Best Time for Disney

[mkhelms]

Need some advise. We took the kids for their first Disney trip this past September and had an awesome time. We would like to go back again next year. We loved it in September but I am a teacher and it was frowned down upon to take off the third week in school.
I was going to book next summer but we went in June for our honeymoon and it was disgusting and so crowded. Our only other option would be to wait to the second week in August before I go back or do we dare try spring break-the week before Easter. Any ideas, or thoughts appreciated.

 

[tinkerlisa]

We hated going in the summer. It was so hot and crowded. The wait time for Splash Mountain was 7 hours Needless to say we did not go on it that time. The second time we went was in October. If you don't mind the crowds and have no plans for Thanksgiving, I heard that is a good time to go. And since you are a teacher, it will just be a long weekend! I guess what I am saying that I like going in the fall.

 

[holly7347]

Does your school have a fall break? We just went on our first WDW trip Oct 8- Oct 14. DD's fall break was Oct 9-14 so she was just out of school one day. It was very warm but not unbearable. And the crowds weren't too bad. I would like to go again in a couple years and I would totally do fall break again. I am also considering Christmas break just to see the Christmas decorations.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I would go in Oct for Fall break too, if you could. However, my sister just got back and she said that it was very crowded down there this year. I am looking at going either in Sept or Oct, next year too. Like you, if we go in Sept, I would have to pull all three kids out of school for a week, and I don't really want to do that.

It's so hard to decide.

 

[angelat]

I have a question about timing too...Last year we were considering September and our DS and DD teachers said that would be fine because they are pretty much reviewing and going over stuff from the year before during that time. We opted to wait until April due to financial considerations and went this year in April instead. Now we are again considering September next year. We'd like to go either 12-29 or 19-26 of September. Does anyone have any experience going around this time? Are the crowds ok? Is the heat unbareable?

 

[Jenvenza]

We hated going in the summer. It was so hot and crowded. The wait time for Splash Mountain was 7 hours Needless to say we did not go on it that time. The second time we went was in October. If you don't mind the crowds and have no plans for Thanksgiving, I heard that is a good time to go. And since you are a teacher, it will just be a long weekend! I guess what I am saying that I like going in the fall.

The wait was 7 hours???? I have never heard of a wait for ANY ride being 7 hours, even in the summer. I have seen wait times of 120 minutes - which is insane - but never 420 minutes!

 

[tinkerlisa]

Yeah I am pretty sure it was 7 hours! All i know is when we calculated the time, it would have been 10:30 by the time we got on the ride! unless there was something wrong with the time on their part(mechanical error)

 

[vcr]

I think she's talking about fastpass wait time. I've definitely seen fastpasses sell out quickly, with getting one in the morning and not having a time on it until night.

 

[justwinnie]

We usually go in September or October. It's still pretty hot--high 80s - 90s and humid. The crowds have been getting bigger and bigger over the past few years with free dining and the Halloween parties starting in mid-Sept now. And crowds are always a bit higher around holiday weekends.

Being from New Jersey, we'll be going during "Jersey week" from now on since my daughter is in school. Next year will be our first Jersey week trip. I don't love the timing (1st week in November), since it's post-Halloween and pre-Christmas decorations. But the crowds are supposed to be relatively low. Just all my neighbors!

We went in early October this year and it was so horribly rainy and hot this time! Miserable! It's unusual to have so much rain in October though.

 

[SarahD]

Not so pre-Christmas! Christmas decorations start going up November 1st.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Not so pre-Christmas! Christmas decorations start going up November 1st.

I have news for you - the castle already had the lights on it and the Osborne Lights are in progress. Though obviously nothing is lit yet, but they "start going up" in September!

Depending on where you teach, there are usually a few school holidays in the fall that maybe you can work around - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippour, Columbus Day, Election Day, or Veterans Day (yes, our NYC schools are closed for all of the above). Maybe it'll be easier to add a day or 2 to a holiday week than take an entire week off.

 

[daisy1234]

What about Jan or Feb...aren't these the lowest crowd times???? No hot weather to worry about????