First September trip, Tips?

[parrothed26]

We have always traveled to WDW in june right after school was out for the kids. This year we had to travel late, about mid September. How are the parks at this time of year? Will everything be open, etc? lines, crowds, general info. Thanks :):mickey:

[faline]

Park hours are often shorter in September but the sparser crowds allow you to get more done in a shorter period of time.

Weather is still pretty hot and humid so plan for that.

Keep in mind this is hurricane season so a storm of some sort is not out of the question.

[McLiberal8]

Things are great this time of year! All my previous trips have occured in mid-late September. The crowds are usually low, and there is a steady change of weather (sunny, small rainshowers, sunny) which I prefer.
I have never encountered a queue that was too long to wait in (besides maybe TSM).
I will be there in mid-September, too. If you see a redhead with stars in her eyes, that would be me! :mickey:

[PETE FROM NYC]

If its running, check out MNSSHP.
We did it the last 2 Septs, and had a blast.

[Daisy'sMom]

We'll be there at the same time. I am hoping the weather will cool down. Sept is usually hot and humid still. :mickey:

[steamboat willy]

I will be there in mid-September, too. If you see a redhead with stars in her eyes, that would be me! :mickey:

We'll keep and eye out for you too red!

We won't arrive until the 23rd so I guess we'll be there at the END of September this year.
Your can access September Park Hours at Info Central.
Temps are not as hot as SUMMER!:thedolls:
Crowds are lower. :thumbsup:
Free dining may affect restaurant crowds.
We enjoy September, you should too! :cool:

[luvdiznee]

Depending on how long you are staying, you may be able to get to the Food & Wine Festival.:marg:

[MuchLovedMama]

We've been in September 4 times now and I'm a huge over-planner. I do extensive research to try to get us into the least crowded park each day. In 2008 we saw Fantasmic at HS. We absolutely loved it and planned on seeing it again last year. Each time I plan for 2 days at HS and it's a good thing I did last year because that park was soooo crowded that day due to the fact that they only show Fantasmic about twice a week that time of year. Within a 3 hour period we'd only rode 1 thing and we ran to TSM when the park opened to get fastpasses and they were already gone before we could get there. It was crazy. We only rode a few things and left for the day knowing we'd be back a couple days later and it wouldn't be so crowded since Fantasmic wasn't playing that day.

So my tip is if you don't plan on seeing Fantasmic then avoid HS on the days that they are doing that. Or better yet if you are using park hopper then avoid HS until closer to the time of Fantasmic and just plan on going there for that on that day.

Overall September is an awesome time to go and I wouldn't choose any other month. We'll always do our trips in that month.

I guess one other little tip would be to do Fantasyland right when the park opens if you have little ones or if there's some must-do's there because although the MK is very manageable, Fantasyland is the crowded area. In 2008 Peter Pan was an hour wait so we skipped that and most of the other rides in that section were pretty long waits too. So maybe put then section at the very beginning of the day or the very end of your day.

Enjoy your trip!!!

[Stickey]

Crowd levels have been higher in recent years due to free dining. Crowd levels are now likely to be moderate, not low. ADR's will be important.

Temps are typically 88-98 degrees. Keep your eye on hurricane activity.

[Disneyfirsttimer]

Last year we visited September 8 through September 12. We had heard it was empty during this time. They were right. We almost never used a FP (with the exception of Soarin and TSM). The lines were almost non-existent. It was during free dining as well. We loved it so much we are going back this September. We coordinate with the Jewish holidays as to not have our kids miss too many days. This year it will be 9/27 to 10/2 so the crowds may be more as it is during MNSSHP and Food & Wine Festival starts 9/30. Still hoping for light crowds :secret:.

Karyn

[hauntedmansiongirl]

We've gone many times in September and it is definitely our favourite time to go. The love-bugs will be out, but they are just annoying and can't hurt you. They are the worst near water.

In our experience we have never seen big groups there either, such as the cheerleaders when we went in February.

ADRs are definitely a must with free dining!

We have been in Disney for 2 hurricanes. They keep you well aware of what is going on and what the plan is on a frequent basis. They "lock down" the hotels during the storm, but we were amazed at how quickly everything was up and running afterwards. Literally hours after we were in the parks! Just take a book or games in case you can locked in your room for a day.

You'll have a great time! We might be joining you! :mickey:

[erickahome]

We've gone many times in September and it is definitely our favourite time to go. The love-bugs will be out, but they are just annoying and can't hurt you. They are the worst near water.

In our experience we have never seen big groups there either, such as the cheerleaders when we went in February.

ADRs are definitely a must with free dining!

We have been in Disney for 2 hurricanes. They keep you well aware of what is going on and what the plan is on a frequent basis. They "lock down" the hotels during the storm, but we were amazed at how quickly everything was up and running afterwards. Literally hours after we were in the parks! Just take a book or games in case you can locked in your room for a day.

You'll have a great time! We might be joining you! :mickey:

What is a 'love bug' ?

[faline]

What is a 'love bug' ?

An annoying insect. They don't bite but they do have mating seasons during May and September. Typically, you'll see them flying around or stuck to cars. Most of the time, you won't see large quantities of them but there have been occasions, when there has been a particularly large infestation and then you might see them massed at bus stops or on a patio.