Hi Megan,
I was so excited to participate in the inaugural Tower of Terror 10-Miler (ToT) last year & can't wait for this yEAR's run.
The fall is indeed a very exciting time at Disney World. Here are some events that will be taking place during the 1st week of Oct:
*
Tower of Terror 10-Miler events will take place October 4th - 6th, 2013.
* The
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is scheduled for Sept 27th - Nov 10th, 2013. It draws foodies from near & far, especially on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.
* Although they haven't officially announced the 2013 dates,
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) takes place on select nights at the Magic Kingdom in Oct.
I've been to Disney all times during the year, including the week after Christmas when the parks are really crowded. I've found that with a little planning, we still had a good time. If you go the 1st week in Oct, keep mind that Magic Kingdom will close early on MNSSHP dates. I'd avoid Epcot on Friday, Saturday & Sunday unless there is a particular Food & Wine event you'd like to attend. I'd also expect Disney's Hollywood Studios to close early on Oct 5th (they did the day of the ToT last year).
I don't know your exact dates of travel but last year I didn't notice a lot of the ToT runners starting to come in until Thursday & many of them were gone by Monday. Although I can't say for sure, the second week may be a little more calm.
Wishing you minnie magical memories :-) Allison