Labor Day week. Give me all the advice and what to know! :)

[NicholeB630]

So after going back and forth with so many dates and getting lots of amazing advice here were back to most likely going for our original dates. I was hoping to push to spring break this year but were about to be done building a house and work is crazy for my husband so that isn't happening. Then my second choice was the first week of June hoping before SWGE ... Well we will be moving into our new home most likely the first week of May and we are getting baby farm animals pretty much as soon as we move in so going away for a week literally only a few weeks after getting them probably isn't the smartest. SO .........

That leaves the week of Labor Day. I know there are downfalls to that time and we really won't know what impact SWGE will have that time of year. But its really my only option. There is no block out dates for AP's that week .. except for like a Fir-Sun and then maybe the later Sat of our trip Im not positive but theres no block outs the week days. Im hoping that means they don't expect a lot of vacationers that week. We did DW that same week one year and it was amazing. We waited hardly for anything. I know the two are different though and there are a lot more locals that go to DL regularly.

The other weeks I was looking forward to possible 7am mornings and getting a lot done early, it looks like in the past Sept hours are WAY later in the morning for start times. EMH, MM etc are like 9am with park openings at 10am. Obviously that means more people early because 10am is not really early at all. But we'll deal with it. Hoping not tons of refurbs since there will be a bunch completed by the time summer rolls around. Our dates will be Aug 31-Sept 8th and we won't do the parks till after Labor Day. Tuesday - Saturday. Thanks!

 

[figment_jii]

As you noted, the impact of SWGE is an unknown at this point, but I would still expect there to be crowds, especially on the weekends and the evenings.

Assuming some things stay the same, there is a good chance that Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain will be closed. Haunted Mansion usually closes in mid-to-late August and Space for a few days before the start of HalloweenTime to have their overlays installed. Depending on when HalloweenTime starts, you might luck out with Space, but Haunted Mansion will likely to be closed regardless (it takes a little under three weeks to install the overlay).

 

[NicholeB630]

As you noted, the impact of SWGE is an unknown at this point, but I would still expect there to be crowds, especially on the weekends and the evenings.

Assuming some things stay the same, there is a good chance that Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain will be closed. Haunted Mansion usually closes in mid-to-late August and Space for a few days before the start of HalloweenTime to have their overlays installed. Depending on when HalloweenTime starts, you might luck out with Space, but Haunted Mansion will likely to be closed regardless (it takes a little under three weeks to install the overlay).

This is disappointing. Not so much haunted but for Space I hope we get lucky and its either not down yet or its up before we leave. My kids LOVE it and we'd love to be able to ride the DL version side by side

 

[PairOfDice]

We went after Labor Day 2017 - not on Labor Day. As many will tell you the crowd calendars shouldn't be relied on but I noticed that very low crowds were predicted that week. We had planned on going the last week of August but there were some terrible fires burning so we rescheduled. Turned out the crowds were VERY low. We used one FP and rode everything two or three times. It was fabulous. Yes, the park opened later and closed earlier but with the low crowds it didn't affect how much we were able to do.
I will say that it was grossly humid. We were more affected by summer heat in the parks in July/August on another trip than humidity in September 2017, though.
There were a couple of closures but I can't remember specifically which ones they were.
With all that being said, SWGE is such a huge unknown and we can't say how much park attendance will be affected that week.
We are still trying to plan a trip this year and just not sure when it will happen. I think we've accepted that we'll take whatever we can get. We've been there when the park felt almost empty but we missed entertainment and we've been there and felt packed in like sardines but we had all the entertainment and full hours. I don't think anyone is going to get exactly what they're expecting this year.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Good for you for sticking to your research! Keep asking your questions, making your plans -- and keep watching this forum for any and all updates regarding SWGE and how that affects the parks once it opens. You'll find all the news, tips, strategies, etc. here -- and you'll have lots of time to prepare before your trip. Keep a trip binder with all your notes, ideas, reservations, etc. -- it really helps to have all your info in one place. Here's to one magical trip to DLR!

 

[NicholeB630]

Good for you for sticking to your research! Keep asking your questions, making your plans -- and keep watching this forum for any and all updates regarding SWGE and how that affects the parks once it opens. You'll find all the news, tips, strategies, etc. here -- and you'll have lots of time to prepare before your trip. Keep a trip binder with all your notes, ideas, reservations, etc. -- it really helps to have all your info in one place. Here's to one magical trip to DLR!

Ill keep doing research and reading this board. I mean crowds closures all that is out of my control and I think with how different FP is at DL I think no matter what we'll have a good time and if one park is busy we'll hop to the other. With 4 park days I do think we'll be able to do everything wee want. Just praying its not wall to wall people but I can't imagine it will be that time of year. Maybe around SWGE but we'll avoid that HA. If parks dont open till later in the morning than the upside is my kids will probably be able to make it to park close and won't be to warn out by 3pm. Although we might all be up early everyday because of time change.

