I never really set a date for when I thought WDW would open other than “not now and I don’t think very soon.”
I don’t know if the August 31 thing is true, but in some ways it could make sense. I suspect it could have been one of a few timing scenarios they considered.
- Labor Day week is already one of the slowest weeks of the year, since it’s right at the start of the school year.
- Schools would be (potentially, hopefully...) back in session in many places, and some parents would be less likely to pull their kids out to travel right at the beginning of the year, especially given this year’s school situation. Perhaps this timing would naturally keep crowds lower with locals and more couples, adults, families with kids younger than school age, etc.
Of course, the many rescheduled vacations could probably offset the potentially lower crowds that week. But, I personally know a few people (including myself) that won’t pull our kids out of school for a vacation at all next year, considering what happened this year. And especially not at the start. Coinciding with the start of the school year is an interesting thought.