Starting to Think Disney in Sept was a Mistake

[MissingDisney]

Everyone told me "Go in September, there's no one there" so we booked a trip and will be there next week but I hear all the values and moderates are FILLED TO CAPACITY. I'm not sure this is true but when I call to try to get one more night at POP (and have been calling for 3 months) there's "no room at the inn". Reservations tells me all resorts are filled except for deluxe. Has anyone been there this week? Is is packed? Are my kids going to be in lines for hours? I'm starting to think I should have waited and gone later in the year. Too bad the airfare is non-refundable. The upside is we are going to MNSSHP. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Still looking forward to the trip and very excited, just a bit worried.

 

[MissM]

Just got home 30 minutes ago. Yesterday at MK was light. Probably about a 5 on a 1-10 scale. Waits were around 40 minutes for Peter Pan, 5-10 for Small World 10-20 for Haunted Mansion, 30-40 for Big Thunder. Definitely a nice change.

Epcot this morning/early afternoon was DEAD. The only busy place in the park was Soarin' with about a 40-50 minute standby. Got a fastpass at 11:30 with a 1:03 return time. The World showcase was pretty much completely devoid of people. So much so that Love and I joked we felt like they were getting ready to close or something for the day! :lol: Test Track had 20-30 minute wait and Mission: Space around 20 minutes. Malestrom, Imagination, Energy, etc. all listed as "5 minute" or walk-on.

It was VERY VERY hot though. Ugh. So much so we left early today. Food and Wine doesn't start til next week so I imagine Epcot will be slow this week.

edit to add: That said, there is NO DINING available. Yesterday MK had the "there are no dining reservations available today" sign up.

 

[scpergj]

Last year I took my wife on an adults only trip the first weekend of the Food and Wine festival, and the crowds were quite manageable. We were even able to complete the 4 park challenge...and we didn't decide to do it until about 4:00 in the afternoon, after we had already been to DHS for the morning/early afternoon, then swam for a bit...you get the idea. The only real crowds we ran into were right around the food booths - and that was last year. All indications are that this year has been/will be much lighter crowds than recent years.

Have fun!

 

[she-luvs-disney]

what is it like the first week of October? During the Food and Wine Festival?

 

[betteratmk]

:wave: See you :sohappy:next week at Pop, we get there on the 26th!!!

 

[Shere_Khan]

I just got back from our trip 9/13 - 9/19.
It seemed busy at POP, but the parks were manageable. Of course I felt there were a lot of people but I am sure that considering other times of the year it was light. The longest wait times I saw was Peter Pan - 45 minutes and Splash sometime at 40 minutes.
We used fast pass for all of the rides that were over 20 so never had to wait in lines that long. I don't think we waited over 15 minutes for anything.

It was terribly hot!

The worst waiting of all was Thursday night after Wishes. I have never seen bus lines so long. (I have never been in busy seasons though so maybe this was also not very long) POP had taken up two of the sections and was all the way to the fence at the back. We probably waited 45 minutes to an hour for a bus back to POP. We even had stayed after Wishes to shop for a while thinking we would then avoid the lines, but apparently we should have booked it out of there as soon as it was over.
I think you will be ok though, the food and wine festival might bring in more crowds but I am not sure.

 

[CleveRocks]

Everyone told me "Go in September, there's no one there" so we booked a trip and will be there next week but I hear all the values and moderates are FILLED TO CAPACITY. I'm not sure this is true but when I call to try to get one more night at POP (and have been calling for 3 months) there's "no room at the inn". Reservations tells me all resorts are filled except for deluxe.

Maybe try a different tactic. Call tomorrow. Don't tell them you want to add a day to your reservation. Tell them you want to make a new 1-night reservation. Here's why:

Let's use dates, to make it easier. Let's pretend you have a room booked for November 1-7, and now you're hoping to add November 8. If you call up with your reservation number for your 7-night stay and you want to add November 8th, they aren't looking to see if there is availability for November 8 ... they are looking to see if there is availability for November 1-8 in your exact room category. The problem is this: maybe, in this pretend example, November 3 is sold out for some weird reason. If November 3 is sold out, then they can't book a reservation for you from Nov. 1-8. It doesn't matter that you already have a room reserved for November 3 ... if they add a day onto that reservation, they have to rebook that reservation in their system (it will use the same reservation #, but they still have to re-do the entire thing).

So instead, try to book a separate 1-day stay for November 8 and see what happens. You'll make this a room-only reservation, you'll have to pay for it up front (because the payment terms for a room-only reservation is 1 night's room rate + tax), and even if it's in the same room category at the same resort you'll still need to go to the front desk to check-in again on the morning of the 8th, and if you're very unlucky you'll also need to vacate your old room and move to a new one.

