What the heck? September, what happend to you?

[bc7ate9]

We just enjoyed a stay from 9/24-9/29 stayed at CSR. What a beautiful resort but quite big. We stayed in Casitas #2 ground floor, couldn't ask for a better spot. We noticed an increase in crowds as well, but not to the point where we struggled. Now maybe this is my opinion because we visited the parks early, went back to our room for a rest, then headed back out to another park for the evening. I did notice big crowds at EPCOT during the festival on the weekend.

We were at CSR too. The resort felt EMPTY! It was very peaceful and we didn't have any trouble with the buses. I wished we were on a longer trip this year - I would've really liked to enjoy the resort more!

 

[bc7ate9]

I think there are many reasons for the crowds this year....
F & W is starting earlier in Sept it seems
.

I don't think this is a contributing factor. Food and Wine started 9/25 this year, 9/19 in 2014, and 9/27 in 2013.

 

[Nohal]

We were there 9/18 - 9/26 and have been going in Sept for 12 years, I couldn't believe the crowds. Seemed like it was when we used to go in the middle of the summer with the kids. On Monday 9/21 we started at Epcot for EMH was able to do the things we wanted and then had lunch around 11-11:30 when we left Epcot to go to HS the stand by line for Soarin was 150min. I did read someone post that a little later the line wasn't that bad. Went to HS right to Toy Story to use our FP+, the FP line was out the door and down to where the bathrooms are. Apparently the ride was stopped a couple of times and backed everything up. The stand by line said 105 min but I'm sure it was longer and there were hardly any people in it. Had FP for Star tours thankfully didn't have to wait to long. Wanted to see the Muppets as we had ADR's for Mama Melrose but the line was outside the building and snaked chained around the corner don't know the wait time. I have never seen a line for Muppets. Had to also wait for a table at Mama Melrose for 1/2 hr. It was so crowded it was hard to walk around. Ate dinner and left the park. Moved our Sept trip up this year hopefully before the MNSSHP starts and the crowds start back up due to whatever it was this year.

 

[aprincessatlast]

This^^^^^ free dining makes it packed anymore. This September was the worse I've ever seen it and I've lived here 14 years. September used to be great. It was crazy busy!

Free dining has now been going on for a full decade! Yes 10 whole years, I can't believe that as it makes me feel old. lol It was our first ever trip with my husband and baby. It was awesome and the crowds were so light stayed that way for a good 4-5 years. Our last fall trip was in 10' we were done. We tried Disneyland next and it was insanely crowded, like shoulder to shoulder. (it still was awesome though) I just think more people are traveling in fall months than before.

 

[TexasTSL]

I went this year from 8-29 to 9-6, and it was super slow! There was supposed to be a hurricane coming in, and the governor declared a state of emergency in the day or two before we left. The hurricane ended up not coming in and the parks ended up being really low-crowd. The CMs were all saying that it was very slow.

I wonder if people cancelled their trips for the first week and rescheduled for later in September. We almost cancelled our trip. All of our friends were telling us we should have. I'm so glad we didn't, but I wonder if this had anything to do with the crowds later in the month.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Sounds like there are no slow times anymore at WDW.

We were there for 8 days the week after Labor Day and rode Soarin' with a 10 minute wait and saw 5 minute waits on every other ride other than 7DMT and TSMM. 7DMT averaged 30-45 minutes and TSMM was about the same. You had to be in the right park, and the lines were not like that during the early afternoon, but it was still very slow.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Greeting everyone!
We got back from our annual September (9/20-9/27) family trip. We have been going to Disney in the fall for the last maybe ten years and this year was crazy! Between Fastpass+ and the crowds I am not sure if we will be returning... I normally come home from a trip and start thinking about when we will be able to return... this time...not so sure... Was anyone else visiting during this week? Did it seem crazy to you? Have I become spoiled from the years of low attendance?? Also- We stayed at Pop Century and enjoyed this place in the past..this time.. Our room was a bit run down.. we also discovered we had a mouse (not Mickey) in our room.. on the trip back home we discovered some bags of sealed chips we had brought had been chewed through... The food items we brought were stored in a box on the shelf in the closet area... I emailed a complaint and haven't heard back...

Also- our last night was crazy crowded and I think I had reached my limit.. As we were waiting in line to get on to the people mover (yes... the people mover had a line) we were stopped and a large group was let in front of us... I smugly asked the CM, "I guess not everyone has to wait their turn." He replied, "they are a Make a Wish Foundation Family." ....... Yes. I am going to Hell......

We were there that week, too. It was more crowded and lines were longer than our week in July. Yes. You read that right. Our September trip was MORE CROWDED than our July trip. Insane.

Dining ressies and FPs were much harder to get than in July. I posted that on these boards and several people said not to worry- that every year people complain about the lack of availability in FPs and ADRs during free dining, but that is largely due to the parks closing earlier and to the fact that more people stay onsite during September. NOT SO. Lines for Toy Story got to 110 minutes. Lines for A&E were 90 minutes. SDMT- 90 minutes.

