Weather In September Horror Stories

[fla4fun]

I know that it seems bad based on what you have read here, but, you have to remember two things...First, Florida doesn't have hurricanes everyday, they are few and far between. Every time I was there in Sept. it was beautiful weather, didn't even rain. Second, hurricane season is listed from September to (I forget, but it's into spring), however, hurricanes can happen any month of the year, it's just more likely to happen during that September window.

Actually, hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. The peak of hurricane season is September 10th. This means that September is typically the most active month for hurricanes in the Atlantic basin.

However, that does not mean they all come to Florida. I have lived in Florida since 1981, and I could count on one hand the number of Septembers that have been interrupted by a hurricane in central Florida.

It's a risk, sure. I would recommend purchasing travel insurance if you are flying on non-refundable tickets or if you purchased a package you might need to cancel and lose a significant amount of money. Travel insurance would help with the costs of rebooking flights, covering hotel and food expenses if you get stranded, and would give you peace of mind. If you are driving, and your reservation is room only, you have a lot more flexibility and may not need travel insurance.

One thing I definitely recommend is that you don't book a cabin at Fort Wilderness in September. If there is a hurricane, the Fort will be evacuated and you will be sent to another Disney resort. If there is availability, you will get a room, but I have stayed at CR in September when the evacuees from the Fort were camped out on the floor of the CR convention center - my guess is it depends on what the occupancy of the other resorts is, but personally I wouldn't want to have to evacuate my resort.

However, if you are looking for better weather, I would suggest October or November in the fall, or April (depending on when Easter falls) or May in the spring. Those are our transitional months and tend to be a little less wet and a little less hot and humid, but still warm enough for swimming and other outdoor activities.

 

[johde]

Actually, hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. The peak of hurricane season is September 10th. This means that September is typically the most active month for hurricanes in the Atlantic basin.

However, that does not mean they all come to Florida. I have lived in Florida since 1981, and I could count on one hand the number of Septembers that have been interrupted by a hurricane in central Florida.

So you're saying I just got lucky then.

In 1999, I was on one of the last planes to fly into Orlando before the Airport was closed because of Hurricane Floyd. It was expected to hit Florida but veered off at the last minute and went up the coast. As I remember, the Governor ordered all theme parks closed for the following day. We were staying at OKW and the staff there was wonderful. They sent around flashlights to all of the rooms in case of power outages. In the morning, I was walking around the resort and noticed they had sunk all of the pool chairs in the pool so it wouldn't blow around. It was the first time in the history of WDW that the Magic Kingdom was closed. All 4 theme parks were initially ordered closed by the Governor (as well as all other parks in FL). They did end up opening AK for resort guests only in the afternoon. It was staffed with CM from all four parks who could come in on short notice.

Then, in 2004, my flight was canceled because of Hurricane Frances. I took a chance as soon as it looked like it was going to hit the day I was going to fly in and rescheduled my arrival from Sept 5th to Sept 7th and extended my trip a couple of days on the other end. It lead to a couple of hotel changes because I had a price line reservation near the airport for my original return day. I went Sept 8th to MGM (now DHS), and the crowds were the lightest I'd ever seen at WDW. This was pre-TSMM so RnR and ToT were the go to attractions at rope drop. I went to ToT first and the entire morning rush fit in 1 library preshow room. By that weekend when I went to Universal, the crowds were heavier.

That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to do September again. Also, for those worrying, no I don't have a September trip planned for this year.

 

[SouthernBelle21]

I went in September two years ago. It was my first time going in an off season since my mom was a teacher growing up and we always had to go during the summer. It was awesome! Lines were nonexistent. Loved the F&W fest! However, we took a pic upon walking into MK one morning on top the train station overlooking Main Street.. And I had sweat marks on my shirt in the pic. So it's REALLY hot and humid.. Coming from a Louisiana girl.. But for me the lines made up for it. Don't worry about putting too much makeup on or doing your hair.. It won't matter. Lol

 

[VeeHam]

That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to do September again. Also, for those worrying, no I don't have a September trip planned for this year.[/QUOTE]

As I was reading this, this was my question. Lol
I hope your next trip is event free.

