Visiting Walt Disney World in October 2024

If you’re a fan of Disney villains and Halloween fun, Disney World in October could be exactly what you’re looking for! While it isn’t necessarily cold in October (the high is still 85 degrees), it is much cooler when compared to the summer months. You might even want a light jacket or long sleeves in the evening! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will likely be back for 2024 with multiple parties throughout the month. And while all of the Halloween events and festivities bring crowds, October can be an amazing time to visit Walt Disney World!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Planning a Disney World vacation in 2024? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer this year including the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the return of the Disney Dining Plan, and more! (You can also find our 2023 guide here!)

In This Post

October At-a-Glance

October Events

October Refurbishments & Closures

October Weather

October Disney World Crowd Calendar

Ready To Start Planning Your Visit To Walt Disney World In October?

October At-a-Glance

Be prepared for some rain. As October can still be warm and humid, rain happens. Ponchos are a great thing to keep handy for afternoon showers!
Mornings are a great time to visit the pools. Due to the warmer temperatures, the pools can get quite busy during the heat of the day as well as in the evenings when guests return from a day in the parks. Consider visiting in the mornings when they will be less busy.
Major refurbishments are not typically common in October. Disney tends to schedule their refurbishments during less busy months, but that doesn’t mean closures can’t or won’t happen in October.
The Food and Wine Festival is quite popular with locals. Consider visiting Epcot on weekdays if you’re trying to avoid the crowds.

October Events

Halloween arrives early at the Disney World Resort! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Disney’s very popular ticketed event at Magic Kingdom, will likely be taking place once again in 2024. (Although nothing has been officially announced by Disney yet.) The event is hosted on select nights in Magic Kingdom beginning mid-August, and it typically runs through October 31.

Another festival to be aware of is Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival which takes place from July 27 – November 18 in 2023. Dates have yet to be announced for 2024, but it is likely they will be similar to previous years. Undoubtedly one of the most popular festivals at Epcot, this event typically features nearly 30 food and beverage booths (compared to under 20 for the other festivals) as well as the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Evenings and weekends will be busier so plan on visiting Epcot during the week if crowds are a concern.

The Eat to the Beat Concert Series will also likely return in 2024 to the America Gardens Theatre stage. We will keep you posted as more details are announced.

ESPN Wide World of Sports typically hosts several athletic events each month. These events don’t usually have a major impact on crowds in the parks, but they can affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. There are currently no events scheduled for the month of October, but this could change as some event dates have yet to be announced.

Other notable dates for October include Columbus Day weekend, which falls October 12-14 in 2024. Columbus Day will be the first major holiday since the end of summer vacation, so this weekend will undoubtedly be one of the busiest of the month. October 31 is another notable date as many try to attend Disney’s Halloween ticketed event.

October Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for October 2024. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Magic Kingdom

Tron Lightcycle Power Run is now open!
Splash Mountain closed permanently on January 23, 2023, to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The newly rethemed attraction is scheduled to open in 2024.

EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open!
EPCOT Forever returned on April 3, 2023 (replacing Harmonious which permanently ended on April 2, 2023)
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana opened on October 16, 2023!
Luminous: The Symphony of Us, a new nighttime spectacular will be debuting on December 5, 2023.

Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is temporarily closed with no reopening date yet.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple has permanently ended.

Animal Kingdom

Primeval Whirl is permanently closed
- It is anticipated that Dino-Rama, as a whole, will likely close at some point to make way for a major expansion. Disney has shared plans for potential replacements, such as a Moana Mini-Land, which includes detailed concept art. Additionally, there is the possibility of a Zootopia Expansion beyond Dino-Rama. Although these proposals are promising, it should be noted that they have not yet been approved or funded by Disney. Therefore, the fate of Dino-Rama remains uncertain, but it is evident that its days are limited.

Other

Blizzard Beach closed on March 19, 2023, for refurbishment, and it will reopen on November 6, 2023.
Typhoon Lagoon will close on November 6, 2023, for winter refurbishment. No opening date has been announced.
Disney Skyliner Gondolas will experience closures in mid-to-late January 2024. This will be a phased closure that will occur first with the Disney’s Hollywood Studios side of the routes, followed by the Epcot side.

October Weather

The weather shifts greatly in the month of October. We finally get some relief from the summer heat! The average high is 85 degrees and the low is typically around 65 degrees. Rain is starting to let up as well as October marks the end of hurricane season.

While it is rare that Disney World needs to close due to hurricane-related weather, it HAS happened in the past. Since 1985, the Walt Disney World parks have had to close nine times due to hurricanes. Closures are typically only a day or two, but it is certainly something to be aware of when planning your October vacation.

October Disney World Crowd Calendar

Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. It’s best not to completely rely on them when making your Disney World vacation plans.

While crowd calendars can be a big help in knowing what to expect, keep in mind, they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. But unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.

On top of that, many are choosing to travel differently these days. Quiet months have become popular due to runDisney events as well as other Disney events and promotions, while busier seasons have seen a downward trend in the last couple of years.

The crowds in October 2024 will most likely be moderate and steady. While there are no major holiday weekends, Halloween festivities do bring many to the parks as well as Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.