Early September

[Giggy]

141st post but this is the first time I have started a topic. It's yet another one asking how WDW is at certain times of the year.

We have been talking about when we (me, parents, older brother and younger sister) would return to WDW; hoping it would be the not too distant future. One suggestion that has gone about has been September 2010, my sister will be starting college that year and in Britain colleges start mid-September (whereas schools start early September) I will be starting my 3rd year at University (which seems to start late September), my brother would have graduated from university, he may have a job (and just book the relevant time off) or may do something else at university - though he's at Cambridge and they always seem to start early October.

Anyway, I'm going off topic, we were thinking early September which is a time we haven't done before. We have done April/May once, June once and October/November once. Our guidebook (from 2004) gives most of September as being low crowds, except Labor Day where they go up to mid-high for that weekend. My question is how much does Labor Day affect the crowds at WDW and how long is the effect? If we were to go for the first 2 weeks of September (roughly) Labor Day would fall somewhere in the middle of that (the 6th I think) so would that be a good day to go somewhere that is usually quieter such as one of the water parks? While I'm here I'll take any other info on WDW during that time, such as weather. :mickey:

Oh, one more thing (to finish one of the longest posts ever, as you can see I have lots of questions): just out of interest what is the deal with wearing white after Labor Day? Is it just a fashion faux-pas similar to the infamous jorts? Or would walking into one of the parks wearing white get me 'taken out' by a security guard as soon as I got through the gates? :blush:

[Strmchsr]

Well, first off, can't answer your question about the white after Labor Day thing. I know it's supposed to be a fashion faux-pas, but I have a long criminal history in the fashion world after violating rules I've never understood. So, can't help you there.

Now, crowds in early September, especially, are pretty mild. The "free" dining promotion which has taken place the last few years has made the restaurants insane during September and the crowds have definitely taken an upswing, but it's still not horrible.

One thing that could be a concern for you, coming all the way from the UK...September is peak hurricane season. That's generally not a big deal, but coming from a long distance it could ruin your trip more than someone who lives closer.

On the upside if you go the second week or so you might hit the MNSSHP which is definitely a great event.

[crltkcagle]

The second or third week in September is IMO the BEST time to go! Light crowds, free dining, MNNSHP, what more could you ask for!:thumbsup:

[marlaine]

We've gone to WDW in Sept. beginning on Labor Day and left on that Friday for the last 3 years. I cannot rave enough about it. On Labor Day, it is kind of crowded early, but by 5:00 or so, it thins out completely. IMHO it's the best week of the year to go! Last year we went on Splash Mountain 6 times in a row, Kali River Rapids 3 times, TOT 3 times in a row. It's absolutely perfect. The only line last year was Toy Story Mania at HS, and we only waited 20 minutes. In 3 years, we've never used a Fast Pass because we didn't need to.
This year we're going the 3rd week of Sept. because my son is starting Kindergarten, and I want him to be in school a few weeks before we take him out for vacation. I hope we have the same kind of luck in the parks.:D

[Giggy]

Thanks everyone. :mickey: Does that mean that while Labor Day is busy the rest of September (before and after) is relatively tame? When talking about this I think we said that if that day/weekend is going to be busier then it may be a good time to visit a waterpark rather than one of the big 4 parks.

Strmchsr mentioned hurricanes, my understanding was that although most hurricanes die down before they reach Orlando they do still happen from time to time. If one does hit Orlando then how long are the parks down for? Is it just for the day it hits or do they have to close longer for safety reasons?

[Strmchsr]

Strmchsr mentioned hurricanes, my understanding was that although most hurricanes die down before they reach Orlando they do still happen from time to time. If one does hit Orlando then how long are the parks down for? Is it just for the day it hits or do they have to close longer for safety reasons?

In general IF a tropical storm closes WDW (and it is a pretty rate occurrence, having happened less than 10 times in the almost 40 years of operation) it's usually not for more than a day, though, of course, you might face heavy rain/winds on the days before and after the storm, but are still able to go to the parks.

[Pop Centurion]

We've gone in early Sept for the past 4 years and while the parks are somewhat crowded on the holiday weekend, I still find them very manageable.

[obsessive planner]

We went last year arriving the day before Labor Day and staying through the rest of the week. We took advantage of EMH and didn't go to MK on Labor Day. After Labor Day the crowds weren't bad at all and the longest line we encountered was for TSM at about 90 minutes. We are going again in 2010 as well but I think we are going to go the week before Labor Day, hopefully the crowds won't be bad again!