 

[Erinmc3]

I went in September two years ago. It was my first time going in an off season since my mom was a teacher growing up and we always had to go during the summer. It was awesome! Lines were nonexistent. Loved the F&W fest! However, we took a pic upon walking into MK one morning on top the train station overlooking Main Street.. And I had sweat marks on my shirt in the pic. So it's REALLY hot and humid.. Coming from a Louisiana girl.. But for me the lines made up for it. Don't worry about putting too much makeup on or doing your hair.. It won't matter. Lol

Have to laugh at your sweat marks comment. We were there September 2011 as well. VERY, VERY hot and humid! I always say that I have NEVER been as hot in my life as that vacation...LOL!

 

[vleeth]

We went the second week in Sept 2009. Other than a sticky hot day at AK, it wasn't bad at all. We'll see what Sept 2013 brings!

 

[#1DopeyFan]

How was Labor Day weekend? Was it crazy busy?

Not at all...Saturday and Sunday were a bit busy, but not bad at all. By Monday, very quiet!

 

[splashmountainjaxson]

We have done September -- and it is HOT.

Key is drinking a ton of water , and wearing cotton : ) As a girl , I wore a lot of sundresses , felt much cooler to wear sundresses , tank w skirt. If you are curious about best wardrobe choices , lol.

We went on our first trip as a 'dating couple' to WDW in Sept 2004 , and experienced Hurricane Frances , lockdown for 2 days I believe. We got a few days in on the front , but the last 2 days were spent 100% at the hotel. We still have the deck of cards we bought to play Gin Rummy , and the staff was amazing at keeping us all safe. Good memories were made , and that was when all non-used days did not expire , so 2005 , we had some extra days

Frances did not deter us , as we went back in Sept of 2010. Still a single couple at this point , no kids but married : )) We were hurricane free , but oh so hot !!! It was fine , we had a great time , made sure to make lunch ressies at Noon , get out of heat , then headed back to hotel for rest / pool time. Back at the parks after the sun went down , hot still , but much more tolerable.

I would totally do Sept again , but honestly , most likely without my toddler ( he is 20 months). Until he is a bit older , I'll keep his visits to Feb & Nov , which is traditionally when we go as a family. He's a hot box of a kid , sweats when it's 60 , I can only imagine him in 90+. LOL.

I think that at ANYTIME something can go wrong , something can deter you -- who knows. You have really zero control. So , throw caution to the wind , embrace the heat , say 'stay away' to the tropical storms / hurricanes and know that magic will make it's way to you : )

 

[tiki23]

Fellow NW'er checking in!

3 September trips under our belt and I have to say, it's a great time to visit WDW! Now, if I was doing something else in FL, maybe not so much because it IS hot and humid...and occasionally very wet, lol!

Our late September 2009 trip was HOT, almost as hot as our 2008 late August trip. We did run into a few torrential downpours, but they passed quickly.

Sis and I went in September 2010 and the weather was perfect! Humidity was relatively low, temps were in the mid 80's and we only saw 1 evening of light rain.

DH and I went September 2012 and it was so HUMID. I did runDisney's Happy Haunted 5K very early in the morning and I was a sweaty mess by the time I walked up to the start line. Runners in the Tower of Terror 10-Miler race that evening had a very hard time of it.

So I guess you could say that there's no predicting the September weather, but I can predict that you'll have an awesome time. Crowds are low and the fun factor is high!

 

[Srbright]

We went the second week in Sept 2009. Other than a sticky hot day at AK, it wasn't bad at all. We'll see what Sept 2013 brings!

We had the same issue. For us it always seems to be hotter at AK and we don't know why.

