Why September is the best time to visit Disney World

Disney World is a magical time for children of all ages any time of year. But September has some extra bonuses that make it the ideal time.

Less Crowds

One of the biggest frustrations of Disney travelers is fighting the crowds. This is especially true of peak times of the year, such as the summer. With kids off from school, most parents arrange their work vacation time during the summer and plan a week in Disney with the whole family. This makes a lot of sense, except that everyone else is doing it.

Be different. Watch which way the crowd is going, and go the opposite. As everyone else is gearing back into school life, take a week in September to go when the crowds are small. You’ll find shorter lines for each ride. It’ll be easier to book your dinning reservations or that special hotel you wanted. And you’re kids will have plenty of time to catch up on any missed school.

Free Dining

Disney naturally likes to keep their parks as busy as possible year round. But it is hard for even them to fight the tide of kids going back to school in the fall. So, they offer a ton of special deals to entice parents to come during September.

Free dining in Disney World restaurants has been a tradition for many years and shows no sign of stopping. For the 2016 season, you can get a free Disney meal plan for your entire stay if you are booked in a Disney hotel between August 23rd and October 1st.

The food is typically expensive inside of the parks and many parents either bringing sandwiches or leave the park during the day to eat somewhere less expensive. By getting free dining, you can spend more time in the park, eat some good food, and have some more magical experiences such as Character Dining.

Temperature

Orlando Florida can get quite hot during the summer. Especially when you factor in the humidity. The last time I was there in August, I was so covered in sweat standing in line to enter the park that you’d think I just stepped out of the swimming pool.

Thankfully, September is noticeably cooler. It’ll still feel hot to anyone living north of the gulf, but it is much better. This means less needing to buy water to stay hydrated. Less kids complaining at how hot it is. And avoiding spending a fortune on the fan spray bottles that Disney sells to those not prepared for the heat.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

From September 2nd to October 31st, Disney World throws its Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on select nights inside of the Magic Kingdom park. This is a hard-ticket event which means you do need to purchase a separate ticket above and beyond your daily pass. But let me tell you, it is so worth it.

Imagine running around the park with a fraction of the usual crowd. Just think of seeing the most popular rides with no lines. Dream of wearing a costume and trick-or-treating inside of the Magic Kingdom.

All of that happens in the party. There is a special Halloween parade which only happens for the party. There is also a special Halloween themed fireworks show which is utterly amazing. And best of all, by going to the party, you get two Halloweens. One in Walt Disney World and one back home in October.

Are you ready to go to Disney World? Be sure to find the latest information at the DIS, the best resource on the interest for all things Disney World. http://www.wdwinfo.com/

Written by Benjamin Ellefson, who is an experienced Disney World traveler and author of the children’s book The Land without Color. Learn more at http://www.benjaminellefson.com/Land-without-Color/