But please, try this strategy tomorrow and let us know how it goes. Try the 1-day reservation. As long as you are more than a week before your trip, you can wait up to 7 days between the time you make a room-only reservation and the time you pay the deposit ... in other words, if you change your mind, you can cancel it without obligation, or you could just not pay for it and it will auto-cancel.

 

[crazydaveh]

what is it like the first week of October? During the Food and Wine Festival?

Epcot will be busy, especially on the weekends. Locals will go out on the weekends to F&W as well as in the evenings to see the bands play.

The other three parks should be pretty dead with the occasional lone line.

 

[Disneybub]

Hi, Ive been most months of the year and Sept is the best.

Ive been in september and havent ever thought that there were too many people there.... And im not a big fan of crowds

 

[Audrey9505]

I just wanted to add that a lot of Georgia schools are on "Fall Break" next week, so that might make it a bit more crowded. I know of a bunch of families headed to Disney next week. Have a great trip!

 

[bgraham34]

You will be fine. The crowds are light compared to other times of year. Get to the park when it opens and you will have an even better time. Hit the post popular rides first and you wont be waiting at all.

 

[Brewer]

Just returned yesterday from an 11 day break.

This is the 8th visit to WDW and the 6th in Sept. This is the lowest attendance we have ever seen. We WALKED onto rides we have no right to - Soarin, Splash, Big Thunder, Dumbo, Teacups, Nemo. In fact we did fantasyland rides all within about half an hour - unheard of.

Completely off thread we rode the speedway for the first time ever. I still can't see the point of it!!

 

[MissingDisney]

Maybe try a different tactic. Call tomorrow. Don't tell them you want to add a day to your reservation. Tell them you want to make a new 1-night reservation.
But please, try this strategy tomorrow and let us know how it goes. Try the 1-day reservation. As long as you are more than a week before your trip, you can wait up to 7 days between the time you make a room-only reservation and the time you pay the deposit ... in other words, if you change your mind, you can cancel it without obligation, or you could just not pay for it and it will auto-cancel.

Thanks for the idea Eric, I've been trying it this way as well for weeks. I call every few days hoping for a cancellation or opening. No luck. We have to stay at ASM the first night and go to POP for the next week. No biggie. Just inconvenient. I'm convinced they have me "flagged" in the system to just say no!

 

[MissingDisney]

To all who have commented, thank you. I've had ADR's for months and we always try to avoid peak times for counter service (probably like everyone else!) I've referred to touringplans.com like some of you have recommended and done the most planning that I could without becoming a complete nut! (Are laminated pages overdoing it?) My worries have been eased by your expierences and input. Thank you all.

Disney, HERE WE COME!!!!!

 

[nepalostparks]

Are laminated pages overdoing it?

Not at all. :lookaroun At least I hope not, 'cause I do that too! :ROFLOL:

Enjoy your trip! :wave:

 

[me_stitch]

I'm planning on visiting DW the last weekend of Sept. and staying through the first week of Oct. in 2011. Just wanted to get some feedback on wether it will be extra crowded because it will be the 40th anniversary or if I should expect normal crowds.

 

[BeanSz]

3 of our last 5 trips have been in September. It is our favorite time to go. Having young kids, it is an awesome time to go. Our experience is the closer to the weekends you get the more crowded. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are generally very light days, but as the week goes on, you see the crowds pick up. One Monday in September, there was no one in the Magic Kingdom in the morning. They did an early open for pre-school children (you got into Fantasyland an hour early if you had kids under 5). It was awesome -- no one there, all the characters were out -- have some great pictures of my son playing with Tigger, piglet, Mickey -- Peter pan -- he got to ride the carousel with Goofey -- Sometimes you will hit a busy ride, I just recommend skip and come back. Just make sure you don't move with the crowd that is there.

This past year we went in early December as we wanted to see the Xmas decorations. Everyone told me great time, very light crowds -- not sure I agree. I think September is much better and you have weather you can still swim.

I am also thrilled that they now do MNSSHP in September. This is our favorite Disney event -- and excited that we have more options to see it in September. This is much better party than the MVMCP.

EIther way, relax and have fun.

 

[me_stitch]

We went to DW the 2nd week of Dec. because it was supposed to be lighter crowds and it was packed, every day, every park. thank goodness for fp's and xtra magic hours.

 

[brianheather]

When they say that they are full, its because of the free dining... I tried to switch weeks last year and couldnt. The CM told me that they only set a certain amount of rooms aside for the Free Dining and the rest of the rooms are for people that are not getting Free Dining.