Do I keep my Sept vacation?

[NicholeB630]

So we have a trip planned in September from the 9-18th. Nine nights, 5 park days and 3 days off. I had a lot of reservation about it before but then decided after asking many questions to keep that time frame. Because I was worried about crowds. Now seeing how Jan is going the other "Low" time (which I know is no such thing anymore) I am really worried. I get its gonna be crowded all the time I get its never gonna be empty. But its not enjoyable with little kids and hardly being able to walk and having to wait all day to ride things. Sure I'll wait a few times I don't expect to get on every ride in 10 minutes. BUT I don't want to wait 40+ min to ride everything except the 3 fast passes we planned. I don't want to seem negative but it seems this is how its going to be all the damn time. For such a freaking expensive vacation I don't know if I want to risk not even enjoying it. Back in December 2014 when we went it was great. Crowds were a 4//5/6 I think and it was so manageable. Other than the Christmas party night and Saturday at AK crowds were not bad at all for most of the time. We did everything we wanted to do. Walked around comfortably with people around, didn't wait super long for anything, met tons of characters it was a great trip. Now Sept I'm am thinking will be a 1/2/3 prediction which you'd think would be lower crowds then early December but how things look like they are going I'm afraid its really not gonna be like that at all again. We do Rope Drop, we do 60 day FP planning, we do ADR at 180 days. I know how to tour now. BUT with all that said. Even if we do that all that and then Noon rolls around everyday at each park and its jammed packed how are you to enjoy the rest of your day. I don't know I know I'm being a pessimist but Im also being a realist. What do you all think?

 

[a742246]

September is one of the least crowded months, weekdays should be very good to attend the parks. Maybe take the weekends off! September can get hot and humid though!

 

[NicholeB630]

I'm not worried about heat bc both our past trips it's been cold!! I'm looking forward to it being hot

 

[mshanson3121]

September, especially that time frame, is typically a very low crowd time, because people are just starting back into school. I would just keep your plans. However, coming from someone who traveled during summer with crowd levels of 8 & 9, you can have a VERY enjoyable trip even when it's busy and crowded, without waiting hours for rides, if you just tour and book FP+ smartly.

 

[NicholeB630]

September, especially that time frame, is typically a very low crowd time, because people are just starting back into school. I would just keep your plans. However, coming from someone who traveled during summer with crowd levels of 8 & 9, you can have a VERY enjoyable trip even when it's busy and crowded, without waiting hours for rides, if you just tour and book FP+ smartly.

Thanks thats what I'm hoping. I just see how this month is going and its supposed to be lower crowds as well. Though I feel like Sept should still be lower because like you said people going back to school. Of course there will be people like me who still take their kids out but we go back in Aug. I know so many places still go back after Labor day and I def wouldn't take my kid out the week after school started.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

If you go at rope drop, eat an early lunch and plan fastpasses for 12, 1, 2 for top level attractions you can have a fun and successful day at Disney pretty much any day of the year (and more-so during the Jan/Feb or Sept time-frames). By hitting rope drop with a plan you'll be one step ahead of the crowds for the first few hours. After 2pm move on to shows and other attractions don't generate a long wait or get a 4th fastpass for a lower tier attraction.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Also - with that many days you should be able to be flexible on which parks which days so if you go to a recommended park each day (my choice is EasyWDW) then you're even that much better off!

 

[han22735]

We went the 9-19 in September 2015 and we had a great time. The crowds were very manageable. We were able to get 7-10 FP's at MK on our days there. I'd go in Sept at any chance we could. So enjoy your trip and I wouldn't stress over it.

 

[Alesia]

We generally when the crowd levels are 8's and 9's and have never, ever waited 40 minutes for anything. Having a good plan makes all the difference.

 

[xlsm]

We are summer travelers because of school schedules, and honestly, even on 9 and 10 level days, the longest we've had to wait in a line was 35 minutes. It just takes some planning and good time management. I use EasyWDW for crowd calendars, but even though I use that as my primary base for planning which days we go where, we don't always follow it to the letter because we like to do certain parks on certain days of our trip (we begin with DHS or MK, and ALWAYS end at the MK, regardless of whether or not they are the recommended park).

You can do so much first thing in the morning.

Have fun on your trip

 

[anniemae]

I would keep it. It's one of the best times to go.