Stacy

 

[MacClemsons]

I don't understand all the comments about how HOT September is. We've been in Sept 2008, 2011, & 2012. Yes it's high 80s/low 90s but IMO june, July and Aug are worse. In fact, we are here now and Fri & Sat were pretty HOT. We are from FL. Had never bought one of those fan water sprayers until THIS trip.

It is Hurricane season so it can be stormy but we've been lucky so far. Just afternoon thunderstorms for us. No days that it rained on us all day. Can't say that about Dec or June.

 

[mousefan73]

We had the same issue. For us it always seems to be hotter at AK and we don't know why.

Stacy

Same for Us!! Too funny, we were there last September and we thought AK was the most miserable of the parks, weatherwise. I don't even think it was really hotter temp wise. I think alot has to do with that fact that AK is mainly outdoors. IMO it's spread out, alot of walking from one thing to another. Unlike MK where you have rides ( with A/C lines or attraction) so close together. We did the birds ( flight) show and one woman passed out from the humidity. Even though it was shaddy, the air was stagnant for some odd reason. We were so happy to get out of that show.

This year we are back in Sept, but are skipping AK. My mom can't take the heat there. Or lack of A/C in otherwords.

 

[joshstamp]

We love going in September, hot hot hot weather it can be a little humid but the odd afternoon rain shower sorts that out. Combine the heat with the lack of crowds and its the best time of year to go in my opinion

 

[fla4fun]

So you're saying I just got lucky then.

In 1999, I was on one of the last planes to fly into Orlando before the Airport was closed because of Hurricane Floyd. It was expected to hit Florida but veered off at the last minute and went up the coast. As I remember, the Governor ordered all theme parks closed for the following day. We were staying at OKW and the staff there was wonderful. They sent around flashlights to all of the rooms in case of power outages. In the morning, I was walking around the resort and noticed they had sunk all of the pool chairs in the pool so it wouldn't blow around. It was the first time in the history of WDW that the Magic Kingdom was closed. All 4 theme parks were initially ordered closed by the Governor (as well as all other parks in FL). They did end up opening AK for resort guests only in the afternoon. It was staffed with CM from all four parks who could come in on short notice.

Then, in 2004, my flight was canceled because of Hurricane Frances. I took a chance as soon as it looked like it was going to hit the day I was going to fly in and rescheduled my arrival from Sept 5th to Sept 7th and extended my trip a couple of days on the other end. It lead to a couple of hotel changes because I had a price line reservation near the airport for my original return day. I went Sept 8th to MGM (now DHS), and the crowds were the lightest I'd ever seen at WDW. This was pre-TSMM so RnR and ToT were the go to attractions at rope drop. I went to ToT first and the entire morning rush fit in 1 library preshow room. By that weekend when I went to Universal, the crowds were heavier.

That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to do September again. Also, for those worrying, no I don't have a September trip planned for this year.

I was staying at WL for the Floyd fiasco. I remember that the restaurants were closed and they were just selling cold sandwiches - such a bummer when the weather turned out OK. I don't count Floyd because it didn't come here - it just stayed off shore for a couple days and thought about it before going elsewhere. A lot of the storms do that - they start toward Florida and then for one reason or another take a different path. But it did give us the opportunity to see how well Disney plans for a storm.

My September stay in 2004 was between two of the hurricanes that came through (I think between Charlie and Frances, because it was Night of Joy weekend). But of course, living here I was able to experience both of those storms first hand (I was in North Carolina when the third storm, Jeanne, came through). 2004 was really the year that we got to experience hurricanes first hand for the first time in many, many years.

I've been going to WDW in September for probably 30 years straight now, and out of all those trips, the only one with any disruption for me was the Floyd fiasco, and the storm didn't even come to Florida. So although I would keep the threat in the back of my mind, I certainly wouldn't stop traveling to WDW in September.

 

[innoculation]

We have had a few rainy days, and only on a rare occasion has there been a storm that has slowed us down. We have been going to WDW in September for the last several years and hurricanes have always been a concern. However, we have been fortunate to always have great weather.

Last year, we could see lots of lightening in the evening sky, and it looked ominous. The storm went around WDW, but it made for some neat film footage!

