Early sept a good time for wdw

[SouloTravlr]

Just my opinion, but I think that very small window in early Sept is one of the few true lower (note, not low) crowd times around. We've done several smaller trips around a MNSSHP during that time the last few years. If we didn't have school schedules to deal with, I'd absolutely do a long trip like yours probably every year.

Pros - More manageable crowds, among the lowest resort rates of the year, resort discounts are sometimes easier to find, good time to catch a MNSSHP and F&W (F&W used to start later in Sept but since last year has started end of Aug)

Cons - Hot as blazes, free dining does a good job at filling rooms and gobbling up ADR times, some earlier park closing times (more like Jan/Feb, although this varies by the day)

I think it's important to not let the "low crowd" expectations get too carried away in your head - it's always some shade of crowded. It can just be more manageable overall.

Happy planning!

Thank you for this! I had no idea F&W would be going on during my Sept visit! You sir, have just made my day.

 

[klacey1]

We'll be there 9/6-11 and the only thing we're worried about is long ride lines after reports in January that Disney was compensating for low crowds by reducing ride capacity...

 

[Melanie230]

We are going September 13-19. I have read everywhere this is a much slower time. We live in NC so the heat here is very similar. We used to do Disney in October...but that got to be too crowded.

 

[mamamelody2]

I sure hope early September is a good time for WDW because we're going August 30 to September 8.

 

[anniemae]

Probably the slowest time of the year. All schools are back in session right after Labor Day. Wish we could go during this time.

 

[icesk8abc]

This is our exact trip plan, but this year. We preferred in the past to go at the end of September/beginning of October to catch both free dining and Food & Wine. However this year we are racing the calendar to get our trip in before my daughter turns 2 so we are going earlier. We have the added bonus of Food & Wine starting earlier with the downside of face of the sun heat + humidity.

I agree that while the low crowds we experienced on our trip in September 2010 & 2012 are thing of the past, the crowds should still be more manageable. Even people who take their kids out of school for Disney don't often do it that early in the year. In 2019 you may have the added bonus of Disney announcing a "late fall" opening to Star Wars Land. That may have people (like us) who normally like a September trip pushing their trips farther back to catch the opening or come after it opens.

 

[SarahC97]

I went Labor Day week in 2017 and thought that crowd-wise it was awesome! Definitely one of the least crowded times I've ever been, but thinking back I'm unsure how much of that was typical and how much was because there was a hurricane bearing down on Orlando that week and people canceled their vacations or switched them to another week. We got out right before the airport closed.

 

[DisLiss]

Early to mid September is our absolute favorite time to go. Our next trip will be the first week of Sept. and we'll be enjoying both the food & wine festival plus MNSSHP.

 

[disneyfreak202]

We are going Sept 8th-14th this year. I am hoping for manageable crowds because we pushed our trip up from October because all I heard was how busy it was then.

 

[Ashley Marie]

I will be there September 3-14 (we always go in September) but I am mentally preparing myself for bigger crowds than normal because of when Rosh Hashanah falls this year. I remember in 2015 when it fell a few days after Labor Day (like it does this year), crowds were definitely crazier than usual.

I am hoping I am wrong but I would rather go in expecting chaos and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around!

Yeah, my kids go back to school Sept. 5, but our school district has Sept. 10 and 11 off for Rosh Hashanah AND the 19th off for Yom Kippur. Can't lie, I've been looking at that week when I normally would not consider it.

 

[anneboleyn]

Yeah, my kids go back to school Sept. 5, but our school district has Sept. 10 and 11 off for Rosh Hashanah AND the 19th off for Yom Kippur. Can't lie, I've been looking at that week when I normally would not consider it.

Yup I think a lot of people are looking at that week. Like I said, I was at Disney World during an early September Rosh Hashanah and it was...interesting lol

 

[johnsgrl]

We are going September 1-9 this year. Normally we go either later in the month or October but wanted to try a different time. Coming from the sandhills of NC, it has actually been cooler in Orlando Fl than here so we are well prepared for heat and humidity. If it really is less crowded it may become our new favorite time of year, especially with F & W happening during our trip.

 

[old feller]

We are going September 1-9 this year. Normally we go either later in the month or October but wanted to try a different time. Coming from the sandhills of NC, it has actually been cooler in Orlando Fl than here so we are well prepared for heat and humidity. If it really is less crowded it may become our new favorite time of year, especially with F & W happening during our trip.

If you can let us know when you get back

 

[goodhonk]

We'll be there 9/6-11 and the only thing we're worried about is long ride lines after reports in January that Disney was compensating for low crowds by reducing ride capacity...

This is exactly what happened to me at the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday of the Labor Day week last year. They were only running one stretching room at the Haunted Mansion and the wait was 35 minutes around noon when it should have been about 5 minutes with that little crowd. Also the same thing at POTC, 30 minutes wait as they were only running one boat at a time and it seemed as if they were short handed in addition to that. Certainly not first class as you would expect from Disney.

The good news that day was that when my first three FPs were used I was able to pick up one FP after another except PP and 7DMT.

 

[amilli12]

We are going to wdw the day after labor day (tuesday) 2019 for 10 days. Does anyone have experience with this time ? Trying to get a feel for wait times .We have been late September and are aware of the heat and crowds. Hopefully early September will be less crowded. Thanks for any help.

We're going for our 3rd September trip from August 27-September 7th this year because we've found it to be the best "low" time in the last 5-7 years! It's hot, but totally doable, and the lower crowds have been worth it for us!

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

We were there 9/5-9/12 last year (arrived the Tues after Labor Day like you said you're planning to do). The crowds were insanely low due to Irma, anyone who could get a flight out left early and no one was coming in (everyone canceled / rescheduled their trips). We had such crazy short wait times, it was either the day before the parks closed or the day they reopened, but whichever day it was, my daughter got to ride the Barnstomer 7 times in a row without getting off. There were zero people in line for a good 10 minute stretch so the cast member just kept sending us through again. It was awesome!!! We are planning our next trip in Dec to see the Christmas decor and I'm dreading the crowds.

I would highly recommend trip insurance during that time. The odds are low there will be another category 5 hurricane that same week, but all the same... we were originally supposed to be in the Contemporary for 4 nights and it turned into 8. Even at the "hurricane rate" (which stopped on Monday even though we couldn't catch a flight till Wed) it was a dent in our savings to pay for 4 extra nights, 4 extra days of food, 4 extra days of airport parking, etc. I'm not certain what trip insurance would have covered but I'm sure it would have helped us out.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We've gone that week the last 2 years and loved it, more so in 2016 because we didn't have to cut our trip short, due to a hurricane like we did in 2017. That is the only thing with September - stressing over hurricanes. We were so bummed that we had to drive home 3 days early, so we said we are taking a break from September for a while. Crowd wise though, it is wonderful! The actual weekend it is a bit more crowded but after Labor Day, the crowds disappear. The heat is brutal though. I think we were spoiled in 2016 - it barely rained and it wasn't brutally hot like it was last year.

 

[Ladyfish77]

Never say "low time". WDW just announced a special for early September. They don't like to pass up an opportunity to fill rooms.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/ultimate-fall-magic-package/

 

[Mickey'sZebra<3]

We did early september last time and it was very quiet everywhere, no long queues but very hot!

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Never say "low time". WDW just announced a special for early September. They don't like to pass up an opportunity to fill rooms.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/ultimate-fall-magic-package/

Package looks fantastic, but not willing to give up FD