What to expect in September?

[ZPT1022]

Okay, so we have our honeymoon planned for September and we figured it was a good time because hopefully the crowds will be low. And then I read in another post that September is still hot??? I mean, really hot? And now I realize that I have no clue. So for anyone who has been in September, what should I expect as far as crowds and heat and any other tip you have would be super!

 

[preshi]

I went last September. It was nice weather about 85ish and humid for a few days and there were a few days with a tropical Storm where it was cold and rainy and windy!

As for crowds... Well I was there during 9/11 so I can't give you an accurate account of crowds as it was very very quiet! I never waited for anything. My first morning at the parks which happened to be 9/11 was pretty quiet!

Have fun and Congratulations!

 

[mep319]

Until last year we always went the last week in September. Crowds were smaller & it was to celebrate my DD birthday. The thing with September it can be really hard to predict. 3 of the last 5 years were absolutely beautiful. One was mixed, good and bad days, and in 2000 it was 98-100 the entire time & humid, not even a drop of rain which is odd being it is hurricane season. (Don't forget the lovebugs they are still in season.) It is really a tough call. The crowds were low all 5 years (actually the slowest of any time I have ever been to the parks and I've been 100+ times, at all times of the year), but the weather is mixed. I guess what I am finally getting at is September is a mixed bag and you need to be prepared for everything. My DH is a go,go, go kind of guy, if you are there for a honeymoon and have no problem relaxing by the pool, you should be fine. We honeymooned at Disney as well.........it was great! Have fun and Congrats!

 

[Caldonia]

My girlfriend & I have been twice and both times it was early September. The only gripe I have about the off season is that the parks close early. I was looking forward to fireworks in the MK, until I realized that we had missed them and they wouldn't be having them again until the weekend (after we had already left). So, I'd suggest that you make sure your trip includes a weekend, and make sure you see the fireworks/Electric Light parade/Illuminations/Fantasmic while they're available.

Both times we went, we thought the crowds were managable. Sometimes the lines were long, but at other times they were quite short. Either way, we always enjoy the pre-show experience. The Imaginieers must spend an awful lot of time making sure that when we must wait, we can at least be entertained by our surroundings. That's one of the big differences between Disney and all the imitators.

Ooops, I'm rambling. Sorry.

OK to sum up our experiences in September:
Weather - Hot, but not unbareably, & not too much rain
Crowds - managable, not as many kids as at Peak season I'd guess
Park time - shortened, plan accordingly and you'll be OK
Off season rates -

Have fun!

 

[disneyag]

We went last September (9/5 to 9/9). It rained EVERY day. Sometimes for 5-6 hours non-stop. We made good use of ponchos. MK closed early. The weekend after Labor Day they have some music festival at MK which makes the park close early and we got no fireworks or parade the entire trip. The MK was still a zoo during the day. Epcot and MGM seemed less crowded than in summer. It was about 85 degrees everyday and humid.

 

[ZPT1022]

Thank you all for your helpful information- I guess with September you just never know! So we will have to pack a little of everything as far as clothes go, but it sounds like we were right about beating the crowds! I guess we should make sure to bring ponchos too! And Caldonia, you are right, the hours finally came out and I checked the Spectromagic and fireworks at MK and they are only on that Saturday. I was surprised that they weren't even on Friday, but thanks for the heads up on that one, I would have been sad to miss it all! And FH has never seen Spectro! Thanks again everyone!

 

[dBugged]

September is great. We've been there during September for the past two years and will be there again this year from Aug31-Sep7. Last year we were there for the first two weeks of Sep. Not sure if one of the other posters was there when they said they were, but I don't remember that much rain, just the usual short rains occasionally in the afternoon. There was actually less rain last year than in 2000. Not a big deal, but I don't remember any 5-6 hour rainstorms as some other people have mentioned.

