What the heck? September, what happend to you?

[wendow]

Wow no English, wonder what those funny Canadians and Brits were using for language then?

Funny...But seriously no English in this crowd. I think some might have been Swedes. Definitely a few Spanish, Portuguese, not sure what else we were listening to. We met the Canadians and UK peeps other places.

 

[HopperFan]

DS talking to CM friend right now in MK and was told
""Today's numbers for guests matched those of a peak season day in July".........
....... and I leave tomorrow to head down.

 

[DisneyFive]

DS talking to CM friend right now in MK and was told
""Today's numbers for guests matched those of a peak season day in July".........
....... and I leave tomorrow to head down.

Was in MK yesterday from 4pm to 2am. If those were peak level crowds, then I guess I shouldn't fear peak season crowds. Yes, it WAS busy, but it didn't feel crazy. The only time it was shoulder to shoulder was around the HUB before the first MSEP and Wishes.

I was surprised how many people stuck it out until 2 AM though! It was our last day of the trip, so we wanted to make the most of it, but it looked like a lot of other people wanted to also.

Dan

 

[DVCcurious]

I gotta tell you, late August and early September are CRAZY busy now! I mean we're talking a dozen people waiting in lines busy! In fact check out this picture of the Jungle Cruise line at 9:00 PM on August 30! There's LITERALLY nobody in line! At 9:00!!! I mean, sure the fireworks were just starting so most people were watching those. But nobody in line at Jungle Cruise at 9PM? We have a 3 year old and my wife is nervous about the loud booms from the fireworks so we went to Jungle Cruise to be as far away as possible. Usually we do Pirates because it's indoors and you can't hear the fireworks but Pirates was closed when we were there.

Sorry you whiny people. Late August and early September are the quietest time periods. No one in line at Jungle Cruise at 9:00PM. They held our boat 10 minutes so another group would get on and we wouldn't have to ride by ourselves.

We had a 20 minute wait for Splash at 3PM. A 10 minute wait for Soarin' at 10:15 AM and 6:00PM. 15 minutes for Space Mountain at 5PM. 40 minutes for Toy Story Mania at 3PM. There was "literally" nobody there. Our trip was 8/29-9/5.

 

[RedAngie]

We were the 9/23-27 for the 3rd year in a row...This year was nothing like the past 2. Lines and crowds nearly everywhere - including the People Mover (I have never seen that before!). We used a FPs for small world and Little Mermaid. Splash Mountain was being run at full capacity, but still had LONG lines in the afternoon.

!

Out of curiosity, how does a line for the People Mover work? Do they set up the queue chains at the bottom of the moving ramp with a CM directing people up every so often? I don't think there's all that much room up top to accommodate more than a dozen people.

 

[bc7ate9]

Out of curiosity, how does a line for the People Mover work? Do they set up the queue chains at the bottom of the moving ramp with a CM directing people up every so often? I don't think there's all that much room up top to accommodate more than a dozen people.

Yes, exactly. We assumed it must be the line for Astro Orbiter and tried to walk around it. It moved very fast, but still...a line. For the People Mover. In September. Madness!

 

[wendow]

I gotta tell you, late August and early September are CRAZY busy now! I mean we're talking a dozen people waiting in lines busy! In fact check out this picture of the Jungle Cruise line at 9:00 PM on August 30! There's LITERALLY nobody in line! At 9:00!!! I mean, sure the fireworks were just starting so most people were watching those. But nobody in line at Jungle Cruise at 9PM? We have a 3 year old and my wife is nervous about the loud booms from the fireworks so we went to Jungle Cruise to be as far away as possible. Usually we do Pirates because it's indoors and you can't hear the fireworks but Pirates was closed when we were there.

Sorry you whiny people. Late August and early September are the quietest time periods. No one in line at Jungle Cruise at 9:00PM. They held our boat 10 minutes so another group would get on and we wouldn't have to ride by ourselves.

We had a 20 minute wait for Splash at 3PM. A 10 minute wait for Soarin' at 10:15 AM and 6:00PM. 15 minutes for Space Mountain at 5PM. 40 minutes for Toy Story Mania at 3PM. There was "literally" nobody there. Our trip was 8/29-9/5.

I don't think anyone is disputing the dates you were there. That, from what I can tell, truly was the slow time. Apparently, there were many cancellations due to the hurricane threat. I think the crowds got crazy after you left. Congrats! You chose your dates well!

 

[HopperFan]

Was in MK yesterday from 4pm to 2am. If those were peak level crowds, then I guess I shouldn't fear peak season crowds. Yes, it WAS busy, but it didn't feel crazy. The only time it was shoulder to shoulder was around the HUB before the first MSEP and Wishes.

I was surprised how many people stuck it out until 2 AM though! It was our last day of the trip, so we wanted to make the most of it, but it looked like a lot of other people wanted to also.

