Sept not low crowds anymore?

[wendow]

Kids from NE were not in school yet. Our school, as well as many in NE started AFTER labor day, on the 8th or 9th of Sept. Also, kids from Canada and the UK did not start until after LD as well. We ran into TONS of Canadians and UK folks.

I think many people rescheduled once they issued the state if emergency for hurricane Erika as well. We were told that there were many many cancellations that week due to the hurricane. So maybe folks pushed their trip out a week or two.

Right, I am referring to the week after LD...that is when we were there and found it much busier than it was predicted to be. We also met tons of Canadians and UK people but none of them had kids along. But tons and tons of Spanish and Portuguese speaking people who did have kids in tow.

 

[anniemae]

Right, I am referring to the week after LD...that is when we were there and found it much busier than it was predicted to be. We also met tons of Canadians and UK people but none of them had kids along. But tons and tons of Spanish and Portuguese speaking people who did have kids in tow.

That's why I think, if you can swing it, the week after Labor Day is the absolute best in terms of crowds.

 

[Zurginator]

I can't speak about Sept because I have never been at that time, but we went for 10 days the middle of Oct in both 2012 and 2013. 2013 did seem slightly more crowded than 2012, but both were manageable. We got to each park every day around 8:15 so we were very close to the front or the first people in line at rope drop. We also did the MNSSHP in 2013 and did everything we wanted with really no wait. The longest we waited was to meet the Dwarfs but it was only like 30 minutes. This was pre FP+ though so take that for what it is worth. But I think if you plan and watch the wait times on the app, then you can manage the crowds pretty well this time of year.

 

[Dentam]

I can't speak about Sept because I have never been at that time, but we went for 10 days the middle of Oct in both 2012 and 2013. 2013 did seem slightly more crowded than 2012, but both were manageable. We got to each park every day around 8:15 so we were very close to the front or the first people in line at rope drop. We also did the MNSSHP in 2013 and did everything we wanted with really no wait. The longest we waited was to meet the Dwarfs but it was only like 30 minutes. This was pre FP+ though so take that for what it is worth. But I think if you plan and watch the wait times on the app, then you can manage the crowds pretty well this time of year.

From what I've been hearing, a lot has changed just since 2013, especially with the MNSSHP crowds.

 

[IvyWinter]

So my friends are there currently, and im going down tomorrow. And they basically said it's "summer in September" crowds wise. All the major rides have waits over an hour, and they went to grab lunch at Cosmic Ray's and said the line to order food was literally out the door. I can confirm, they texted me a picture, it was packed. Kind of sucks, but with not so scary, food and wine, and free dining, im sure it all adds up.

 

[MikeOhio]

People who say September is crowded don't know what they are talking about. Yes there are always lots of people walking around but that's because unlike when it's packed there are no lines for Rides so everyone is usually walking around


Yesterday I waited less than five minutes for splash Mountain and space Mountain in the middle of the afternoon. Today I walked on the Safari at 1:30. Try doing that in the summer.

 

[Dentam]

Yesterday I waited less than five minutes for splash Mountain and space Mountain in the middle of the afternoon. Today I walked on the Safari at 1:30. Try doing that in the summer.

Wow! You really lucked out on those! We waited 40 minutes for the Safari when we were there one morning on our trip (5-12th) and Splash and Space only had short waits like that in the late EMH's (11pm and after). Consider yourself lucky but don't use that luck to tell others who have also been there that they "don't know what they are talking about".

 

[MikeOhio]

But again I'm not saying the parks are dead. The parks are never dead anymore.

But anyone who says September is as busy as the summer doesn't know what they are talking about. September has been and will always be some of the lowest crowds of the year and comparing it to summer is ridiculous.

 

[lugnut33]

I have to agree with what Josh over at EasyWDW said; the crowds are very different than they were 10 years ago, however they are not different than they were six months ago.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Wow! You really lucked out on those! We waited 40 minutes for the Safari when we were there one morning on our trip (5-12th) and Splash and Space only had short waits like that in the late EMH's (11pm and after). Consider yourself lucky but don't use that luck to tell others who have also been there that they "don't know what they are talking about".

We were there on the 13th and the wait times for the rides were very similar to the wait times we saw during Spring Break this year. There were very few things under 30 min and FP availability was sorely lacking.

 

[wendow]

But again I'm not saying the parks are dead. The parks are never dead anymore.

But anyone who says September is as busy as the summer doesn't know what they are talking about. September has been and will always be some of the lowest crowds of the year and comparing it to summer is ridiculous.

I don't think any of us are saying that September is as busy as the summer. I am just saying it is lots busier than September used to be. May be the lowest time of the year still. I don't dispute that at all.