[TiggerD]

We have gone 3 times in September and will be returning again this year from the 10th-19th and we love it. Less crowds, free dining, and even though it is still very hot and humid, we have a great time.

You may encounter some rain in the afternoons but the storms are quick and it has not deterred us at all, we grab a poncho and off we go. Hope you have a wonderful time...:mickey:

[Darbylew]

There are less crowds in September. It is still
quite warm and humid so bring cool clothes,
sunglasses, sunblock, hats and rain gear. I love
September at WDW and also October. The only
concern is hurricanes as September is the peak
for them. We don't need any of them anytime.
Have a great time. :mickey::D

[Crow]

Sept is a good time. Ive been there a few times right after Labor Day. chance of rain and/or hurricanes then though but crowds arent bad

[gueli]

September is a great time to go. BUT...
The Bad-
Hurricanes are possible.
It can be as HOT as it is during the worst of the summer months. a few years back it was blistering 90 degrees plus (high humidity)

The good
US tourists are generally gearing up to school (grade through college).
Free dining plan (which is used to draw people in during this low season).
Generally small crowds, less waiting time

Up through Labor Day you will be experiencing the last of the summer crowds. As most US tourists are starting to head to home, the crowds become lighter. Labor Day & the day after are some of the lest crowded times of the year.
Planning on a watering hole might seem to be an answer- but as it is the last hurrah of summer- during the last weekend might not work. But again that will depend on how you see the crowds when you go.

[Giggy]

I've been looking around and in 2009 the college my sister would probably be going to starts on September 10th, so would probably be a similar time in 2010 when we were looking at going. We are all at that stage in our education where we can't afford to be taking time out.

This would mean that for a 2 week trip we would have to do very early September and before that the very last few days of August. Is the end of August dramatically different to the start of September in terms of crowd/weather. Presumably it is hotter, wetter and more crowded but how significant is the change? :mickey:

[Giggy]

Sorry to bump and old thread, there's probably a rule against doing that. Just wondering how crowds/weather in the last few days of August compare to the first few days of September. Is it more or less the same or does it change really suddenly?

As said term dates mean if we go for 2010 it will probably now be 2 weeks from end of August to early September.

[tjstrike]

The crowds will be much worse at that time because most kids are still out of school. The temp is going to be alittle hotter, probably 90 -95 f and very humid. Not a good time of year to go IMO. If you have a fall break (maybe early Oct.) would be a much better time to go.

[Tigger&Stitch]

I agree with the above poster, end of August is a bit worse, as so many families are trying to get one last holiday in before school starts (typically the day after labour day). It's also very very hot and humid in August.

Do you know when your autumn break would be? That might be a better time.

[Night Tracker]

Most US schools are back in session right after Labor day. We never go when school is in. I like to walk right on all the rides, if there is a 15 minute wait, that is way too long for me. OK, I have waited 3 hours a few times, but those were new rides.
What I do is search the net to find a local Orlando school district and local colleges/universities to see when their schools are in session. This way I will know that there won't be many locals around.
Hurricanes are really another story, due to those, DW likes to go in Jan but I like Nov. Free dining is messing up my plans and we might end up going last week of Sept just because they are ending it earlier this year.

If it were me, I would arrive on Labor day, anything earlier will surely be crowded, if that would fit in with being back by "mid-September."

As for your white after labor day question...
The only thing I know about fashion is that white pants went out of style around 1980... My mother made me wear them...
Also, white clothing and water rides don't mix at a family park... at least for me, nobody wants to see an old fat man in a wet white t-shirt.
Well, seriously (you asked), not wearing white after labor day sort of ended decades ago. Originally it meant white shoes, mostly womens pumps/high heels (not including boots) but later extended to handbags and clothing. White was worn a lot to combat the summer heat. Since labor day in the US marks the end of the summer as we know it, snooty rich people used labor day to start showing off their new clothes for fall. These days, nobody cares.
I should point out that I have no idea why I know all of this... I mean I buy new clothes every 5 years or so. I am currently wearing sweats and a t-shirt with built in air conditioning... yes, holes. So maybe I'm not the one to be talking fashion.