 

[NicholeB630]

We went after Labor Day 2017 - not on Labor Day. As many will tell you the crowd calendars shouldn't be relied on but I noticed that very low crowds were predicted that week. We had planned on going the last week of August but there were some terrible fires burning so we rescheduled. Turned out the crowds were VERY low. We used one FP and rode everything two or three times. It was fabulous. Yes, the park opened later and closed earlier but with the low crowds it didn't affect how much we were able to do.
I will say that it was grossly humid. We were more affected by summer heat in the parks in July/August on another trip than humidity in September 2017, though.
There were a couple of closures but I can't remember specifically which ones they were.
With all that being said, SWGE is such a huge unknown and we can't say how much park attendance will be affected that week.
We are still trying to plan a trip this year and just not sure when it will happen. I think we've accepted that we'll take whatever we can get. We've been there when the park felt almost empty but we missed entertainment and we've been there and felt packed in like sardines but we had all the entertainment and full hours. I don't think anyone is going to get exactly what they're expecting this year.

Thats good to know. Although 2017 was 2 years ago and it seems every year the parks are more and more crowded but Im hoping that it will still remain some what low that week even after SWGE opens. Guess we'll find out.

Humid? I didn't think it got humid in CA and it was more of a dry heat. FL in Sept was the worst thing EVER. I mean disgusting and it was hard to even be outside. I live in VA so its get pretty darn hot here and humid in the summer. My friends from CA and says Sept is usually pretty nice.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Humid? I didn't think it got humid in CA and it was more of a dry heat. FL in Sept was the worst thing EVER. I mean disgusting and it was hard to even be outside. I live in VA so its get pretty darn hot here and humid in the summer. My friends from CA and says Sept is usually pretty nice.

Last August was unusually humid for us -- like humidity in the 30% range -- that's a lot for us! Very sticky and muggy. If that's not much for you, then our worst will be nothing for you! September can be anything from warm to darn hot (triple digits) here. It can also be the start of Santa Ana wind season -- hot, dry winds (super dry) that can cancel fireworks. If the winds get very bad, they can mess with rides and cancel other shows. But mostly, September can be pretty warm.

Ill keep doing research and reading this board. I mean crowds closures all that is out of my control ...

Keep watching this forum for updates on SWGE and any other news that comes along. Keep an eye on the school calendar and events thread -- if anything gets announced during your week, it should be posted there. The lower APs being back in DL will definitely cause some crowding, but that should be in the later afternoons into the evenings. So make good use of your morning hours and EMH/EE! DCA shouldn't be as bad. You'll get all your news here and it should be up to date and as accurate as it can be coming from people who are in the parks, reporting what they experience!

 

[PairOfDice]

Thats good to know. Although 2017 was 2 years ago and it seems every year the parks are more and more crowded but Im hoping that it will still remain some what low that week even after SWGE opens. Guess we'll find out.

Humid? I didn't think it got humid in CA and it was more of a dry heat. FL in Sept was the worst thing EVER. I mean disgusting and it was hard to even be outside. I live in VA so its get pretty darn hot here and humid in the summer. My friends from CA and says Sept is usually pretty nice.

The parks certainly grow in attendance and price and they change every year. I hope you have a great trip whenever you decide to go.

As far as weather in Anaheim, you just never know. September can be just as hot as August but you could also get lucky with some cooler temps. You can look at Anaheim's weather history and that will give you a better idea of what to expect. It was much higher than 30% when we were there September 5-7 2017.
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/anaheim/historic?month=9&year=2017

 

[gottalovepluto]

It will be busy, but Disney is prepping for that. You can still have a great time! My top tip: budget for MaxPass, 2 days at a minimum.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Keep an eye on the 2019 Halloween Time Superthread here. (It's already been started! Halloween Time Superthread, DLR 2019... too early? Me thinks not!) When the start date in September gets announced, it will be posted there. That will tell you for certain whether SM will be running during your visit.
Hop on over to join the September Check In Thread (September 2019 Check-In Thread!) -- you get updates and news and lots of support there as you plan for your trip!
This might be of interest to you and your family since SWGE will certainly be open by your trip dates: Article about SWGE.

 

[NicholeB630]

Last August was unusually humid for us -- like humidity in the 30% range -- that's a lot for us! Very sticky and muggy. If that's not much for you, then our worst will be nothing for you! September can be anything from warm to darn hot (triple digits) here. It can also be the start of Santa Ana wind season -- hot, dry winds (super dry) that can cancel fireworks. If the winds get very bad, they can mess with rides and cancel other shows. But mostly, September can be pretty warm.


Keep watching this forum for updates on SWGE and any other news that comes along. Keep an eye on the school calendar and events thread -- if anything gets announced during your week, it should be posted there. The lower APs being back in DL will definitely cause some crowding, but that should be in the later afternoons into the evenings. So make good use of your morning hours and EMH/EE! DCA shouldn't be as bad. You'll get all your news here and it should be up to date and as accurate as it can be coming from people who are in the parks, reporting what they experience!

Oh wow 30% humidity that sounds wonderful HAHA. Here on the east coast its like 80-100% humidity in the summer and Sept its awful. So I think we'll be just fine with 30!!! I hope we get lucky and Sept is ok for us.

I'll def keep checking back for updates etc. I think no matter we'll have fun and if things are closed down we won't know what were missing because its our first time and there will still be plenty for us to do