So you are planning a vacation to Disney World in September 2019?
September is a wonderful time to visit Walt Disney World!
Weather
The weather in Disney World during September is warm and mildly rainy. The average high is about 90 degrees, the average low is about 72 degrees and the average rainfall is about 5.09 inches. You can expect a little rain during your vacation, so be sure to bring your poncho!
Crowds
The crowds in September drop dramatically as kids head back to school. This month has the lowest crowd levels of the year.
September 1 – September 7
Average Crowd Level 3.4 out of 10
September 8 – September 14
Average Crowd Level 3.1 out of 10
September 15 – September 21
Average Crowd Level 3.3 out of 10
September 22 – September 28
Average Crowd Level 3.0 out of 10
September 29 – September 30
Average Crowd Level 2.5 out of 10
Park Hours
Magic Kingdom
Open most days from 8am – 9pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Epcot
Open most days from 9am – 9pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Hollywood Studios
Open most days from 9am – 10pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Animal Kingdom
Open most days from 8am – 9pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
For specific hours on each day during September, please click this link. Remember that park hours are subject to change and are often adjusted two weeks prior.
Events
On select nights during September, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is held at Magic Kingdom. This party is a lively, light-hearted, family friendly event. There are special parades, exciting dance parties, stunning fireworks and tons of trick-or-treating stations filled with candy for everyone! Adults and children alike really get into the spirit of the event by dressing in costume, trick-or-treating and dancing the night away with all of the characters. For more information, please click here.
One of the best things about visiting Disney World in September is the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Last year’s festival featured 197 chefs and included more than 35 food and beverage marketplaces scattered around World Showcase, signature dining experiences, food and beverage demonstrations and music concerts. For more information, please click here.
Refurbishments
Periodically throughout the year, Disney closes attractions for refurbishments and enhancements. Here are the currently scheduled closures during September (subject to change without notice):
Magic Kingdom
Tron Themed Attraction: Opening in 2021
Epcot
Guardians of the Galaxy Themed Attraction: Opening in 2021
Ratatouille Attraction: Opening in 2021
Space Themed Table Service Restaurant: TBD
Hollywood Studios
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway: Opening in 2019
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Phase Two Opening Late Fall 2019
Animal Kingdom
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time
Water Parks
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time
Disney Springs
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time
Planning Tips
If you are traveling to Disney World in September 2019, your planning is probably well under way at this point. Here’s a checklist to make sure you are on track:
- Make sure you have created your My Disney Experience account. If you haven’t, click here to sign up now.
- If you haven’t already made your dining reservations, be sure to make them now by clicking here.
If you are staying on site, be sure to customize your MagicBand on your My Disney Experience account by picking the color and adding your name. And if you really want to make your MagicBand special, personalize it with your own custom designed MagicBand Skin from Magic YOUR Band. Click here to get started!- Now is a great time to research what attractions you and your family would like to see at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Because Walt Disney World is so large, it is very difficult to see everything during one trip, so be sure to get everyone’s top priorities. This is also a great time to begin looking at menus for counter service restaurants so that you have an idea of which locations serve foods that your entire family will enjoy.
- Whether you are staying on site or off-property, be sure to purchase your admission tickets and link them to your My Disney Experience account.
Once your tickets are linked and at exactly 60 days in advance of your check in date (7am EST time) if you are staying on site or 30 days in advance for all other guests, login to your My Disney Experience account and book your Fastpass+ reservations.- If you are staying on site, be sure to check in online at 60 days out from your arrival date.
- Double check your flight times and if you will be using Disney’s Magical Express for your airport transportation make your reservation at least 60 days in advance by clicking here.
- It’s never too early to start creating a packing list so that you don’t forget anything.
- Need more help planning? Please check out my UPDATED book 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation, for hundreds of insider tips and secrets for having the most magical Disney World vacation possible!
Special Offers
If you haven’t already made your September 2019 reservations, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save money:
- View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
A new Halloween-themed fireworks show debuts this year during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. This new show will feature state-of-the-art projection effects, lasers, lighting and dazzling fireworks that come together to tell a not-so-scary story about how anything can happen on Halloween night. The show will take guests along for a trick-or-treating adventure, where four friends – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy – find themselves drawn into a mysterious haunted house.
