Downside to going in the Fall?

[lisabor]

I am just beginning to plan for our first family trip to Disney with DH, DS5 and DD3. We have tentatively decided to go in mid-September with hopes of also catching the shuttle launch while we are in Orlando.

I have read that crowds are less this time of year with school being back in session etc. But was wondering about the downsides of this time of year. In your experience should I be concerned with bad weather (ie hurrricanes, heat)? Rides being closed for maintenance? Reduced hours? Are any of the special events or parades seasonal?

Any advice or things to think about are greatly appreciated. I would hate to get down there and find out I totally screwed up!!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

We love September. It's great-- low crowds, few refurbs, and the hours aren't bad at all. The downside is, it's HOT. Not unbearable hot, but it's a pace yourself, take breaks, and keep hydrated kind of hot. We never ran into a hurricane, either.

Oh! and a good thing-- MNSSHP!! That's fun, we really liked it, and would do it again.

 

[crysplefty]

Mid-September is generally a very active part of hurricane season.

 

[Tristen79]

It is still relatively hot in september so you just as she said pace it and it'll be fine, but with a 3 and 5 in tow im sure you'll be on their clock

Have fun!

 

[kalc12345]

The only real downside is the weather. It is still pretty hot and you also have hurricane season. We were at Disney the end of Sept into October this past year. No hurricanes but man was it HOT!!!!!

 

[donaldsgirl]

We ALWAYS go in sept. It is the best BEST time to go. Because of the light crowds you don't miss any reduced hours from the parks. It isnt uncommon to do 2 entire parks in 1 day. Normally you just WALK onto rides, if it says a 10 minute wait, that probably means it takes 10 minutes to walk to the front of the ride.. We have no trouble at all getting dining reservations, still hot enough to enjoy the pool and water parks. Be prepared to refuse to go any other time of the year!! You will be spoiled!!! Most everything is cheaper ect. just have to pay attention to the parade and fireworks schedule so you don't miss anything you want to see

 

[acourtwdw]

Two words :FREE DINING.

We usually love to go in September but since the start of free dining, it has become more crowded. It used to be walk on the rides and eat where ever, when ever. Not anymore. It is still tolerable but be prepared to wait for everything. I'm not saying 2 hour wait times but 60 minutes at least for some E rides.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[AirGoofy]

We loved September. Before children were in school, we used to go 1st week of September after Labor Day. The only downside was the hot weather, but the small crowds were great.

 

[Pixie Princess]

As other posters have said the heat and humidty are up there. We went over labor day weekend a couple of years ago, and it was fantastic trip. Crowds were the lightest we've ever experienced. The longest wait was 20 minutes for any ride. It did rain every day we were there, but just those pop up afternoon showers. Also, September is the most active hurricane month.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Feeling like you're boiling hot, shorter hours, more refurbs, hurricanes on our trip 2 sept.s ago we caught Hannah on the way there and got stuck by Ike on the way back. It's not just if a hurricane hits Orlando, it's if there's a storm anywhere along your path that can affect you. I found the stress of it too much to make a Sept. trip worth a repeat performance. I know a lot of people love it, and I sure did love free dining, but I couldn't do it again.

 

[donaldsgirl]

We were there last sept., and there was free dining but it wasnt very bad at all. The only thing we used the fast pass on (line more than 15-20 minutes) was Everest. No problems making dining reservations. We even got Chef Mickey's at 6:45pm which is incredibly difficult, however I will say that last year they were accepting dining reservations at 60+10 days so I am sure that worked in our favor. There was a little more people there at that time than what we were used to but it didn't slow us down at all.

 

[tam626]

We went in Sept. last year & really liked it. We're going again this Sept. It was hot but not unbearable & my asthma only acts up during humid days & I did fine. Not much rain, a shower here & there.

 

[littlbugmom]

We went the last week of Sept in '05. It was super hot and super crowded. Too hot and crowded for us!

 

[julirina]

I think more parents are pulling kids out of school for Disney trips than they used to -- we found September to be much more crowded in 2008 than it was in 1996 (I'm sure free dining contributes to the crowds, too). Lots of littles, too (preschool and under). And it is very, very, VERY hot, and you do have hurricanes to contend with. We squeaked in between Ike and Josephine in '08 but it was pretty up in the air for the few days before our trip. It's not stress-free, but it's still a decent time to go as long as you're prepared for the possibilities.