September Surprise! Need some reassurance...

[DisneyGirl3820]

I wanted to go to WDW at a time of year when there are fewer crowds, since every other time we've gone, it's been crazy. I'm even taking the youngsters out of school. I went to make dining reservations and airline reservations and to my shock, many places/attractions were booked for the middle of September! PLEASE someone out there tell me that this is not going to be a nightmare going at this time??

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We went in September a few years ago. While I know it's more crowded than it used to be at those times, it's the most dead I've ever seen WDW. That's probably because growing up, we always went at high volume times (spring break, 4th of July, Christmas) and we've had a number of more recent high crowd time trips (i.e. Christmas/Thanksgiving). We are pretty crowd tolerant, so September felt super quiet to me.

That being said...dining was a mess. I had booked at the 180 mark, so I was good, but free dining makes things so much harder for TS ADRs. I would stalk the website if there's stuff you really want, but lately, I've found that booking dining last minute is just as successful and not as much time wasted. We went just before Christmas this past trip and I had to do a number of last minute changes because DH and the kids weren't in the mood for my original choices. We had all kinds of hard to get ADR options come up just because people were dropping them to avoid no show fees.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

My friend went that week last year and said it was crowded, but she wasn't sure if it had to do with people pushing their trips back because of hurricane Irma. We have gone Labor Day week the last 2 years, and aside from the brutal heat, this may be one of the only weeks (after the actual holiday weekend) where the crowds are still really low. Other than that, Disney has done a great job filling up rooms during those weeks that used to be very quiet. I don't think you will see anything crazy, it will be manageable. Make the best of it and enjoy yourselves!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

There will always be variables in September:

Labor Day can fall anywhere from the 1st to the 7th. If it falls earlier, the first week should be slower; if it falls later, the first week is still summer.

Hurricanes: unpredictable even within hours.

My bday is 8/31 and our anniversary is 9/8 so we are very often there around that time, but usually wait until Labor Day to minimize crowds, and we can usually avoid a hurricane at the last minute because we live in South Florida and our jobs allow some flexibility.

 

[Skibum1970]

Many GA school systems are on fall break this week.

What is this "fall break" nonsense? They've only been in school at most a month and had a holiday already. Sheesh, these kids are babied.

For the OP, I would highly recommend trip insurance due to hurricanes. I have tried September twice. The first time, a hurricane went through right before I arrived (the remnants were leaving as I arrived) and the second time was last year right on 9/11/2018.

 

[Dave B]

What is this "fall break" nonsense? They've only been in school at most a month and had a holiday already. Sheesh, these kids are babied.

For the OP, I would highly recommend trip insurance due to hurricanes. I have tried September twice. The first time, a hurricane went through right before I arrived (the remnants were leaving as I arrived) and the second time was last year right on 9/11/2018.

Well our kids go back to school August 9th in Colorado, so October Fall break the week of the 15th is two full months after school starts, with the only other break being one day for Labor Day

 

[Skibum1970]

Well our kids go back to school August 9th in Colorado, so October Fall break the week of the 15th is two full months after school starts, with the only other break being one day for Labor Day

Man, we never got breaks. I hate breaking out the "Back in my day" but we started in mid to late August and didn't really get any breaks until Thanksgiving. I really could have used a break, too. Hammering my homework on stone tablets really wore my wrist out.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

In Jersey, we never started before Labor Day. Too much depends on the summer shore business.

 

[flynnibus]

Guess the "good old days" are gone of going on a ride, getting off and running through the queue to ride it again

You are still going to see low crowds vs what it could be... touringplans for Sept (recommend the super cheap subscription.. even if just for their lines app)

 

[Tinkerbella16]

In Jersey, we never started before Labor Day. Too much depends on the summer shore business.

My school district in NJ has started before Labor Day the last 2 years and this year they go back Aug 28th! We never went back before Labor Day when I was in school.

 

[Disvillain63]

Thomson, GA and many of the surrounding counties begin school on August 6th. My nephew's school in the Atlanta area begins August 1. Fall breaks will naturally come earlier for those systems.

 

[winstongator]

I wanted to go to WDW at a time of year when there are fewer crowds, since every other time we've gone, it's been crazy. I'm even taking the youngsters out of school. I went to make dining reservations and airline reservations and to my shock, many places/attractions were booked for the middle of September! PLEASE someone out there tell me that this is not going to be a nightmare going at this time??

