Early September dates

[Pdollar88]

My next trip to WDW is in a bit less than a month and I’m already starting to plan the *next* one.

I’m thinking of September 8-12. I know that those dates were affected by Irma last year.

Are those still normally good travel dates? As in weather and crowds? I remember it being dead in September when I was in the college program.

 

[ohiotodds12]

We usually leave to go down the Sunday of Labor day and stay for a few weeks. We have done this every year for the last 12. We were stuck in Irma last year and it worked out well, Disney was terrific. It has been way busier the last few years then it used to be. Still very hot but we know that going in. We are talking 90+ with 90% humidity, and typical rain in the afternoon. The crowds were way down obviously during the hurricane but got really busy a few days after that. Disney has done a great job in getting people in during the slower times that is why the Food and Wine was done earlier last year and it showed on the weekends.

 

[mamamelody2]

Those dates will be some of the least-crowded of the year. BUT, that doesn't in any way mean it will be empty. There isn't any "dead" time anymore.
It will be HOT, humid, and usually rains a lot.
We are planning to go this year for Labor Day week, basically because crowds should be about as low as possible and my kids will only miss 4 days of school instead of 5.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We will be there 9/1-9/8, as it's my daughter's birthday and she'll only miss 2.5 days of school. We are fully prepared for the crazy weather, as we are from south Louisiana. We were there at crazy crowd times, so we are hoping for it to be a little calmer. Looking forward to pool time on this trip, too!

 

[iheartglaciers]

It seems hard to say. I was there for those dates in 2014 and felt the crowd level was very low. Most rides were under a 10 minute wait and even the super popular ones were generally under 40 minutes. We were lucky with the weather, besides the humid heat and afternoon rain, the weather was nice. There's always some risk for hurricanes during that time, but there's nothing you can do about it except change dates.

However, I remember hearing in 2015 (or might have been 2016) September was super crowded. People were speculating it had to do with school holidays and that maybe it was an anomaly. But, as you know, every time of year at Disney has gotten more crowded over the years.

 

[A01]

My next trip to WDW is in a bit less than a month and I’m already starting to plan the *next* one.

I’m thinking of September 8-12. I know that those dates were affected by Irma last year.

Are those still normally good travel dates? As in weather and crowds? I remember it being dead in September when I was in the college program.

I heard from our travel agent that things will look a little different but they are working hard to get things done.

 

[gatorlisa]

September in Florida you do have the risk of tropical storms, but in Central FL, the risk is pretty low. I would not hesitate to plan a trip in September from that perspective. The weather in September in Central FL can be pretty brutal if you aren't used to heat and humidity. I'm from Florida and live in Georgia and even I was a little grossed out at how quickly and how much I sweated on my trip this past September. That said, many attractions are indoors or at least under coverings with fans going. You can get free water at any time from any quick service food location. If you stay hydrated, it's really not that bad. Again, wouldn't hesitate to plan a trip in September. Low crowd times like I remember from the late 90s and early 2000s do not exist anymore, but September is still a relatively low crowd time. By Labor Day, all schools are pretty much back in session and it's early enough in the year that not too many people are pulling kids out of school for family vacations. While the weekends were pretty busy, we found the week days much less so and quite enjoyable. If you can handle the heat and humidity, I think it's a great time to go.

 

[anniemae]

All schools are back on session right after Labor day. Early Sept is one of the slowest times of the year to visit Disney. Weather is still hot though and still hurricane season.

 

[Jennasis]

The week following Labor Day is our go-to time to visit. Great weather and less crowds (not LOW...just LESS).

 

[A01]

My next trip to WDW is in a bit less than a month and I’m already starting to plan the *next* one.

I’m thinking of September 8-12. I know that those dates were affected by Irma last year.

Are those still normally good travel dates? As in weather and crowds? I remember it being dead in September when I was in the college program.

Our travel agent told us that all Disney Cruise Lines get sold out and they travel a little bit more than others. She also said that Disney is more concerned about the passengers safety so they take other routes to avoid the route of the hurricane if there is bad weather. It will be our first time taking a cruise during hurricane season. She said we wouldn't have a problem during our cruise but if we are concerned we should book a different date. She said that the islands that were hit hard they are constantly rebuilding and the places for ports will still be beautiful for picture taking.

 

[bluejasmine]

We always go in Sept bc of our anniversary...

 

[focusondisney]

Our travel agent told us that all Disney Cruise Lines get sold out and they travel a little bit more than others. She also said that Disney is more concerned about the passengers safety so they take other routes to avoid the route of the hurricane if there is bad weather. It will be our first time taking a cruise during hurricane season. She said we wouldn't have a problem during our cruise but if we are concerned we should book a different date. She said that the islands that were hit hard they are constantly rebuilding and the places for ports will still be beautiful for picture taking.

The OP was asking about WDW, not the Disney Cruise ships.

 

[Momma_Lanier]

We always go within those first 2 weeks of September. We will be there 9/1-9/14 this year. We were there during Irma last year and it was our best trip yet. Obviously, the crowds were low but Disney did a wonderful job handling everything! As long as you can take the heat, September is great!

 

[JerseyJanice]

School will be closed in much of the northeast on Monday, 9/10 and Tuesday, 9/11 for Rosh Hashanah. I would expect higher crowds that weekend.

Don’t forget to factor the MNSSHP into your planning. MK will be closing at 6:00 PM three or four nights per week.

 

[Dsny4fun]

Labor day week is one of the slowest weeks, we loved it. We extended our trip a few days longer because of Irma....the second week of Sept was way more crowded than the first week...it was also very hot (90+) and very humid

 

[OneinThree]

September in Florida you do have the risk of tropical storms, but in Central FL, the risk is pretty low.

I wouldn't plan my trips based on the possibility of a storm, but Central Florida, "low risk"?

August and September are the best of the worst in terms of crowds these days but others have said, if you're not used to the heat and 76+ dewpoints, be prepared.

 

[gatorlisa]

View attachment 304698
I wouldn't plan my trips based on the possibility of a storm, but Central Florida, "low risk"?

I suppose it's all a matter of perspective. I am from the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast and have experienced quite a few tropical storms and hurricanes. As far as Florida goes, Orlando is inland and is less impacted by tropical systems. Disney has closed due to weather only five times in its 46-year history. I definitely wouldn't hesitate to go in September even though that's around the peak of hurricane season. In fact, I was there last year and had to leave a day early to get out ahead of Irma and will still be there the same week this year.

 

[OneinThree]

I definitely wouldn't hesitate to go in September even though that's around the peak of hurricane season. In fact, I was there last year and had to leave a day early to get out ahead of Irma and will still be there the same week this year.

Although I've agreed that I also would not hesitate to go during hurricane season, I couldn't disagree more about the hurricanes and Central Florida. I've spent the better part of the last 2 decades in the state, and have been hit directly by 5 hurricanes. 3 of them in Orlando, and 2 in N. Central Florida. The peninsula's only so wide, and I wouldn't categorize any of it as "low risk" for hurricanes, except maybe the "Northwest Gulf Coast". Here are the tracks for the last 100 years.