Home Disney World Crowd Calendar September Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020

Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020

By
kennythepirate
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257
Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020

Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020

The Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020 is one of the best months in terms of crowds.  You’ll find very few really busy days in September.  To attempt to attract crowds Walt Disney World offers  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival with the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is typically really busy, so be sure to use one of my touring plans on Character Locator.    Sunday and Mid-week Halloween Parties are generally the best if you’re vacationing here.  

It’s my opinion that everyone should experience the Halloween Party at least once.  The lower crowds can also lead to attraction refurbishments.  Be sure to check back during the summer months to see if anything has changed.

September begins as a pretty hot month, but can cool just a bit as the month goes along.  Those who are from cooler or less humid climates may find Orlando to still be really hot.  

September is the 4th rainiest month and is part of Hurricane season.  You may consider travel insurance to guarantee you don’t have a financial loss in the event a hurricane alters travel plans.

September is the preferred month as far as crowds are concerned and is among the best times to visit.  Regardless of the times you can still enjoy the parks by going to a green park, arriving at least 45 minutes before rope drop and following one of my TOURING PLANS to get the most out of your day.

Will the park hours for Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom be extended?

Yes, it’s highly likely that the park hours will extend for many dates in September.  Disney usually releases preliminary hours, then adds hours the closer you get to your trip.  We are still awaiting the opening date for the new Epcot Fireworks show as well as Star Wars Fireworks.

What will the weather be like during your September trip?

  • Average high temperature:  90°F
  • Average low temperature:  72°F
  • Mean temperature:  81°F
  • Record high temperature:  98°F (2009)
  • Record low temperature:  55°F (1981)
  • Average Precipitation:  5.09 in.

September is the 4th hottest month and 4th wettest month.  It begins as a rainy month and ends relatively quiet, except when there’s a tropical storm in the area.

Dress in light colors and wear comfortable shoes with socks that breathe.  Bring a small, handheld fan for each child.  Bring a poncho for each person and a stroller cover because there’s often afternoon thunderstorms in the summer.

A first timer's review of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party with young children!

Should I use Extra Magic Hours privilege?

Avoid the trap of visiting a park on its longest hours day.  More people will be there and the wait times can be 30% to 100% higher than other days.

If you are planning to use Extra Magic Hours, use the morning ones, they are a great benefit, if you leave after lunch or parade time.  Avoid the parks that offer evening Extra Magic Hours because they have large crowds at night and many rides have long lines (Hollywood Studios and Epcot).

The exception would be the Magic Kingdom late at night because most guests won’t stay up from 1am to 3am in the morning.  If you choose a Late Extra Magic Hour park, you should plan to sleep in the next day.

A note on Fastpass+ Booking

Fastpass+ can be booked 60 days in advance for ONSITE guests and 30 days in advance forOFFSITE guests and Annual Passholders.  You can begin booking them at 7am Eastern Time.  The booking dates are included on my Disney Crowd Calendar below.

Special September Events at Walt Disney World

To read the crowd level, follow the DATE at the top!  The best park each day is marked in GREEN.
Lowest Crowds
Low Crowds / Best Park
Moderate Crowds / Median Park
Busy Crowds
Insane Crowds / Worst Park

Weekly view includes all entertainment options, weather and Fastpass/Dining booking dates!

Be sure to print in landscape mode with background image turned on!

If you are viewing on a desktop/laptop, you will see a week at a time with all the full details.  It is printable.  If you are on mobile, it will show in mobile format that will stream down the page.  You must subscribe to Character Locator in order to see Friday/Saturday in Mobile View.

Disney World Crowd Calendar September 2020

My Crowd Calendar includes park hours, Extra Magic Hours, special entertainment options, 180 Days Dining Window, 60 and 30 Day Fastpass+ Booking Windows!

2020

Historic park hours are available on Character Locator!


257 COMMENTS

  1. I was just curious why the weekend of September 19th is in yellow when surrounding weekends are green. Is there something going on that weekend that will peak the crowds? I know all fo this could change with Covid.

  2. Do you think all of the rescheduled trips due to COVID19 will greatly affect Sept crowds this year? To the point we should avoid the month?

    • I cannot predict what will occur this fall. I didn’t even put crowd levels in my October calendar. Let’s get healthy, then I can study the trends. With that said, September is usually the quietest month

  3. We are planning a long anniversary weekend (Wed eve-Monday eve) in September 2020. Planning to do 3 parks (HS and EP for certain) and stay at the Yacht Club. Any recommendations on which weekend after Labor Day?

