Is September a good month to visit Disney World? Guide2WDW is here with everything you need to know about This Month at Disney World. We’ll cover everything that’s going on at Disney World this month, including crowd levels, ticket prices, deals, and more!
Find out if you should visit Disney World in September, what special events are going on, and tips to have a magical vacation this month.
Is September a good month to visit Disney World?
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September is very similar to August at Disney World. Crowds will actually be lower this month, as September is the least crowded month of the year. The entire month should feature some of the lowest wait times of the year.
However, like August, the big tradeoff is the weather. September will be humid, hot, and have a chance of hurricanes. Hurricane season is kicking off in the Atlantic. In September 2022, Disney World closed for two days due to Hurricane Ian. While those types of closures are rare, the weather could majorly disrupt your vacation plans.
Despite the weather, September has a lot going for it at WDW. The lower crowds will mean lower ticket and hotel prices. There’s great seasonal events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Plus, September 2023 should feature some new experiences with the Disney100 celebration kicking off on September 22. And September has the least crowded three day weekend of the year!
If it works for your schedule and you can handle the heat, September can be awesome at Disney. If you’re interested in planning a vacation, get in touch with our friends at Vacationeer, who can do all the planning for absolutely no charge.
What’s happening at Disney World in September 2023?
Magic Kingdom in September
Encanto Characters Debut: September 15 is a big day for Encanto fans at Magic Kingdom. The Mirabel character meet and greet will debut just to the right of Cinderella Castle, and on the same day Bruno will join the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: Magic Kingdom’s Halloween Party continues this month. From Ursula joining the Boo To You Parade to the insanely popular Jack & Sally meet and greet, there is a ton to do at this is a premium even. You can find out more about the party in our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party runs on the following nights this month:
- September 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29
Extended Evening Hours Pauses After September 20: The Extended Evening Hours perk for Deluxe Resort guests has run at Magic Kingdom every Wednesday since it debuted. However, that will change this month. Extended Evening Hours will take a pause after September 20 at Magic Kingdom, as the perk returns to Hollywood Studios.
EPCOT in September
Disney100 Celebration Kicks Off September 22: September is a big month for EPCOT, because the Disney 100 celebration officially kicks off at the park on September 22nd. There will be special photo ops, merchandise, and characters in Disney 100 regalia.
New Spaceship Earth Light Show: As part of the 100th anniversary celebration, Spaceship Earth will feature a new light show set to “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: Sip and savor around the world this September at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. The festival will reach its full operational power this month as part of the Disney100 Celebration. On September 22, four more food booths will open up: Wine & Wedge, Char & Chop, Bubbles & Brine, and Swirled Showcase. You can find out everything that’s going on at the fest this year in our EPCOT Food & Wine Festival guide.
Eat to the Beat Concerts September Schedule: During the Food & Wine Festival, EPCOT hosts free concerts in the America Gardens Theatre. Some of the most anticipated bands this month include 98 Degrees (September 25-26) and Boyz II Men (September 29-October 2). Here’s the full Eat to the Beat lineup:
- September 1-2 – Baha Men
- September 3-4 – MercyMe
- September 5-7 – Foreigners Journey
- September 8-9 – Ray Parker Jr.
- September 10-11 – TobyMac
- September 12-14 – Hooligans
- September 15 – Monsieur Periné
- September 16-17 – Raul Acosta & Oro Solido
- September 18 – Bacilos (NEW)
- September 19-21 – Audio Exchange
- September 22-24 – Los Amigos Invisibles – (NEW)
- September 25-26 – 98°
- September 27-28 – Latin Ambition
- September 29 – October 2 – Boyz II Men
Journey of Water – Inspired By Moana Cast Member Previews Continue: Previews for this aquatic walkthrough attraction are set to run September 1-22. So a late September opening seems likely.
EPCOT construction nears its completion: The Destination D23 event takes place September 8-10 this year. I definitely would expect to get details on the completion of EPCOT’s construction, with specific opening dates for Moana and Communicore Plaza. I also would anticipate to hear some news about the new EPCOT Fireworks Show that was announced to debut as part of the Disney100 celebration. Fingers crossed that it will make a surprise debut this month.
Hollywood Studios in September
Parking Lot Trams Return: After over three years away, parking lot trams will finally return sometime in September to both Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.
Extended Evening Hours Return: Extended Evening Hours return to Hollywood Studios on September 30, starting a five week run at the park.
Animal Kingdom in September
Anticipated Dinoland USA announcements at Destination D23: At the 2022 D23 Expo, Disney announced that Moana and Zootopia could potentially replace Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdom. Many Disney fans are anticipating new details will be announced at Destination D23, which takes place September 8-10. So go on Dinosaur while you still can!
Tips for visiting Disney World in September
Here are a few of our favorite Disney World tips for visiting this month.
- Tip of the Month: Pick your Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Costume Carefully. The party is not so scary, but the forecast can be downright frightening. Most likely, the temperatures will be extremely hot, and things can get pretty sweaty if you don’t pick the right costume. I’ve made this mistake before while wearing a Star Lord costume. I ended the night as the sweatiest Avenger in history. When you put your costume together, try to figure out what you can wear that will let you stay cool. Are there any great characters that wear shorts or a skirt? Could you wear tights and shorts rather than pants? Find out more in 13 Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
- Pack a personal neck fan. One of the items we feature both in our Ultimate Disney World Packing Guide and Best Items to Beat the Heat at Disney World is a personal neck fan. September at Disney World is brutally hot, so we recommend getting a bladeless neckfan. It’s like your own personal A/C unit!
