September Crowds

[Mrs~Incredible]

Many Georgia schools have it the week of 9-25.

Gah!

We have gone first week of May the past several years, which I would say was moderate-

For those of you with experience and a crystal ball, do you think week of Sept 9-15 will be heavier or lighter than first week of May?

 

[randumb0]

Gah!

We have gone first week of May the past several years, which I would say was moderate-

For those of you with experience and a crystal ball, do you think week of Sept 9-15 will be heavier or lighter than first week of May?

My crystal ball just dropped as I was typing so unfortunately I'm unable to give you an answer. Anyone have a spare?

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

My crystal ball just dropped as I was typing so unfortunately I'm unable to give you an answer. Anyone have a spare?

While predicting Disney crowds is not an exact science, you can come to some pretty good conclusions by checking room, dining reservation, and fastpass availability for those dates. We have traveled to WDW several times over the last year and I have found that, when I was able to get any dining reservations and fastpass times and attractions I wanted, the crowds were lower. When I was online at 6am for dining reservations and there were several already full, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. On site Fastpass for those mid September dates should be open now. It would be interesting to see availability.

Room discounts are also telling. If you check September room only discounts and availability you might be able to glean something from that.

 

[slbgnb]

Going 9/3-9/11 - and I feel like there is still quite a bit of flexibility with moving my ADR's and FP's around. Maybe that's a good sign that it won't be too bad. While the crowds might be up quite a bit for September lately, I just don't see it being spring break or Christmas crowded. I could be way off, but....I sure hope not.

 

[ristatron]

We are going Mid September and I have been able to rearrange our ADRs and FP+ fairly often. Be Our Guest has been the most difficult one to change, and that includes some PPO @ Akershus/CRT.

FP+ has been fairly wide open except for FEA. Soarin, TT, 7DMT still have a wide range of availability the whole week we are there including 11am times.

 

[tsme]

Well crap on toast! We will be there in Sept too. We usually go every Sept but skipped last Sept for a Dec trip. Now we're going back in Sept. So hoping it won't be crazy. As a side note, I never understood the appeal of free dining. We don't eat that much & found the room discount better for us.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Seems like late September is about the same as the entire month of October now. If I had a choice between late Sept and late Oct I'd choose Oct. The weather will be much more pleasant. Sept is a miserable month to go as far as weather so if I have to deal with that heat I don't want crowds.

We are coming down Sept 3-14. (although not going to Disney.) Sept 6-10ish should have the lowest crowds. I actually don't even think labor day will be too busy. If schools haven't started before Labor Day they will start the day after and people will either stay home or have to be traveling home on Labor Day. Locals will probably make up the majority of guests that day.

 

[tony67]

I suspect we will see the perceived lower attendance continue - there is a lot going in the world that will have an effect on attendance IMO. No point in going into that.

In the end Disboards is a very small sample of the general population of people who go to Disney. Yes we know September\Oct is the "slower" time - but do the other 80-90% of the people going to Disney know that?

In my experience there are still loads of people that go to Disney and really have no idea that they have to book their restaurants and rides well in advance. I doubt there is anyone on disboards that does not know that.

My point is you can't assume that September will be busy based on people from this site. Also you are going in September and so you are paying more attention to people going in September. Also people who are going in September are getting in their question now as they plan for September.

There still seems to be room available for a discount at many hotels...maybe not the cheapest rooms.. but there is availability for the most part..and not so much in October\November.

FWIW - It is highly unlikely it will be as bad as Christmas, New Years..other peek times etc....so that is a big plus - there is nothing worse than not being able to even walk through the MK because it is so packed.

 

[MadMadamMim1]

I've been trying to find Georgia schools with fall breaks in September but so far I'm only seeing the big school districts with days off the first week of October (6th and 7th specifically). I hope this is good news for all of us September people!

Cobb County in Metro Atlanta is off the last week of Sept, as well as at least two other counties surrounding. Start back at school August 1 and the last week of Sept is "Fall Break."

 

[anneboleyn]

I suspect we will see the perceived lower attendance continue - there is a lot going in the world that will have an effect on attendance IMO. No point in going into that.

In the end Disboards is a very small sample of the general population of people who go to Disney. Yes we know September\Oct is the "slower" time - but do the other 80-90% of the people going to Disney know that?

In my experience there are still loads of people that go to Disney and really have no idea that they have to book their restaurants and rides well in advance. I doubt there is anyone on disboards that does not know that.

My point is you can't assume that September will be busy based on people from this site. Also you are going in September and so you are paying more attention to people going in September. Also people who are going in September are getting in their question now as they plan for September.

There still seems to be room available for a discount at many hotels...maybe not the cheapest rooms.. but there is availability for the most part..and not so much in October\November.

FWIW - It is highly unlikely it will be as bad as Christmas, New Years..other peek times etc....so that is a big plus - there is nothing worse than not being able to even walk through the MK because it is so packed.

