Sadly, a veteran needs planning help for 2007 here.

[hismattjesty]

Hello all. I am a veteran to WDW with 14 trips under my belt since 1983, however I am having a tough time planning a trip in 2007. Here is the scenario:

My wife and I had plans to travel in late August/early September like we normally do. Then I got this crazy idea to take my 7 year old Goddaughter and her mom with us as a surprise. I ran it by her mom, and she is THRILLED to say the least! Now comes the tricky part that I have been stumped on.

The time of year has to be after July, with no limitations due to school. As I have been in Las Vegas for 6 years, I missed a lot of her growing up in New York, and here is the problem: I need a time to go, when attendance is LOW. Unfortunately, I really do mean LOW, as she has a social phobia. She does not do well in large group scenarios, and doesn't like to be surrounded by masses of people. She does well in a classroom setting in school, but even a time like Christmas, the crowd at a mall would be too much for her.

Can I avoid this type of scenario, and really find a time when the crowds will be small? Should I put this off for a few years, in hopes that the phobia is broken?

Honestly, I have mulled this around for almost 2 months now, and can come up with nothing but a headache. I am taking all advice, be it positive or critical on this situation, and will heavily weigh my decision based on the DIS community advice. Thanks in advance to this great comunity.

John

 

[BlindTyldak]

You've got a new hurdle to cross . . . unfortunately as soon as the slow period starts (I'm guessing that if she is in New York she maybe starts the Wednesday after Labor Day?), they've offered Free Dining the past couple of years, which SKYROCKETS the crowds. If by "no limitations due to chool" you mean you're not limited by school because you intend to pull her out, my personal vote would be the first full week following Labor Day (9th - 15th for 2007). it'll be hot, but as it's been cooling off (Oct - Dec) it's been sounding like the crowd levels have been going up.

 

[Otimon]

Sounds like you're basically talking about August here. The summer is a busy time for Disney parks and is not considered a LOW time for them. Schools resume at various times across the country so that includes early Sept. also. Attendance can drop after that but still a lot of people will be here throughout.

While there are definitely times the parks are less crowded, it's not as easy to define as it used to be and are for shorter periods of time it seems. At Disney, however, less crowded can still mean a lot of people for someone concerned about crowds.

If staying on property, you might consider Early Entry for the scheduled days. The general public comes in at the regular opening so that might help at bit.

Best wishes and sending a hug to your Goddaughter. I hope all works out for her.

 

[kaw1218]

You've got a new hurdle to cross . . . unfortunately as soon as the slow period starts (I'm guessing that if she is in New York she maybe starts the Wednesday after Labor Day?), they've offered Free Dining the past couple of years, which SKYROCKETS the crowds. If by "no limitations due to chool" you mean you're not limited by school because you intend to pull her out, my personal vote would be the first full week following Labor Day (9th - 15th for 2007). it'll be hot, but as it's been cooling off (Oct - Dec) it's been sounding like the crowd levels have been going up.

we have gone this week for the last 3 years..... that is a great week!!! Not very crowded at all. Make sure you have hopper passes. we have found that one park does tend to be crowded each day...we just go to a different one, and have had great trips!

 

[WillCAD]

The free dining has not affected the September crowds in the parks at all. Overall attendance the last 2-3 years in September has returned to the pre-9/11 levels, but even pre-9/11, September was some of the slackest part of the year.

Free dining has affected the percentage of the crowds who go to table-service restaurants. Far more of the people who are at WDW eat in the table service places because of the free dining plan, so getting ressies can be tough unless you do it at the 180-day mark, and the table-service places will be crowded enough to affect your goddaughter's social anxiety. You should probably plan on eating mostly at counter-service places, or perhaps some dinners at off-site restaurants or even at some of the excellent places in the Swan and Dolphin, which are not covered by the dining plan and will be far less crowded in September.

As kaw1218 said, one park does tend to be more crowded than the others each day. The park with morning EMH tends to be the one; check the EMH schedule ahead of time and try to avoid the morning EMH park.

The absolute lowest crowd period of any year at WDW tends to be late January/early February. Disney hasn't been putting out many specials for that time of year recently, either, so except for a few minor spikes in crowd levels during holiday weekends like Presidents Day and Valentines day, and the slight increase during the WDW Marathon weekend, late Jan/early Feb is still pretty empty.

My own goddaughter (my neice) turned 7 this year, too. Time flies, doesn't it? Seems like only yesterday she was just learning to walk, now she's learning to read! I wish I could take my goddaughter to WDW; she's Disney Princess crazy these days and I would love to take to one of the Princess meals, to BBB for a beauty treatment, tour MK with her, all of that, but I can't afford to take her on my own and her parents can't afford the trip either. I probably couldn't keep up with a 7-year old for a week, anyway - she's like a live wire most of the time.

 

[MulanMom]

You might want to post a message in the Disabilities section of the forum as some parents may have children experiencing the same issue. If it can be done, do it now. 7 is a great age for a first time WDW trip!

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

John-

We went from 09/16 to 09/21 this year and it was as empty as I have ever seen it. Except for the love bugs.

And this is coming from someone with such a fear of crowds that I cannot go up a flight of stairs if there are other people coming down them. I have OCD and a hint of agoraphobia, but for some reason, WDW calms me.

I have pictures from our trip from MK on a MOnday morning around 9:45. We were in liberty square and there is not one soul in the pictures!!! EMPTY. I would try to stay closer to the 10th to the 20th area though, as it did start to pick up our last day, since F&W was starting soon.

Good luck!!!