  5. Hi! Would you recomend park hooping or do you waist a lot of time? Which parks are the shortest and longest time swiching?

    • It usually requires about an hour to park hop. If you are going to do that, start with the Extra Magic Hour park and hop into a non-emh

  6. Kenny, why do you have the word refurbishment, next to kilimanjaro safari, in my touring plan for sep 2020???

    • It was merely a glitch when the ride closed for the day. Please use Support on Character Locator for a faster response.

  7. I noticed that from Sept 13 – 30, 2020, there are no opening hours for Blizzard Beach, however, it doesn’t say “Closed” either.

  9. Hi Kenny, Wondering which day you think is better to attend MNSSHP (1st time for us), on my arrival (~10am) day Friday Sep 4th or the only other day I could make it would be, Monday/Labor Day Sep 7th. In terms of best experience day planning and crowds, which do you think is a better choice. Thanks in advance!!!

  10. I am working on figuring out my dining plans for September – I am wondering how different the calendar will be this year compared to last year we are going labor day weekend. I know you said the new calendar would be out mid feb I am just trying to get a jump start.

    Thanks!

  11. Hello – curious about Animal Kingdom being ranked as worst on 9/23? Any reason why you think that will be less crowded than Hollywood Studios for that day?

  12. Kenny, You indicated a couple months ago that you would not change your recommendations unless EMH schedule changes. What effect, if any, will Disney’s announcement about the daily Early Extra EMH for MK, HS and AK have on your crowd calendars? I noticed that there are still evening EMH occasionally at least for MK and Epcot.
    The week I will be at Disney Sept 14-22 I planned to see MK fireworks on Wed 9/18 because Mondays are always crowded at MK but Wed has EMH, so which day do you suggest?

  13. Kenny- Saturday, Sept 28th – we were going to do DHS so my daughter could see Toy Story Land. We aren’t big enough Star Wars fans to get wrapped up in the crowds. Would you suggest switching to Epcot that day instead, or will the Food & Wine crowds be worse in your opinion?

  15. Kenny, I can’t wait for your updates with the release of the opening of Star Wars. My dining reservation window is in one week and I’m sure things will change based upon this info. I was planning on going to HS on both Saturdays of our trip and I’m guessing that is probably not the best plan. Please help.

    • I am also wondering when the crowd calendar will be updated. And when does October get added to the calendar. Trying to plan my ADR’s. Thanks so much!

      • I am also currently STRESSING over here about this!! My window for ADR is on Monday and I’m hoping my original plan is still the way to go.

      • Kenny indicated on his main crowd calendar page that he would update September crowd calendar after Disney releases their park hours so it may be a couple weeks. I noticed park hours are posted till September 16. My ADR’s went much better than I anticipated. I was able to get all the reservations I wanted on the dates/ times I wanted so I am going to relax a bit and hope and pray that when he releases the updated crowd calendars I don’t have to change much with my dining. How did everyone else do with their ADRs?

      • Only updates you might see will be based on any added EMH. I already accounted for higher overall crowds before anyone else thought it would occur :)

      • Kenny, Does that mean that HS is still considered a “Best” park on Saturdays in September? We are going to parks on Sat 9/14 and 9/21 and before the announcement I planned HS for those days but I’m concerned Star Wars is going to pull a huge local crowd on Saturdays. 9/14 HS is the only “best” park. Do you still recommend HS or what is my alternative? I thought about AK in the morning and maybe a water park or something since all other parks are red “worst” that day.
        The fact that you factored in higher overall crowds before anyone knew is one of the many reasons I use your crowd calendar over all the others, IT’S THE BEST!!!

      • I’ve not changed any recommendations and won’t unless the EMH schedule changes. WDW isn’t a locals park like Disneyland. I’m sure DHS will be busier than normal, especially in Star Wars Land. Just remember, early bird gets the falcon

  16. Hey Kenny… we are going to WDW in the beginning of September (2019) and I always use your Crowd Calendar to plot our daily schedule and more importantly make decisions on dining… which my 180 days is on Sunday… what are your thoughts on how the Star Wars announcement will affect the September 2019 Calendar? I’m hoping you can get back to me today… again Sunday is my 180 dining day. – finger’s crossed!!

  17. I was planning to go to HS on Monday 9/9, crowd level at a 7 now, but on Wed 9/11, crowd level is at a 4. Should i switch that park day or is it not THAT big of a difference? I’m asking because I have to book dining tomorrow.

  18. Any planned updates to the Sept 2019 crowd calendar with the announcement of Star Wars? Sticking with September for the Halloween Party crowds, but I can toggle between weeks if there are any drastic changes.

