Is the heat of September worth the smaller crowds?

[erinch]

We spent several decades going only in July and August due to kids in school. Then we got a few opportunities to go in September instead. One time we lucked out with gorgeous weather and our first ever festival. And one time , as I reported above, we got locked down with an impending hurricane, which downgraded to a tropical storm, but severely impacted 3 days. We found many work arounds over the years for heat, humidity and rain. Including when we were young and foolish and went park open to close. Eat and indoors attractions in the afternoon. And marvel how things clear out after a monsoon. But if it will be a very active hurricane season, as I posted above, I would be serious about trip insurance and make sure to have the things along that make a big difference in a lockdown. If you read trip reports from those caught when a storm rolled in, preparing ahead of time made a big difference.

 

[lovethattink]

Lived in central Florida for 24 years. The heat and humidity in September are powerful. Just walking out of the house to get mail, or to get to the car, is cause for sweating.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Because it’s so easy to dehydrate. I ended up in the ER from dehydration and overheating at Epcot last year. And I know better!

Plan the outdoor queues and attractions for morning or after the sun goes down. Be aware, it’s still hot in the evening. Epcot is great on a hot or rainy day because so much is indoors. Stores and restaurants are a nice escape from the heat too.

Rain can be an issue because there are usually thunderstorms daily. But often you’ll be in an attraction and come out and find out it rained and already everything is dry.

It’s peak hurricane season, so that means less crowds. Also means flights can be delayed because of storms. So plan on being flexible just in case.

 

[kylenne]

It’s peak hurricane season, so that means less crowds. Also means flights can be delayed because of storms. So plan on being flexible just in case.

This is why we decided not to fly back home the same day we debark from the Wish and added an additional night back at Poly. I never like to fly home on debarkation day and always avoid it but I feel like it's imperative during peak hurricane season. I'll never forget when I went on my first cruise, in Europe, and watching our American table mates scrambling to change flights because Hurricane Irene messed up travel up and down the whole eastern seaboard. We were staying an extra week in Rome so were unaffected.

For this trip we also have insurance through a third party, for both halves of the trip. We plan to get more groceries than we normally do for the first part of the trip, and that last day we are staying CL. Tbh the way we like to tour the parks works out well for these hurricane season trips because we always avoid the peak heat and crowds at mid day by taking a long break back at the resort. I grew up doing that on family trips because we always went in late August for the lower crowds and prices (NYC schools always go back after Labor Day). I think as long as you prepare, take things a bit slower, and stay flexible it's a great time to go.

 

[Simba's Mom]

The heat is not worth the smaller crowds. This is why January is now our preferred time to go.

January WAS my favorite time to go until I had really cold temps and rain several times in 2 of the last 3 years. That's why I vowed to make my next trip in September. But from what I'm hearing here, my favorite time may soon go back to January.

 

[hertamaniac]

Are the love bug flies/swarming still an issue starting in mid-September? I alway try to leave by September 8 just as a few are arriving. I am not one of those people who say they don't bite and only stick to your chair or collect in the pool so it's very tolerable. Lovebugs are one of the few bugs that really do put a severe damper on my vacation. I haven't read the volume of complaints about them like I used to so maybe they are very rarely seen now? Could that be the case?

Thank you for any recent reports/experiences.

The end of August through September is the 2nd wave of our love bugs. It's true in that this past season I saw a fraction of them, and it was a very welcomed sight (or is it no sight?) in/on our lanai.

 

[bdrex28]

The last 3 years we've gone roughly September 9-16th.

Good and bad:

Crowds are lower as a whole, but you will get the weekend locals and evening locals coming for Food and Wine at Epcot.

It can get hot and steamy for sure and you're nearly guaranteed a thunderstorm every single day. We typically rope drop in the morning, then head to hotel or something around lunch then back out in the evening so the storms haven't typically been too inconvenient.

We've been caught at the park in torrential downpours though. So just be prepared.

We have an entire kit we pack for September as my wife despises the heat/humidity even though we lived in Texas and Oklahoma forever, you'd think she would be used to it:

Neck fan, usually two so they are always charged. She uses one while I charge the other in the backpack (waterproof one). We also typically panchos and extra panchos with ziploc bags to repack the wet one so it doesn't get everything else wet.

I couldn't care less about the heat and humidity. It is what it is.

Outside of that we love September.

 

[_19disnA]

Several years ago we liked going after Labor Day since schools were back in session and there tended to be smaller crowds. My guess was fewer parents wanted to pull their kids out of school shortly after the year begins just to vacation. Now with more and more people going to Disney, I am not sure that matters as much. We went in early May a couple of years ago and it was wall-to-wall people in many of the parks. It was a challenge to just walk around when it is that crowded. We didn't enjoy that at all. I would estimate it takes at least 2x as long to do the same number rides/shows as perhaps 15 yrs ago due to the larger crowds. Disney involves MILES of walking so going during the hottest time of the year certainly does not make it more enjoyable. Even for those who live in the south, I doubt you do your most strenuous outdoor activities at the hottest time of the day. No amount of beverages or lightweight clothing will make it more enjoyable when it is that hot.

