Sept or Oct

[Kimi313]

Yes we have been to Disney World many times but never been in September or October. Their is three different parts of our families going but my job is the hardest to get off so I will choose the week. I teach Pre-K at our church school and I hate missing a whole week so I was leaning toward going the week of Columbus Week since our fall holidays is that week. We are going during this time for the MNSSHP and Food and Wine and maybe the only time we go for these. Then I read a thread were some people felt like the week of Columbus Week is very crowded and hard to get everything done. So considering weather, cause I feel like Sept there could be a lot of tropical storms coming thru, and crowds should I pick September and is it best at beginning, middle, or end. OR should I go Oct during Columbus Week or avoid it and go late October? Thanks for any advice or opinion, feeling the pressure of picking the wrong week with so many people involved but I trust you guys to help!

 

[DisneyFive]

We go as late in September as we can, for the following reasons.

1) Free dining. Ever since we got free dining in 2010, we've been hooked. For our family of 5 to pay for the dining plan, it would be over $2000. No way. We're so used to the dining though, that it's an integral part of our trip now and I don't know if we would go without it.
2) Low crowds. Late Sept crowds are around 2-3's, where Columbus week is more 4-6's.
3) If you look at the average rainfall, it tapers off as you go from September into October, so as late in Sept as possible get less chance of rain. (not as low as late Oct though)
4) It's still nice and warm. Dang hot actually, but the pools feel great in the evening.

If FD was offered late Oct, we'd probably choose late Oct.

Dan

 

[Bishoparc]

September for us as well. Our anniversary is that month so it works out well but too the crowds are at some of their lowest of the whole year. Kids just went back to school so most parents don't want to take their kids out of school right after it started. MNSSHP is starting on 9/15 this year so that's the week we're going to go. Was hoping it would start 9/1 like it did last year but they didn't bring that date over. Nights in Sept. are great at the parks too, wonderful temp!

 

[MsHook]

Early September before labour day is the quietest but any time during September & October is considerably lower than the majority of the year anyway. I'm going the last days of September and early October this year - leaving as columbus week begins. Then we get both Food and Wine & MNSSHP (as well as HHN at Universal).

 

[Dawn68PA]

Hotter in September and we had a ton of rain in 2014 during the last full week. October is cooler and crowds are still very manageable. Plenty warm for swimming but not too hot that you can't stroll through the WS.

 

[Kimi313]

Thank you to everyone so far and please keep them coming. Going to try a pinpoint dates by end of weekend. Also we have never done Free Dinning, if we have 4 adults in a room does all the adults get free dinning?

 

[DisneyFive]

Thank you to everyone so far and please keep them coming. Going to try a pinpoint dates by end of weekend. Also we have never done Free Dinning, if we have 4 adults in a room does all the adults get free dinning?

Yes, everyone in the room. Typically if you are in a moderate or deluxe resort, you get the regular dining plan. If in a value resort, you get the quick service plan (but you pay the relatively small difference to upgrade to the regular dining plan, which we did our first two years which were at POP)

There are no guarantees that FD is offered, but I personally feel it is highly probably, especially the first three weeks of Sept. As long as your arrival day is still within the FP window, your whole stay will be. So if the offer ends on Sept 26th for example, you can book your arrival day as the 26th and still have FD the rest of your stay.

Dan

 

[Frozen2014]

Last September was full of rain. I don't think this is typical, but I remember watching daily before our Oct trip and getting worried. We went week of Oct 19th and weather was lovely....not a drop of rain and low 80s every day. I think we just got lucky though.
On the flip side, we were one of the three weeks in October that did not get free dining.
Either way, the MNSSHP is so much fun. Try and attend if you can.

 

[DisneyFive]

Forecasts in September (just like June - August) almost always show rain, since there is a potential for an afternoon shower, etc...

I remember our first year, 2010, looking at the forecast before we left home thinking we were going to get drenched every day. It called for rain, every day. In the 7 nights we were there, we got rained on ONE evening, and it was a light rain. The rest of the trip we didn't get one drop.

It's so hard to tell by the current forecast since showers there are SOOOO spotty at WDW. It might be pouring in Epcot, but not MK, and vice versa...

Dan

 

[lauradis]

October is my fav at disney.

We like the the 20th something for 7-10 days. Weather is normally very nice, little rain. It can get little cold at night or early in am.

 

[BrerNashville]

September is less crowded but hotter. Columbus weekend will be more crowded than most in October, but if you are there for the whole week, you can work around the crowds, which still aren't bad compared to most of the rest of the year. You can get prolonged bad weather in either month (we were there at the end of October last year, and people we met said that it had rained hard every day (all day -- not just the typical afternoon five minute downpour) for almost two weeks before we arrived. We had no rain while we were there. So I wouldn't plan around the prospects of rain.