      • Will you update de crowd calendar with Star War’s Galaxy Edge Opening? Thanks to respond. My dinning reservation windows open’s next saturday. Hope it will be updated than.

  19. Hi Kenny – is September becoming busier than August? You have the first two weeks of September as moderate crowds – is that different than previous years? We are planning on going to Disney during those weeks because of the “low” crowds, but am now wondering if we should switch our dates… Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into your crowd calendars! It is appreciated.

  20. Hi Kenny, Any reason the September 8-14, 2019 week is moderate level? Last year (2018) it was light to very light crowds. What is the difference in that week for 2019?

    • I am wondering this too….we are slated to go later in the month but other crowd calendars have later in the month busier so I was refreshed to see your page was the opposite but I just wondered why?

  21. Love your crowd calendars! Typically we do one park per day on our Disney trips. This visit coming up in September (free dining) we have park hoppers. With two little ones we get up early, would it be beneficial to plan to go to the EMH morning park and then park hop to the least crowded park (green) after mid morning/lunch? Same question in reverse with evening EMH?

    Thanks so much!!

    • Understand that one hour of your day will expire in hopping. I get more done in a single park usually. But tour the way your family will be happy.

  23. Can you explain the Very Light Crowds [on top] and the Insane Crowds/Worst Park say for Magic Kingdom on Thursday 9/13? I mean, are the crowds like an Insane Crowd during the summer? I ask because we would want 2 days in MK, but would like one during Happily Fireworks, but I do not want to be miserable with crowds.

    • Crowd level at top affects all of wdw. Best or worst park lets you visit the best park to get the lowest wait times. If you visit mk during party season on a non-party night, it is equivalent to visiting during Spring Break

  24. Hi Kenny,

    Do you think we should visit MK on 9/23 and 9/25, OR 9/30 and 10/02? Both options are “green” parks in your schedule, but didn’t know if one week is better than the other. Thank you!

  25. Hi Kenny,
    I was hoping you could give me some advice on which week to choose in September. Right now, I have booked 9/25-10/5 but, am concerned with the holiday weekend and it being free dining should I push it back to like 9/21-10/1? What would you recommend? Also have you ever stayed at the All-star music suits before?

  26. Hi Kenny,
    Can you give me some advice please? I’m going on a tight schedule and budget in september.
    I am staying at disney’s all stars movie resort from 09/09 to 09/11, and we are going to visit 3 parks. I was planning on going to MK on sunday 09/09, because the crowds are lighter…however I was really looking forward to seeing the “happily ever after” show (which will be replaced by the “not so scary halloween party” on that day).
    Should I value the fact that on sunday we will have more advantages in terms of crowds? Or should we just risk going on monday 09/10 and just face the heavier crowds?
    Thanks!

    • If you like Spring Break type crowds, Monday is your day. I would get park hopper and go Monday evening.

  27. Thank you! I’ll check back then. Also, do you know if the Frozen Dessert Party takes place when Food & Wine Festival does?

  28. Your schedule for MK on 9/6 shows that Happily Ever After Fireworks are at 9p, but on Disney site CT only has dinner hours from 4p-610p. Isn’t that usually only during MNSSHP, which is not happening on that day?

  29. Hi Kenny, need opinions on park for 9/2. Trust your website but also trust X website and for 9/2 there is very conflicting info between your site and X.

    You are showing MK as Best Park, X is showing a crowd level of 8 out of 10
    You are showing HS as Worst Park, X is showing a crowd level of 6 out of 10

    Why the difference?

    • I won’t change my predictions. You might see other websites change theirs multiple times, including the day after.

  30. Hi Kenny,
    We were planning to book our first trip to Disney World (we are in CA) mid-September, purely because historically the crowds have been so low. However, I just subscribed to your crowd calendar and it looks like this year mid-September is mostly moderate crowds with only a couple light days. If the crowds aren’t light, it doesn’t make as much sense to me to travel during a time of high heat/humidity. Is there a better time of year these days to go? Or is September still an overall good bet? We can go anytime of year except the chilly months since my kids want to hit the water parks. Thanks!! :)
    Kristina

  31. I’ve never enjoyed park hopping because I like immersing myself in one park per day. If you had to choose without park-hopping would you still choose the green park?

  32. Regarding the EMH section.
    We are visiting AK and HS on 9/1 and 9/2. The morning EMH for these days are AK on 9/1 and HS on 9/2. Originally I was thinking we would visit the parks with the EMH, arriving well before opening to knock out Pandora and Toy Story land respectively. But now I’m questioning whether we should do the opposite and avoid the EMH parks (and associated crowds) and arrive before rope-drop at HS on 9/1 and AK on 9/2.
    I would appreciate any thoughts people have.

