Tell me more about September?

[mom2morgan]

We've never considered September as a time to travel, but the free dining offer for Canadian residents is VERY tempting! Can you tell me all the goods and bads of September? Any specific part of the month I should book or avoid? (We've always gone inDecember, and were hoping to do May or October for our next trip).

[slottedpig]

Over the years we had done primarily March and May. Went this last Sep and loved it. Crowds were light at the parks, had a great pin code discount for a deluxe, and got whatever ADRs we wanted. Park hours were generally 9 to 7, 8, or 9 with maybe a couple of attractions under rehab. Weather was hot ( 80's maybe pushing 90) with regular but brief late afternoon storms and we briefly sweated out a hurricane forecast but nothing even remotely materialized. My kids are grown so I am no longer tied to school calendar and I doubt I'll go other than Sep or maybe Oct ever again.

[frozman]

I was there this past September. I flew out the Thursday after labor day and came back the following Saturday (9 days later)

I felt the parks were packed to be honest. Not as bad as summer, but by choosing to go in September, I was expecting to be able to get on almost every ride within 20 minutes anytime day or night. The 2nd Thursday I was there Rock N Roller Coaster had a 60 minute wait... OUCH. This was not the Thursday after labor day mind you, but the next one, no Holiday within sight. Additionally, Space Mountain tended to linger around 40, with that one though, the Fast Passes stayed 40 minutes out throughout the day, so you could essentially do it twice. I will however say at Epcot on one of the EMH nights a really bad storm hit I think around 7-8pm--some friends from work were actually there too and said lightning struck the World Showcase lagoon--but I guess a lot of people called it quits and headed back to their hotels. The end result was Soarin=25 minutes. Test Track=10 minutes (walk on for singles) and Mission Space=10 minutes. That was a great night.
Also want to point out my hotel (All Star Sports) was booked. There were a couple nights where the food court was painful.

I would just like to say that I think you'd find it more enjoyable than a Summer Visit, but just don't expect super short waits, you may get them one night like I did though.

[TheVBs]

We've done many visits in Sept. and always love that time of year. We've gone both at the beginning, right over Labor Day and at the end of Sept. over into the beginning of Oct. We've never experienced heavy crowds during our Sept. visits, especially the early ones. The crowds have always been very manageable. The weather has always still been hot, which we love because we like to swim every day and visit the water parks. On our late Sept./early Oct. trip, it did cool off quite a bit part way through, making swimming a bit chilly. Early Sept. is really our favorite time to go and we almost always score free dining that time of year.

[mom2morgan]

Do you think the free dining leads to larger crowds? It would make sense, but I was reasoning that even though dining reservations will be trickier, the crowds should be "spread out" through the parks and resorts... Anyway, we can't really afford to go unless we can save money - either by getting free dining, or by scoring a good pin code, and since we like the dining plan, I think free dining will always save us MORE than a pin. Sometimes this makes my head hurt, LOL

[WishesFan13]

September is definitely more crowded then it used to be. DH and I went in 2003 and it was wonderful, it was a walk on for almost every ride. That trip is what got us hooked on Disney World. Previously we had gone with our families during busier times and it was so nice to be able to go at a slower pace & still get everything done. Since then it has gotten busier every year. With MNSSHP starting earlier and the F & W festival normally starting when we go, it is not what it used to be. Like many have said in other threads there really isn't a slow time anymore in the world. Disney gets those deals out there anytime occupancy is down. We still thing it's a good time, but for people who haven't been in a few years it may be completely different to what you remember. Oh and I do think free dining adds to the crowds, adr's have to be made really early and the parks are a bit busier just because there are more people vacationing then.

[faline]

September is typically a very nice time to visit. Crowds are manageable but the weather is still quite hot and humid. You can't rule out an intense thunderstorm in the afternoon and this is the time of year when tropical storms and hurricanes are often being watched.

[AllDisney]

We have been a few times in September. Crowds are manageable. Weather can be hot & humid (but not as bad as in July or August). There can be daily storms, but have found during our visits they don't last long at all