To answer one of your original questions (when to go of the times you picked), September and October also have the advantage of the Halloween party if you want it (or the negative if you do not want it). I apologize if telling you stuff you already know, but starting in early september, with increasing frequency as getting toward oct 31, mk has a separate halloween "party" beginning at 7 pm until midnight (2-3 per week in sept, 3-4 per week in oct). They are a "hard ticket" event, meaning it is an extra admission - just a little less than a one-day pass (maybe 40-50 dollars). We took our 3 yo who loved it- obviously did not stay for whole thing (we are pretty lax on vaca, but not that lax). Especially during weekday parties in sept, the crowds are relatively light (mostly walk-on rides), and the parade was neat- which was the main reason we went. There are also lots of character signings, many unique for that event. Our son liked to see them, but could not be bothered to wait in the lines, so instead he (and we) preferred to just walk past them and wave and walk on rides. There is also a villains only stage show and two "dance parties" where kids can dance with characters. There is also trick-or-treating, but we did not bother with that, because many stations had lines, and we can get candy elsewhere, but i recognize some really like it, and a few of the stations had shorter lines. On the flip side, if you do not go, there is some curtailing of your mk hours, but only minimal. Have fun whatever you choose! One last piece of advice- i agree dave's point rental is great, but those start booking up at 11 mos prior to visit, and at 6-7 mos out can get going very fast, so prob want to start making plans.