[cherbie66]

We are going to Disney Sept 5-12 (arriving late on the 5th, so not going to the parks). So we will have one park day, then labor day, then the rest of the trip is after labor day. I was wondering if Labor day is really that busy. My sister went to MK one year on Labor day and she said that the park was nearly empty. We will definitely be in MK for Labor Day because thats when my sister can meet us to celebrate a really special birthday for my daughter. Should I be concerned?

[Giggy]

We won't have any chance to go in the fall. Once me and my brother start univeristy in late September/early October it goes straight through until mid-December with no fall break. We are then probably too busy to go away during Christmas holidays as exams are as soon as we get back.

If we go before starting back at University we have to be back for my sister to start college, which would be somewhere about September 10th. Easter holidays have a similar problem to Christmas only to a lesser extent, also mine and my brother's Easter holidays seem to be staggered a bit as different universities use different dates. Schools and colleges in Britain are in until late June/July and July is even worse August from what I hear.

So it looks like we're going to have to put up with a few busy days at the start and then hope things quieten down once September hits? Perhaps aim to get to the parks as early as possible to maximise our time in them? EMH not an option as we stay offsite.

[Tigger&Stitch]

Well, if this is the only time you can go, my best suggestion is to plan, be prepared and have a fun time. There are lots of tips on the boards on how to deal with the heat, and the crowds, and even how to plan the day if you are staying off-site. :mickey:

[Giggy]

Thanks everyone, I've definitely heard some people argue that planning is atleast as important as when you go in terms of beating the crowds. We're normally pretty good at planning and set up a plan for where we go each day. We're not inflexible though and if we need change plans around a bit we will. :mickey:

I've been looking around and opinions on August seem to vary a bit. Everyone agrees that it is hot and humid, it will be a lot hotter than we are used to, however we're very used to rain in Britain as most of the time it seems to be all get! (Though we have just had a couple of days nice weather!) Perhaps not always as heavy as a Floridian downpour though.

Crowds seem to be an interesting one though, some just say September is quiet, August is mega-busy and July is even worse. Others say that it seems to calm gradually as August wears on and although it is starts busy and is still quite busy it isn't too bad by the end. That seems to be the message on this website. (http://www.dadsguidetowdw.com/crowds.html)

No garuntee we're actually going as early as next year yet but if we do we'll have to wait and see with the crowds. For now I'll just think happy thoughts! :peter:

[Kaps]

We have ad pretty good times there in Sept. Last year b4 labor day it was a bit crowded but right after crowds thinned alot. Overall the Free dining plan makes it busier but manageable. We will be there 1st two weeks of sept as well so hoping for light crowds again. Have fun:party:

[johnO]

We went during the second week of September 2007 and loved it. The weather, the crowds, the free dining were fantastic!

[nicster]

Thanks everyone. :mickey: Does that mean that while Labor Day is busy the rest of September (before and after) is relatively tame? When talking about this I think we said that if that day/weekend is going to be busier then it may be a good time to visit a waterpark rather than one of the big 4 parks.

Strmchsr mentioned hurricanes, my understanding was that although most hurricanes die down before they reach Orlando they do still happen from time to time. If one does hit Orlando then how long are the parks down for? Is it just for the day it hits or do they have to close longer for safety reasons?

We arrived at DW the day before hurricane Charlie in Aug 2004. The Disney people were great! We stayed at CS. They informed us thru the voice mail system in our room any time there was a change in anything (the storm track, closings, etc). They told us to be back at the resort by 1pm the brunt of the storm was to hit around 3. We spent the first part of the day at EPCOT, we were the only ones on our bus! We had a great time with VERY minimal crowds. Went back to the resort as requested. The new info on the voice mail was that we were to be in our rooms by 5pm (the storm had slowed). The biggest problem was that everyone was at the resort & was hungry. The line for the food areas was hours long, and the snacks, etc. in the gift shop were all gone. Fortunately for us, I had packed some almonds, cheese & crackers for the flight & we still had some left, along with bottled water. Back to the topic. The following day, when the parks reopened, some places we could not get to, as the roads were still blocked with debris. We went to MK and did the whole park in 3 hours! Some of the restaurants could not open, as they had lost power and the food was questionable. We talked to some of the CM’s they said that the clean up crews were on alert throughout the night & as soon as the storm had passed they started clearing up the roads to insure minimal down time. DDM was the last to be cleaned up, but it didn’t take them long. As far as I recall, the biggest impact was AK since they had to evacuate some of the animals. We always felt safe and continued our trip pretty much as planned. OBTW They also gave us a full day pass for the day that was impacted by the hurricane.