  33. Last year the calendar shows the same Thursday in September closing at 6 p.m. Could they add another party night for the 27th or are those dates pretty set?

  36. Hi Kenny! I am wondering if you’re going to update the September calendar to reflect the now set mickey’s not so scary Halloween dates? For instance I am planning on going to MK 9/27, which is a non MNSSHP day, and I am wondering what you think crowd levels will be that day now that the party is not on that night. Thanks so much!

    • 9/27 is not listed as a MNSSHP by Disney. It could be a Cast Member event, someone rented the park or they will change the park hours.

  39. Hey Kenny, I’m trying to decide if we should visit MK on Sept 20th, which is a red day. If we do not go this day we will not see the Happily Ever Happy. Is the show worth seeing and visiting during a red day?

  40. Hi Kenny. I’m approaching my 180 day ADR window. I’ve been doing some test runs on the early days of September to see what reservations are available so that I can prioritise booking and noticed that there are no Fantasmic dining packages available at for any date in September (as in the days aren’t highlighted, not that there’s no times) it stops at the end of August. Any idea Why? Or when they will be released?

  41. Hey Kenny! Any reason the Sept Calendar for the 16th-29th 2018 is mostly Moderate Crowds? Seems last year was mostly light/very light crowds. Curious as to why the difference in predictions? Thanks!

  44. Dear Kenny, I would like to include the Halloween party on the 6th of September in my plans, as it is in middle of the week. May I consider this mostly confirmed? Is this a better option than the previous one for example?

  45. We are going to MK on Tues Sept 25th and would also like to attend the Halloween party. This will certainly make for a very long day and we will probably need an afternoon break back at the hotel. My children will be 6 and 9 and this will be our first trip. Any suggestions on what time we should plan this break for and for how long?

  48. On the updated calendar are these the for sure dates for the Halloween party? I noticed last year it didn’t look like the last week of September had a Thursday party and this year you have one set on Thursday 27th. Just double checking so I can figure out what park and dining reservations to get.

    • Nothing is for sure until Disney announces it, but the 6pm closing is the tip off. You can’t rely on previous years to predict future ones as well.

  50. If the day is listed as blue (very light day), would it be bad to go to a red park (worst park to visit) that day (crowds and such)? What would make it the worst park?

  51. Does anyone know when the tickets for the Halloween party for 2018 will go on sale? I know I am super early, but I just don’t want to miss when they come out for our vacation!

  52. Is it likely that the park hours are set for the beginning of September by now? Is it likely they would still add extra magic hours?

  53. How do you think the earlier Food and Wine Festival Dates will effect attendance at the other parks? We had planned 2 days at Epcot (Sat/Sun of Labor Day weekend), but changed to AK for Saturday thinking it would be less crowded, even with the EMH. Thanks

    • It won’t change much. School is going back in session, so attendance will fall. Saturdays at Epcot will be busier for a couple weeks with locals visiting.

  55. What are your thoughts on evening EMH at MK? Worth it or not? We are spending the day at Epcot and thought about hopping over to MK just for the EMH. Are the evening hours pretty crowded or do crowd thin out?

  56. Looking at doing MK on a 9/25, not attending MNSSHP that evening. Since the calendar says light crowds for MK that day, are you of the mindset that days at MK are less crowded on party nights? Also, what are you thoughts on the Early Morning Magic – Fantasyland event, is it worth the $? Appreciate your advice!!

  57. Thanks for the crowd calendar. We usually always plan our MK day on a party day and it turns out great, but this year the party day also has EMH, so I am a bit hesitant. We are staying onsite but have never went to a park on EMH. I am looking at Thurs. 8/31 and Friday 9/1. I am trying to decide which would be preferable for AK and which for MK in regards to less crowds. Thoughts?

    • It will only affect the crowds to a small degree. If you actually use the EMH, you’ll find that time is pretty good. I’d still use Fastpass for 7dmt and Peter Pan and then all the other rides will be empty

  60. Hey Kenny, I see you’ve got Halloween party dates included on your Sept 2017 calendar. Is there actually official word on when those will be, or are you making an educated guess based on the park hours? Thanks!

  61. Hi Kenny! I’m anxiously awaiting your September 2017 calendar so I can make my dining plans for our 9/1 trip!!! Any update on when you will release that?
    Thanks for all your tips, they are truly helpful!
    Kerri

  62. Any insight on why MK hours on 9/27 remain 9am-8pm when both the day before and day after have been extended to11pm? Any chance they’ll still change it?

