Trying to decide

[luvmyfam444]

if we want to go. We LOVE LOVE LOVE DW
We went to DL about 2 yrs ago @ New Years with just adults & we hated having to be glued to our phones. We did't get to do a ton of things...part of me really dreads going back at all to dump so much money & not to get to do everything.
I haven't been to DW in several years (maybe 5) Have grandkids now so it'll be a different experience.
If we do go it will be a group of 7 or 9.
Thinking of going Labor Day - though haven't looked @ the crowds yet.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Around Labor Day is some of the lowest crowds at WDW. It will be extremely hot and humid so that might play into your decision.

We visit the 2 weeks just prior to Labour Day and do not find it is necessary to purchase lightning lanes (single or multi) so this reduces phone time. For those who purchase LL, the amount of time of the phone varies by person. When we have purchased, I'd book then go back to sharing time with my daughter. I didn't try to modify too often so my phone time was less than some,

To me the bigger thing to consider at that time of year is if your group can handle the weather over handling the crowds.

 

[LilyWDW]

Even with Lightning lane I never feel like I am glued to my phone. What is everyone doing? I even have been known to try and modify, but I do that when I am taking a break or am in line for something.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

In addition to it being hot and humid, don't forget to factor in hurricane season. You will also experience daily rain showers about 3-4pm. They don't last long, but they do happen pretty much daily.

 

[fla4fun]

if we want to go. We LOVE LOVE LOVE DW
We went to DL about 2 yrs ago @ New Years with just adults & we hated having to be glued to our phones. We did't get to do a ton of things...part of me really dreads going back at all to dump so much money & not to get to do everything.
I haven't been to DW in several years (maybe 5) Have grandkids now so it'll be a different experience.
If we do go it will be a group of 7 or 9.
Thinking of going Labor Day - though haven't looked @ the crowds yet.

Two points . . .

You will never be able to do everything in one WDW trip. I have been going since they first opened and still haven’t done everything.

Traveling with a large group, and traveling with grandkids, will make this a different experience than you are accustomed to.

The best advice I can give you is to let go of your expectations. Stay flexible and stay in the moment. Even if you buy LL to help get on more attractions, you are still in control of when and how much time you spend on your phone. Make a short list of the rides and restaurants that you feel are most important and prioritize those when planning. Allow some time to be spontaneous so when the GK need to rest, or want to burn off some energy just running around, you won’t feel like you need to rush them to the next attraction.

September is still a hot and humid month, and definitely still part of the rainy season. Bring ponchos and remember to hydrate a lot. However, early September is not typically bad crowd wise as so many kids go back to school in August now. You might want to consider travel insurance that includes hurricane coverage if you would have a lot of expenses such as airfare that may not be refunded, or the expense of extending a trip if the airport is closed. I have never purchased travel insurance for September Disney trips, but I drive to WDW and I have a AP, so there aren’t many expenses for me to lose in the event a storm comes through. Disney has a good hurricane policy in place for hotel rooms, so that is one area you should not have to worry about.

 

[brockash]

if we want to go. We LOVE LOVE LOVE DW
We went to DL about 2 yrs ago @ New Years with just adults & we hated having to be glued to our phones. We did't get to do a ton of things...part of me really dreads going back at all to dump so much money & not to get to do everything.
I haven't been to DW in several years (maybe 5) Have grandkids now so it'll be a different experience.
If we do go it will be a group of 7 or 9.
Thinking of going Labor Day - though haven't looked @ the crowds yet.

If you're okay with rain and really hot/humid weather LD is a great time to go crowd-wise and you'll be fine without Lightning lanes. We used to go over LD every year and so miss the lower crowds (doesn't work with our schedule though anymore). - Having said that, there's NO way we'd stay at a skyliner resort during that time. - Weather is going to impact operations way too much and Disney's backup for when the skyliner is down is not good.

I agree about Lightning lanes and being tied to your phone. My kids would keep feeling like I wasn't listening to them because I was often on my phone booking/modifying/changing Lightning lanes. We ended up taking a trip with no lls - just couldn't justify the price, and it was soooo much more relaxing. Did we wait longer for things, sure, but it wasn't terrible and we were enjoying the time. Now when we go we may do a day or 2 with lls, but honestly enjoy our days without it more.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm confused on how you were more glued to your phone at DL versus WDW? Did you get Genie+? Do you plan to get Lightning Lanes at WDW?