Does this sound right.. About September trip.. Uh oh!!

[Kristine316]

I just got off the phone with the WDW customer service. I tried to do some tweeking of my resort package. I really only wanted to add one night. We are arriving on the 8th of September and staying 5 nights and we wanted to add a 6th night. According to the cast member the CSR was booked solid.. So I asked her if that was just the FD rooms that were gone or the entire resort was booked, and I guess the resort is totally booked. So then I asked her to check other resorts for availability with or without the FD promotion, and nothing was available!! Every moderate resort on the 13th was booked solid!! And the only Deluxe resort with availability was the Yacht Club in a suite!! That was 5000 more than what I was originally booked at!!
I guess there was availability at a couple of the values but, "not much" according to her...

She kept saying... "September is going to be so busy this year"... She repeated this like several times at least.
She told me how lucky I was to have my package because so many were calling the past week or so trying to book September.


We have been to WDW in the later part of September and even though it wasn't dead or anything,it wasn't horribly crowded either. That was 3 years ago though... So I guess things have changed!! I thought that week after Labor Day was suppose to be pretty quiet, that's why we choose that week.. Well WDW quiet, which means not too bad. Lol


I did notice I was having a heck of a time finding availability at restaurants when I have tried to change some ADRs but, just figured it was the FD.


Are the resorts always booked solid that time of year because of the FD?? I'm just curious if this is a normal thing or an indicator of it being much busier than A typical week after Labor Day in September??
Thoughts?

 

[jolene63]

This worries me too. Our school district (in metro Atlanta) is having a fall break this year. We were so excited to be able to go the end of September and see WDW in the fall. All of our trips have been in the winter or summer. We have always heard that it's way less crowded in September. I guess it won't be this year.

 

[bbjunkie]

At our recent trip we had the opportunity to spend some time talking to a CM manager in the Magic Kingdom. In the conversation, someone asked when the "least-crowded, best time to visit" would be. She said this, "there is no such thing as a time when it isn't crowded anymore. Ever since Frozen, the parks are always crowded, and the resorts fill up. Frozen was a game-changer for Disney. You can't even imagine the impact it has had on everything. Whatever you are picturing, multiply it by 10, and you might still be underestimating the power of Frozen."

So, there you go...

 

[Dentam]

We are going Sept. 5th-12th and were hoping for low crowds. This makes me worried!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

OP, I think you need to call back and talk to someone else. I just put the dates 9/8-9/14 into MDE and CSR is totally available. If you're willing to pay the non-discounted rate for the extra night, you should be able to add a night easily. The CM was probably trying to extend your FD offer, which why it wasn't working. If you want to try to get the discount extended for the extra night, ask the CM to contact Guest Services. They may be willing to extend the offer to you for your extra night since rooms are so clearly available.

If all else fails, go into MDE and book a room yourself for one night. I ran the one night through myself just now and again, there is availability showing at CSR. I'm not sure what that CM was trying to do, but whatever it was appears to be wrong.

 

[PoohsHunnyBee]

Plenty of availability for most resorts with the late summer room offer. From my quick search out of curiosity, it looks like standard view at CSR isn't available at the moment, but preferred is. Lots of options other than a Yacht Club suite! Sorry about your bad CM luck!

 

[Kristine316]

Well.. Wow is all I can muster.

Why would she tell me all this bad information??? Totally perplexed right now.

It sounds like I need to call back tomorrow and talk to someone else.

She kept saying how busy it was going to be. I don't know if I got the best customer service there... Lol.

A big thanks to those who checked into things... Maybe some of you should work for WDW?? I think I got better customer service from you then at the 1-800 number. Gotta laugh about things right? Lol

 

[PoohsHunnyBee]

Well.. Wow is all I can muster.

Why would she tell me all this bad information??? Totally perplexed right now.

It sounds like I need to call back tomorrow and talk to someone else.

She kept saying how busy it was going to be. I don't know if I got the best customer service there... Lol.

A big thanks to those who checked into things... Maybe some of you should work for WDW?? I think I got better customer service from you then at the 1-800 number. Gotta laugh about things right? Lol

Unfortunately, people often report getting bad information from Disney CMs. You can check availability for the late summer room discount or non-discounted rooms and book yourself online, but if you want to see if you can add the day to your FD reservation that does require a phone call.
It's possible availability is that limited for the FD offer, but as you specified it could be without that promotion... If you get obviously bad information again, ask to speak to a supervisor/manager.

