Afraid September is going to be PACKED this year

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I think one of the things making it more busy is that most schools in the Metro Atlanta area have fall breaks in the end of September. We are doing a Disney Cruise Sept 21 and the most of the people on the facebook cruise group are from metro Atlanta. Disney is a quick and easy trip to take then.

Very true. That's our situation. And most of our friends head somewhere toward Orlando in September.

As crowded as the park paths were in July, we actually didn't wait in line for much of anything. With a good FP and RD strategy, we bypassed lines for headliners and had absolutely no wait for the non-headliners (Nemo, Journey Into the Imagination, Under the Sea, Dumbo, Mickey's Philharmagic, etc.), and we walked into the shows about 5 minutes before they started, getting good seats each time. We got perfect, front-row parade seats about 30 minutes prior to the parades, too.

I think a lot of Americans are shifting from going in the summer time to going in September for FD. In July there were huge groups of Central and South Americans (I know because of their shirts advertising their home countries), and I think I heard more Spanish than English.

 

[LOL!]

Yes, fewer ride vehicles and such. Disney has no incentive to keep attractions at the same capacity in peak crowds and low crowds.

Good point. Between reduced operating hours and ride capacities, Disney has the uncanny ability to make a not-crowded day feel like a crowded day.

 

[IvyWinter]

I'm heading down 22nd to 27th, for that first weekend of food & wine. Though ADRs were ridiculous tight, I havent had too much a problem with my FP+ selections. I've still got my fingers crossed for an earlier dinner time at California grill on the 23rd though (wishful thinking, maybe, but jiminy would approve!)

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Will be there 9/12-9/19, crowd calendar is showing overall 1 and 2's, my hope is that they are right. We started planning about 3 months late, so ADRs at the most popular spots were taken, still I have been lucky by watching the boards, dining scout, and checking myself multiple times a day to get the ones we wanted on the days we wanted. FP+ I was on at midnight at 60+ and got what I wanted for when I wanted A&E.

 

[Micca]

I'm not worrying because it won't do any good! My dates are set and I will go with the flow.

Agree! There are people in WDW on the busiest days of the year that have the time of their lives. Whatever the crowds are like, September isn't anything like that. If you want to worry, figure out how you can stay cool & hydrated in the heat and you'll be great.

 

[Saturn23]

I feel like I see a few threads like this every time I'm planning a trip. I read these posts and get stressed out but in the end it all works out (in my experience anyway). Most days are great and if I happen on a bad day I just go to a different park. I've seen posts like this as far back as 2005 when I started reading these boards and I've been there in Sept, Oct, Dec, Jan, Feb. With each trip I've seen speculation of how much busier it was going to be than expected.

Also I don't think we had access to info about when Fast Passes were unavailable last September. For all we know they were gone just as quickly, but we didn't have a website showing us what was gone (the Dibb).

 

[SmallWorld71]

A lack of ADRs are the result of Free Dining.

A lack of FP+ are the result of reduced operating hours at MK thanks to the parties.

Summer means crowds but the vast majority of summer park visitors are offsiters, which gives onsiters an advantage for both ADRs and FP+s. There are more FP+s available because of the long hours. In a few months, you'll see TG week and then Christmas week people stating that they had no problems getting all the FP+s they wanted since there are no parties those weeks and the parks are open later.

Getting ADR's for Christmas week was super easy. I've also found it very easy to get ADR's President's week. The parks are much busier, but ADR's are easier to come by.

FP+ Christmas week was also super easy. I was even able to change my 7DMT FP+ the day before for a party of 5. And, this was on a day when the park reached the first level of capacity closure. There was a very high % of international tourists that week which I think contributed. It seemed like a lot of people were booking their FP+ the day of as lines were pretty long at the FP+ kiosks.
People who travel in the off season when there are steep discounts tend to stay on site and be 'in the know.'

 

[Katholicchik]

I get to book FP+ tonight for end of Sept and all of Elsa and Anna and Festival of Fantasy for my whole 5 day trip are already gone... bummer.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I get to book FP+ tonight for end of Sept and all of Elsa and Anna and Festival of Fantasy for my whole 5 day trip are already gone... bummer.