Dan

She said "today's numbers" as she closed down the park and the stores she is in charge of - so am sure it was open to close attendance. If you didn't go until 4 you probably missed the bulk of the crowds during the day and having done those late hours (my favorite time) after 10 pm is usually quite manageable.

 

[crostorfer]

We just got back. I really felt the crowds the worst at Food and Wine, and Saturday night in the MK. F&W was just mobbed Wednesday-Saturday from mid-afternoon to closing. Like, crowded to the point it wasn't fun. You couldn't move through Mexico or France without playing bumper-people. It was shoulder to shoulder in several spots, you just couldn't pass through some spots. People apparently love escargot so much they are willing to wait 60 minutes in line to try some baked in a croissant. Who knew? Friday night we got lucky and it started to pour right about 8:30. People either left or huddled for shelter. The booths stayed open though, so we got through a very soggy 4 stops in about 30 minutes, which was fantastic considering a half hour before that you couldn't get through one line in 30 minutes. I totally recommend bringing an umbrella and visiting during a torrential downpour. A Tipsy Laird from Scotland is just as good a little soggy.

There was about a 50 minute wait at Splash Mountain at 8:00pm Sat, but we walked right on with a Fastpass. The 7DMT was around 2 hours when we checked. It's a cute ride people, but it's not worth 2 hours of your life in line for.

 

[anniemae]

I don't think anyone is disputing the dates you were there. That, from what I can tell, truly was the slow time. Apparently, there were many cancellations due to the hurricane threat. I think the crowds got crazy after you left. Congrats! You chose your dates well!

Yes, the hurricane caused many to cancel. We spoke to many cm's and they all told us there were TONS of cancellations once the state of emergency was issued. I think many bumped there trip out by a week or two causing more crowds the first two weeks of September.

 

[bare necessities]

I am not sure what everyone expects anymore with crowds. Everyone wants free dining and if you are going during week when free dining is offered then you should expect it to be crowded. If we remember back to when free dining was announced and people could book the chaos that ensued on those days and how everything was quickly booked and it was almost impossible to get a new reservation. I don't see how people are surprised when they go during free dining and say it is crowded? The best thing Disney could do is do away with free dining and the slow times will return. Of course this is not in Disney's best interest so it won't happen anytime soon. At this point if you want to go during lower crowds pick times that free dining or any discount is not offered and you will enjoy the low crowds. It seems you can't have both anymore. Discounts and low crowds don't mix!

 

[DVCcurious]

Yes, the hurricane caused many to cancel. We spoke to many cm's and they all told us there were TONS of cancellations once the state of emergency was issued. I think many bumped there trip out by a week or two causing more crowds the first two weeks of September.

We were also there on Columbus Day weekend 2011 during a tropical storm. There were more people in October 2011 than there were the first week of Sept 2015 and both weeks had hurricane threats. We all know crowds in 2015 are much higher than 2011 so the only explanation is that Sept has incredibly low crowds. Yes, columbus day being higher than labor day shouldn't be a surprise, but according to some of the panic I'm reading here maybe it is.

Look at the crowd calendars at easywdw, yourfitstvisit, dads guide to wdw, etc. They all agree, September has the lowest crowds of the year. The other 48 weeks really aren't close (although between jan 5 and MLk can be low, too.)

I can't help but laugh at people above saying it's been as bad as July crowds. I can only assume they've never been in July!

Here's a quick test: if Haunted Mansion is not using the extended queue where you have to walk down the steps and along the dock before coming back up to the normal queue then you are in a low or medium crowd level.

Maybe you believe these Sept crowds are big. That's your opinion based on your experience. but had you gone every day in 2015 I'd bet you'd be saying these Sept crowds are non-existent.

 

[DisneyFive]

Yes, exactly. We assumed it must be the line for Astro Orbiter and tried to walk around it. It moved very fast, but still...a line. For the People Mover. In September. Madness!

We also went on People Mover Sat Oct 3rd when there was a line at the bottom (there were lines at the bottom in 2013 also, same week of the year). Literally was in one of the "cars" within three minutes of getting in line. That line moves super fast. It is weird seeing a snaking line for the People Mover though.

Dan

 

[anniemae]

We were also there on Columbus Day weekend 2011 during a tropical storm. There were more people in October 2011 than there were the first week of Sept 2015 and both weeks had hurricane threats. We all know crowds in 2015 are much higher than 2011 so the only explanation is that Sept has incredibly low crowds. Yes, columbus day being higher than labor day shouldn't be a surprise, but according to some of the panic I'm reading here maybe it is.

Look at the crowd calendars at easywdw, yourfitstvisit, dads guide to wdw, etc. They all agree, September has the lowest crowds of the year. The other 48 weeks really aren't close (although between jan 5 and MLk can be low, too.)

I can't help but laugh at people above saying it's been as bad as July crowds. I can only assume they've never been in July!

Here's a quick test: if Haunted Mansion is not using the extended queue where you have to walk down the steps and along the dock before coming back up to the normal queue then you are in a low or medium crowd level.