Our Fantasmic show in July was 1/3 empty. In September, it was full.

Frozen Sing Along was 1/3 empty in July. In September, it was full.

Philharmagic was 2/3 empty in July. In September it was 2/3 full.

We never waited for longer than 10 minutes in a FP line in July. We waited for 20 minutes in several FP lines in September.

Our MNSSHP was sold out. On a Tuesday. I never would have guessed.

AND room only rates were cheaper in July than in September ( we did FD in September like just about everyone else, but I checked on room only rates).

I booked a bounce back offer for next September, but I am not certain we will keep it. It was $500 more than this year's cost, for an equivalent standard room at a moderate resort. Disney knows, too, that they do not have to offer such great September deals when there is such a huge demand.

 

[anniemae]

I went this year from 8-29 to 9-6, and it was super slow! There was supposed to be a hurricane coming in, and the governor declared a state of emergency in the day or two before we left. The hurricane ended up not coming in and the parks ended up being really low-crowd. The CMs were all saying that it was very slow.

I wonder if people cancelled their trips for the first week and rescheduled for later in September. We almost cancelled our trip. All of our friends were telling us we should have. I'm so glad we didn't, but I wonder if this had anything to do with the crowds later in the month.

This was our experience as well during that same week. As soon as the forecast showed the hurricane going straight up FL and heading directly for Orlando, the state of emergency was declared.

I remember sitting on the bed in the hotel and I asked my DH if we should try to leave. The news was showing all grocery stores with empty shelves, long lines for gas stations etc. We decided to stay, and thankfully the hurricane dissipated. But we spoke with many CM"s and they all said that there were TONS of cancellations. I am sure many re-booked for a week or two later, which could have made the crowds worse during the first few weeks of Sept.

 

[rpb718]

Speaking of low crowd times...

I remember one short trip - January 10-13 in I'm pretty sure was 2010. Evenings were unusually cold, in the 30s. I think TSMM was pretty new at the time, but was closed during HS EMH when we were there. Loved all the xmas decorations - which was one reason were were there. The more important reason was that my youngest was singing with his university choir one day at the Waterside Stage in DTD.

So the day we spent in MK, DW was off somewhere in one of the buildings around town square - probably The Chapeau picking up her mouse ears with her name embroidered on them. I was outside in the outer rim of the square right between Tony's and Main Street Confectionery - and the mid-day parade is going by. There was no one around on my side at all. I sat on the curb, waved and was waved at by all the characters. DW comes out, walks up and has her major eye-contact moment with Mr Incredible (that I've been hearing about ever since) and sits down with me enjoying the rest of the parade.

I have no idea why it was so deserted where we were, but somehow the stars aligned and we seemed to have the whole parade to ourselves. It was just such a surreal moment that I never expect to happen again.

 

[themillersdaughter]

we were there 9.17-9.26. there were only two times that things felt really busy or crowded (the halloween party was one of those times). my experience was that most posted line waits were 20-30 minutes, but in reality they moved faster (unless there was a breakdown), we could frequently book additional fast passes, ride something multiple times with minimal wait, there was lots of room to walk and maneuver and see parades and fireworks, we never had trouble finding a table for counter service or quick service, nor did we ever run into problems finding a shady spot to sit. this was my first trip in years, so i may have missed the golden window of truly low september crowds, but it honestly didn't feel that busy. i guess my baseline expectation is disney will always be packed to the gills.

 

[DVCcurious]

I was there the first week of September (before Labor Day). It was packed! Just look how massive the crowd was watching the electrical parade!

 

[BigHeroKen]

We were originally going to go from September 24th to the 30th, but the closer the 45 day mark came and the more issues we were reading about crowds, restaurants, and fast passes, we decided to do a Sea World/Universal Trip with a MNSSHP as our only Disney experience.

I am so glad we canceled the free dining package we had. My family had more fun, and had much more pleasant interactions with the Sea World / Universal park staff than we had during the Halloween Party. If the Halloween Party was any indication of how crowded and unpleasant things were I feel bad for those of you who had to deal with the parks during regular hours.

As a side note, has anyone else noticed how much Universal has stepped up the character interaction at their meet and greets. My kids loved Bumblee and his songs, Shrek with talking Donkey, and the awesome Velociraptor.

 

[anniemae]

Speaking of low crowd times...

I remember one short trip - January 10-13 in I'm pretty sure was 2010. Evenings were unusually cold, in the 30s. I think TSMM was pretty new at the time, but was closed during HS EMH when we were there. Loved all the xmas decorations - which was one reason were were there. The more important reason was that my youngest was singing with his university choir one day at the Waterside Stage in DTD.

So the day we spent in MK, DW was off somewhere in one of the buildings around town square - probably The Chapeau picking up her mouse ears with her name embroidered on them. I was outside in the outer rim of the square right between Tony's and Main Street Confectionery - and the mid-day parade is going by. There was no one around on my side at all. I sat on the curb, waved and was waved at by all the characters. DW comes out, walks up and has her major eye-contact moment with Mr Incredible (that I been hearing about ever since) and sits down with me enjoying the rest of the parade.