I'm so sorry to hear that, I can book Thursday night at midnight so I'm a little worried but I guess it'll be what it is. Just keep trying and maybe you can get some single FP+ with overlapping times

 

[Katholicchik]

I'm so sorry to hear that, I can book Thursday night at midnight so I'm a little worried but I guess it'll be what it is. Just keep trying and maybe you can get some single FP+ with overlapping times

I never thought of that. Good idea. Worth a shot!

 

[nat8199]

The same issues were all over these boards last year. It was hard to get ADRs or FP+ for Sept 2014 for all the reasons explained here. According to trip reports and crowd calendars crowds were still low. I am going Sept 19-26th and I am not worried at all.

 

[godders]

I get to book FP+ tonight for end of Sept and all of Elsa and Anna and Festival of Fantasy for my whole 5 day trip are already gone... bummer.

I couldn't get A&E fastpasses last year for my September trip but managed to get in to see them with a 20 minute wait about half an hour before park close one night. If you still have trouble then head straight for them at RD if you can

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Don't believe anyone posting in this thread. September is a TERRIBLE time to visit. Horrible crowds. All of you should cancel your trips now.

 

[girlsmom]

I completely do not understand that. I mean, I know it happens, but who actually chooses to ride SDMT or meet A&E when the line is an hour or longer? Who are these people?

Only time I would wait in line for an hour or more would be to meet Walt Disney himself.

SERIOUSLY! yes! WHY do people wait like that for rides or character m&g? that would be such a miserable trip for my family --do people still have enjoyable vacations after waiting in lines all day?

 

[girlsmom]

Don't believe anyone posting in this thread. September is a TERRIBLE time to visit. Horrible crowds. All of you should cancel your trips now.

haha! yes, everyone cancel please!

 

[muenginerd]

We went end of September last year and found a lot of what you said. ADR's were difficult to get FP+ were hard to come by for big attractions. By the time we got to the parks it was great. It wasn't slow but it definitely wasn't crowded. We enjoyed our time, maybe saw larger crowds at F&W on the weekend. I think people really hit it on the head. ADRs are affected by FD and FP+ are affected by reduced operating hours.

I was also able to get all the ADRs and FP we wanted. I just kept checking back occasionally. A&E was our last FP to come by about 2 weeks before our trip.

 

[fbb]

Don't believe anyone posting in this thread. September is a TERRIBLE time to visit. Horrible crowds. All of you should cancel your trips now.

It's way too hot. And the hours are too short. And the service is absolutely terrible. And the food ain't what it used to be. Especially at California Grill. On September 9. At any table for two near a window between 7:30pm-9pm.

 

[fujamaga]

Yeah it's been pretty hard to get our ADRs and FP+s too. The last time we went was in May and it was actually easier.

 

[godders]

It's way too hot. And the hours are too short. And the service is absolutely terrible. And the food ain't what it used to be. Especially at California Grill. On September 9. At any table for two near a window between 7:30pm-9pm.

That is definitely why I am cancelling my ADR for Cali Grill on September 9. At 8.50pm (no idea where I'd be sitting...). For two people

 

[GaryDis]

SERIOUSLY! yes! WHY do people wait like that for rides or character m&g? that would be such a miserable trip for my family --do people still have enjoyable vacations after waiting in lines all day?

My first Disney trip was to DL, early 60s, summer. No FP. No wait time apps. No cellphones to coordinate. No Unofficial Guide. Nada.

To be honest, I don't remember what the waits were like, maybe they were 10 minutes, maybe they were an hour, maybe more. But we did that because that's what you did to see things. I do remember on subsequent trips pretty long lines for the submarine ride and autopia/tomorrowland speedway, perhaps because we used up the less crowded times for the Matterhorn or SM. We'd do our best to work around the busy times, but waits were inevitable.

Honestly, you'd think that waiting in line talking with friends and family was worse torture than going to the dentist. Yeah, the humidity in FL is worse than CA. And while some of the rides have really good wait areas, many don't. But you still get to hang out with friends and family, people watch, sip on the drink you got before getting on line, anticipate the ride and argue over whether you want the front or back of the BTMR train.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be doing as much as you can to minimize wait times, I certainly do. But patience and waiting seem to be lost skills, to everyones disadvantage.