 

[DisneyFive]

I don't understand all the comments about how HOT September is. We've been in Sept 2008, 2011, & 2012. Yes it's high 80s/low 90s but IMO June, July and Aug are worse. In fact, we are here now and Fri & Sat were pretty HOT. We are from FL.

Totally agree! Sept is NOT the hottest month in Orlando. On average June, July and August are a couple of degrees hotter. They also average more rain than Sept.

Dan

 

[amfie928]

Totally agree! Sept is NOT the hottest month in Orlando. On average June, July and August are a couple of degrees hotter. They also average more rain than Sept.

Dan

I am from Ohio so when I think September I think 60's and 70's and a nice bonfire at night. Not that Ohio can't get hot. I have been to Florida nearly every month of the year. I will take September over June, July or August any time! I am not a fan of humidity but still .... humidity and low crowds is better than humidity and crowds levels of 8/9!

 

[DisneyFive]

I am from Ohio so when I think September I think 60's and 70's and a nice bonfire at night. Not that Ohio can't get hot. I have been to Florida nearly every month of the year. I will take September over June, July or August any time! I am not a fan of humidity but still .... humidity and low crowds is better than humidity and crowds levels of 8/9!

Yeah, I feel ya. (being from MI ourselves).

We like going in late Sept, since summer has wound down and fall is in swing in MI. It gives us a change to extend our summer, so to speak, by getting that hot weather still.

Dan

 

[tiki23]

I don't understand all the comments about how HOT September is. We've been in Sept 2008, 2011, & 2012. Yes it's high 80s/low 90s but IMO june, July and Aug are worse. In fact, we are here now and Fri & Sat were pretty HOT. We are from FL. Had never bought one of those fan water sprayers until THIS trip.

I think the reason most people are asking is not because they don't know that the summer months are hotter, but that they are hoping that it will be starting to cool off for the fall by September. That short answer would be "no."

I've avoided the summer months, except for late August - once - and will continue to do so. High heat + high crowds are not for me.

 

[disney777]

I always go in the late Aug/early Sept timeframe. I did get caught up in Frances that year. I was staying solo at Pop, they told us to prepare to be locked down for about 36 hours. They sold styrofoam coolers and meals like salads and sandwiches, as well as the usual grab and go items, in the foodcourt. You couldn't leave your room, so you needed to have food supplies to cover the lockdown. They also prepared the resort in the days leading up to the storm, removed items that could blow away/cause damage, and saran wrapped things like the big light "bulbs" on the lights poles in the pathways. During the storm (and the winds were really blowing, I would hear the rain pounding on my window), the power never went out. I mainly watched the weather channel, but they also showed "newer" movies on the resort channels. I was alone in my room, so it gave me a nice chance to actually relax. Not sure how relaxing it would have been if I had 3 kids bouncing off the walls.
Disney updated us with mass phone messages, eventually giving us a time when it would be safe to leave our rooms. Disney is a very safe place to be, and the forethought of putting electrical lines underground helps us all. Some CMs had no power at home for a couple weeks from the previous storm.
They brought in characters to entertain in the lobby before the 4pm shutdown. The parks were already closed down that day. I know they brought Miyuki the candy lady from EPCOT to AKL to entertain in the lobby during the storm. I assume they did similar things at other "closed in" resorts. MK and EPCOT were the first parks to open, but the monorail wasn't running yet. They needed to check the tracks. AK was the last to open, since they had to worry about making sure animals were safe, and all the enclosures, exhibits were intact. AK was the first park to close also, since they had to bring all the animals in for their safety.
There was damage in the parks, it was a bit surreal. I remember lamp posts (lamps) being broken in EPCOT, and I remember the Little Mermaid fountain in DHS being broken. But people were safe, and I remember some big rains in the aftermath. Weird to have water over my ankles while walking to the MK entrance.
I'm from So Cal, and I think if I am in a hurricane, I'd like to be at Disney.