Oh I agree Sept is definitely the slowest month and if you can swing it, the week right after Labor Day is absolutely dead (most can't do this though because of school starting hence the low crowds!)

I think that the Sept folks are used to really low crowds. This Sept was not like that, the week after labor day busy, and each week after had building crowds. Not summer-level crowds, but busy for Sept. I think thats what people mean, busy for September. But not busy compared to July or Christmas. And people are talking AFTER labor day was when it was crowded, so from about Sept. 8th on.

This past sept had some things really increase the crowds. One of which was that hurricane, and one forecast had Orlando taking a direct hit as a hurricane, not a tropical storm. That was when the state of emergency was issued and many many cancelled their end of Aug/beginning of Sept trips and post-phoned a week or two making the second and third weeks more crowded. No crowd calendar could possibly have predicted that. Also, the Jewish holidays really increased crowds. One day the magic kingdom actually was summer level crowded. I guess a bunch of schools closed for a couple days, so many people headed to Disney.

So I think it was a bit busy from about Sept 8th on. Not level 10 crowded, but more crowded than normal for the week after Labor Day. I don't think it will be that way for Sept 2016, just a guess, but I think it was a fluke this past Sept. I still think the week after labor day, and the following week are the least crowded.

 

[DisneyFive]

She said "today's numbers" as she closed down the park and the stores she is in charge of - so am sure it was open to close attendance. If you didn't go until 4 you probably missed the bulk of the crowds during the day and having done those late hours (my favorite time) after 10 pm is usually quite manageable.

I believe 4pm historically is still the peak crowds of the day, but anyway... I didn't mean to suggest that crowds were light. I was being a little introspective. I am actually a little heartened to know that what we saw Saturday were supposedly peak summer levels. I can manage those crowds. We've only ever been to WDW at the end of Sept, years 2010 - 2015, during the "low crowd" season. MK felt busy, yes. Saturday has always felt busy at MK this time of year, and this past Saturday didn't feel all that different from previous years on Saturday late Sept. (2012 comes to mind). Busier yes, by a lot (subjective, I know ), no.

What I would REALLY like to see are the touring plans actual crowd level results for this past week. They post these, but we let our subscription expire last month and I can't access the information anymore. That would provide an unbiased look at actual crowds this past week, and September as a whole.

EP, HS, and AK felt like other years at this time of the year, except for the World Showcase in EP. F&W is really drawing in a lot of people. Some of the lines for the food kiosks were surprising. That whole area seemed busy all week.

Dan

 

[wendow]

I am not sure what everyone expects anymore with crowds. Everyone wants free dining and if you are going during week when free dining is offered then you should expect it to be crowded. If we remember back to when free dining was announced and people could book the chaos that ensued on those days and how everything was quickly booked and it was almost impossible to get a new reservation. I don't see how people are surprised when they go during free dining and say it is crowded? The best thing Disney could do is do away with free dining and the slow times will return. Of course this is not in Disney's best interest so it won't happen anytime soon. At this point if you want to go during lower crowds pick times that free dining or any discount is not offered and you will enjoy the low crowds. It seems you can't have both anymore. Discounts and low crowds don't mix!

I agree with you that the limited times FD is offered is driving up the crowds during those times. We actually go in Sept but do not want FD. We have never taken that promo. We rent DVC points so not using any Disney discount. We just want low crowds, and historically, Sept has been super low. I am curious, since you say that those of us who want low crowds but not FD should choose other low crowds times, when would you suggest?

I'm being serious in asking. It sounds like Jan is pretty hit and miss with weather and the place is taken over by tour groups. We did try early-to-mid Dec in 2014 and those crowds were similar (imo) to what we just experienced this Sept. That also was a FD period.

 

[madge]

I'm on my way to WDW today ... we've gone the first week of Oct nearly every year since 1999, with the exception of 2001 & 2014. We also were in the parks the week of July 4 (this year) ....

I'm curious to see how the crowds compare.

 

[DisneyFive]

I'm on my way to WDW today ... we've gone the first week of Oct nearly every year since 1999, with the exception of 2001 & 2014. We also were in the parks the week of July 4 (this year) ....

I'm curious to see how the crowds compare.

Please report back your thoughts on current crowd levels...

Dan

 

[anniemae]

I'm on my way to WDW today ... we've gone the first week of Oct nearly every year since 1999, with the exception of 2001 & 2014. We also were in the parks the week of July 4 (this year) ....

I'm curious to see how the crowds compare.

Yes, let us know! Have a great trip!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I noticed that the Thursday after Labor Day, MK was like a ghost town! However, the last two weeks of Sept have been BUSY, especially the weekends, so perhaps the parties and Food & Wine has contributed to that. In part, it might be because its closer to Halloween then early Sept and MNSS is cheaper, has Military and DVC/AP discounts. (In Oct, they don't.) But I did notice crowds were higher in later Sept. Week after labor day, though, that's the time to come, people!