  63. Hi Kenny! Advice please, with TD9 coming thru 9-1 and 9-2, thinking EP on 9-1, AK or resort day 9-2. Wondering what your thoughts are re: park touring or just swaping out both fays as resort days. We are currently in route to FL. Thank you so much!

    • It will be pouring rain on 9-1, so only thing you’ll miss at EP would be Test Track. AK will lose most attractions on 9-1.

  65. Hi Kenny! Need advice on Frozen Ever After without a Fastpass? Would it better to use late EMH (last hour) on 9/6, or last hour on 9/7? Thanks so much!!

  66. Hi, is it strange that MK is open until 1 AM on Sept 3 but is still listed as low crowds? Would they really keep the park open that late if it wasn’t going to be really busy?

      • There is in fact at least Mid Septembe a large Convention. We got upgraded to a Deluxe Resort from a Moderate Resort due to convention

        And I have heard others have change parks from 2 to 7 in Sep

  67. We are trying to decide between doing MNSSHP on Sunday 9/25 or Thursday 9/29. Which do you think will have a smaller crowd level?

  68. Kenny, on your crowd calendar it cuts off on Thursday 9/15 and Friday 9/16 is missing. We are going to Epcot 9/16 so I was wanting to check crowd levels for that day. Can you help??

  69. Hi Kenny, I saw hours were extended at AK in September. Do you have any insight if the Jungle Book Alive show will extend past September 5? We arrive Sep. 9. Thanks for all of your information!

      • If you were me would you plan your trip as if AK will be open later/continuation of JBL, or not. Our AK day is on a Tues and I book FP tomorrow morning.Were splitting our day at HS and AK respectively due to JTA.

      • Not sure if ak will continue with late hours or Jungle book before they revive Rivers of Light

  70. Hello! What parks would you recommend on which days for a quick 4 day trip, two adults only. Our full days in the park would be Friday 9/23 to Monday 9/26. Thanks

  71. Under September there is some red banner dates…. does this still mean “insane crowds” or just busier than the others? in September? Were headed to epcot on the 15th and its listed in red…. kinda scared!

    • You look at the date for crowd level, not the park. Park is best, median and worst. You’ve chosen worst park on “Very light crowds” day. It’s at the top in color and words

  72. I was just relooking at the hours on September 12th and I think you have the hours wrong for Hollywood Studios. Thanks for all your hard work.. I appreciate it!!!

  73. Hi Kenny! Any idea when they may release updated extended park hours for Sept? It sure makes it difficult for park planning, dining and fastpass+ using the preliminary hours. Thank you so much!

  74. Kenny – thank you so much for all your great info – I am a Character Locator member through your site and read and share all of your blogs — your detail and candor – are so appreciated! Thank you! HELP ! I am driving myself crazy as I moved my Oct 15 trip to Sept 25 arrival due to fear of crowds and a better deal (and because I read that MNSSHP is less crowded in Sept) – now I am second guessing as we are from the far north and my family is not used to the heat/humidity (rain does not bother us). I know you live RIGHT there and go all the time – would you give up a few ADR’s and change back to the week of Oct 15, or stay with Sept 25th arrival Is it really that hot/humid if you go the choose to go week of Sept 25th – or the week of October 15 – or maybe you think there is not much difference. I am willing to pay the extra $$$ to switch if you would recommend it! Thanks!

    • The difference in temperature between Sept 25 and Oct 15 would be minimal, maybe a couple of degrees. To avoid heat, take a mid-day break.

  75. Good morning. How accurate are these crowd calendars? I know it’s not guaranteed but I’m planning all my reservations and itinerary by this and then I saw another site who’s crowd calendar is total opposite. (undercovertourist). ugh, lol

    • I don’t post inaccurate information. I’m in the parks weekly and have resources that many may not in developing my crowd calendars. I’ve not had anyone complain when following my recommendations.

      • I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t insult you. I didn’t mean to. I guess I worded that wrong. I just meant have you found it to be true thus far. Thank you again, I appreciate it.

  76. Ok thanks! What about which day to do Epcot? Thursday 9/22 or Friday 9/23? I know Thursday is morning EMH but I didn’t know if Friday would be super busy because of Food and Wine.