 

[jwfla422]

We were there almost during the same time as disneyag was last year. And, yes the biggest memory I have from the trip was the rain. I remember it rained a lot more than some of the previous September months that we were there. And, we drove up in the worst storms ever our of all of our MANY trips to WDW. I'm sure it was due to a tropical front or something like that. We were able to do the parks in the mornings but some of the afternoons and early evenings were just worthless for us because walking in the steady rain with our 3 yr old dd at the time was next to impossible.

Now some years that we went it was nice. But, most years it has been still hot & humid but I do remember many overcast days which is actually great for WDW in the summer. This IS still summer in FL and the height of hurricane season. I'm not saying we get a lot of hurricanes but we do get a lot of "tropical" weather which can last for days at a time. But, if your without kids it is MUCH easier. Pre-DD, DH and I would always walk around in the rain in our ponchos, just make sure to bring some

The parks may close early but I have found this time to be the least crowded of the entire year. Even the hotels can be less busy too which is really, really nice Trade offs for going this time, but if you don't have to worry about kids then you should be fine

 

[dixiegirl76]

hay dbugged my family and i are going the same exact week... anyone else going this week ?? we have been going this same week since we went on our honeymoon 6 years ago......the weather is kinda unpredictable,,,,,but oh well..lol

 

[dBugged]

That's my favorite week to go. The weather has been pretty good the past few years. I actually like the brief showers in the afternoon. It's a great way to cool things down and one of the best times to go on the safari in AK.

We also have an Illuminations cruise booked on the 3rd. I'm going to post info on our website in August to see if anyone else is interested in joining me and my wife and split the $120 cost. If you are interested, keep an eye on the front page of our website.

 

[SnackyStacky]

I'll be there from 9/2 - 9/7. Can't wait!

 

[danicaw]

We will be there 9/1 - 9/13.
Being from the NW I am ok with rain, but I am not used to hot, humid weather.

Even with the hot, I can hardly wait!!! See you all in the Parks!!!

 

[WDWKim]

We'll be there 9/21 to 9/28, hate to rush the summer because it's my favorite time of year, but I just can't wait for this trip to get here.......

 

[jlambrig]

of course it rained quite a bit starting 9/12/01, that was Tropical Storm Gabrielle coming through. Although with the other events going on, certain aspects of life weren't heavily reported. September is a crap shoot with weather but it is my favorite month to go. We always go in September, crowds are low, it is still warm, can be hot and humid but often isn't. Not that many families with school in session, seems like a lot more foreign visitors. I would expect this September to be fairly low attendance again. I will be home at BCV the last full week of September living it up.

 

[Kenbar]

What's a love bug?
Do they bite?

Ken

 

[westcliffemom]

We'll be there Sep 14-25. Can't wait!!!
PS
Love bugs don't bite!

 

[allforpooh]

We will be there Aug 30- Sept 8--First Time Yacht club.

We were at WDW last year Sept 15- 23rd, we had wonderfull weather all week the only rain was on the 2nd to the last day and it was late in the evening. This was our first Sept trip and since it was right after Sept 11th I am not really sure how the crowds will be. When we were there the place was almost empty it was very strange....The only disappointment was Rock N Roller Coaster was under maint., we had been to several parks and didn't look at the maint schedule so the day we finally made it to MGM was the first day of a week of RRC maint. - Of cousre that just meant we had to go back this year.

Jlambrig,

Maybe we will see you at Stormalong Bay since we will be at the Yacht Club. "Go Wings"

Denise

 

[Mustangdi]

We will be there the week of Sept. 21-28
Last year we went during the same time and
it was nice. It was still hot during the
day, but just perfect at night. Oh yeah,
Love bugs are everywhere. They don't bite ??
but they are everywhere. You can guess what
they look like from their name. Lets just
say that it must be their mating season and
that it what they are doing everywhere. It
is hard not to step on them because there
are so many. They will land on your head and
can sometimes irritate you a lot. After a
while you will get used to them.lol
I just can't wait to see the Love bugs again.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

Another September traveler here... I have never been before but will be there the 18-24th and I am a little worried about the rain myself

 

[tarmand]

We prefer September to any other time of the year. The smaller crowds make up for the early closures.