Autumn at Walt Disney World
By Dave Shute
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OVERVIEW: WALT DISNEY WORLD IN AUTUMN
Autumn at Walt Disney World—loosely defined as Labor Day in early September through November–is, absent hurricanes, a season with a lot going for it.
The weather begins hot and humid, but moderates over October to some of the best visiting weather of the year. However, the peak of the hurricane season covers all of September and the first half of October as well.
Crowds are low most of autumn, but with a serious peak at Thanksgiving.
Prices begin as low as they get all year, pop up a bit in October, more at Thanksgiving, and then right after Thanksgiving drop again to the lowest level of the year.
At the time I write this–early May–deals and discounts are available for September. More may be announced as the season draws closer.
WALT DISNEY WORLD CROWDS DURING AUTUMN
Autumn is the longest sustained low-crowd period at Walt Disney World. Crowds drop after Labor Day and don’t become a material problem until Thanksgiving week, when they can be vast. Crowds drop again the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Besides Thanksgiving week, one other minor uptick in autumn crowds is Jersey Week–which begins October 30 in 2010, and will be busiest the first weekend in November. See this for more on Jersey Week.
See When to Go to Walt Disney World, 2010 Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World, and/or Predicting Future Crowds at Walt Disney World for more help figuring out when to go.
WALT DISNEY WORLD AUTUMN PRICING
Walt Disney World resort hotel pricing is low to moderate over the period.
- Prices in September are as low as they get all year
- On October 1, they kick up 15-30%, depending on resort type
- They go up a tad more during Thanksgiving week, making this the most expensive period of the fall
- The Sunday after Thanksgiving (Sunday, November 28, 2010), prices drop back to the lowest level of the year
Click the image (a Pop Century Resort example) to see the impact of these price changes. (When open, click again to enlarge.) (This image is from 2010 Walt Disney World Price Seasons.)
AUTUMN DEALS AND DISCOUNTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD.
Disney traditionally offers a free dining package that covers most of September, and is doing so again this year. See this for more on the free Disney dining deal.
Other deals may be made available as the period gets closer.
WALT DISNEY WORLD AUTUMN WEATHER
Weather during this period begins hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms common. Over the period it moderates, and becomes more variable. By the end of November, good pool days can be chancy.
The hurricane season officially is from June 1 through the end of November, but hurricanes are typically not material until the peak season begins in mid-August and ends in mid-October. Even then, hurricanes are rare, and even more rarely ruin a vacation.
See this for more on the hurricane season.
The period right after the peak of the hurricane season–later October and early November–is viewed by many as the best weather at Walt Disney World. While I’m more of a fan of Disney weather in early May myself, I would put this as a strong second!
Click the image (from Weather and When to Go to Disney World) for more on temperatures. (When open, click again to enlarge.)
MORE ON SPECIFIC AUTUMN PERIODS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
See the following for more specifics on shorter periods.
- September 2010 at Walt Disney World
- October 2010 at Walt Disney World
- November 2010 at Walt Disney World
MORE ON WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
- For when to go to Walt Disney World, see this
- For the next best dates, see this
- For the best and worst times to visit, see this
- For 2010 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
- For the 2010 Week Picker App, see this
- For 2011 weeks to visit, ranked in order, see this
- For forecasting crowds at Walt Disney World, see this
- For seasonal pricing at Walt Disney World, see this
- For 2010 price seasons, see this
- For projected 2011 price seasons, see this
- For weather at Walt Disney World, see this
1 comment
Don’t forget some of the special events that go on in the fall. There’s the International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom.
These are some of the best things that Disney puts on.
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