  77. I was able to take advantage of free dining but had to rearrange my dates to do so. The only night I will be there to do a Halloween party is on Friday September 23rd. Will this be a crazy busy one? My kids love the parade and I heard stories from last year about parades being super crowded.
    I am also trying to decide which days to attend Epcot and which day to attend MK. I could do Epcot on Thursday the 22nd. I see that it has morning EMH. We would not be doing any of the Food and Wine and hope to be able to leave the park by the afternoon. Or we could do MK that day and do Epcot on Friday the 23rd before we go to the Halloween party that night. Which day do you suggest doing Epcot and which day would you do MK? Thanks!

  78. Hi Kenny, I saw on another site, and double checked on the official website, that Night of Joy is being held at ESPN Wide World of Sports for the first time this year– Not Magic Kingdom. I could be wrong, but just wanted to let you know! — I supposed it might effect park hours, etc. if that is true.

  79. Hi, I am planning a Disney trip for either the week of Labor Day or the following week. The dates are pretty flexible. I’ve heard Labor Day is not bad as far as crowds, but I also noticed that weekend is Night of Joy. Does this draw a large crowd and make the parks busier? I’ve read mixed opinions. Also, we would like to go to MNSSHP. Any suggestions since the official dates haven’t been released? Thanks in advance!

    • Night of Joy doesn’t affect park crowds. Parties will definitely be offered week after NoJ. I’ve marked them on September crowd calendar. Only uncertain dates are 2 & 8

  80. On September the 18th you have Epcot listed as green. Is that still the case with Disney starting the Wine and food festival early. I’ve read weekends during that can be crowded.

  82. Hi Kenny! We are planning our first trip to Disney toward the end of September. I am trying to get everything figured out so we can make our ADR real soon. For our last few days I was thinking of of HS on Sept 27th, MK on the 28th, and Epcot on 29th. Wednesday and Thursday are red crowd days though :( I was really hoping to make Epcot our last day before we make the drive home. Should I change that or will it be a big deal? Also, any idea when they might have the dates for MNSSHP? Want to work that in as well. Thank you so much!!

  83. Just how bad would it be to visit a park labeled red on a light crowd or very light crow day. MK is res on 9/5, 9/7, and 9/9 … but all of those days are also considered light crowd to very light crowd. Would it still advisable to avoid MK on those days?

    • If you can avoid, you’ll have the best day imagined in Magic Kingdom. I would park hop over one night for fireworks.

  84. Why don’t the weekly calendars print in color? The advertisement at the top prints in color … but the crowd colors on the chart to not??? (And I did check my printer settings. Like I said the advertisement on top prints in color, just not the chart.)

  85. Hi Kenny,
    I have been searching and searching to find official dates for MNSSHP, have the official dates been released yet? Since we are 18 days out from having to make ADRs, I would hate to get everything set and then have the party dates differ from what I was planning! We are planning to be there 9/22-9/28 and I only see the party scheduled for 9/23 (Friday) and 9/25 (Sunday) – how likely are these dates to change and which date would you suggest going to MHSSHP?
    Thanks so much, your site is such a help in planning!

  86. You’ve listed the exact EMH for HS both 9/18 and 9/19, I can’t imagine Disney would have back to back EMH in the same park. I’m hoping this is just a typo. Please let us know. Thanks

  88. I am wondering why you think MK will be the worst park to attend on 9/26? Just trying to figure out if I should change my plans to be in MK that day. Thanks!

  89. Your sire is great! I used your site to help me plan my family’s 1st WWD trip in May 2014. My daughter was 2.5 at the time. We just decided to go back this September 2016 (before baby #2 comes in October). So I am rushing to pick dates so I am ready for the Advanced Dinning Reservations. Initially I thought I’d have to avoid the weeks before and after Labor Day. But to my surprise, Labor Day is not as crowded as other holidays??? Anyway, I wanted your suggestions … I am debating between 9/5-9/9 2016 or 9/12-9/17 2016. Going during Labor Day would mean I’d use one less day of leave! I’m not set on Mon-Fri and can be flexible. I think we’ll do 2 days at MK for sure. 1 day at EP and 1 day at AK. (I was not a huge fan of HS last time we went).

      • Thanks Kenny. We’re leaning more to the week of Labor Day. I see that MK is red on Labor Day (Monday 9/5/16). I’d really like to do two days back to back at MK. I was thinking Monday and Tuesday. Is MK only red on Labor Day because it’s a Monday? Or do a lot of locals still hit up MK on Labor Day? I was avoiding the Sat/Sun before Labor Day only because I assume that a lot of locals use that long weekend to visit Disney? I’m still trying to wrap my head around why Labor Day weekend is not more crowded, due to locals??? Are there any other options I am missing for having two days back to back at MK? (I’m thinking we’ll do 2 days MK, 1 EP, and 1 MK). I’m open to ideas. Thanks in advance.

