Week after Labor Day

[sirstude]

In 2001 my wife and I spent 5 days in the park starting the Thursday after Labor Day. There was nobody there, and it was great. The park was still open full summer hours that week. Does anyone know if that still holds true? It has been 13 years after all. Thinking about doing it again this fall as a special treat.

Thanks
Doug

 

[chrisaman]

In 2001 my wife and I spent 5 days in the park starting the Thursday after Labor Day. There was nobody there, and it was great. The park was still open full summer hours that week. Does anyone know if that still holds true? It has been 13 years after all. Thinking about doing it again this fall as a special treat. Thanks Doug

Yes, it still holds true. Labor Day Monday will be busy until the evening and then the parks are dead till Halloween starts. If u don't mind some rides being closed for refurb it is the perfect time to go.

 

[Tyggress]

My family did this last year (2014). We were there from Thursday - Sunday AFTER Labor Day. While the hours were shorter on Thursday, Friday and Saturday had longer hours and full entertainment. The parks were DEAD on Thursday and Friday, picked up a little bit on Saturday, but basically everything was a walk-on with little-to-no-wait. We skipped the Labor Day crowds and Halloween Time didn't start until the following weekend, so we missed those crowds, too. It was perfect.

We plan to do the same thing this year, however; with Labor Day so late in the month (date-wise, it's on the 7th), I am definitely concerned that the following weekend will be the start of Halloween Time, which will mean bigger crowds compared to last year.

This year is also the 60th Anniversary, so not sure how that will affect crowds. We are still going, though...September 10th - 13th.

I also anticipate very few refurbs...I think Disney will get all the refurbs out of the way before the 60th.

 

[figment_jii]

Labor Day is on September 7 in 2015, which makes it a little tough to estimate what is going to happen in terms of HalloweenTime. If the pattern from previous years hold, HalloweenTime would start on Friday, September 11. However, given the significance of that date, it seems unlikely that DLR would opt to start HalloweenTime on 9/11. On the other hand, given the popularity of HalloweenTime, it seems unlikely that they'd wait until the 18th to start. So, I'm guess that the official start will be Saturday, September 12th.

Working off that assumption (which is a big assumption), it would mean that Space Mountain would go down on Tuesday (9/8) for the installation of the overlay. Haunted Mansion would still be closed for installation of the overlay (since mid/late August). Big Thunder Ranch would also be closed for installation of the Carnival overlay. All would likely re-open with the start of HalloweenTime or possibly on Friday (soft opening). Much of the Halloween decor will already be in place and/or starting to appear.

In terms of the operating hours, the weekends (Fri-Sun) and Labor Day Monday would have long hours and full entertainment, but the weekdays would have already gone to "off-season" hours (opening around 9 or 10 am and closing around 8 or 9 pm). Fantasmic! and fireworks would likely only be presented on weekends (Fri-Sun and Labor Day Monday). Now, all of this could change given the 60th anniversary activities, but going off the 2014 calendar, I would expect low-to-modest crowds on the weekdays because it's after the end of summer, but before the start of HalloweenTime.

 

[sirstude]

Thanks for the information all. Now see what September brings.

Doug

 

[Indiana Scott]

still true and that is one of our favorite times of year to go. The park is dead, lines are short but there's not usually a lot of closures.