Trying to go in September-closings please help

[auteur55]

Hello, first post here on the boards. I became a Disney fanatic after going on a Disney Cruise, then I attended the park for the first time since I was like 7 (and don't remember much). I'm now hooked in my mid 30's. I want to take my daughter to Disneyland in mid September. We were going to do the summer but honestly I just can't do the crowds and spend that kind of money. I have crowd phobia.

So we decided on September. I was ok with knowing Submarine voyage was closed and I just recently saw we will also miss out on Matterhorn. Once I got over the disappointment I was about to book but then thought I would do a bit more research. Someone on here warned that they close Space Mountain and Haunted mansion for a couple weeks in Sept? Yet I have no idea when they are going to do that. I won't go if four of the biggest rides are closed I was so looking forward to riding Space MOuntain with my daughter as she is barely tall enough now. Anybody know when we can be safe? Thanks

 

[planningjollyholiday]

If you go the last 2 weeks of September then you will avoid the closures of space and haunted. They get their overlays in early September. They will be up and running for the start of Halloween time which i guess will be September 12th. Unfortunately this year seems to be the year of refurbs in order to catch up on unexpected OSHA refurbs as well as to get ready for the 60th anniversary next year. We have gone during the end of September and had great trips. Expect Hot weather and low crowds topped off with fantastic Halloween decorations.

 

[auteur55]

Thank you! Do you think we'll be safe the week of the 15th or is that when they close to decorate?

 

[SMD]

If the start of Halloween time follows the patterns of the last few years, then the rides should reopen with their overlays on the 12th. But Disney hasn't officially announced Halloween yet, that should happen in early July.

I also wouldn't discount some additional minor refurbs that haven't been announced yet. I think things went a little crazy late last year when they announced a ton of refurbs throughout Sept-Oct then they all changed. Lesson learned, they may be waiting until the dates are closer and some of the current refurbs, like Alive actually reopen.

You may also want to read this recent thread about the SM Ghost Galaxy overlay, to decide if it's really appropriate for someone newly tall enough to ride.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3273219

 

[auteur55]

So I checked the pricing on pushing the trip back from the 15th to the 21st and the resort hotel pricing goes up $400. I can only assume this means that's a more crowded week. Any thoughts?

 

[auteur55]

thanks for your comments. It's just amazing to me that they don't let travellers know way in advance what rides are going to be available. That's a big determining factor on when we go. they have to know people plan these trips months in advance and want the most out of the money. For instance at Disneyworld when we went splash mountain was closed and the first time I went to Disney land it was closed. I just can't catch it when it's open and I'm not missing it this time.

 

[valiamo]

So I checked the pricing on pushing the trip back from the 15th to the 21st and the resort hotel pricing goes up $400. I can only assume this means that's a more crowded week. Any thoughts?

This week seems to have very low crowds expected levels. Most of the days are 1 out of 10 (super light crowds). Don't know about the hotels, but they usually start to go up in price on the first Weekend of October.

We are there the last week of Sept in into the first week of Oct, and are expecting 3/10 crowds during the week, and the full Halloween overlay to be up.

I heard that the Matterhorn would be closed around this time for maintenance.

Based on historical patterns, you should be OK after the middle of Sept for seeing the Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion.

 

[sharonabe]

Agree with PP above. You may want to take a look at some You Tube videos of Space Mtn and Haunted House WITH their Halloween overlays. If your DD is barely tall enough to ride, they may scare her and keep her from riding other things.

 

[Girimama33]

This week seems to have very low crowds expected levels. Most of the days are 1 out of 10 (super light crowds). Don't know about the hotels, but they usually start to go up in price on the first Weekend of October.

We are there the last week of Sept in into the first week of Oct, and are expecting 3/10 crowds during the week, and the full Halloween overlay to be up.

I heard that the Matterhorn would be closed around this time for maintenance.

Based on historical patterns, you should be OK after the middle of Sept for seeing the Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion.

If you are planning your days based on what Touring Plans suggests on their crowd calendar...prepare to be disappointed. They are often incorrect.

 

[auteur55]

So I've seen several posts saying that September is one of the lowest crowd months. But then I've seen others saying when the Halloween weekend opens on the 13th it will be packed and one of the busier weekends. So wouldn't that mean only two weeks in Sept are low traffic and the rest has Halloween crowds?

 

[figment_jii]

thanks for your comments. It's just amazing to me that they don't let travellers know way in advance what rides are going to be available. That's a big determining factor on when we go. they have to know people plan these trips months in advance and want the most out of the money. For instance at Disneyworld when we went splash mountain was closed and the first time I went to Disney land it was closed. I just can't catch it when it's open and I'm not missing it this time.

I agree that it can be frustrating for folks that are trying to plan vacations, but ultimately, I think it comes down to demographics. If you hang out on this board long enough, you'll hear the phrase "locals park" a lot. While there does seem to be an uptick in folks asking questions about planning a major vacation to DLR, the majority of the guests are still "locals." Meaning folks that go on a fairly regular basis, so they aren't as likely to plan far in advance. For example, the operating calendar is only published 45-days in advance and entertainment & EMH/MM are published about 30-days in advance.

In terms of Splash, it normally closes in January for it's rehab. Now it's possible that it could close at some other time (especially this year with the OSHA retrofits and getting ready for the 60th next year), but January is still the most likely.

So I've seen several posts saying that September is one of the lowest crowd months. But then I've seen others saying when the Halloween weekend opens on the 13th it will be packed and one of the busier weekends. So wouldn't that mean only two weeks in Sept are low traffic and the rest has Halloween crowds?

Yes and no...I think the weekdays in September are pretty manageable (Mon-Thu). The weekends (Fri-Sun) after HalloweenTime starts are likely to be busy. Some of this also because nighttime entertainment (e.g., fireworks, Fantasmic, Mad T Party) are only on weekends. So combined with HallowwenTime, the parks get pretty busy.