- Don’t stress about the Tron Virtual Queue. Don’t want to wake up early and deal with the stress of the 7 am Virtual Queue for Tron? Then don’t. Join the 1 PM queue instead. This queue has availability for much longer than the 7 am queue, and you might get a timeslot at night, which is the best time to ride tron anyway.
Crowds at Disney World in September 2023
As we showed in The Best Months to Visit Disney World, September has had the lowest wait times at Disney World over the past few years. Because of the weather and school schedule, September consistently has some of the least crowded weeks of the year.
But what about Labor Day, which falls on September 4th this year? Labor Day is the first three day weekend of the school year, and three day weekends are typically really crowded at WDW. However, the weeks surrounding Labor Day were actually the two least crowded weeks last year. While crowds may be moderately more crowded during the actually three-day weekend, the rest of the week should have very short wait times.
Wait Times by Day of the Week in September
When we plan out our vacation, we try to visit each park on days when each park will be the least crowded. For example, Mondays are typically the most crowded day at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, so we try to plan on doing Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom those days.
Here were the most and least crowded days at Disney World in September last year:
September 2022 – Average Wait Time
| Day of the Week | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios | Animal Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 36 Minutes (Longest) | 28 Minutes (Longest) | 44 Minutes (Longest) | 32 Minutes |
| Tuesday | 24 Minutes | 22 Minutes | 44 Minutes (Longest) | 28 Minutes |
| Wednesday | 32 Minutes | 21 Minutes | 37 Minutes | 23 Minutes (Shortest) |
| Thursday | 29 Minutes | 20 Minutes (Shortest) | 37 Minutes | 24 Minutes |
| Friday | 20 Minutes (Shortest) | 26 Minutes | 42 Minutes | 34 Minutes |
| Saturday | 34 Minutes | 28 Minutes (Longest) | 36 Minutes (Shortest) | 32 Minutes |
| Sunday | 23 Minutes | 26 Minutes | 39 Minutes | 39 Minutes (Longest) |
Wait times via Thrill-Data
You can read more about the best and worst days to visit each park in our When to Visit Disney World Guide:
- The Best Days to Visit Magic Kingdom
- The Best Days to Visit EPCOT
- The Best Days to Visit Hollywood Studios
- The Best Days to Visit Animal Kingdom
Extended Evening Hours Schedule
Extended Evening Hours lets guests at Deluxe Resorts stay in the park 2 hours after regular closing. Here’s the September schedule.
| September 4, 2023 | EPCOT (9 pm to 11 pm) |
| September 6, 2023 | Magic Kingdom (10 pm to 12 am) |
| September 11, 2023 | EPCOT (9 pm to 11 pm) |
| September 13, 2023 | Magic Kingdom (10 pm to 12 am) |
| September 18, 2023 | EPCOT (9 pm to 11 pm) |
| September 20, 2023 | Magic Kingdom (10 pm to 12 am) |
| September 25, 2023 | EPCOT (9 pm to 11 pm) |
| September 30, 2023 | Disney’s Hollywood Studios (9 pm to 11 pm) |
What’s the best week to visit in September?
If you want the lowest crowds, visit Disney World during the first week of September. Yes, that is the week of Labor Day weekend. Labor Day is September 4th this year.
Conventional wisdom would say that the weeks around a holiday weekend would be more crowded. After all, this is what happens on Presidents Day Weekend in February, which is one of the most crowded times of the year. However, Labor Day doesn’t have the same effect at Disney World. Instead, its surrounded by two of the least crowded weeks at Disney World.
Disney World Ticket Prices This Month
Disney World tickets have variable pricing based on the first day you go into the parks. One of our favorite money saving tips is to choose your starting date carefully. If you have some flexibility in your vacation schedule, picking the cheapest day to start going into the parks can save you a lot of money.
Here’s the per-day price of a standard 4-day ticket in September, based on the starting date.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $121+ | $121+ | |||||
| $121+ | $120+ | $118+ | $118+ | $118+ | $118+ | $118+ |
| $119+ | $119+ | $117+ | $117+ | $117+ | $117+ | $117+ |
| $117+ | $117+ | $121+ | $121+ | $121+ | $121+ | $121+ |
| $122+ | $124+ | $124+ | $129+ | $133+ | $138+ | $138+ |
Disney World Deals – September 2023
4 Park Magic Ticket – Disney World is running a promotion this summer with a 4 park ticket that requires no theme park reservations. You can use this ticket at one park per day, and you have to go to a different park per day. This is a great option if you want to experience each of Disney World’s theme parks. The regular price is $99 per day, and tickets cannot be upgraded to a park hopper. Our friends at Undercover Tourist are selling the 4 Park Magic ticket for $15 off versus the gate price. Note: This ticket is blocked out September 1-4.
Disney World is also running a few room-only promotions at their resorts for Annual Passholders and other guests.
- Annual Passholders: Save Up to 35% on Rooms at WDW Resorts
- All Guests: Save Up to 25% on Rooms at Select Disney World Resorts this Summer (Through September 14)
US Military Discounts – Active or retired military members can get great deals on hotels and tickets that can be used by themselves or their families.
September Ride Refurbishments and Closures
Magic Kingdom
- Splash Mountain: Permanently Closed. Will reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in late 2024.
Water Park Schedule
September is a great month to plan a visit to one of Disney World’s water parks to help cool off. However, recently Disney has not been running both water parks at the same time. Here’s Disney World’s water park schedule for this month:
- Typhoon Lagoon is open for the summer at Disney World, including all of September. The final H2O Glow After Hours Event takes place on September 2.
- Blizzard Beach is closed for the season.
We want to hear from you!
Let us know in the comments below: Do you have any questions or advice for visiting Disney World in August?
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