September or October?

[KrazeeK120]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. For me, weather is a bigger priority than crowds. Our only child will still be a toddler at the time of the trip, so we don't have a need at this time to hit all of the headliners or anything like that. And, overheated toddlers aren't good for anyone's sanity!

This last trip, he did stroller naps every day but 1. We tried going back to the resort one day and he would not nap in the room. It ended up being best for us to stay until about dinnertime and then either head back to the resort for dinner and stay there or eat dinner at the park and then leave.

We actually want to visit MK on party days, hoping for lower crowds, since we won't be there for the nighttime entertainment anyway.

I think I've settled on Oct. 14-19 for next year.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Went October last year (yay Hurricanes) and we decided to go September this year to avoid the many MNSSHP nights.
Taking mid-day heat breaks was more difficult to plan when we couldn't go to MK after 7.

You realize that these parties start much earlier this year? No avoiding them in September this year.

 

[Nick6300]

You realize that these parties start much earlier this year? No avoiding them in September this year.

It starts like 8/25 this year, still funny to me despite they've been starting this early for a few years now (2013 I think I recall it was in Aug too).

I'm not sure it would be lower crowds on those days KrazeeK... have you experienced it as lighter crowds? tends to have EMH early to help make up for the 7pm close, and attracts even the non party people (us too) to at least go and then hop later.

 

[disneydreamer781]

I'd go either October (preferably later) or November (MVMCP) Never again September!

 

[KrazeeK120]

It starts like 8/25 this year, still funny to me despite they've been starting this early for a few years now (2013 I think I recall it was in Aug too).

I'm not sure it would be lower crowds on those days KrazeeK... have you experienced it as lighter crowds? tends to have EMH early to help make up for the 7pm close, and attracts even the non party people (us too) to at least go and then hop later.

Obviously I haven't experienced it or I wouldn't be asking the question. I said I was hoping for lighter crowds, not that I know crowds will be lighter. Sounds like whenever I go in October, crowds will be heavy, but the better weather is still more important to me.

I actually didn't know that they have morning EMH on party days, so thanks for that info. Do they add those EMH hours pretty close to the date? I looked at several October party dates for this year and there are no EMH scheduled.

 

[Nick6300]

Obviously I haven't experienced it or I wouldn't be asking the question. I said I was hoping for lighter crowds, not that I know crowds will be lighter. Sounds like whenever I go in October, crowds will be heavy, but the better weather is still more important to me.

I actually didn't know that they have morning EMH on party days, so thanks for that info. Do they add those EMH hours pretty close to the date? I looked at several October party dates for this year and there are no EMH scheduled.

Sorry for misunderstanding, I wasn't trying to be condescending. 2 of our 3 upcoming Aug/Sept (Fri, 8/25 & Fri, 9/1, no EMH on party day Tue 8/29) trip MNSSHP days have EMH in the am. From what I've heard after I assumed was the reason... Disney tries to schedule the Halloween parties on the existing early EMH days to give you that extra hour/help offset 7pm close. We thought about the party for 8/25, it's cheaper than in Oct since so early.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Sorry for misunderstanding, I wasn't trying to be condescending. 2 of our 3 upcoming Aug/Sept (Fri, 8/25 & Fri, 9/1, no EMH on party day Tue 8/29) trip MNSSHP days have EMH in the am. From what I've heard after I assumed was the reason... Disney tries to schedule the Halloween parties on the existing early EMH days to give you that extra hour/help offset 7pm close. We thought about the party for 8/25, it's cheaper than in Oct since so early.

The parties aren't on EMH days in October this year though. That's why I was asking if they add the EMH closer to the date.

 

[Nick6300]

The parties aren't on EMH days in October this year though. That's why I was asking if they add the EMH closer to the date.

that's just what 2 CM's told me, but it could be more early on when the party dates are more spread out. It's every Sun, Tue, and Fri in Sept but much more freq. in Oct. (adding Tue's and Thurs) since closer to the actual holiday. They obv. wouldn't be able to have EMH early on all of those Oct days. If one wanted to go to MK on a party day without EMH, I think I'd pick Tue or Thurs which seems to be EP EMH days. Tues. is a late EMH for EP for us, where we could go to MK for RD and later jump on monorail to EP for late hrs. Mousesavers state that wknd party nights and last few party nights in Oct are the busiest (obvious).

