Hurricanes or Crowds? Pick my poison!

[nfouey]

Planning a 2018 MNSSHP trip and need your help DIS! Which would you pick!

 

[gap2368]

Do you know how many hurricanes have closed Disney world right? and you do know how long hurrican sesion is right?

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I picked the kids miss more school however the caveat is their ages/grades. I think this really depends on ages and grade level and of course your individual child. I say elementary school, no problem however, some older elementary age kids might be stressed out missing school if they are type A, not saying I have one of those at all If school has a more rigorous schedule it may be tough pulling them out. So if school is an issue, then my vote would move to crazy crowds 10/5

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Plus you would get to see MNSSHP

 

[nfouey]

Yes I am aware hurricane season runs June through November. I am also aware PEAK season is on September 10th. I also know it’s very rare for WDW to close (3 times) but unfortunately I was there for one of those so I am a bit hesitant!

 

[nfouey]

I picked the kids miss more school however the caveat is their ages/grades. I think this really depends on ages and grade level and of course your individual child. I say elementary school, no problem however, some older elementary age kids might be stressed out missing school if they are type A, not saying I have one of those at all If school has a more rigorous schedule it may be tough pulling them out. So if school is an issue, then my vote would move to crazy crowds 10/5

Thanks! Son would be in first grade and would miss 2 days. Daughter would not be in school yet so I’m the clear there! I like this date a lot too. Something about booking on the exact peak time of hurricane season stresses me out!

 

[eyeblaura]

I vote for the first week, we have been several years in early September and other then the heat and humidity and sporadic rain we have had no issues and taken our chances with hurricanes.

 

[HopperFan]

Yes I am aware hurricane season runs June through November. I am also aware PEAK season is on September 10th. I also know it’s very rare for WDW to close (3 times) but unfortunately I was there for one of those so I am a bit hesitant!

I get Irma was around Sept 10th but Matthew that also closed Disney World was the first week of October. Wilma who was quite a nasty lady crossed over about the third week in October. I don't think you can really predict when the bad ones will hit.

I've been going in Sept/October every year since 2006. I had to move my trip for Matthew but other than that I have rarely even had rain. I would never pick a trip based on hurricanes, the other factors would make my decision. Ones that are more predictable.

 

[Klayfish]

Yes I am aware hurricane season runs June through November. I am also aware PEAK season is on September 10th. I also know it’s very rare for WDW to close (3 times) but unfortunately I was there for one of those so I am a bit hesitant!

My understanding is that Irma was the 4th time WDW has ever closed. So, that means it's been open for 46 summers. Let's say the true hurricane season last 120 days. Quick math says that's well over 5000 days it's been open during peak hurricane season. It's closed 4 times now...that's a .0008% chance...at most. Really sorry you happened to have one of them, but the odds of it happening again are incredibly slim.

EDIT: I'll add that my vote is to go whenever you feel is best for your family. That's just my personal opinion. Hurricane odds are amazingly slim, as I noted above and I've never been one to really care if it's crowded or not. I'll take a trip to WDW any day of the year.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Is there any other time of year that would work for you? I know you want MNSSHP. But just because all of those dates run a hurricane risk. If you are worried about hurricanes I would avoid Sept and Oct. You are not in the clear even in Oct. Matthew hit in Oct!

We cut our trip short due to Irma. 2.5 day trip instead of 7. We swore we would never go during peak hurricane season again. It was so sad to leave. We won’t go at that time again. January or May for us now, then the typical busy school breaks once my two little ones are in school. I can handle big crowds. I can’t handle our whole trip being derailed due to a hurricane. Just not worth the risk to me now that it’s happened to us.

And yes, I realize any weather incident can happen at anytime, but Sept/Oct run the highest hurricane risk. 2 years in a row WDW was affected by hurricanes during the Sept/Oct. time frame. I’m done. But ... that’s just me and it’s probably due to the fact that we were impacted by this a month ago . It’s all so fresh! I’m not trying to be overly negative.

Bottom line - I think all those weeks are risky and I don’t think there’s a preferable one due to hurricane risk level. Just my opinion based on past hurricane dates. So, If MNSSHP is a must I’d pick one of the September dates with lower crowds.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I picked the first week - a hurricane can happen any of those weeks so may as well pick the time with less other negatives (less missed school, less crowds).

 

[MrsDuck]

Definitely hurricane season. You don't know there will be a hurricane. And, that's not even really peak season in FL anymore!

 

[nfouey]

I should note that we are DVC and AP holders. So this is a specific trip for MNSSHP. We are going in April 2018 and Jan 2019, so this trip is specifically for the party. Plus we will get a look at Toy Story land. But really our plan is to relax at the pool, got to the party, and a little of HS. There is not a lot of pressure on this trip to do everything by any means!

 

[KenHutch]

I had a friend whose family chose to stay there during Irma and he told me that his family had a great time low crowds before and after the storm and that his teenage girls had a blast staying at AKL during the storm.

 

[nfouey]

What do you all think the chances of an August MNSSHP date or two again? That could be an even better option. I know they had two dates this past year.

 

[mamamelody2]

What do you all think the chances of an August MNSSHP date or two again? That could be an even better option. I know they had two dates this past year.

Obviously it's a total guess, but I'd go with "likely."

 

[cgattis]

Thanks! Son would be in first grade and would miss 2 days. Daughter would not be in school yet so I’m the clear there! I like this date a lot too. Something about booking on the exact peak time of hurricane season stresses me out!

At those ages, I wouldn't even take school into consideration. Seriously. Once they get into middle school, It gets to be more of an issue. I had perfect attendance for 11 of my 12years of school, and know what it got me?? Nothing.

 

[nfouey]

Thanks all! We went with the 9/19 date. Two days total out of school, but crowds should be more manageable mid week. Less crowds will make the heat not as bad I hope! Thanks again for the feedback and input!

 

[tarheel618]

FYI Hurricane Season is June 1 until Dec 1 so all your dates are hurricane season. Ive lived here 18 years now and can only remember a few times DW was truly affected by hurricanes. I would pick the dates that work best for you, pray for the best and plan for the worst. Have fun

 

[jods]

1st grade and 2 days, miss school.