August, September, & October

Late Summer and Fall

With the return of kids to school in August, fall season kicks off at Walt Disney World. While some people may think fall in August is a bit much, Disney opts to take full advantage and introduce fall leaves and Halloween starting in August. The fall fun continues through September and peaks in October. This is also when you can experience Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. If you are looking to experience a Disney fall we recommend aiming for September or early October, when crowds are lower. 

The crowd levels from August through October are a bit up and down, and then back up again. In August, as summer break winds down and people get in their last hurrah before the school year starts, the crowd levels can spike. However, once school starts back in mid to late August, the crowd levels drop off. This can be a nice time to visit the parks if you are willing to battle the heat.See our post here with tips and tricks for managing the heat. In turn, September is a great month if you are looking for lower crowd levels. With school being newly back in session even Labor Day crowds are lower than one might expect. However, once you hit October, schools have fall breaks that have resulted in higher crowd levels than previously expected. However, even with the crowds we recommend going in October if you can between the increasingly improved weather, fall decorations, the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party over at the Magic Kingdom.

In terms of weather, August is the same as July, hot, humid, rainy, and downright unpleasant. September isn’t much better between the persistent heat and the peak of hurricane season, though the lack of crowds and enticement of seasonal events can make the heat more bearable. October is still in hurricane season, though the probability of one hitting decreases substantially by this time, and while the heat can still be a bit much mid day, the mornings and evenings are often pleasant. 

Some reasons to brave the unpredictable fall weather include Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival. This is the most popular of Epcot’s festivals and can get extremely busy, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings when the locals descend. We recommend checking out this festival on weekdays to enjoy some great foods, drinks, and entertainment. This festival typically runs from late July through November. Disney has not released official dates for 2024. We will update as soon as they are released.

Also, with the start of school brings the fall season to Walt Disney World. Fall decorations will start to go up, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is offered. MNSSHP will have dates starting in August and increasing with frequency through September then peaking in October when a ton of dates will be available. This is an special ticketed event (i.e. you pay extra for it) that takes place in the Magic Kingdom on select evenings throughout the fall. It has a special Halloween parade, fireworks, unique character meet and greets, trick-or-treating, and of course many of the rides are open and can be ridden with little to no wait. Read more about this fun event at our post here.

October 1st is Walt Disney World’s anniversary and there are often small fun and exclusive offerings available on that day only.

Pros:

• Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is on-going.

• Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returns and has dates throughout August, September, and October.

• Fall decorations start to go up in the Magic Kingdom in August and remain throughout October and into early November.

• Mid-August is when schools start to go back, so the crowd levels start to drop off and remain low through September.

• Tickets, hotel rooms, and Lightning Lane Pass pricing tend to be on the lower, remaining reasonable even with the increase in crowds in October.

• Easier to snag hard to get room and dining reservations, such as a Tower Studio at Riviera or Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom.

• There are often discounts available in August and September, though these are not guaranteed.

• It is rare for popular rides to be closed for refurbishment during August.

• While early August and most of October will have higher crowd levels, with the higher crowd levels comes longer park operating hours.

• By the time you get to October, the weather is starting to cool off, though can still get hot, with lows in the upper 60s and highs in the lower 80s.

• Every Disney resort has multiple pools, one main one and additional smaller quiet pools, that are a great way to cool off during the heat of the day.

• Disney has two great water parks, these are a ticket add on, that have great theming and plenty of great attractions to fill a day with. 

Cons:

• Summer season is winding down, but not over, and the crowd levels are still high for part of August and then rising again in October.

• In September, as the crowd levels decrease, the park hours also decrease, so you may have to spend more time in the heat of the day to maximize park time.

• runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon crowds at the end of October.

• More likely that popular rides will be closed for refurbishment during September due to the lower crowd levels.

• It is common for one of the two water parks to close for refurbishment in October.

• The weather can be rather unpleasant with lows in the 70s and highs in the 90s along with high levels of humidity.

• Expect afternoon thunderstorms ranging from a quick 20 minutes to all afternoon and evening. Pack ponchos/umbrellas and an extra pair of shoes in case one pair gets wet.

• This is hurricane season, so stay up to date on the weather and be okay with the possibility of the parks closing for a day if a tropical storm or hurricane hits the area.

Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation?  Click here for our planning guide. Need tips for planning a Walt Disney World Vacation with someone with a disability?  Check out the disability section of our blog here.  Need help navigating the parks using DAS?  Click here. No longer qualify for DAS and need help figuring out now to approach a day at the parks? Click here for our ideas on how to flip your thinking and still have a good experience at Disney.