In light of Irma...

[patty57]

Thanks for correcting the date. I'm sure you remember that like I remember the Blizzard of 77!

Are you talking about the blizzard in the northeast? That was 78.

 

[NJlauren]

I would book, get insurance and hope for the best. If you need to cancel you need to cancel, it happens and you make the best of it.

That's just me, if I booked around weather I would never get to travel.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Go when you can go but be ready and open to change things around if there is a hurricane.

 

[PSUGuy]

FWIW last year we were sweating out Matthew, due to fly down the Wed. after that storm hit. Didn't stop us from booking a Nov 2 - 11 trip this year and nothing that happens will stop us from using our APs a week or 2 earlier in 2018. Ya pays yer money and ya take yer chances.

Bill From PA

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Having left to come home 2 days into our trip with 4 to go, I will never go during September again.

We have gone at all times of year, including September a few times. This has ruined September for me completely.

I'll take high crowds in spring or at Christmas, potentially unpredictable fluctuating hot/cold weather in January, etc.

Bad weather can happen anytime, but going in September is just too much of a hurricane risk at this point. On any trip it can rain every day. But not every trip has a high hurricane probability. I'll take wall to wall people if I get to be there and not worry about an impending hurricane. I went for low September crowds and instead I got to come home early. No thanks.

 

[CAS239]

Don't worry about hurricanes. Plan your trip when you want to plan it. Far less than 50% chance there will be another hurricane that makes landfall next year.

Here in Florida we don't get hurricanes making land fall every year

 

[Jennasis]

September will continue to be our trip of choice.

 

[tink1970]

I don't think it would prevent me from attending IF I didn't live on the Gulf Coast. After 2004 (Ivan) I don't leave my home/pets (pets most importantly) in Aug, Sept, or Oct. That's just me. If I lived in Iowa (I love Iowa, so that's why I used it as an example, that and it's not on the beach) I'd be enjoying the lower crowds and pricing of WDW. Agree with other PPs who recommend trip insurance and being flexible, but sure, make plans

Here in Florida we don't get hurricanes making land fall every year

Knock on wood!

 

[focusondisney]

Are you talking about the blizzard in the northeast? That was 78.

No. Buffalo NY's blizzard of 77. January 28. 29. 30.

 

[olliesmom]

We have traveled to Disney in September three times (2011, 2013 and 2014) and have never had an issue. I wouldn't hesitate to book another September trip, but I would approach it with the thought that it's always possible I could need to cancel or reschedule due to a hurricane. We always purchase trip insurance for peace of mind regardless of the location of the trip and the time of year.

 

[AndreaA]

Well, I pulled the trigger and booked next September, 21-29. Arriving on a Friday thru the following Saturday. At least a little later in the season, so hopefully a decreased hurricane possibility.

I'm toying with the idea of booking in end of October as well. If I wait to pay it off until 30days before, I can cancel if our planned trip goes without a hitch and not even have to wait for a refund other than the original $200. Just not crazy about having to book multiple dining reservations, etc.!

Is that even crazier sounding??

 

[Micca]

With respect to the original question "Will October be super busy from people rescheduling?"--there's a thread over on the Resort board where people are posting their experiences canceling/re-scheduling their trips and many are saying they are simply going a few days later(i.e. later next week.)

 

[tink2007]

My husband made the comment perhaps we should not have chosen September for our trip. I explained to him the last time I was there in September there was no hurricane or threat of one. The way I look at it, I cannot plan a trip around the weather. Weather is unpredictable. Crazy weather can happen anywhere, anytime. If I planned things around what may or may not happen I would probably never leave the house out of fear of "something" happening. I say go with works best for you and your family.

My husband and I have been every September for the past 5 or 6 years and have always lucked out with the weather. Suppose to leave Wednesday for Disney then go on our 4th Disney cruise.
We're just waiting to see what Irma does.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

We just left. Last Saturday to today. We were literally the last flight out this afternoon. Other than the little stress of maybe not making it out today, this week was amazing. Super low crowds, hardly rained on us, and the decorations were so fun. We rode Toy Story Mania 4 times in a row! I'd highly recommend September.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

We made a Sept trip one year, only because DH's vacation schedule is pretty much carved in stone once it is approved for the year. Originally, we were looking at a European destination, so Sept made sense, but plans change and we ended up at WDW. Never a bad thing! However, I would never deliberately plan to visit is Sept again. We have never experienced heat and humidity like that and we were also ...fortunate... enough to enjoy record amounts of rainfall. Heavy. Every day. For hours. All the rain and electrical storms did nothing to ease the humidity, either. Definitely NOT my favourite month in Florida.

On the plus side, crowds were certainly low. Probably impacted by the rain. It was not uncommon to only have a few other foolish mortals in our sights! F&W is no picnic in that weather. Literally. It is completely understandable that CMs are not leFt out in those little kiosks with the threat of lightening nearby, but it was so much the norm during our visit, so there were many places that never opened while we were there (for 2 weeks!)

We persevered, had fun in our own soggy way. Even went to MNSSHP, beautiful when we got off the monorail, torrential rain by the time we were inside. Parade cancelled. Boo to Us, we called it. But no lines! I seriously did not mind the rain as much as the never ending heat. Back to early Nov for this trip!

 

[VictoriaT]

No. Buffalo NY's blizzard of 77. January 28. 29. 30.

We had it too, on the Michigan west coast. Two years in a row, 1977 and 1978!

September was one of the few month's we had not visited WDW, so we thought we would celebrate DSis 40th birthday. We arrive the 20th, knew there's always a chance of hurricanes during that time.

 

[nicolispicoli]

From reading every page of the massive Irma thread, my only suggestion would be to not book a flight through the Disney vacation package. That seemed to be an issue for some people to cancel.

Also, definitely get the insurance if you can. Most everyone didn't have issues losing money under the circumstances, but the insurance can only help fill some of the loopholes.

 

[Kaytie]

If you skip hurricane season, there will be five months you can't travel.

Six. June 1 through November 30. Or this season could mimic 2005, when the tropical storm activity lasted into January.

The neighbors had a hole cut in their house because they were having a fireplace installed and they nearly froze!

In January? Why?

 

[fla4fun]

Six. June 1 through November 30. Or this season could mimic 2005, when the tropical storm activity lasted into January.

In January? Why?

Six is correct. Math was never my strong point . . .

As to the fireplace, I don't know. I am sure my parents knew, but as a kid I was more fascinated by the fact that their toilet froze solid and cracked. They stayed in a closet with a kerosene lamp trying to keep warm. The basement of our house, even with no power to run the furnace, stayed around 65. We had a gas stove, so we kept soup and hot chocolate going the whole time. We felt so bad for them.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've never gone in September because I know that plans being up in the air like that at the last minute would really stress me out. Anticipation is part of the vacation experience for me, and I just couldn't relax with hurricane worries. I always figured that's why they had free dining in September - to coax people to go because so many felt the same way.

I do think that climate change will bring more and larger storms in general, so I will continue to avoid that time.