Least Crowded Time in September?

[niccofive]

Hi all,

We are planning a trip to WDW with Myself, my Dh and our three kids, 11,7, and 4. We would like to travel in Sept sometime, ending at the early end of October. We want to use the Free Dining Plan, so travel has to commence prior to Sept 30. We plan to go about six days. I am wondering what would be the best time for us to go? I don't want to encounter any big conventions or anything!
Thanks so much for your advice, in advance!
Leeann
Central Maryland

 

[Skylarr29]

Any week after labor day weekend is a perfect time to go. It will be hot and humid and there will be a chance of hurricanes so keep that in mind when making travel plans/flights etc. There are hardly any crowds etc. I have never waited more than 15 for a ride and I have been for the past 6 years in Sept. Also make sure to make your adr's well in advance especially when using the dining plan as it may be more difficult to get into ts restuarants since everyone will have free dining etc.

 

[eeyore45]

I've heard towards the beg. of Sept is least crowded as that is when most kids are just starting school.

From reading posts here, many will be taking advantage of the Free Dining and have trips starting the last week in Sept... I can see the last week of Sep with the start of Food and Wine, and the Halloween festivities to be very crowded!! and it is HOT HUMID and RAINY!!

 

[Evil Queen]

This is now our favorite time to go.

Last year we went the 24th to the 30th.

This year the 16th to the 23rd, so we can use our PAP's again before they expire.

We are use to the heat and humidity, but honestly we were on the rides so quickly, that we never noticed.

Also, when we got to MK, we started in Fantasylandand worked out from there. One of my "sons" (not really but I feel like he is) had only been to Disney with us, and that was the year before. He'd never been on any of the rides geared for younger riders. So my DS10 took him on Dumbo, that was the longest wait (about 15-20 minutes). All other wait times in all the parks was no more than 5-15 minutes.

We were done in all parks by early afternoon, and either would ride some rides again or would go relax at the hotel.

What a blast. I love this time of year.

 

[niccofive]

Many, many thanks for the responses to my question! I love these boards. They are the best source of info anywhere around!

 

[MrsMud]

We are going at exactly that time (Sept. 26 - Oct 2). My Dds have off from school on 10/2, so will only miss 3 days of school. I don't know if that's a consideration for you, we always try to incorporate a vacation day or two so they miss less school. Anyway, both MNSSHP and F&W start on Sept 29, so I think it will be a little busier from there on. The crowd predictions still have the last week of Sept. slower than the first week of Oct, even with the free dining.
Also, JFYI, I played with all of the dates that incorporated both 10/2 AND qualified for free dining. Even though it says the dining package ends Sept 30, when I tried using this as our first day, it kept telling me that travel must commence by Sept 29 . Good luck!

 

[Master Gracie]

Not sure that any time in September will be really slow this year. My wife and I love September Disney vacations as our anniversary is on the 9th and her birthday is on the 18th.

This year though, they are doing Free Dining again. That will significantly raise crowd levels.

We're still going though. Sept 16th - 22nd.

 

[Evil Queen]

Not sure that any time in September will be really slow this year. My wife and I love September Disney vacations as our anniversary is on the 9th and her birthday is on the 18th.

This year though, they are doing Free Dining again. That will significantly raise crowd levels.

We're still going though. Sept 16th - 22nd.

True.

Didn't they have free dining last year about this time? I found the crowds almost nil, but then again you are talking to someone, who took her two previous trips during Spring Break , so I am sure that changes my idea of crowded. I will never do spring break again, and personally we couldn't handle both the summer crowds and heat (and we are use to heat).

 

[DisneyMagic73]

We go every Sept as our anniverary is in Sept and we always find it slow....esp after Labor Day.....we were there last year during the free dining plan and it was still slow....we are hoping this year is the same.....Is it September yet??????

 

[eeyore45]

True.

Didn't they have free dining last year about this time? I found the crowds almost nil, but then again you are talking to someone, who took her two previous trips during Spring Break , so I am sure that changes my idea of crowded. I will never do spring break again, and personally we couldn't handle both the summer crowds and heat (and we are use to heat).

Yes, but its ending a week earlier this year - so that last week of Sept everyone's changed to take advantage of F&W and MNNSSHP - it will be crowded!!