      • Looking closer … Trying to do at 2 days back to back at MK the week of labor day … 9/5 and 9/6 show light crowds (but MK is red on 9/5). But looking later in the week 9/7 and 9/8 show VERY light crowds (but MK is red on 9/7 due to evening EMH). Although we would not stay out for evening EMK, which red day would be better to visit? Monday 9/5 or Wed 9/7? I’m also guessing 9/9 is red at MK not just because of morning EMH but also because of the special event Night of Joy?

  91. Hi Kenny just noticed they changed park hours for MK on 9/13 (to close at 10:00) not complaining !!! Yay an extra hour ! Any thoughts why?
    Thanks!
    Maricel

  92. I just realized my Disney Dream Maker booked me dining reservations on 2 nights where there are EMH’s. Monday night 9/28/15 at HOllywood Studios and then the next night again at Epcot. I am so upset because I used her because I don’t know anything about Disney, first time taking my family and I thought she would do a better job than myself. BUt now I read to avoid those parks during EMH’s. I am so upset I could cry. I have to book my FP’s tomorrow and its too late to change around my dining reservations because everything is already booked. Do you really think it will be bad those 2 days at those parks??

  93. We are going to MNSSHP this year with one other full day at the Magic Kingdom. What do you think would be the best combo crowd wise? Magic Kingdom 9/17 MNSSHP 9/18, Magic Kingdom 9/19 MNSSHP 9/20 or Magic Kingdom 9/21 and MNSSHP 9/22? Thank you SO much for your help!

  95. Hey! I know you take into account free dining when you make the calendar, do you adjust it after based on what sells? Just wondering because some of the dates I am searching for, all of the values are sold out even without a promotion, so I was wondering if this was normal or are more people taking advantage of it this year.
    Thanks!

  96. thanks for posting so much great info! i’m a confused mess trying to figure out our trip in Sept. your site has helped me a lot. i’m so excited to check out character palooza for the first time ever! Especially since we’re a grown-up only group, we weren’t planning on extra long M&G lines but this will work out great! i’m now waiting on the release of EFWF events & hopefully the Sinister Soiree/Villains Party. thanks again for all you do!

  97. Kenny – I check out all the crowd calendar sites and yours is spot on. Great work. Question – Pirates is closed for refurbishments until Sept 25. In your experience, do you think that means it will definitely be open Sept 26th or are these dates just approximate? Thanks!

    • Nothing is definite. They could change the dates, could cancel or could open early or later. I’d say it usually opens by the last date though.

  98. Hi Kenny,

    Thanks again for the wonderful efforts. I have been following your site quite closely for our upcoming Disney trip.

    The September dates earlier had different closing times and a few Halloween parties, so we weren’t too keen. However, now you have them as longer hours which is great.

    I’ve booked ADRs for 2 sets of travel dates 19-25 August and 1-7 September. Honestly, finding an ADR for September was piece of cake! Should I assume that’s because the crowds would be minimal?

    Are there any special events in the 1st week of September for which we’d require special/additional tickets. I can see you mentioned about Halloween party, but that’s not until 2nd week correct?

    The Disney site park hours and the one you have are same. But then you have Halloween dates in first week???

    A little confused. We’re coming from NZ and we have choice of dates for travel. And by the looks of crowd calender, September looks great.

    When does Disney finalise the schedule for a calender month? What happens if we have a dinner ADR and the park closes early for a special event?

    Thanks for your advice and time in advance.

    Megha

    • They change hours pretty often. Usually at least one update per month. Sometimes they even extend a park on the day you’re there based on crowds. Yes, crowds are much lower in Sept. Nothing special that week. Corrected the Halloween Party dates, some of those were assumed before the recent update. Mid-august would likely be the final September schedule. They allow you to enjoy your meal and then escort you out of the park.

      • Hi Kenny,

        That’s wonderful. Many thanks for promptly replying to all the queries, much appreciated.

        Now that we have ADRs in place and a clarity around park hours (as they show now) what would you suggest in terms of travel dates, 19th-25 August or 1st-8th Sep.

        The 1st date is the arrival date, so we’d probably have a few hours to explore the resort area/transportation (kids are keen to ride the monorail/boat just for the sake of it, provided we can do that).

        We have exact same ADRs for both set of dates. In either set of dates, we start with MK. We have 2 days of MK, 1 day each at EP,AK and HS, and one spare day to decide where the kids would like to go. We’re not doing park hopping.

