September in Disneyland?

[Daisybelle]

I'm looking at taking a trip with my 21 year old daughter in late August or early September, after Labor Day. I've never gone in September. The lower crowds and cheaper onsite hotel prices appeal to me; but I know more attractions will be closed. Plus I worry about Season of the Force and all the 60th nighttime shows being gone by that week.

I'd love some input from anyone who has been at that time of year or who has researched this at all!

 

[SMD]

There hasn't been any official announcement or news on Season of the Force, so you're basically rolling the dice as to whether or not it will still be going on any given date in the future. Disney has announced that the 60th will end on 9/5, so if you go after Labor Day that will be transitioning to Halloween. When you say lower crowds, lower than when? Crowds have been high since the 60th started and it's hard to say now if they will drop off once it ends. Halloween also draws crowds, but if you go mid-September after HMH reopens but before the parties tart (assuming the schedule stays as it has in past years) it's a little better than October. It can be very hot in Sept, like 80-90 most days with days topping 100 for a few hours. You may want to be ready for that, it's happened the last few years. Also, prior to the 60th fireworks and F! were only Fri-Sun after Labor Day. Chances are they'll go back to that for fireworks after the 5th. We won't know if PTN will continue to be every night until August when the schedule is out, most likely.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Sept. is a great time to go. I've done a lot of research for this coming Sept. and the week of the 11th is predicted to have the lightest crowds. Also, HM will be up (at least some, if not all of the week) and there no scheduled closures (yet).
Temperatures average in the high 80's (although last year was very hot). We've always been comfortable in the parks that time of year.
We'll be there that week!

 

[Daisybelle]

There hasn't been any official announcement or news on Season of the Force, so you're basically rolling the dice as to whether or not it will still be going on any given date in the future. Disney has announced that the 60th will end on 9/5, so if you go after Labor Day that will be transitioning to Halloween. When you say lower crowds, lower than when? Crowds have been high since the 60th started and it's hard to say now if they will drop off once it ends. Halloween also draws crowds, but if you go mid-September after HMH reopens but before the parties tart (assuming the schedule stays as it has in past years) it's a little better than October. It can be very hot in Sept, like 80-90 most days with days topping 100 for a few hours. You may want to be ready for that, it's happened the last few years. Also, prior to the 60th fireworks and F! were only Fri-Sun after Labor Day. Chances are they'll go back to that for fireworks after the 5th. We won't know if PTN will continue to be every night until August when the schedule is out, most likely.

I would hate to miss out on the Star Wars overlay. I'm sure there will be other things down too.

Sept. is a great time to go. I've done a lot of research for this coming Sept. and the week of the 11th is predicted to have the lightest crowds. Also, HM will be up (at least some, if not all of the week) and there no scheduled closures (yet).
Temperatures average in the high 80's (although last year was very hot). We've always been comfortable in the parks that time of year.
We'll be there that week!

Oh that's interesting to know that HM might be back up by then. It would be cool to see the NBC overlay finally. When you go in September do find a lot of other attractions are down? I saw that last year POTC was down the whole month. That would be a bummer, but I'm sure I would survive. I think.

 

[Indiana Scott]

I would hate to miss out on the Star Wars overlay. I'm sure there will be other things down too.



Oh that's interesting to know that HM might be back up by then. It would be cool to see the NBC overlay finally. When you go in September do find a lot of other attractions are down? I saw that last year POTC was down the whole month. That would be a bummer, but I'm sure I would survive. I think.

No, we find that the major refurbsare generally over by this time. Probably because it's getting close to the times where they see much heavier crowds.
But it's Disney and they don't give much notice anymore so you never know.

 

[dmcdixie]

I will add we are having a convention and taking over majority of the DLH on 09-07-09-09

 

[tlovesdis]

We went in September last year and won't be doing that ever again! It was packed and a bit too hot for us (100 every day, which I know isn't normal). It was the crowds that got me. Kids are supposed to be back in school in mid September but you never would have known it! We stayed at the GCH and the pool was packed every single day, we couldn't get a chair. It was nuts. Don't even get me started on nighttime in the park!

We went in January of this year and it was pretty packed as well, not quite as busy at September, but still very busy for January. I don't think there is a slow time at Disneyland anymore

My trip in June is probably going to be my last for a little while. We are going to WDW next year and then possibly Paris or Shanghai the year after that!

 

[smartlabelprint]

We got AP's this year & im regretting it. Tot will be going down in the fall.

 

[Indiana Scott]

As I indicated before, LAST Sept. was exceptionally hot and not the normal.
Because of heat and crowds, Sept. or May are our favorite times to go but the timing during those months is critical.

 

[Daisybelle]

It's gotten so hard to pick a time to go.

 

[mamapenguin]

There are no slow times anymore. I say just pick the dates that work for you and go for it! We arrive 9/17.

 

[Indiana Scott]

I guess it's all a matter of semantic; Are there "slow" times? Not in the sense we used to know but there are times when the park is much less crowded. It just takes a lot of research (and luck) to identify those times.

 

[mich311e]

We got AP's this year & im regretting it. Tot will be going down in the fall.

Do you know when? I haven't read about ToT going down yet.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Do you know when? I haven't read about ToT going down yet.

I dont know When. It's a rumor in another thread. For retheming.

I don't even care too much about the ride since we have babies now but it eats up people at a time when the resort needs that.

 

[Daisybelle]

There are no slow times anymore. I say just pick the dates that work for you and go for it! We arrive 9/17.

I believe that's about the best advice right there. It's going to be busy no matter what!

 

[Aladora]

We were there September 2013, right at the start of the hallowe'en time and not only was it one of the hottest trips we have taken but it was also one of the most crowded trips. (We are used to hot trips, we love going in August and we are used to Spring break crowds.)

 

[DisneyBelle_x]

I've only been once and that was the week before labor day in 2009, so I'm sure many things have probably changed since then in regards to crowds but during that visit only the sunday evening was really busy. I'm booked to go back this year and could only do set dates but luckily I'll arrive on Labor day and although I', expecting it to be busy I'm glad that i'll just manage to catch the very last few hours of the 60th celebrations

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

My son and I went end of September in 2013. I found it doable even with the shorter park hours. We had park hoppers and fit everything in that we wanted to do. There were no closures yet since the park was gearing up for the Halloween season. My DS wasn't tall enough for all the rides but we walked on GRR every single day without a wait. FP's didn't run out (except for RSR of course). It's a great time to go! I am having to do August this year because my son is too old to pull out of school now; but if I could we would have gone in September again for sure. Have fun planning!

 

[Gina421]

I was just logging on to ask about going in September!! I'll keep a watch on this thread!

 

[Daisybelle]

My son and I went end of September in 2013. I found it doable even with the shorter park hours. We had park hoppers and fit everything in that we wanted to do. There were no closures yet since the park was gearing up for the Halloween season. My DS wasn't tall enough for all the rides but we walked on GRR every single day without a wait. FP's didn't run out (except for RSR of course). It's a great time to go! I am having to do August this year because my son is too old to pull out of school now; but if I could we would have gone in September again for sure. Have fun planning!

Were the Halloween parties happening while you were there?