 

[kylenne]

Several years ago we liked going after Labor Day since schools were back in session and there tended to be smaller crowds. My guess was fewer parents wanted to pull their kids out of school shortly after the year begins just to vacation. Now with more and more people going to Disney, I am not sure that matters as much. We went in early May a couple of years ago and it was wall-to-wall people in many of the parks. It was a challenge to just walk around when it is that crowded. We didn't enjoy that at all. I would estimate it takes at least 2x as long to do the same number rides/shows as perhaps 15 yrs ago due to the larger crowds. Disney involves MILES of walking so going during the hottest time of the year certainly does not make it more enjoyable. Even for those who live in the south, I doubt you do your most strenuous outdoor activities at the hottest time of the day. No amount of beverages or lightweight clothing will make it more enjoyable when it is that hot.

Early May is usually dead but can sometimes spike with the dance/cheer kids, and iirc 2022 was a big year for them coming back w the competitions. If you had gone even a week later it would have been empty. Memorial Day week the parks were dead last year—we literally walked straight into the first preshow for Rise at 6pm the day after Memorial Day. We didn’t see crowds begin to spike until week 2 of that trip, our last couple of days got ugly and we were glad to be leaving.

But Labor Day weekend last year had some of the shortest wait times of the entirety of 2023. Tom Bricker had a blog post about it but I can personally corroborate that bc I was there, and the parks were dead but for Epcot on the actual holiday itself. I’m down that weekend almost every year and it’s pretty much the same every year. Never felt crowded in walkways. If you’re comparing it to 15 years ago, I mean yeah there’s just more people going now. But it’s absolutely not onerous to navigate if you know what you’re doing.

The tried and true strategies for avoiding peak crowds at the parks work great for September trips, literally the only difference it’s hotter and more humid which just gives more incentive to use them tbqh. Being out during the hottest part of the day is never a smart move even when the weather is more pleasant because midday is always going to be the most crowded with the longest waits.

 

[disneyseniors]

We've done Sept 3 times. After the first time, it was so hot and miserable, we said we'd never do it again. But a decade later, we did - and got caught there by a hurricane that had the parks closed for a couple days. So we said never again. But our memory got fuzzy again, and many years later we gave it another try - and got chased out of town early by a hurricane (and it was incredibly hot again!). So we're back in the 'never again' mode! Unless there was some reason to do it again, we will skip the heat and hurricane possibilities of Sept into Oct! If you do go early Sept - you have some great advice from folks out here for handling and tolerating the heat........

Umm, can you let us know when you plan to go in September again, LOL.

 

[disneyseniors]

I believe that where you are from is a big factor in your comfort level.
For example. When we lived in Tennessee, we went to WDW in July with the kids, and we were fine. We were used to heat and high humidity and had no problem. However, we were in line with a couple from Minnesota who looked sick and about to pass out. We recommended that they do what others have said on here, go early, rest mid day, go back at night.
Now we live in Minnesota and are used to the cold weather. We went to WDW in early September one year with a large family group and the kids. The difference in our tolerance was very noticable. We all were miserable in that heat and humidity. We were at Epcot one day and went to meet the princess at Askerhus. She was beautiful and cool, and we looked like drowned rats in our photo, LOL. We still get a laugh out of that picture.
I would not go to WDW or Florida at all during September now, including July and August.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I would not go to WDW or Florida at all during September now, including July and August.

I think the spring "window" ends around early to middle June, and the fall "window" opens up in mid-October.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Umm, can you let us know when you plan to go in September again, LOL.

2124

 

[bdrex28]

Early May is usually dead but can sometimes spike with the dance/cheer kids, and iirc 2022 was a big year for them coming back w the competitions. If you had gone even a week later it would have been empty. Memorial Day week the parks were dead last year—we literally walked straight into the first preshow for Rise at 6pm the day after Memorial Day. We didn’t see crowds begin to spike until week 2 of that trip, our last couple of days got ugly and we were glad to be leaving.

But Labor Day weekend last year had some of the shortest wait times of the entirety of 2023. Tom Bricker had a blog post about it but I can personally corroborate that bc I was there, and the parks were dead but for Epcot on the actual holiday itself. I’m down that weekend almost every year and it’s pretty much the same every year. Never felt crowded in walkways. If you’re comparing it to 15 years ago, I mean yeah there’s just more people going now. But it’s absolutely not onerous to navigate if you know what you’re doing.

