eerily quiet.

I know Seaworld and Busch Gardens offer free entry to veterans that day, but don't know if it results in massive crowds.

It was a great time of year for us in 2014 and we would go again those weeks. The first week of November is 'Jersey Week' when apparently loads of people come from New Jersey, but to be honest we didn't notice any impact on crowds - just heard quite a few Noo Joisey accents around.

[Mexy02]

I expect it to be quite busy as usual . Epcot and Hs I suspect will both be busy . Epcot is always rammed on the weekend anyway as food and wine is now huge with locals as well as tourists . Last time we struggled past 3 fp a day as well .
I tried to move hotels and there isn’t a great deal left so that’s an indicator as well.
Disney springs is also rammed at weekends with locals and it shows as they’ve just opened a third multi story car park .
Saying all that we’ve chosen To go a forth time again but no way do we expect it not to be busy. Just go prepared for it .

[dav220588]

Epcot will be busy because it's the focus of the Wine and Dine run weekend. There's an after party on the Sunday too (3rd Nov) so I'd avoid Epcot that day if possible.

To be honest though, after going to the Marathon weekend in January I didn't find the crowds horrible or anything. Good touring plan and FP usage and you'll be grand.

(HS is the wild card in all this as always, who knows what that'll be like)

[magickate]

We are there from October 25th until November 4th & I'm planning our 2 Epcot visits on 28th & 30th to avoid it as much as possible. I think it'll be busy whenever we go but definitely more so from the 31st.