May or September?

[growhappiness]

I'm not sure if this is the right sub-forum, but we are trying to decide what would be best with the kids. We're currently booked at POFQ in mid-Sept, but are considering switching to early May, and possibly moving to a Pop preferred room. The plan was to go for our son's 3rd birthday in Sept (we'll go a few days before, leading up to it so he'll be free for the whole trip), and the rates are cheaper and crowds are lower...but I'm second guessing it due to the heat and rain. We wanted to do a Halloween party one of our days, but maybe we can go another year when LO is older and will enjoy it more. We also have a (will be) 11yo and we'd def enjoy it. We went this past May and while we had a few very hot days, overall, the weather was beautiful and the crowds weren't bad.

Also, we love POFQ due to it's small layout, but we are planning on 4 out of our 6 days at DHS/Epcot, so a skyliner hotel would be super convenient. Unless the weather is bad and we have to take buses...We don't love Pop, but don't want to spend the money on a preferred CBR right now.

September Pros

• Celebrate sons 3rd birthday
• cheaper rates
• less crowds
• Halloween party

September Cons

• Hurricane season, lots of rain and potentially issues with flights
• Super hot and humid
• If we stay at Pop, and the skyliner is down due to a storm, the buses can be a pain

Any suggestions?

 

[Angelboys3]

We went in May this year and it was hot then as well. We also had one night at Epcot where it came an absolute flood for over an hour and fireworks were cancelled. We've also been in September and didn't find the rain to be bad. If it did rain it was only briefly and didn't seem any hotter than the trip in May. We're going in September again this year too. If you're planning mainly DHS/Epcot then a resort near there does make sense but I love Port Orleans

 

[bakerworld]

Our first two trips with kids were late September and mid/late May. The cost, weather and crowd levels were virtually the same. Our third trip was over the kids Spring Break, which that year was late March. The trip was the most costly, weather was great and the crowd level higher but workable. Of course it was our 3rd trip so everyone was more relaxed. It was also our son's birthday.

As adults comparing September to May, I would go the first 2 weeks of May over any part of September for both weather and crowd level. The 2nd to 12th of May the costs are very similar to September.

WDW Dolphin has some great deals, especially when combined/booked via airline website. Dolphin usually has a minimum stay requirement to get the deal. The room was equal/less that POFQ.

 

[loves to dive]

I go just about every year some time in April or May and most years in Sept. as well. What can I say, I like a Festival. Anyway, early May will definitely be cooler than Sept. and will rain less. Sept. is hurricane season so you are guaranteed rain every day of some sort. May is just regular Florida so you could/might get rain or you could/might not. It will be hot in May but if you are thinking early May, not like walking on the sun hot.

As far as resorts. I'm not a fan of the sky liner resorts since it can go down, because well it rains and storms a lot in Florida. You may or may not have a line at CB. I haven't stayed at POFQ one of the few resorts on property I've not stayed at. I have stayed at PORS and loved it. I've stayed at Pop a few times pre-sky liner on short one or two night split stays. I've never stayed in preferred, I'm too cheap.

 

[sponica]

I feel like all my comparisons are off because my post Covid shutdown trip was in the "everyone is cramming in 2+ years of vacations into the same 12 weeks in early 2022" period.

But I've done early May and late April. I remember the heat more from my late April trip than the early May trip because my kids were complaining about the heat in April and when we went in May we only had one kid at that time. When we went in mid May, we had PERFECT sunny hot weather but my coworker who went a week later, it rained the whole time. I feel like crowd wise they are probably similar to September (I've been in late Sept/early October).

I'd be inclined to keep September because the kiddo would be free.

 

[growhappiness]

I go just about every year some time in April or May and most years in Sept. as well. What can I say, I like a Festival. Anyway, early May will definitely be cooler than Sept. and will rain less. Sept. is hurricane season so you are guaranteed rain every day of some sort. May is just regular Florida so you could/might get rain or you could/might not. It will be hot in May but if you are thinking early May, not like walking on the sun hot.

As far as resorts. I'm not a fan of the sky liner resorts since it can go down, because well it rains and storms a lot in Florida. You may or may not have a line at CB. I haven't stayed at POFQ one of the few resorts on property I've not stayed at. I have stayed at PORS and loved it. I've stayed at Pop a few times pre-sky liner on short one or two night split stays. I've never stayed in preferred, I'm too cheap.

Thanks all. This is the closest to my logic right now. We've gone in June when it rained a bunch, it was fine, but we didn't have a toddler at the time. I think there's potentially more things that can go wrong in Sept while celebrating LO's birthday. Usually we can just make the best out of any situation, but if we're all hot, wet, and cranky it might put a damper on a birthday celebration. I'm probably overthinking it.

We stayed at POFQ in early May this year and it didn't rain once. We got lucky with an absolutely beautiful trip. I'm leaning towards doing the same for next year. I was thinking crowds would be a lot better in Sept, but if that's not the case, I'd probably rather play it safe weather-wise. We'd switch it to May of '23, so he'll still be 2 and free.

 

[loves to dive]

Thanks all. This is the closest to my logic right now. We've gone in June when it rained a bunch, it was fine, but we didn't have a toddler at the time. I think there's potentially more things that can go wrong in Sept while celebrating LO's birthday. Usually we can just make the best out of any situation, but if we're all hot, wet, and cranky it might put a damper on a birthday celebration. I'm probably overthinking it.

We stayed at POFQ in early May this year and it didn't rain once. We got lucky with an absolutely beautiful trip. I'm leaning towards doing the same for next year. I was thinking crowds would be a lot better in Sept, but if that's not the case, I'd probably rather play it safe weather-wise. We'd switch it to May of '23, so he'll still be 2 and free.

I'm not sure anyone knows what the crowds are going to be like any more. Its been busy pretty much every time of the year I've been there in the past year.

As far as heat, I'm from Georgia so that might explain why I think some times are hot and others aren't. Anything up to high 80s even 90 is warm. Over 90 and you are getting hot and frankly hot is hot for me. I don't care if its 90 or 100, it's hot. Hot and rainy, might not be a cranky kid but will most likely be a cranky parent. I know I took my son when he was just shy of three and thereafter for a number of years in August because back then there was a slow season. He didn't mind the hot and rain, it actually took quite a lot for me to get him to put a poncho on since most little boys like puddles and getting wet.

 

[juxtapose]

We've been early May and had really nice weather, no rain at all and it was "hot" in the afternoon but nothing awful. I would do early May over September. Crowds were also busy but not awful, with the new reservation system I think you'll probably see crowds more evenly spread throughout the year.

 

[beccasmom]

We’ve had luck with pretty temperate weather in late April/early May, although there are obviously no guarantees with weather Late May is more likely to be much warmer. September is just an extension of summer weather IMHO and there’s a very high chance of hot and humid weather. We have a trip planned for mid-September and that’s what I expect to encounter. Also, hurricanes are more likely in September than May.