Should we go in late September or October?

[lissiesmum]

Okay, I think after 6 months on this board I am finally narrowing down my decisions here. We originally wanted to go after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, but Pop Warner was scaring me off so we thought we'd give one of these two months a try. We really want to be able to enjoy down time at our resort and not worry about if it will be warm enough to swim(which we won't have to worry about in the Fall Just wondering if it is less crowded in Sept or Oct, or comparable between the two. I notice value season at the resorts ends on Oct 3, so I assume it must get busier after that, but I was hoping maybe this was a little off...we are driving down from NH to Florida and thought it might be fun to catch some foliage on the way down which would be mid to late October. Bottom line though is crowds...if you could tell me your experiences during this time frame and what week you stayed it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks as always for helping to make my dream trip a reality

 

[homedad]

last trip was end of sept, hot and not very crowded(longest wait in 2005 was 20 min) and were headed back in a little over a month. Honeymoom in middle/end of Oct, little cooler and still light crowds(we didn't swim in Oct) ....both great chioces in MHO

 

[pinkminnie]

I have never been in Sept., but a friend of mine has. She said it was really hot. I have been in late October. The crowds were low and the weather was awesome.

 

[CoolBreeze]

September in Orlando is August in the Northeast, weatherwise. October is June. Been there in October on more than several occassions and the difference is dramatic. 1st, Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party is awesome and is an October staple!!! Second, with temperatures in the mid to high 70's during the day, down time at the pool is a no brainer. Stay away from Columbus Day weekend and you'll be fine. European travelers flock in October, thus the higher prices, but crowds are just not an issue. Have fun!

 

[mahoneyth]

you want to avoid the LOVE BUGS at the end of SEP for those two weeks. Went last year and it was awful, especially at the pools.

We went on our honeymoon 13OCT (2002) and it was 80 degress and less crowed and only rained once the whole time we were there.

 

[bmoc_ny]

I would rather go in Oct. because of the Food and wine Fest. in Epcot. weather is still warm enouge for Pool and water park, and not as crowded. Just stay away from Columbus Week end.

 

[canron]

sept is good kids are back in school,,not very buisy,,we just walk right into things..zero wait..fod court no waits...but,,,you got the luv bugs to deal with,,,

 

[Uncle Remus]

sept is good kids are back in school,,not very buisy,,we just walk right into things..zero wait..fod court no waits...but,,,you got the luv bugs to deal with,,,

Yeah, we went in late Sept last year and it was great, walked right onto the rides!
And I kinda liked seeing those bugs, they don't call 'em luv bugs for no reason.

 

[Julieh22]

I've been in both Sept. and Oct. My fav though is going in October! I love the atmosphere and the Food and Wine Festivel at Epcot. We have always been able to swim in October without a problem and the lines are great.

I love Sept. too (that's when we're going this year because of free dining and my annual pass is still good), but the love bugs are awful.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We've been in October and it was very nice - sunny & in the 80's. This year we're going the first week in October and leaving in the middle of Columbus day weekend so we'll avoid most of the crowds. May still get some the night before we leave but we'll be all done our major touring by then.

Have fun!

 

[two*little*birds]

O.K. what the heck is a "love bug"?

 

[Armandocme]

Lovebugs

They're harmless (they don't bite). We went end of September and they were all over the place.

 

[shaniadobie]

Either Sept. or Oct is a good time to go. We usually go the end of Sept into Oct and it's not every crouded....
We did see tons of Lovebugs ( harmless bugs) this trip 1st time ever seeing them... they were everywhere for the first 2 days then GONE
so i would say either month is great !!!!!!!!!!

 

[DznyDreams]

YES to October!! I've been at both times, and Sept is definitely too hot and humid for me. October is normally a bit cooler, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Food and Wine Festival are both not to be missed! Just be warned.....the closer you get to Sept and Oct, the more anxiety-infused posts you'll find around here from the folks who are fretting over the hurricane season. Since you’re from LA, you’re no stranger to this. You will do so much better than I did when booking our October stays. Just ignore these posts & focus on the fun you'll be having in October.

 

[puffkin]

Don't let Pop Warner be the only reason to scare you from going in December!!!!!!!!! It is a complete non-issue unless you are staying at the all-stars. That is my FAVORITE time of year to go.

That being said, we are trying out mid October this year as it worked better with our schedules so we will see how that goes.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

This thread has reassured me that our time should be beautiful and less crowded. We are headed down 10/26 and my kids will want to swim so hopefully they will be able!

 

[lissiesmum]

Thank you so much for your responses! I am really excited about going in October now. Does the Food & Wine festival make it really busy, or just an added perk to being there? So even though the europeans travel in October, it is still not too crowded? That sounds perfect to me! I always wondered why October wasn't considered value season when all of the kids are back in school but if people in other countries are visiting then, it makes perfect sense now And if we end up doing end of September to stay in value season, the bugs are tolerable?