Slow times are busier than they used to be, but as you understand the definition of "WDW quiet" I think you should be quite happy with your chosen dates.

 

[Dug720]

The week after Labor Day has Rosh Hashanah on Monday and Tuesday, so I know all of the NYC public schools are out. Possibly other systems where there are large Jewish populations. So I know a lot of people are looking at the long 4-day weekend as a bonus time to get a last minute vacation in.

 

[PoohsHunnyBee]

Yeah, Night of Joy's the weekend OP is there too. Plenty of people will go to Disney in September, but the resorts are nowhere close to booked to capacity at the moment unless the Disney website is seriously malfunctioning.

 

[Accident]

My experience the last year is frozen + the interesting promotions has the place always crowded. This year with labor day being sept 7th, there's a lot of people not in school yet so it's going to be full summer packed at the start of sept. Combine that with some other special events, florida resident promotions, food festival, halloween starting don't expect it not crowded. The Chew plans to be filming as part of the food festival, I'm sure that attracted some others to come in. Going by the new promotions that came out last week which are only good for weekday visits, weekdays are less crowded and weekends aren't.

I happen to be going that last week up to labor day but staying a few extra days and plan to take it slow and enjoy it. I'm expecting to need to hit places I want to do things a couple times at least to take it in.

 

[fla4fun]

Another thing to remember is that just because Disney's resorts are busier, it doesn't mean that Orlando as a whole is busier. Disney works hard to fill those rooms in the slower seasons, so the resorts are usually busy as usual. But you won't have nearly as many off property guests because the off property hotels won't be as busy. I have been visiting WDW for years during the week after Labor Day, and although FD has made the resorts and restaurants busier, the attractions still have very minimal lines. In fact, I joked to my sister the last couple years that people were going to WDW and just running from restaurant to restaurant, and not going to the attractions at all - that's how it felt most days.

Doesn't the big Frozen summer thing end on Labor Day anyway?

 

[ocalla]

I've spoken to 5 different people (1 who is there as I type this) all of whom go every year in July, and ALL of them have said this is the slowest they have ever seen it. Several CM's have told them this year has been very slow.

I think that CM you spoke to might need more schooling on the reservation side of things!! Call again!

 

[anniemae]

I truly believe there is no slow time anymore, it's just very busy or really busy. All the specials, free dining, Frozen etc. have added to crowds. Plus, so many schools get fall breaks now. Also, Labor Day is very late this year so many kids are not going back to school until the 8th, 9th or 10th of Sept. I know of 3 families going the first week of Sept, before school starts. So I agree that it will be very busy this Sept.

 

[ocalla]

P.S. Someone mentioned on another board that many conferences block rooms at those resorts, but come sometime in August the unsold rooms will be released back to inventory.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

We will be there 9/12-9/19 and if you go by touringplans crowd calendar it will be 1 and 2 crowd levels that week-fingers crossed they have it right.

As far as the CM OP got to speak with, definitely call back and if need be ask to speak to guest services, no way it's booked solid, but the FD promotion may be available.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We are going Sept. 5th-12th and were hoping for low crowds. This makes me worried!

We're there then too. Don't worry it'll be fine. If the parks get crowded go enjoy the waterparks, take a backstage tour, each some cheesecake and have a beer. Lots to do when the parks are busy.

 

[mom2rtk]

Once the last of the late start schools are in session, the parks will have some of the lowest crowds of the year. Parents just don't take kids out right after the first day. They wait a few weeks. It's part of the reason free dining exists. (That and hurricane season).

Rule #1: Don't believe everything the phone CM's tell you.

Even the Disney resorts have high occupancy, you have no idea what the occupancy is offsite.

 

[jhaig]

I wouldn't worry. We go every year after Labor Day and the crowds are small. You still need FP for rides like Mine Train, TSM, Soarin etc but wait times are manageable. Restaurants are busier because of FD.

 

[innoculation]

Hope this helps you. I just added 2 nights at FW Cabins.Sept 6-7 to extend our stay.