I have no idea why it was so deserted where we were, but somehow the stars aligned and we seemed to have the whole parade to ourselves. It was just such a surreal moment that I never expect to happen again.

That is awesome. We used to love Jan/Feb time frame, but now the kids are in school and we can't go then but we used to always go first week of Feb and it was so slow. Not sure what it's like now though.

 

[Kristine316]

I would like to see attendance numbers for WDW.. Do they ever post anything like that?

Many people keep saying WDW is getting busier every year and I don't doubt that but, I wonder if it's really that certain times of the year that are picking up the biggest increases?
Is July really that much busier as the years go on or is it more that traditionally slower times are getting busier as more people seek out the better specials and lower crowds?

I still think all these websites and planning books and tools people use contribute to the increases in traditionally slower times of the year.
If every WDW planning site tells you when to go for the lowest crowds doesn't it make sense those recommended times will become busier as more people take the advice of these tools? September is the month every WDW planning site or book tells you to go for the lowest crowds of the year. If I'm planning an expensive vacation I am going when the "lowest crowds" of the year are.. I don't doubt others feel the same.. Obviously. These sites and planning tools are becoming increasingly popular. It used to be the majority of WDW guests never used these tools to plan their trip but, I don't believe that anymore.. I think the majority now probably do use some sort of planning tool. You have to WDW is just too complicated without it.

The fact parents are very willing to pull their kids out of school now for a WDW vacation.. Even a few weeks after school starts is also a big reason September isn't all that slow anymore.

WDW is now like a rite of passage. When I was a kid back in the 80's I didn't have many friends who vacationed at WDW. We lived in a rural area in the center of the country and I only knew a few kids who actually had been to WDW. It was considered a big luxury that most parents didn't indulge in.
Today it seems every kid must be taken to WDW.. You are lousy parent today if you kid doesn't get there.. Lol. Joey and Susie need to go to WDW.. And if the parents can't really afford it, they will still go anyway, they will just go when it's a lot cheaper like Free Dining.. Even if that means taking the kids out of school.
That's my two cents anyway.

Also foreign tourists have become a big part of WDW.. And they are driving up the crowds as well.

It's a combination of stuff.

Our economy isn't doing too great right now.. Some bad reports the last few days and the Dow is going way down. Many think we are heading into another recession..that could lessen the crowds in in the coming years.. Who knows.

 

[wendow]

Maybe the week after Labor Day is traditionally not crowded, but this year it was very crowded. I think many of those people who canceled due to the hurricane rescheduled for the week after LD. You could still get a lot done right after RD (about 90 mins of very low crowds) but then the masses hit, and it was no longer slow. It did not feel busy at our resort, or even so much at the restaurants (which is what I expected with FD). But the parks (walkways & shops) and the attractions felt very busy. And yes, the PeopleMover had a line every time we went on it. Not super long but that isn't the norm in Sept.

 

[wendow]

I agree with the huge increase in foreign tourists. I posted this on another Sept thread but at one point, we were waiting to get on the riverboat. I realized there were five different families around me that I could hear talking...five distinctly different conversations...and NONE were speaking English. And as we chatted with people, we realized there were people from all over. Lots of Canadians, South Americans and people from the UK were what we saw most.

 

[Amw1064]

I agree with the huge increase in foreign tourists. I posted this on another Sept thread but at one point, we were waiting to get on the riverboat. I realized there were five different families around me that I could hear talking...five distinctly different conversations...and NONE were speaking English. And as we chatted with people, we realized there were people from all over. Lots of Canadians, South Americans and people from the UK were what we saw most.

This is very true. When the cast member called me about our Not So Scarey party, he mentioned this as well. Said the international population was making September and January a very crowded time at Disney. He said he doubted it will ever go back to the way it was and Disney was trying their hardest to keep the old "Magic" alive. Said people like me who had been coming their wholes lives and frequent visits would notice it the most. I told him I never wanted to repeat the Not so Scarey crowds when it cost me so much extra money. Not sure what the answer will be.

 

[LiamsDISMom]

I have friends that went the second week of September and said the same thing. I have always loved September and have seen super low crowds, but this year we went the last week in August, the 18-31. I was prepared for higher crowds than I'm used to in September, but was shocked that they were some of the lowest crowds I've seen. Walked on all the smaller rides with maybe 10 minute waits at the most and even saw the bigger ones often at only 20 minutes or so during the day, including Thunder Mountain and Space. Even the Mine Train often was only 45 minutes throughout the day. I think that may be my new favorite week. Although I did miss the Halloween party.

 

[DisneyFive]

We have been here since the 26th, and yes the crowds are higher, more like five's rather twos or threes that we are used to.

To me, the bigger issue is fastpass plus, and how it has redistributed everyone around the park, making even rides that were walk on in the past without fastpass, now long lines. There are long lines everywhere now.

I plan to do a full write up next week once we are home

Dan

 

[stinkpickle]

Slow days have been hit and miss lately. I don't rely on historically slow times of the year anymore. Reduced park hours make it frustrating.