September or May?

lgp1

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,178
I normally go to Disney for three weeks in September, but after reading the thread " Sept not low crowds anymore " I am seriously considering going for the last week of April and first two weeks of May. If anyone has done May and Sept can you tell me if there is a lot of difference in crowd levels now?

Thanks in advance :)
 
We typically vacation September and May at WDW and I think September is way less crowded. We were there this year the 4-13 and I did not experience the crowds many on here describe. We were in the same parks the same day as some and saw the opposite. For example, we were at AK Saturday the 12th and after passing the first FP scan for Dinosaur we got into the big room where you wait for the preshow. There were about 5 in the standby line and no one in the FP line. We tried to cancel our FPs to use that night but it was too late. Our next was for Kali and we did standby rather than wait for our window. We were on in under 10 minutes.
 
I am planning a trip for September also but I am not sure what to make of the crowd outlook. Touring Plans just posted an article about how all their predictions for last week were really off. They saw crowd levels 7 and 8 at MK and at the other parks, 4, 5, and 6 on many days. I think the crowds for May (depending on exactly when) and September may be similar based on what Touring Plans has now said about last week. It is hard to ever know. I would just decide if you prefer to see the Flower and Garden Festival or the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP and make plans based on that.
 
After going to the MK yesterday, I would pick May (early to mid May). It was insane! We got on 2 rides, everything else was over an hour (except small world and that was 45 min) We left and came home after about 4 hours.
 

We have been Sept people for many years. We were there two weeks ago, and found it much busier than previous trips. We are already talking about changing to May for 2016. So don't go in May, lol!

Seriously though, I think crowds may still be slightly lower in Sept. And I was willing to put up with the heat and humidity because of the super low crowds. If they are not *that* much lower, I'd rather go with nicer weather so those crowds will be easier to handle.
 
I think I would try May. I have heard it is less crowded because Spring breaks are done and most schools are still in session. I have heard the weather is beautiful, no humidity and little rain.
 
we have done the first week in may....mid week its not to bad crowd wise but the weather is MUCH nicer less chance of rain and way less humidity the crowds are still way less now then in may but i would probably side with early may due to the weather......
 
I'd definitely say May. I've gone a few times in September when I was a teen but more recently I've done trips in May and the crowds really aren't too bad at all. The only times I've found it crowded was near the middle/end of the month when Star Wars weekend rolled around.

Another bright side to going in the beginning of May is you'll get to see the Flower and Garden festival at Epcot. It looks really pretty! I know last year (No clue if this has been going on for a while or if they're even continuing it. Guess I need to catch up on my Disney news. :P) they offered food and drinks around the World Showcase like they do during Food and Wine. It was awesome! And if you have any kiddos, they'll like the butterfly garden at Epcot. :)
 
The weather is definitely much nicer in May! I can't compare crowds directly because my Sept trip was on weekdays and my two May trips were on weekends. That said, I didn't think May weekends were that bad, especially if you plan it with rope drop and FPs.
 
We've been in both early May and mid-late September several times and the weather was comparable all trips. Upper 80s-low 90s, some humid days and very little rain. (we've been really lucky on our trips with FL weather) We thought the crowds about the same for us in spring vs fall. I don't think you'll notice a big difference either way. I think it all just kind depends on what special events/offers they are running at that particular time.
 
I have been both the first week of May and end of September. The first week of May is cooler. I have never experienced high crowds though during September.
 
I'd pick last week in April or early May. The weather should be so much nicer. We've had lovely weather on our early May trips.
 


Disney Vacation Planning. Free. Done for You.
Our Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are here to provide personalized, expert advice, answer every question, and uncover the best discounts. Let Dreams Unlimited Travel take care of all the details, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a stress-free vacation.
Start Your Disney Vacation
Disney EarMarked Producer






DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Add as a preferred source on Google

Back
Top Bottom