You might want to invest in a touringplans account to ease your fears. September is reasonably slow outside Labor Day weekend. Their projections aren’t perfect but they’re pretty darn good.

 

[crxbrett]

Man, we never got breaks. I hate breaking out the "Back in my day" but we started in mid to late August and didn't really get any breaks until Thanksgiving. I really could have used a break, too. Hammering my homework on stone tablets really wore my wrist out.

I was just going to say, when I was a kid we went back the day after Labor Day and didn't get a day off until 2 days for Thanksgiving and didn't get an actual full "break" until the last week of December for 2 weeks for Xmas break, a good 3 and a half months later. Kids are babied today. I look at the calendars and they get a day off or half days like almost every other week now. I guess I am just jealous! lol

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

Im surprised September is sold out. Crazy. Now with F&W, I can see why though. I wish it would go back to the old days without so many special events constantly going on.

I never really thought about different areas of the Country being on such different school calendars.

Being a Disney nut, Ive learned that a lot of the Midwest has breaks in October.

Here in NJ, some districts are closed for Jewish holidays that typically fall end of September/early October. NJ also has “Teachers Convention”, which public schools are closed Thursday and Friday usually the second week in November, around the 8th (obviously the date changes yearly but if you type NJEA Convention dates 20__, you will see the dates chosen for the next few years. Many people from NJ take this entire week to go to Disney.
College student spring breaks are in March, and a lot of K-12 schools have theirs in April, many the week before or after Easter.

 

[Tom 55]

September is the time of year we go to DW. Our experience has been that most ride are no wait or a short wait. That might not be true with the new rides that have opened. Many time we would have a fast pass and when we get to ride find that there is no wait so we would go on not using fast pass and get on again using fast pass. I remember doing that with Splash Mountain and BTMRR. Weather is still warm enough that you don't mind getting wet on wet rides. Never needed a coat at night but I am from NH and shovel snow in my shorts. We will be down 9/25 to 10/5. Making Fast pass picks tomorrow.

 

[DisneyGirl3820]

Im surprised September is sold out. Crazy. Now with F&W, I can see why though. I wish it would go back to the old days without so many special events constantly going on.

I never really thought about different areas of the Country being on such different school calendars.

Being a Disney nut, Ive learned that a lot of the Midwest has breaks in October.

Here in NJ, some districts are closed for Jewish holidays that typically fall end of September/early October. NJ also has “Teachers Convention”, which public schools are closed Thursday and Friday usually the second week in November, around the 8th (obviously the date changes yearly but if you type NJEA Convention dates 20__, you will see the dates chosen for the next few years. Many people from NJ take this entire week to go to Disney.
College student spring breaks are in March, and a lot of K-12 schools have theirs in April, many the week before or after Easter.

I'm right there with you about being a Disney nut! Thank you! We're coming from PA that week where one of the Jewish holidays fall smack in the middle of the week so I don't feel as guilty pulling my teens out of school!

 

[DisneyGirl3820]

September is the time of year we go to DW. Our experience has been that most ride are no wait or a short wait. That might not be true with the new rides that have opened. Many time we would have a fast pass and when we get to ride find that there is no wait so we would go on not using fast pass and get on again using fast pass. I remember doing that with Splash Mountain and BTMRR. Weather is still warm enough that you don't mind getting wet on wet rides. Never needed a coat at night but I am from NH and shovel snow in my shorts. We will be down 9/25 to 10/5. Making Fast pass picks tomorrow.

Thank you for your post--makes me feel much better!

 

[HwdStudio]

Seriously can’t go along with the reassurance as you are going during the new busiest of the year.

 

[me_stitch]

Avoid the park with emh, that is usually the most crowded park, at least that's been my experience.

 

[ppet]

Avoid the park with emh, that is usually the most crowded park, at least that's been my experience.

I prefer to go to the park with the EMH until about noon, then park hop to a less crowded park. This has worked for me during the crowded days of Christmas, Spring break and the 4th. I am going for my first Sept-Oct trip this year. I am exicited looking at touring plans forecast and seeing numbers 1-5.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I'm kind of curious why there's so much disagreement about whether September is busy or not. Some people are claiming that it's the lowest crowd of the year and others are insisting it's as bad a summer. Is there someone we can find solid numbers showing how many people visited WDW in September last year compared to other months? That would probably help answer OP's question.