Walt Disney World Fall Planning Guide

August, September, and October

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, plus the spook-tactular fall decorations in the Magic Kingdom are amazing.

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, and while the heat can still be a bit much mid day, the mornings and evenings are often very pleasant. We highly recommend purchasing trip insurance either through Disney or another vendor if you are traveling here during hurricane season.

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

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The International Food and Wine Festival  is the OG of the Epcot festivals and draws some of the biggest crowds to experience the culinary delights of the Food and Wine Festival. The festival typically runs late August through November, though the dates have not yet been released for 2025 - we will update as soon as they are. We've put together a festival map with food booths and some of the festival highlights. We love tasting all the fabulous food and trying out the new cocktails and wine. You can take a peak at 2024 Food and Drink Guide to get an idea of the delights available.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Starting at the beginning of August, spooky season heads to the Magic Kingdom, and one of the most fun ways to celebrate it is by attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP). We have loved the MNSSHP since the first time we attended, and try to party it every year. 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 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.

Disney After Hours

During the winter, spring, and summer Disney holds After Hours Events. These are a hard ticket events, meaning it costs extra and does not require a separate park ticket for entry. The event runs from either 9:30PM to 12:30AM, for Hollywood Studios, or 10:00PM to 1:00AM for both Magic Kingdom and Epcot on select evenings, and can be an amazing way to beat both the crowds and the heat. We are a huge fan of these and try to budget for one for our Disney trips this time of year. It should be noted that not every experience offered during regular park hours is available during Disney After Hours. The Magic Kingdom does not hold this event during August and September due to MNSSHP, but does offer it for Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Prices for tickets: (dependent on dates) Hollywood Studios: $165–$185 per ticket, plus tax, and EPCOT: $155 per ticket, plus tax. There are discounts available on select dates for Annual Passholders and DVC members)

Disney After Hours Dates

Hollywood Studios

• August 6, 20 and 27

• September 3

Epcot (The World Showcase except for the Frozen Ever After and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure is not open during DAH)

• August 7, 14, 21, 28

• September 11 and 25

Pros and Cons

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. Looking for someone to help plan your Practically Perfect Vacation? Need help navigating all the details? Click here to Book with Brenda.