September- good time to go? I have a lot of questions please..

[User1213]

Thinking of going mid Sept for 10 nights with DH & two toddlers 3+1 - I expect short sharp showers every day but is there any major reason not to go?

Well get an apartment with a full kitchen and buy tickets etc beforehand so what’s a rough budget for a food shop for 10 breakfasts, snacks for the park and then the odd dinners out and about. Happy to eat in and just have pizza / salad / sandwiches to keep cleaning to a minimum and fuel and parking?

also I’ve seen Disney allow early entry with partner hotels but can’t find out to book a package with that?

Can I buy tickets with undercover tourists ? They have a 4 park ticket to be used in 6 days I think(?) for £1150 which is ideal but don’t want to buy if non US citizens can’t?

I don’t have Facebook so if anyone can recommend any good blogs / forums please let me know!

Sorry, I don’t know about September weather, but thedibb.co.uk had some really useful forums for planning our trip.

September will be hot, humid and maybe wet. It’s hurricane season. That said I’ve been in October several times without any hurricane disruption at all. Another recommendation for the DIBB forum from me.

Florida resident here. The downside is that it's hurricane season. You would not be in any danger in Orlando, but it would make for very bad weather for a few days while you're stuck inside.

The upside, however, is a good one--virtually no crowds. US schools are all back in session by the week after Labor Day so the crowds are the smallest of the year.

Thanks all, no wonder it was a cheap deal! Think we’ll have to give it a miss don’t want to potentially risk 50% of the holiday being couped up.

any other times to go where it’s fairly quiet and decent ish weather?

I’ve been in January and had lovely weather. One slightly cool and showery day, and needed a light pullover in the evenings. It was definitely warm enough to swim, and the parks weren’t too crowded (Universal). You can look at busy day guides to decide which park to do on which day.

To answer your questions about costs, supermarket prices are a bit more expensive than the UK but you’ll save a lot eating in the apartment. I prefer Publix to Walmart - Walmart is just so big and exhausting and I don’t think it’s really any cheaper. Pizzas, rotisserie chicken, corn, oven chips, baked potatoes and lots of salad are our staple USA holiday fare!

Parking is expensive - about $24 a day I think - which you’d avoid if you stayed onsite. But I don’t think there are any apartments on-site, so you’d spend more on food.

But seriously - get thee to the DIBB. They are very friendly and know everything. There’s a whole forum on tickets!

I've been a few times in September/October and been in a few hurricanes.
It's scary but bearable. They don't last as long as you think.

The rain hits HARD so if you're caught in the rain, run to shelter quick, but it lasts 5/10 minutes and then it's glorious sunshine again

Hope this helps a bit

Also in the parks its a lot quieter.
It only happened once, but I remember one day not having to wait in any ques. It was great!

I've been in September a few times and haven't encountered a hurricane, or even much rain. I've also been at other times of the year and September was by far the best time to go for short queues. I remember just walking onto the Tower of Terror then coming off and walking round to the entrance and straight on again - 13 times in a row! I'd go in September again at the drop of a hat.

We're booked for September too. It wasn't cheaper at all but hoping for lower crowds.

Forum - Disboards - https://www.disboards.com

Heat can be oppressive in Sept - but it's a personal thing.

"Low crowds" can sometimes still feel crowded!

New Lightning Lane system may disadvantage you. International visitors are unable to pre-book rides unlike US and Canada (although there may be workarounds and personally I wouldn't waste any more of my hard cold cash on Disney than I have to)

Shopping at Publix (think Waitrose) was roughly 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than UK (last year).

I used to travel for work to Florida and never experienced a hurricane (I was kinda hoping I would). But thunderstorms cancelled my flight home last year and I was a day delayed getting back).

Not cheap, but it's possible to hire Disney Vacation Club rooms with kitchens, on site. dvcrequest.com

Spending the amount of money that it costs for Disney I would wait a couple of years so your kids can really enjoy it. 3 and 1 are very young, they will get so much more out of it in a couple of years.