        I’m not sure if this has been answered somewhere – what are the chances of getting a 4th, 5th or 6th FP+ for popular rides in any of the park? Has anyone had luck? I’m sure there will be at least one ride the kids would want to go twice!

        Thanks again,
        Megha

  99. On September 29, you show characterpalooza at 330 & 5:05 and Fantatasmic only at 800. I thought there were two characterpaloozas only when there are two different showings of Fantasmic. Is the calendar correct as it stands?

    • Disney announced that the parties start after Night of Joy. Either the hours will be adjusted or those are non-public events

  101. Hi Kenny – I’m looking at the September 2015 crowd calendar. The first line of the calendar is light blue, indicating LOWEST CROWDS, yet the individual parks show colors up to RED = INSANE. I’m confused as to the discrepency….

    • As it states on the description Red would represent Worst overall Crowd level AND a park to avoid. Not necessarily the same thing. Overall Crowds are on the top and I added verbage to make this clear.
      Red – worst park
      Yellow – moderate park
      Green – best park

  102. Hi, Kenny! We’ll be there 9/13-9/19 and had planned on attending MNSSHP on Tues 9/15, hoping for low party crowds since we thought it would begin earlier in the month. With that being the very first party, how crowded do you think it will be? What is the chance the 9/15 party will sell out? Thanks for all your great info!

  103. With the Halloween party not on Labor Day, will the week 2 calendar stay the same or do you expect crowds to change? Thanks for all you do!

  104. Now that Disney officially released their MNSSHP dates, there are several dates in early September where MK is slated to close at 7pm. Do they ever add more parties? If there are no parties on those dates,will they extend the park hours? 3 early closings in early September with no parties doesn’t make much sense to me.

  108. Do you know if Animal Kingdom will be staying open until at least 6pm in September as it looks like its going to be up until that time at least per Disney’s website? If it doesn’t, would there still be a Dino-Land Dance Party at both 330 and 5p? Planning out a shell of my trip for upcoming ADR openings.

    • Very accurate. I’ll post an update that demonstrates exactly how I did in January real soon so you can know my stats are very accurate. Thanks. BTW, I not only have data, I live 10 minutes from the parks and visit very often.

  111. Thanks for the reply! We weren’t planning on going into the parks that morning, so I’m only concerned for the party’s crowd levels. Would you still recommend the party on the 20th over the 18th?

  112. Thanks for the reply! We weren’t planning on going into the park before the party, so I would only be concerned with the crowds for the party. Would you still recommend the party on the 20th for lower crowds instead of the 18th?

    • Considering that I put a great deal of work into the layout, that seems unlikely. If your dates spill over into another week, just print both pages, but expect several updates from Disney before September.

  114. Thank you so much Kenny, I love your site & it’s been so helpful in the past! I’m trying to set a schedule for our fall trip & MNNSHP. I know you recommend going on a Tuesday but that doesn’t work with our dates. Our options are Thursday, September 18th or Sunday, September 20th, which would you choose for lower crowds? We did the party two years ago and I was shocked at how crowded it was, so I’m looking for any advice. Thank you!

    • Crowds would be lower on 20th, but if you actually wake up super early and use the Extra Magic Hour on Thursday you can accomplish a lot. Most people plan to attend, but don’t wake up early enough.

  115. Thanks so much for this Kenny!! I love your site!! Can’t wait to get home from doing Taxes to dive deep an read on it ! Thanks for creating this site – I will revise my schedule when Im back

  117. Thanks Kenny, I was afraid of that…just might make it a full day at the park then. What do you think the hours will be? Will it be just a regular Sunday at the MK? Hoping the crowds won’t be so crazy (that was one of the main reasons I was planning to attend the MNSSPH :) Thanks again!!!

  118. Hi Kenny,
    Thanks for all the great work you do!! I have a question about MNSSHP and Night of Joy this year. I believe Night of Joy has been confirmed for 9/11-9/12. I was hoping there would be a MNSSHP on Sunday 9/13 but was wondering if you think Disney would have 3 hard ticket events in a row? Do you know if that’s happened before and what do you think the chances of having a Halloween party on that Sunday are? Keeping my fingers crossed :) Thanks!
    M.

  119. Kenny, you say ‘typical best days to go” but then, for ex you said M on a Tuesday and then the first Tuesday was insane with crowds. Do you mean best day to go entrainment wise? Crowd wise? Etc.
    Thanks!

  123. Kenny, How does it work when there are 2 character paloozas a night? Are they both in the same location so wed just go to one and hang around and wait for the other to start? Or are they the exact same characters as the first one? Thanks in advance!

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