The 
For nearly 20 years, the nighttime spectacular “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” has brought each day at Epcot to a thrilling close. Guests have marveled as World Showcase lagoon came to life with fireworks, fountains and lasers paying homage to the joyful story of humanity and the remarkable achievements of our time. The show’s final night will be September 30, to make way for an all-new, limited-time spectacular, “Epcot Forever,” debuting October 1. This new show will be a celebration of the past, present and future of Epcot, built around the magical soundtrack guests have come to know and love at the park. The new show will feature fireworks, lasers and choreographed special-effect kites accompanied by a stirring collection of songs celebrating Epcot.
Basketball is officially “in season” this fall, after 
On the heels of its August 29 opening, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge offers Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests the chance this fall to live their own Star Wars stories. The action takes place on Batuu, a far-flung planet populated by scoundrels and adventurers. While visiting the land, guests can stop for a drink at Oga’s Cantina or discover rare artifacts at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, among other immersive Star Wars experiences. The groundbreaking attraction Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run gives guests control of the iconic spacecraft as the ship hurtles through space on a smuggling mission. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a second attraction opening later in 2019, will put guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
A new mode of transportation will float through the air around Walt Disney World this fall when 
As the sun sets earlier and earlier this fall, these nighttime experiences will come to life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
To welcome fall travelers, there’s always something new at Disney resort hotels. 
This fall’s runDisney race season is a delectable celebration 10 years in the making as the 2019 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend takes place October 31 – November 3. Filled with a delicious slate of events and Disney magic along every mile, this year’s event includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon and kids’ races. During this year’s Disney Fall Feast 5K, guests can run, jog or walk their way around Epcot for the first time during this fall event. At the November 3 post-race party, guests enjoy after-hours access to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, including marketplaces and select Epcot attractions. For all race-season details, please 
Party for the Planet kicks off the moment you enter the park, as no Guest will be able to miss a larger-than-life marine debris sculpture celebrating Disneynature Penguins on display in the Oasis. The fun continues throughout the park with unique character appearances, special entertainment, and commemorative photo opportunities available with Disney PhotoPass photographers. 
Take a journey through tales of adventure and cuisine during Tiffins Talks, a special dining experience April 20-22 from 1-3pm, featuring the beloved creative force behind the concept, design and buildout of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney Imagineer and Portfolio Executive Joe Rohde. Join Joe for a unique conversation as he regales you with stories from his travels through a delectable 4-course lunch featuring global dishes, desserts and specialty beverages. Space is limited. Pricing for this dining package is $199 plus tax and gratuity and requires separate park admission. Reservations can be made by calling 407-939-3463.
The sampler costs $50 and includes two digital value cards: one $50 card that can be used at over 40 outdoor food and beverage locations throughout the park (and does not expire), and a bonus $10 card that can be used at the following quick-service restaurants after 5pm from April 12-22, 2019: Restaurantosaurus (DinoLand U.S.A), Pizzafari and Pizzafari Family-Style Dining (Discovery Island), Flame Tree Barbecue (Discovery Island), and Satu’li Canteen (Pandora – The World of Avatar). At each of the outdoor food and beverage locations, you can use the $50 card to purchase anything on the menus.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler can be purchased through April 22, 2019 at noon and can be used at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park during regular operating hours. When you purchase the sampler, you’ll receive an email for each digital value card. Each email will have a barcode that can be added to your digital wallet on your mobile phone and scanned at most food and beverage locations throughout the park. For a full list of participating locations and menu offerings, visit any food and beverage location at the park.
If you haven’t heard about Disney After Hours, it is a way to experience the parks with little to no wait time for your favorite attractions plus all of the popcorn, ice cream, and select bottled beverages you can possibly consume. I have done this event a couple of times at Magic Kingdom, and it is well worth the money. If you are planning just a single day visit to Walt Disney World, this is a fantastic option. For about the same cost of a regular one-day park admission ticket, you can enter the park at 7pm after the heat of the day, and enjoy the park three hours after regular closing time with almost no crowds or lines.
And at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there are two special celebration nights:
Astro Orbiter
Avatar Flight of Passage
Slinky Dog Dash
Disney World Enthusiast 