 

[Farro]

Obviously I haven't experienced it or I wouldn't be asking the question. I said I was hoping for lighter crowds, not that I know crowds will be lighter. Sounds like whenever I go in October, crowds will be heavy, but the better weather is still more important to me.

I actually didn't know that they have morning EMH on party days, so thanks for that info. Do they add those EMH hours pretty close to the date? I looked at several October party dates for this year and there are no EMH scheduled.

If you can be flexible, I would change your dates to the last week or so in October. Weather (historically) will be a bit cooler than earlier in the month, and crowds will be a bit lighter.
We've gone late October and that has been our experience. Doing so again this year!

 

[bootlord9000]

You realize that these parties start much earlier this year? No avoiding them in September this year.

There's 11 parties in September and 18 parties in October. I only meant that you might encounter less parties if your vacation is in September.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We've gone in the third week of October several times and the weather has been pretty good every time. We were there Oct 1st to 5th last year and the weather was brutal. The hurricane was approaching and the humidity was sky high. And it turned out that a lot of schools had break that week and it was crowded.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

There's 11 parties in September and 18 parties in October. I only meant that you might encounter less parties if your vacation is in September.

Thanks, and you are correct. I just wanted to be sure that you were aware that they were starting very, very early this year. We are going in early Sept and are disappointed that the parties may shorten one of our MK evenings.

 

[ucfknight]

Milder temperatures and less rain chance in October, so if better weather is a priority for you I'd pick October.
As for crowds in October, I would try to avoid Columbus Day week. Seems like the parks are very crowded that week as a few northern states get that off and a lot of folks take a Disney vacation.

 

[Allie B]

We will be going the week after Labor Day for the second time this year. It is hot hot hot but the rain showers tend to cool it off for a short time. We prefer low crowds so this is the best time for us.

 

[jessiegirl1982]

If you can be flexible, I would change your dates to the last week or so in October. Weather (historically) will be a bit cooler than earlier in the month, and crowds will be a bit lighter.
We've gone late October and that has been our experience. Doing so again this year!

We went this week in 2015, and it was over 90 every day. It was above average temps that year, though.

 

[Farro]

We went this week in 2015, and it was over 90 every day. It was above average temps that year, though.

Yes, well, sometimes it happens. Most of the time it's not as hot.

Also, I looked at Touring Plans actual crowd level for that week last year - went from 3/10 - 7/10. Mostly 4s and 5s, the 7 was a Saturday. For us (I said us ) that is not bad. At all.

 

[ktlm]

We have been in October the last 4 years and before that we went in December for 5 or 6 years. October has always been nice until last year when Hurricane Matthew messed up the end of our trip. We have friends that go towards the end of September- I am always jealous because of how low the crowds are when they are there. The schools are back in session and fall break has not started. The Mom is always live reporting on how short the waits are for everything. I am always very jealous. It is a big difference from when we have been there in October. I think you will be fine with either the end of September or the third week in October (the week after Columbus day week). Our December trips were either the week after Thanksgiving or the 3rd week in December and we do find that October is more crowded than that December time period, but still not bad. I would call it moderate and manageable. We are usually there the week before Columbus day because that is where our fall break usually hits- meaning we usually leave on the Sunday of Columbus day weekend (we do not get Columbus day off in our district- or really in our state). At least the first part of October we have always had good swimming weather (until last year with the Hurricane), but not too miserably hot-- it can still be hot. I think September will definitely be lower crowds than October. That is probably what I would pick for the crowds. You still get Food & Wine at EPCOT. The average temp in that last week of September I think is around 87 or 88, with the average the third week in October being around 83 or 84. A few degrees can make a difference when that Florida sun is beating down on you, but I think I might still go for lower crowds. It would be really nice with a 2 year old to have short lines.

As far as the crowds being less on party days. For probably the last 10 years we have gone during either MNSSHP or MVMCP time- in our experience the crowds are lower on party days. They start picking up at 4:00 p.m. when the party goers start being let in.

Have a great trip!! DD was 2 years 10 months on her first trip and it was magical! (That was a December trip where the night before our trip we checked all the Florida local weather and they all said highs in the low to mid 70s all week, but then the day after we got there they had a heat wave and it was record highs around 85 the rest of the week--- so I guess you just never know what you are going to get).