 

[MrInfinity]

So we have a trip planned in September from the 9-18th. Nine nights, 5 park days and 3 days off. I had a lot of reservation about it before but then decided after asking many questions to keep that time frame. Because I was worried about crowds. Now seeing how Jan is going the other "Low" time (which I know is no such thing anymore) I am really worried. I get its gonna be crowded all the time I get its never gonna be empty. But its not enjoyable with little kids and hardly being able to walk and having to wait all day to ride things. Sure I'll wait a few times I don't expect to get on every ride in 10 minutes. BUT I don't want to wait 40+ min to ride everything except the 3 fast passes we planned. I don't want to seem negative but it seems this is how its going to be all the damn time. For such a freaking expensive vacation I don't know if I want to risk not even enjoying it. Back in December 2014 when we went it was great. Crowds were a 4//5/6 I think and it was so manageable. Other than the Christmas party night and Saturday at AK crowds were not bad at all for most of the time. We did everything we wanted to do. Walked around comfortably with people around, didn't wait super long for anything, met tons of characters it was a great trip. Now Sept I'm am thinking will be a 1/2/3 prediction which you'd think would be lower crowds then early December but how things look like they are going I'm afraid its really not gonna be like that at all again. We do Rope Drop, we do 60 day FP planning, we do ADR at 180 days. I know how to tour now. BUT with all that said. Even if we do that all that and then Noon rolls around everyday at each park and its jammed packed how are you to enjoy the rest of your day. I don't know I know I'm being a pessimist but Im also being a realist. What do you all think?

Hehe isn't to say one is a pessimist and a realist the same as saying you believe the world really is a pessimistic place?

You're overthinking it. It's a theme park. Go and enjoy being in a happy place with 50,000 other people also doing the same, or don't go, but this is stressful just reading. You've planned the things you can plan, from here on no one can guarantee you low or high crowds. Expect some lines, and avoid them by going at better times of the day and doing the planning you've done. Nothing is significantly different from when you went in 2014 except you're a year older. If you read prior to your last trip out here, you would have gotten the same impression... only FastPass was newer back then so the sentiment was even worse. It will be awful, not as good as FP-, lines are long, kiosks don't work, blah blah. Yet you had a great time. Nothing is different now. Same complaints, same magical place, new amazing memories every time. Have fun & stop psyching yourself out about crowds in Disney World. They go hand in hand yet it always ends up being fun and there are ways to be a step ahead.

 

[anniebean]

September is my favorite time to go. Have fun!

 

[loves to dive]

Go enjoy, do early mornings then book your FP for later, with a little one and that many days and the heat you are probably going to want to take some time off in the afternoon anyway. We've always gone in September and even with F&W going on at Epcot I've never noticed it being so crowded you can't move.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

I agree with others that if you plan well, you can make any crowd level work. We were there in May last year, and many posted standby times were 40-60 minutes. However, we planned well: did some popular things at rope drop; scheduled FP+ for late morning; added more FP+ for the afternoon via kisok around lunch; took afternoon breaks and returned in the evening; etc. It worked for us with a two-year-old who was definitely not going to wait in line for anything.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Two points -

* We go almost every Sept and every other Jan - crowds are much lower in Sept after Labor Day than in Jan - much lower.
* By Sept the Epcot rides will be open again, so MK will see some relief as more people spend more time in Epcot.

 

[Raeven]

.

 

[NicholeB630]

Thanks all. You made me feel better. I think I have the right plans to make it a good trip. I am a bit concerned with the heat and humidity BUT we've been twice when its been cold and it will be SO nice to go and not wear jackets and tons of layers. I am looking forward to down days at the pool and relaxing. Luckily with so many indoor rides and shows we can get breaks from the sun. Plus lots of yummy treats. Do you all recommend starting FP's around 11:30 ish or later in the day? Some days we will take breaks and other days we wont depending on how late we think we will be at the park. Our halloween party day we are going to Monorail it over to Kona and have lunch there and take a break rather than going all the way back to AKL. That way we get out of heat and we can just relax in the lobby or get a dole whip and take our time without spending so much time traveling back and forth.

 

[NicholeB630]

Two points -

* We go almost every Sept and every other Jan - crowds are much lower in Sept after Labor Day than in Jan - much lower.
* By Sept the Epcot rides will be open again, so MK will see some relief as more people spend more time in Epcot.

This is great to know! Thanks!!!

 

[NicholeB630]

We went in September last year, and I heard a lot of people talking anout how the crowds were higher than in previous years too. However we didn't find them to be a problem at all. Epcot we didn't wait for anything, and got all of Future World we wanted to see done before 1 pm.

We got to Hollywood Studios later than usual but FPed anything major we wanted to do. Our longest wait was for Great Movie Ride (maybe a half hour) but we were entertained and if we did it earlier we probably wouldn't have had to wait as long. Fantasmic had an awful line (probably the most crowded part) but we got a last minute FP and good seats.

We did two days at MK lines weren't bad and we FPed anything known to have longer lines. (I think we did 7dmt, jungle cruise, peter pan ride, space mt for one fairytale hall for the other, festival of fantasty, and winnie the pooh). We did skip splash mt though and pirates was closed. We rode btrrm during the switch to Mnsshp. Our party was sold out, but we did the dessert party and I didn't think it was too crowded.

We didn't ride as many rides at Animal Kingdom because I wasn't feeling well, but again FPed what we really wanted, and didn't feel too crowded.

(We also didn't try to do our FPs in the morning to get more later, but we probably could've if we wanted).

This is good news thanks! How was the dessert party? I am so excited to do it. Honestly I think Id pay anything to have a space reserved for the parade and not stand in that mess on the street for fireworks? Any details or tips for that would be great!!!!