Crowds and weather in Sept.?

[Jen4974]

Hello everyone!

My husband and I have been going in February for the last few years and have loved the lack of crowds and mild weather.

However, this year we bought annual passes and want to take a couple weeks in September too.

Can anyone tell me what the crowds are like in late Sept.? We are looking at the 16 - 24. I am hoping the kids will be back in school and the crowds will be thinner.

How about weather? We know it is going to be hotter then Feb. but hopefully not near as hot as June.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks so much!

 

[chyam]

The crowds are very manageable in Sept. but it is still pretty hot and humid and we usually get rain. If you could wait until early Oct. the weather becomes more pleasant and the crowds are still really manageable, not to mention you could partake in the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT! They have some good concerts lined up for this year along with all the great food and wine.:

keiki,binky& mouse my 3 beautiful white kitties!

 

[SnackyStacky]

The crowds drop off the day after labor day. They slowly increase throughout September and into October.

It's something of a trade-off. Lower crowd levels in September, but hotter weather. Although I found the weather to be very manageable with the lower crowd level.

October yields better weather with slightly higher crowd levels. (Note the use of the word slightly )

Either way you decide, it's Disney World! You'll have a fantastic time!!!

 

[Harambe]

But don't forget that October is regular season while September is value season!

 

[gctong]

We're going in around then too! Sept 17 - 25 and I hear it's a great time to go because it's still hot and much less crowded. Although awhile back, several more experienced dis-ers warned me of the harmless lovebugs. I'm just hoping that it won't be that bad with them flying around.

In February Jennymouse generously offered to look up the weather predictions from the Farmer's almanac and this is what she told me:

Sept 16-22 Partly sunny, scattered Tstorms. 23-30 Mostly sunny, warm.

Hope that helps and we'll see you there!

 

[frndofpooh]

We have been to WDW many times in September, and we will be returning this September. We have also been in March, May, July, October and December, and September is probably our favorite time. The crowds are very light. During our most recent September trip in September 2003, there were many rides that we walked on, and many others for which the wait was less than 5 mintues. The longest wait of the week was for Tower of Terror in the evening, for which we waited about 25 minutes. Even rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain had 5 minute lines, and Mission:Space and Test Track were less than 10 minutes about an hour after park opening.

As others have mentioned, one trade-off is the weather. It will be hot, but probably not unbearably so. The weather can be a plus if you like to go to the water parks or lay around at the resort pool. Also, keep in mind that many of the rides and attractions are indoor and air conditioned. It also tends to rain during September, but we have been very lucky over the years. We always come expecting rain, and it rarely materializes. When it comes at all, it usually only lasts for a short time. Having said that, statistics show that it rains more often in September than in many other months. Even in the rain, however, most of the rides keep operating and the crowds thin out even more. One of our best memories is riding the Animal Kingdom safari in the rain, when the animals were far more active than when it's not raining.

Another consideration for September is shorter park hours. The MK typically closes at about 7 or 8, AK at 5, Studios at 8, and Epcot at 9. This is not a problem for us, because we usually have our kids who are used to earlier nights and earlier mornings. Even if you're night owls, there's still plenty to do at night other than the parks, such as Downtown Disney or the Boardwalk. On balance, we think that September is one of the best times to go, but you should think about your own views on crowds, weather and park hours. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

 

[n2mm]

While this is value season and the crowds are at their lowest, it is also peak hurricane season and the three times we've been there the last few years we have had to deal with lots of rain. We were there once during a hurricane and went to AK that day. The attendance was about 1,000 people, so no wait. We were there one year and had lightening hit while in EPCOT (atleast that's what the news and CMs said) rained pretty good that night. And last year we were there, but managed to get out of town a day earlier because of Hurricane Isabel, fortunately for us, it hit at home and missed FL. It is as hot as August and humid as well. Love bugs tend to make their second appearance of the year during September too. The park hours are short and some things are not openned, but the crowds are very light. Restaurants at MGM close early because of the shorter park hours. Hope I didn't discourage you, because IMHO, anytime is a good time for a visit to WDW. There are pros and cons for every timeframe and month of the year. We have been during every month, so have experienced it all.