May or September for crowds and heat?

[Figment4EVA]

My parents (60's) and my boy friend and I (30's) would like to go to WDW in 2015. My family and I used to live in south Florida when I was a kid and went all the time, but now we live in the mid-atlantic, and are not at all used to the intense heat and humidity. Our little group doesn't tolerate crowds well, either! At first we were looking at September due to the low crowds, and thought that the Food and Wine Festival also sounded cool. But then I heard on the podcast that September is actually more hot and humid than the summer months! Would going in early May be slightly cooler weather and still decently low crowds? It looks like park hours are longer in May, which may offset crowds a bit if we stay late after all the little kids leave.

Is it too late to plan a May trip in terms of booking hotels (looking at Beach Club) fastpasses, and reservations? I really want to get reservations at Be Our Guest!

If we did May, would you recommend early or late May?

Thanks! It's our first trip to WDW in 6 years and will be my boyfriend's first!

 

[ellie05]

September

 

[RustManFan]

just be sure you become aware of the groups of kids and teens that show up in early May....cheerleaders and "15s" from South America

 

[GovieMom]

The earlier in May the better, to beat the humidity, which sets in by the end of the month. September is far too hot and humid. The crowds might be a bit lower in September, but the first half of May should have no more than moderate crowd levels, hopefully. Want to add that we went the second week of May a couple years ago, and never noticed any large groups anywhere.

 

[cariann77]

We went end of May last time we went. It was mid-90s the entire week.

 

[Dr Gevil]

Personally if I had my choice, I would pick early-mid May. Lower crowds with kids still in school and warm weather w/o the extreme heat and mugginess that is usually still around in September. I am biased towards the Beach Club - love SAB and walking to EPCOT and DHS are among the many reasons we bought DVC there. So for me, anytime is a great time to be at that resort if you can manage it!

Certain ADR's might be tricky to get now for May, but you still have time for 60 days out FP+ selections - although the only one you really need that early is A&E. Others can be obtained later, even SDMT and TSMM, but certain times of day might not be the longer you wait.

Have a great trip!

 

[Figment4EVA]

If A&E stands for Anna and Elsa meet and greet, that's great because we don't care about meeting characters! I haven't been since FP+ has happened, so I didn't know how far in advance FP for rides were necessary. I have heard that BOG is very difficult to get reservations for, but if the weather isn't as extreme in early May that may be a sacrifice I'll have to make.
What week to the Cheerleaders and Brazilian teens usually show up?

 

[anniemae]

I think I would vote for early May. Great weather and crowds are not that bad. Sept, any time after Labor Day would be good crowd wise, but oh so hot, humid, sticky, and rainy.

 

[NJlauren]

If you're open to lunch for BOG (which may be QS) those reservations don't even open up till feb 25, so you have a chance there.

Dinner is possible with cancelations but you'll need to check often.

 

[Belle61513]

September may as well be August in the South--trust me.
You're prob better off in May. It's lovely in early May and crowds are low.

 

[sharonabe]

Epcot's Flower and Garden will still be going on in early May. It's not quite as good as Food & Wine, but they do have snack food booths open in all the countries with a more "healthy" twist to the offerings.

 

[amytech]

We went last mid-May and stayed at the Beach Club with our party of 8. The weather was around 90 everyday for a week, humid but nothing like August! We are from MI where it is humid in the summer but nothing like Florida. It felt like a hot day in Michigan every day. The evenings were beautiful! Hardly any rain either and the crowds were low. We saw no school groups since I think it was right at the end of school time for kids in the south. We really enjoyed it!
We did pace ourselves since we are used to going in March and it was WAY warmer than March. Perfect pool weather

 

[Figment4EVA]

That sounds lovely! If we can swing it this "last minute" to go in May, that sounds like it might be the best choice. I will take slightly elevated crowd levels (compared to September) over oppressive weather. We have our pet strategies for how we do the parks based on all the trips when we had FL annual passes, although I'm sure they will be different now with FP+. I definitely look forward to using the pools! Last time we went it was February of 2009 and it was freezing! Like, 25 degrees in the evening! The pools weren't even open. It was warmer back home in Maryland. Super low crowds, though!

 

[ElsaColon]

I visit in Sept and May quite frequently and much prefer going in Sept. I believe the rates are much cheaper and the crowds are much smaller. But May is my second choice which is why if I could only chose two times to go a year, it's then.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

We've never been to WDW in September but we've been in May (the week before Memorial Day) and the end of August. I would say the May crowds were moderate but picked up over the holiday weekend. The crowds in late August were lower and are most likely even lower in September. Weather wise, we were much more comfortable with the May weather. It was hot (ranging from 83-89 degrees during our May week) but no way near as humid and rainy as our late August trip. I've heard September is still very hot, humid, and rainy, especially during the first couple of weeks. We are considering September for the lower crowds, lower prices, and better chance of free dining, but I much prefer the late spring weather vs. the late summer weather in Florida!

 

[ElsaColon]

We've never been to WDW in September but we've been in May (the week before Memorial Day) and the end of August. I would say the May crowds were moderate but picked up over the holiday weekend. The crowds in late August were lower and are most likely even lower in September. Weather wise, we were much more comfortable with the May weather. It was hot (ranging from 83-89 degrees during our May week) but no way near as humid and rainy as our late August trip. I've heard September is still very hot, humid, and rainy, especially during the first couple of weeks. We are considering September for the lower crowds, lower prices, and better chance of free dining, but I much prefer the late spring weather vs. the late summer weather in Florida!

I agree with you in terms of the weather. Sept is also much more rainy than May. Also it's important to factor in Spring and Garden is going on in May which is a big selling point. Spring and Garden is great! (personally i like it more than Food and Wine). But in Sept MNSSHP is going on and that is a must do for me!

 

[cgattis]

The later you go in May, the greater the crowds. When we went the first week of May, we didn't encounter any large groups. The weather was great. September will still be very hot and humid. Given the choice, I'd pick first week of May hands-down.

 

[Figment4EVA]

Yes, the flower and garden festival does look really cool, as does food and wine, but F&G appeals to my Mom and I more. None of us care about the Halloween party. And frankly, either festival isn't a big deal for us, either. Just trying to balance our comfort levels with crowds and weather. May looks like park hours are longer, but prices are higher. Lots to weigh.

 

[JennyDrake]

Honestly, the crowds will be about the same, but May should have better weather. September is just an extension of August. As PPers have noted, the earlier in May, the better.

 

[rdevine10]

We have been in both and we prefer September. Sept/Oct is my fave time of the year at Disney. That being said, we had one May vacation several years ago and it was about 100 for a few days in a row. Not what we expected in May. (This was around mothers day). September can be hot but we tour rope drop and take a mid afternoon break and go back out in the late afternoon into evening. It works out well as we get some rest time in. September will also be cheaper and lower crowds!