I really, really, really hope you are right. Prayer circle! lol

 

[tinkerbella16]

Going 9/3-9/11 - and I feel like there is still quite a bit of flexibility with moving my ADR's and FP's around. Maybe that's a good sign that it won't be too bad. While the crowds might be up quite a bit for September lately, I just don't see it being spring break or Christmas crowded. I could be way off, but....I sure hope not.

I have been able to tweak ADR's and FP's with no issues and there are plenty of rooms still available for our week. I don't think you are way off at all. I don't think it will be holiday busy or summer busy. We arrive on the 3rd - I am expecting Sat, Sun and Monday to be a little more busier with locals, but after Labor Day it should be great.

We usually go in November - it used to be great as far as crowds go and that just isn't the case anymore now that they extend F&W and have a marathon weekend, etc. I hope September will be a little better. We planned our dates because we wanted to go before F&W started.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

While predicting Disney crowds is not an exact science, you can come to some pretty good conclusions by checking room, dining reservation, and fastpass availability for those dates. We have traveled to WDW several times over the last year and I have found that, when I was able to get any dining reservations and fastpass times and attractions I wanted, the crowds were lower. When I was online at 6am for dining reservations and there were several already full, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. On site Fastpass for those mid September dates should be open now. It would be interesting to see availability.

Room discounts are also telling. If you check September room only discounts and availability you might be able to glean something from that.

This is not accurate during periods that include free dining. Restaurants will be more busy in September than in July because of free dining. Also, resorts will be very busy because of the free dining promo, which requires that you stay on Disney property. I do agree that fastpass is a good indicator, but you have to wait too long to find out about that since you can only book those 60 days out.

Also, as a PP said, now that the F&WF starts in September, the crowds start to pick up in September. That means that September should not be viewed as a month in its entirety. The first half of September is pretty empty. The second half is much busier.

 

[Bellhop97]

I'm going to in Sept... and not to worried about the crowds.. it is what it is.. and I'm at Disney... just happy to be there...

 

[Starclassic]

We usually go in February but are trying September this year for a change (MNSSHP, woohoo!). As long as the crowds aren't as bad as Presidents week, I'll be happy!! Lol

 

[tink9702]

We are going 9/15 to 9/25. I can't seem to move our CRT ADR and getting "reasonable" hours for Boma & Tusker House an issue, but no issues moving around other ADRs. I don't expect an empty park at all, but hoping that by following crowd calendars that I'll be at the best park for the day. If not, then oh well! We will still have fun. Can't schedule FP+ for a few days still so not sure how that looks yet.

 

[jcemom]

Gah!

We have gone first week of May the past several years, which I would say was moderate-

For those of you with experience and a crystal ball, do you think week of Sept 9-15 will be heavier or lighter than first week of May?

Lighter.

I just booked 9/7-12 a few days ago and have had no problem getting every single FP+ I wanted. I've even been tweaking them and have been able to move them around. Frozen still has several times available for our Epcot day, and at MK I had plenty of Mine Train times to choose from. Now, ADRs are another matter, but that's due to free dining, not overall crowd levels, IMO. I was still able to get Sci Fi for the exact dinner time we wanted, though that was probably luck, and Crystal Palace dinner before MNSSHP, but again, probably just luck. Pickin's are definitely slim when it comes to the popular restaurants. I have found that to be the case every time we've gone during free dining though, yet we've never found attraction wait times to be bad at all.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Lighter.

I just booked 9/7-12 a few days ago and have had no problem getting every single FP+ I wanted. I've even been tweaking them and have been able to move them around. Frozen still has several times available for our Epcot day, and at MK I had plenty of Mine Train times to choose from. Now, ADRs are another matter, but that's due to free dining, not overall crowd levels, IMO. I was still able to get Sci Fi for the exact dinner time we wanted, though that was probably luck, and Crystal Palace dinner before MNSSHP, but again, probably just luck. Pickin's are definitely slim when it comes to the popular restaurants. I have found that to be the case every time we've gone during free dining though, yet we've never found attraction wait times to be bad at all.

Thanks, that is really helpful to know!
We are staying offsite and I am hoping against hope that we can get a FP for a party of 3 for FEA at 30 days.... Hopefully it will work out!

 

[wendow]

Going 9/1-9/10. We are regular Sept guests and it does get busier every year it seems. However, crowds are still lower than other times of the year.

For those of you who haven't been in a few years during Sept, it has gotten so much busier. The last year I would truly call "slow" was 2013.

 

[Christinaxo]

I see a few of us are checking in on the 3rd!
I'm hoping its low crowds because our last September trip in 2014 set the bar pretty high. We specifically chose September again to hopefully have that same experience of low crowds and laid back touring style. Either way we will make it work but fingers crossed!

 

[anneboleyn]

I have never been to WDW in September, only ever in April, May, and end of October. I am hoping since I have no previous Septembers to compare it to that it will still seem less crowded than I have ever experienced. I am also hoping that, like others have suggested, I am zeroing in one other people going in September because that is when my trip is as well.

So I will just hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I am still super excited about going!