And definitely consider yourself lucky with BTMRR and Splash...We waited multiple times for 25-30 mins...no 5 min waits for us. I wish!

 

[KorbensMomma]

Just got back, crowd calendars said level 1 but I thought it seemed more like a 3 at times.

However on Wednesday we did Soarin at 2 on stand by at 20 mins. I have never seen that before. And TOT was walk on up to the movie room.

Crowds were low to what I am used too, but there were still short lines at most rides.

 

[pork]

I don't think any of us are saying that September is as busy as the summer. I am just saying it is lots busier than September used to be. May be the lowest time of the year still. I don't dispute that at all.

And definitely consider yourself lucky with BTMRR and Splash...We waited multiple times for 25-30 mins...no 5 min waits for us. I wish!

I was there last week and it did feel busier but I think part of the problem was the parks didn't feel prepaired for the crowds they got.

Like at the first Halloween party it was incrediblely busy but even when wait times on rides started to climb major rides like big thunder still were running only one side instead of opening both to help lower the wait times.

I think the worst though was getting party bands. I happened to be up front around 5 walked into the emporium without a party band and bought the Halloween magic band without the party band. Then I walked to the gate to get my band and they just asked if I had a party ticket and handed my grip wrist bands. No one ever bothered to check if I actually had a ticket before they handed 3 to me.

Even at extra magic hours that week my band was never scanned to see if I was staying on grounds. They just asked what resort I was staying at and let me on in. It was a little surprising to see that little effort going into enforcement of the rules.

 

[Dentam]

Even at extra magic hours that week my band was never scanned to see if I was staying on grounds. They just asked what resort I was staying at and let me on in. It was a little surprising to see that little effort going into enforcement of the rules.

We experienced the same thing during EMH's on some rides. Others did scan our bands. Seemed kind of hit and miss on a lot of enforcement of rules.

 

[Jess_S]

I am at WDW now. We have only been to Epcot so far, but wait times seemed pretty decent other than for headliners. Test Track was at 40 when I walked by and Character Spot ranged from 25 to 40. We waited about 15 minutes for the Visa meet and greet. We also did Turtle Talk, Figment and Nemo and all were no wait.

 

[Nohal]

We are here now started in epcot at rope drop when we left after 11 Soarin was listed at 150 min hopped to HS and it was crowded. Been coming in September for over 10 years and I have never seen it this crowded . Was listed as 3 on crowd calendar I think that was really low. Reminded me of summer crowds. Toy Story FP line was out of the building was down to where the bathrooms are.

 

[wendow]

We experienced the same thing during EMH's on some rides. Others did scan our bands. Seemed kind of hit and miss on a lot of enforcement of rules.

So, wait...when you go to EMH, they are supposed to scan your band once in the park to make sure you are a resort guest? In all our years, we had never done EMH (since the rec was always to avoid) but we did EMH two days this last trip. Once we were beyond the park entrance, no one ever scanned our band. It would seem scanning at the entrance would tell them we were allowed to be there...right?

 

[SureAsLiz]

So, wait...when you go to EMH, they are supposed to scan your band once in the park to make sure you are a resort guest? In all our years, we had never done EMH (since the rec was always to avoid) but we did EMH two days this last trip. Once we were beyond the park entrance, no one ever scanned our band. It would seem scanning at the entrance would tell them we were allowed to be there...right?

For evening EMH they are supposed to scan and confirm you are a resort guest at each ride since anyone can stay in the park that late. For morning, you are only allowed in if you are a resort guest, so there is no need to scan for each ride.

 

[only hope]

We were in the parks yesterday (Hollywood) and today (MK). We have been passholders for many years. It is definitely not slow in September- or ever- like it used to be. Even compared to last year, it is more crowded. We used to be able to do all of Fantasyland, excluding Mine Train, Belle, and the carousel, in less than two hours without any waits longer than 15 minutes. Today, the waits for everything other than the carousel, Carousel of Progress, Tiki Room, People Mover, Stitch, and sometimes Monsters Inc. was at least 20 minutes from 1030 til we left went to dinner at 5. Most things were at least 30 minutes. There were many more people moving around, making it hard to navigate the park. HS was crowded as well, though the small number of attractions open doesn't help any and makes it harder to compare.

 

[Jess_S]

According to touring plans, the overall thesis of this thread is true. The MK crowd level prediction was a 4 but actual attendance an 8. It seems to me that the waits are really fluctuating though because we showed up at Epcot around 1 yesterday and didnt see the crazy wait times reported at 11. Maybe people gave up and went swimming. I am bummed because I was really hoping for more moderate crowds.