Visiting Walt Disney World in September 2025

If you’re planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, September is usually either at the top of your list or the very bottom. The reason is that there are very clear pros and cons to visiting Disney World in September. On one hand, September can be incredibly hot and humid, and it’s also right in the middle of hurricane season. So if weather is a priority for you, September will likely be the last month you would choose. Many also avoid September because the school year is just beginning. Taking your kids out of school for a week or two right at the beginning of the year isn’t usually a family’s first choice.

On the other hand, September boasts some of the lowest crowds of the year. If you enjoy short lines and fewer people in the parks, September can be amazing! Disney also offers some of the best deals of the year around this time, so it can also be one of the least expensive times to visit the parks. And did we mention Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party? These ticketed events take place all throughout September and October, and they are extremely popular.

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Planning a Disney World vacation in 2025? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer this year!

In This Post

September At-a-Glance

September Events

September Refurbishments & Closures

September Weather

September Disney World Crowd Calendar

Ready To Start Planning Your Visit To Walt Disney World In September?

September At-a-Glance

Don’t forget to pack your sunscreen and drink lots of water! Temperatures in September are still quite warm! And while Disney offers many ways to cool off, you will definitely want to be prepared with sunscreen and water.
Be prepared for rain. As September can be very hot and humid, rain happens. Ponchos are a great thing to keep handy for afternoon showers!
Mornings are a great time to visit the pools. Due to the hotter temperatures, the pools can get quite busy during the heat of the day as well as in the evenings when guests return from a day in the parks. Consider visiting in the mornings when they will be less busy.
After Labor Day, crowds in September lighten quite a bit. Many schools are back in session, and not many want to miss the first weeks of school. So if that isn’t an issue for you, this could be a great time to visit the parks!
The Food and Wine Festival is quite popular with locals. Consider visiting Epcot on weekdays if you’re trying to avoid the crowds.

September Events

Halloween arrives early at the Disney World Resort! A highlight of the season is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which takes place on select nights from August 15 through October 31. The very popular ticketed event lasts from 7:00 PM to midnight and features trick-or-treating, a special Halloween parade, fireworks, specialty menu items, not-so-scary entertainment, your favorite characters dressed in their Halloween attire, and so much more.

Another festival to be aware of is Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, which takes place from August 28 through November 22, 2025. This is a highly anticipated event at the park, featuring a wide variety of food and beverage booths to satisfy the most discerning palates. In addition to dining options, attendees can take part in scavenger hunts, enjoy live music, participate in the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, and explore exclusive festival merchandise.

Walt Disney World (as well as ESPN Wide World of Sports) typically hosts several athletic events each month. These events don’t usually have a major impact on crowds in the parks, but they will likely affect resort availability and crowds at Disney’s value resorts. There are currently no events scheduled for September.

September Refurbishments & Closures

*We’ve included all current refurbishments here on this list… even ones that may be open in time for September 2025. (Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.)

Magic Kingdom

Astro Orbiter will be closed until Summer 2025.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed until 2026. An opening date has yet to be announced.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will be closed for enhancements from August 2025 until 2026.
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade is permanently closed.
Hall of Presidents is currently closed for a routine refurbishment. Opening date is TBD.
Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island will be closing permanently at some point in 2025.
Starlight Night Parade will be debuting in Summer 2025.

EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open!
Test Track closed on June 17, 2024, for a multi-month refurbishment. A reopening date has not yet been announced, but will likely be sometime in 2025.

Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed and was replaced with a fully reimagined production called “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” on May 27, 2025.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple has permanently ended.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is permanently closed.
Muppet*Vision 3D permanently closed on June 8, 2025.
Disney Junior Play and Dance! will be closed from May 25, 2025, through Fall 2025.
Villains Unfairly Ever After Show opened on May 27, 2025.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be closing at some point in 2026 for reimagining. The newly reimagined attraction starring The Muppets will debut at some point in 2026 as well. Official dates have yet to be announced, but we do know that fans of the coaster starring Aerosmith will be able to enjoy it through 2025!

Animal Kingdom

It’s Tough to Be a Bug will be closing at some point to make way for a Zootopia Tree of Life Show. The new attraction will open in Winter 2025.
Primeval Whirl is permanently closed
- It is anticipated that Dino-Rama, as a whole, will likely close at some point to make way for a major expansion. Disney has announced that the replacement will be “Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.” Concepts include Encanto and Indiana Jones, and DINOSAUR will be converted into an Indiana Jones attraction. Dates have yet to be announced for this major project; however, Disney has announced that DINOSAUR will remain open through 2025.

Other

Typhoon Lagoon Water Park reopened for the summer season on May 1, 2025.

September Weather

Overall, the weather in Orlando is quite hot in September. The average high is 90 degrees, and the low is typically around 72 degrees. Technically, it is Orlando’s rainy season as well. In fact, September is often considered to be the wettest month of the year. That being said, most rain in September will come in short “spurts” rather than be an all-day thing. Brief afternoon downpours are very typical!

One other thing to keep in mind is hurricane season. While it is rare that Disney World needs to close due to hurricane-related weather, it HAS happened in the past. Since 1971, the Walt Disney World parks have had to close around 13 times due to hurricanes. We’ve seen three closures in August, six in September, three in October, and one in November. Closures are typically only a day or two, but it is certainly something to be aware of when planning your September vacation.

September Disney World Crowd Calendar

Crowd calendars are very popular, but they can also be a bit unpredictable. It’s best not to completely rely on them when making your Disney World vacation plans.

While crowd calendars can be a big help in knowing what to expect, keep in mind, they are predictions at best. When designing our calendars, we take a look at events, school calendars, ticket prices, park hours, holidays, and typical monthly patterns. Unfortunately, our crowd calendars cannot predict other things such as weather, travel advisories, pandemics, or last-minute openings or closings of shows and attractions.

On top of that, many are choosing to travel differently these days. Quiet months have become popular due to runDisney events as well as other Disney events and promotions, while busier seasons have seen a downward trend in the last couple of years.

September tends to be one of the lightest months of the year in terms of crowds. This is due to several factors, including the start of a new school year as well as the weather. Weekends at Epcot will be busier than normal with locals due to the Food and Wine Festival, and the Magic Kingdom will undoubtedly see some crowds in relation to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Labor Day weekend is really the only “holiday” during the month of September. And while you may see a slight uptick in crowds, it’s typically not a huge draw in terms of crowds due to most families not wanting to pull their kids out of school during their first weeks back.