Florida in October

[Sharont]

Hello

Has anyone been to Florida towards the end of October? Thinking of going over for Halloween and wondered what the weather was like and whether there were any American holidays during that time. We've only ever been in May/June and Feb before.

Also, has anyone done the Universal Halloween Night? and if so, what age is it suitable for. We've got a 15 year old. :eek:

Many thanks

[Susan Veness]

October is usually quite pleasant. The heat and humidity have subsided (mostly). It's still hurricane season, but I wouldn't let that stop me from going. Weather-wise, it's the perfect time to visit.

Crowds are lighter, except around Halloween (October 31) and Race for the Taste (October 7).

Halloween Horror Nights is definitely not for the faint of heart. I would JUST consider taking a 15 year old, but you know your child best. It's a very intense event (think of chainsaw weilding freaks chasing you through the streets and a series of Houses designed to either scare the pants off of you or gross you out and you've got HHN), but it's also HUGE fun! The other thing to bear in mind is, there is a LOT of open drinking. Not sure if that is an issue for you as regards your 15 year old being in a serious 'party' atmosphere, but I thought I'd mention it.

I would probably not take my 15 year old, but if he was especially eager to see it I would give it some consideration.

[dmrevis]

I've been in the first two weeks of October, and also the first two weeks of November and both were very pleasent. Warm and no too humid. Infact the time we were there in November there was a mini-heatwave with tempreatures over 90F every day.

Crowds were not excessive, infact we went to Busch Gardens and it was practically empty.

A very good time to visit IMO.

[Sharont]

Thanks ever so much for the information very very useful. Weather sounds absolutely perfect.

Thanks also for the information on Halloween, Chainsaw wealding monsters sounds just up my daughters street (The Saw films being current favourite). Interesting about the drinking, that would be a concern. Certainly given me something to think about.

[Simon Veness]

The weekends are typically the busiest (and rowdiest!) for HHN; if you visit during the week, things tend to be slightly more in moderation!

[spider]

i will also be going during october and have beenseveral times during this period.ive always thought it is the best time of year to go.the worst time i ever went way during what the americans call spring break.i stopped on the 27 and the roads were a knightmare.i would say that put a real damper on the whole holiday.october is great.as mension all of the park are fairly quite with small q's for everything.weather is more bearable as well so im sure you'll have a great time.please dont go shopping as i want to make sure there are enough bargins left when i get there(oct 19th)enjoy!

[Sharont]

Thanks spider, will hopefully be going on 17th October, but will leave you some of the bargains. Sounds a much better time to go that our usual May slot. Hope you have a fantastic time. :) :)

[kazkards]

Hi Sharon,
I'm going to just beat you and Spidey there - 13th Oct - and I can't wait - 5 months and counting

We have gone in October for 3 years now and it is a great time to go. Q's in parks are fairly small, (except maybe at the weekend they are a bit busier) My hubby and son did Star Tours ride @ MGM 3 times in a row - just running out the exit, in the entrance, while I had a lovely sit down in the warm FL sun!!! :D You will probably still find the big shows will be busy - i.e Fantasmic, Illuminations, etc plus the small shows get fairly full too, like Indiana Jones & Lights, Camera Action!!! at MGM, Tarzan Rocks & Lion King @ Animal Kingdom etc. Also, the big rides at Epcot can still have bigger queues, because there are not so many rides there, the few they have can get very busy, especially first thing, before the World Showcase opens. Test Track, Mission Space and the new ride Soaring are usually quite busy, but still not nearly as busy as Summer!!! Universal on weekday was virtually deserted when we last went Oct '05 - No need to pay extra for their version of Fastpass - it's not worth it - Save yr dollars for the souveniers!!! ;)

The roads are still quite busy at normal rush hour times but other than that they are usually a pleasure to drive. Car parking at the parks, if you get there early, is great - really close to the gates most of the time. This also means if you fancy going out of park for lunch, or afternoon swim, it's not a 4 hour walk to the car or interminable wait for your hotel's shuttle bus!! ;)

Unless there is a special event, the shopping areas are not crowded either. More space for you to walk around with the 30 shopping bags making you about as wide as a bus!!!!

Also, use GOogle Earth maps to find everything before you go. it's great to be able to see where everything is on photographic maps and you can pinmark all yr fav places or must-sees!!!.

Hope this is helpful for you. Kind regards Karen (newbie!!)

[Sharont]

Cheers Karen, certainly does, just need to convince hubby to part with the cash now!!

[spider]

dont get the hubby to splash too much cash as im going in october but will watch what i spend as im planning to go next august as well.my biggest tip is this.it may be hard but dont let the magic(and it is magic)tempt you into buying things you dont want or will use.anyone who has been will know what i mean and i have done it myself.you walk around disney or any of the parks go on the rides and then think thats great let me get a souveneer.you end up buying a t-shirt that looks great while your on holiday but stops in the bottom draw when you get home.it is very easy to spend far more than you imagine especially with all the bargins in the malls.i remember one year spending $200 on movies simply because they wernt out in the uk.watched them once then stuck them on ebay.it may seem tight but its still my best tip.

[Susan Veness]

You make an excellent point, spider. It is SO easy to get carried away, especially if you have children with you. They want all those little glowing things sold during the parades, loads of trinkets and stuff they 'HAVE to have!' But then it sits in the toy box, forgotten.

We set a daily limit (and it's pretty low...maybe $5). If they spend $5 each day, fine. If they want to save it up for something big, fine. It's theirs to spend any way they like, on anything they like, but when it's gone, it's gone. These days, a $25 week limit is probably going to be better, since even $5 a day with 3 boys gets to be a lot.

It's all so new and overwhelming at first, but if you really look at what you're buying and decide how 'necessary' it is to your enjoyment, a lot of that stuff begins to pale a bit.