The tried and true strategies for avoiding peak crowds at the parks work great for September trips, literally the only difference it’s hotter and more humid which just gives more incentive to use them tbqh. Being out during the hottest part of the day is never a smart move even when the weather is more pleasant because midday is always going to be the most crowded with the longest waits.

@kylenne Just out of curiosity as we've got a trip planned May 11-17th, how do you feel crowds are usually at that time? I've never gone in May before.

We've done late August, September many times, Thanksgiving (never will do again), March a few times and February. But never May.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We did a first-time September trip last year. We had always visited in the spring prior to that.

Everyone said it would be crazy hot and very humid and I scoffed. They were right. It was downright awful in that heat and the Halloween party crowds were ridiculous.

When in Sept matters a lot, first couple weeks have the lighter crowds. Parties however are all crowded but they're usually cheaper than Oct parties.

But yes, Orlando is basically the sun on planet earth lol

 

[mickeyluv'r]

As I've said (probably too many times) before: if you have one "if you don't mind" or "if you make sure you" caveat, you should be ok. If you start having 5 or 6 or more conditions, then it's time to re-think your plans. In my mind, if you have to rationalize the trip by saying something like "It's not too bad if you rope drop then leave by 11 am, then go back to the resort to swim or nap, then go back after 5 but make sure you bring cooling towels and stay hydrated and be sure you know it will probably rain every afternoon so bring extra clothes and shoes and pack a poncho and be aware that pools might close if there is lightning and try to stay in the shade and indoors as much as possible", then I think you're doing way too much work just for "it's not too bad".

IMO, that is true for every season of the year when it comes to WDW. They all have trade-offs like sky high prices, crowds, variable weather, variable park hours, etc.

No matter what time of year, staying hydrated is key. It is just a little more important in summer. In summer/busy weeks, we take a break 2-5ish, then have all night in the parks. Other times of year, it is harder to take an afternoon break because park hours are short. Summer after dark is my favorite time to be in WDW.

We always bring/wear 2 pairs of shoes to WDW, where one is often water-tolerant walking sandals. They are pool shoes. and also great when we're home. We've had vacations nearly ruined by faulty shoes, so lesson learned. Trading off shoes also = no blisters. Since shoes are essential at WDW, we always have back-ups.

I tried the cooling towels last summer. They were okay, but we mostly didn't use them. They are very compact/light, so worth packing, but just as we rarely use plastic ponchos, we also aren't likely to use the cooling towels much. They only cost a few $, so no big deal. IMO, they are a bit like plastic ponchos, chapstick-style sunscreen, and Fuel rod chargers. We rarely use them, but they can be useful.

 

[AustinTink]

When in Sept matters a lot, first couple weeks have the lighter crowds. Parties however are all crowded but they're usually cheaper than Oct parties.

But yes, Orlando is basically the sun on planet earth lol

We went the second week of October and our party day was horribly crowded. The rest of our parks days were about 50/50 between crowded and manageable but never light.

 

[goofyernmost]

I can only go by my own experience about September. I went once in early September and once in late September. There was a drastic difference between the two both in weather and in years. The first one (sometime in the 1990's was like the surface of the sun. Hot and Humid but although uncomfortable, it was doable and there were short lines throughout the parks. The second time was in 2019 and it was beautiful. Temps in the upper 70's, light breezes and still low crowds. I guess what I am saying is any month in Florida is a crapshoot.

Over the last 40 years I'd say that 80% of the time, I went there in late February. I can remember only one rainy day in all those years and the temps were chilly in the morning for everyone except myself. I had just spent December thru February in the deep freezer known as Vermont, so I would show up in the morning in shorts and a T-shirt and be greeted by CM's in Parkas, mittens and wool hats, by noon it was a comfortable 70's. It was cool in the AM but very nice in the PM.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

We are considering early September but are concerned about the heat. Advice?

For myself, yes.

 

[elvispursley]

We. must've had a bizarre off-year last year. We went Sep. 4-13 and didn't see a love bug insight! We also only had one day where it rained (maybe it did so while we were napping each day). It absolutely unleashed on our Epcot EEH day. We got in line for FEA after the fireworks and when we went to exit, noticed the deluge. We waited, with about 100 other of our "close WDW fans" in the gift shop. Stupidly decided to leave our ponchos back in the room since we didn't figure on rain/flood (and the forecast called for intermittent showers). We ended up having to buy more ponchos we didn't need just to get out of the ever-claustrophobic inducing gift shop once the lightening let up. Water everywhere and over my ankles in places. I guess Mother Nature was making up for the fact we hadn't had rain for most of our trip! Will definitely bring those ponchos everywhere this next trip!

 

[lynch34]

September heat is miserable. If you have been to WDW a few times - I would do it. You might miss a few things while you take a rest but overall - it'll be ok. If it's your first time? I'd try another time.