Probably the smartest thing they could have done. Unlike the GC parks, that deem it necessary to launch their newest attraction on 26 December every year, and every year without fail, something goes wrong in their peak trading times. Opening in October does mean some fanfare is lost from not opening in peak season, but I think it's the smarter move - iron out the kinks in operations and automation before the queue stretches to the bottom of the hill and people start hating on you. Call it a soft opening and you can still have a 'ribbon cutting' on the first day of summer or something. I find myself wishing more and more that AW was on the east coast so I could visit... or at least so that the management of the east coast parks could visit and see how to do it right!