 

[jenga1030]

I think from after Labor day until the last week of September will be pretty low crowds. But I think that last week of Spetember will be pretty crowded.

People will take advantage of the free dining during this time to use it during MNSSHP and Food and Wine Festival. We went last year from October 2 to October 6 (during Free dining) and had been reading on these boards how empty the park was, but we did not find it to be so when we arrived. It was not horribly crowded at all, but it was definitely not empty.

I've heard from people who were at Disney from the middle of September into early October, that the crowds did pick up considerably when F & W and MNSSHP started up. So this year we are booked for September 7 through 15 and I think it should be better.

 

[mdoc]

I've never been in September, but a CM told me that the week after Labor Day is one of the quietest, because even parents who normally won't hesitate to pull their kids out of school are reluctant to pull them out during the first couple weeks. He said that sometimes attractions are taken down during that period, though, because better to work on them when it's not crowded. Definitely second hand info, but it makes sense.

 

[hockeybabe]

We went last year from Sept 28 - Oct. 3. We arrived at MK at about noon on the 28th, and walked on to Buzz 3x with no wait, nobody in line in front of us. Then we went on Indy speedway, with a 10 minute line wait, but the CM let our 2 cars go a second round because dd was the "prettiest princess he had seen all day". Fastpass machines were closed. Less than 10 minute wait for Haunted Mansion, Splash, Peter Pan and Thunder. Walked onto POTC, Small World, Philharmagic, Snow White, and Jungle Cruise. Next day was Epcot. Walked onto Test Track, no wait, about 3 other families in "staging area" with us. 10 minute wait for Soarin'. Next day, MGM. Walked onto RNR, front row of Indy show (I got picked!), walked onto Star Tours, later in day Great Movie was 15 minute wait, Star Tours was 10. Next day was DTD, late MK for Spectro. Next day was AK. Very hot, had to use FP for Kali, 15 minute wait for Kilimenjaro first thing in morning, 25 minute wait for Tough to Be a Bug. Very hot, so hopped back to Epcot. Definately getting busier, but manageable. Didn't ride rides, though...by 4 p.m. no FP's left, and Soarin and TT were 200 minute waits. Surfed Monday am, hopped back to MK. Was sooo crowded, we could hardly move. Rides were 90 minute waits, so we skipped it and spent the last few hours of our trip at the resort. Evidently, some states have fall break starting the first weekend in October, and man, what a difference!

Hope this helped!

 

[Ladybugsy]

Not sure that any time in September will be really slow this year. My wife and I love September Disney vacations as our anniversary is on the 9th and her birthday is on the 18th..

That's my and dh's Anniversary as well! We'll be eating at Le Cellier on that night. 17 years.

 

[alicenwonder99]

At first, I had ressies for the last week of September. Last week I wanted to change my room "view" and they were already sold out of those rooms with the free dining. So, we changed our trip to the 3rd week of September. I'm thinking that the last week of Sept will be more crowded.

Mary

 

[Master Gracie]

That's my and dh's Anniversary as well! We'll be eating at Le Cellier on that night. 17 years.

Very cool. It will be 6 years for us this year. It's a chore for DW to get off that early in the month though. She is in Accounts Payable and has books to close from the previous month and usually payroll somewhere in there.

I hope we are going to squeeze in and out before the crowd hits for the last of Sept.

 

[frndofpooh]

We have been to WDW many times in September during various weeks, including for our honeymoon and anniversaries (September 17). The least crowded weeks will be the second and third weeks (this year it's the weeks beginning September 10 and 17). That avoids the Labor Day visitors and the last week of the month, which has been getting increasingly more crowded in recent years with MNSSHP and F&W Festival starting at the end of the month.

In 2005, we were there from 9/25 - 10/2, and the crowds picked up noticeably towards the later part of the week (although it was still much less crowded than most other times of year). In 2004, we were there from 9/12 - 9/18 and it was a ghost town, although this was partially affected by the hurricanes earlier in the month. In prior years we have been there during just about every part of the month except Labor Day, and the crowds have always been very light. If your only consideration is minimizing crowds, then the weeks of Septembner 10 and 17 are your best bets. If you are interested in MNSSHP or F&W, however, the relative increase in crowds for those events at the end of the month may be worth it. Either way, have a great time!