May or September? Help please!!

[Disneydreamsdancer]

My boyfriend and are are embarking on our first Disneyland trip together this year and are torn between May and September. Have read hydrguys great tips including public holidays and other factors that affect crowd levels etc but before we book our flights this weekend I just wanted some advice from other disers. Which month is better in your opinion? Im used to going to the resort in January so not overly used to crowds but did go just before Christmas in 2008 and found I could handle the crowds ok. Also taking into account carsland opening, we would not be overly sad to miss it by going in May, especially if the crowds are lower?

Flights for us in May are $1685 pp compaired to $2185pp in Spetember so we are leaning towards May?

Sorry for the vagueness but I just want to be sure before making such a commitment

 

[skiingfast]

All things being even I'd choose September. Better weather and less rehabs, though you could miss Haunted Mansion in the first half and Space in the second week. Plus you can catch some Halloween.

But with air being $500x2 Less. That's a lot of hotel nights, dinner or shopping. Makes May really attractive. However the Matterhorn will be closed and Goofy's Sky School.

Crowds are mostly the same in both months. Only the first week in September contains a Holiday and slight bigger than small crowds. The last week of May contains a Holiday and has slightly bigger than small crowds.

 

[LucasandMickey]

We were just there in September (5-9). The crowds were ok. Pretty busy 5 (Labor day) & 6, but other than that, bearable. However, we apparently experienced an abnormal heatwave in which the weather was over 100 degrees a couple of days with high humidity. We were dying. It was awful. Had to leave the park midday a couple of times to get back to the pool and cool off. Especially with my poor tiny kiddos.

We are going in May for DD's 1st birthday and it's my understanding that the crowds should be lower and the weather better. I'd rather miss the matterhorn that I would space mountain, but that's just my opinion.

If I were you, I'd go with the cheaper dates and save the money for mickey ears and ice cream and churros!!!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

With that big of a price difference I'd say May.....BUT are you sure the price difference isn't because September is so much further away? We find that flights are lowest about 3-4 months out.

 

[Honeybee1983]

We are doing May ourselves. First week looks to be optimum for crowds and park hours, since grad nights don't start until the second week. Our flights were super-cheap through Alaska! Around $650 roundtrip for FIVE of us! Jetblue also has very similar rates!

 

[Disneydreamsdancer]

Thanks so much for the advice skiingfast, LucasandMickey, 3Minnies1Mickey and honeybee1983!! We have decided to go with May, purely because of the cheaper flights. Unfortunatley we find that flights from our neck of the woods hold their prices throughout the year and tend to rise as the date gets closer. There are only 2 airlines that operate planes direct to Los Angeles, airnewzealand and qantas so it really limits our choice and the lack of competition drives the prices up Even booking 3 months in advance there were only 7 available seats left on our plane, we're pleased though because it meant we could use the $1000 we saved to get the hotel booked, got 6 nights at the carousel for $800 NZ$ which is about $670 US$, hope thats a good rate cause we're all booked and paid for! Not sure our bank manager will be so happy with the $4000 though
We booked May 11-17 and with our park plans there will be only one day we are in the parks when its grad nite, am hoping the crowds won't be too crazy with all the grads! Thanks everyone