so we priced our Disney World package-input

My supervisor at work and co worker are both planning Disney World trips too. Not sure when they are going. 

I have not been to DW in over 20 years but for weather aren't both Aug and Sept "in" hurricane season? My point being is if one were at one of the ends of the season as opposed to smack in the middle I would choose that month, less chance of rainy weather. However I am not sure when hurricane season actually is. 

Of course if you get a free day that is worth quite a bit. Early September taking kids out of school is not too big of thing I think. Sorry Gina I don't remember how old your daughter is but she is not middle school yet is she? I think in elementary school it is easier then when they get a bit older. 

August is the worst time to go. Crowds, it's hotter then heck, hurricanes. All that. When I went, in august of 1997-ish it raiined all 3 days. Tropical storm. Lovely right?

Anyway, I'd go in the spring if at all possible. Cooler weather, less people.

Have fun whenever you go!

April's a possibility, my kiddo has a birthday right at the end of that month...but that'd be coming up a lot sooner...hmm...pondering.

Maxs Mom

I have not been to DW in over 20 years but for weather aren't both Aug and Sept "in" hurricane season? My point being is if one were at one of the ends of the season as opposed to smack in the middle I would choose that month, less chance of rainy weather. However I am not sure when hurricane season actually is.

FWIW... hurricane season is usually from beginning of june through end of november.

August is a nightmare.  It's hot, really really muggy and packed to the gills with families getting in their vacation before school starts.  September is better crowd-wise, but you are battling the hurricane thing.  Spring is the best weather wise, but more expensive.  What about March??  I know that's even sooner, but the pricing might be better.  Just stay away from Easter-time.

cyclefiend2000

FWIW... hurricane season is usually from beginning of june through end of november.

Yepp....and they can start sooner or keep coming later in the season. That's why I'd go with spring.

hmm IF we do late April they have that Buy 4 get 3 free thing...that's sounding better and better to me...hmm...

I agree with the idea of going in April. That's when I went 2 yrs ago and the weather was perfect and the crowds weren't bad at all. My best friend lives in Tampa and says that summer there is brutal and she swears it rains every day.

We did Disney a while back when my kids were young.  Are you driving or flying?  We found that since we could drive, it made alot more sense financially to buy the annual pass.  We went for 5 days in October one year and returned for 5 more days the following October before the passes expired.  We ended up paying a fraction per day than we would have any other way.  The entrance fees were by far the most expensive part of our trip.  We stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn with a kitchen and rarely ate in the park, so that helped save also.

We LOVED going in October.  Weather was still nice, no lines or crowds.  It was perfect!  Totally worth pulling them out of school 2  years in a row, we had them work ahead before we left, did some homework in the car rides there and back, and also at night when we were back at the hotel.  They didn't fall far behind at all.

Have fun!!!
 

*waving hand cos I live here* --

April *could* cost you almost double -- From January to June it's "high season" down here and there are only a couple of small "windows" where the prices aren't sky high.  March is Bike Week in Daytona and there are literally just back to back to back "events" that keep the entire spring high priced.

August IS a nightmare - it is THE hottest time of the year.  It starts to rain around August 1 and that continues straight into the end of September.  Usually not all day, but virtually every day in the afternoon/evening it will rain.  Not a "cold" rain like most of you are used to -- but it is a muggy rain that doesn't ever cool things off.

Absolutely, bar none THE BEST time to visit Floooor-daa is in October.  THEN the prices go down, the weather thru the middle of November is superb.  Yeah, you have the potential for hurricanes any time from June straight thru November but you really can't plan it unless you know for a fact what hurricanes are going to happen.  We have the same hurricane season in Florida that you folks do in Texas -- we had the bad years 3-4 years ago and you've had it worse since.  The highest hurricane risk is *probably* the end of July thru August. 

But August is brutal to be honest -- you don't catch locals doin NUFFIN those months because it's just too hot and humid. 

October/early November are my favorite down here and I"ve lived here since '83.  You catch it before the "snow birds" head down in November and it's usually cheaper, the weather is perfect and less rain to contend with.

Don't think it doesn't rain in April either -- I have stood IN THE RAIN at Disney many, many times waiting for concerts March/April/May and had them called and cancelled because of thunder/lightning. 

a short rainshower won't spoil a day -- but when everything shuts down b/c of lightning risk -- that's a bummer.  We're the "lightning capital of the world" down here and folks do tend to take that seriously. 

but if you have to choose between August/September then go with September -- but if you can push it to October (find out when the kids in-service teacher holidays will be in October or when report cards go out? schedule just after that) it's nicer, cheaper, and easier if you want the opinion of someone who lives here and deals with it.

The other fun time to come, honestly, is between Christmas and New Years.  It's not cheap -- but things like the Candlelight Processional at Epcot and the other "Christmas in Florida" things can make it fun.  I wouldn't want you to spoil a family Christmas but usually the kids have off, some folks can take off more easily from work and if you book your tickets in advance it can be a really fun way to spend part of the holidays.  *not* cheap but not the worst either.

BCMixs

We did Disney a while back when my kids were young.  Are you driving or flying?  We found that since we could drive, it made alot more sense financially to buy the annual pass.  We went for 5 days in October one year and returned for 5 more days the following October before the passes expired.  We ended up paying a fraction per day than we would have any other way.  The entrance fees were by far the most expensive part of our trip.  We stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn with a kitchen and rarely ate in the park, so that helped save also.

Absolutely a superb way to go. -- you could do the 'package' one time and next year stay in a regular inn/motel.  With your pass things like parking are included and there are several different types of passes at this point. 

calliecritturs

April *could* cost you almost double --

But I was figuring on the discount I mentioned...where you pay for 4 days and get 3 free...I suppose it might end up costing around the same as the quote we got BUT the timing would be cool...and there'd be Lily's birthday...It's past Easter and Spring Break both...

calliecritturs

but if you can push it to October (find out when the kids in-service teacher holidays will be in October or when report cards go out? schedule just after that) it's nicer, cheaper, and easier

If we did do October...book says some things might be closed and the parks have shorter hours...hmm...oct 17th-24th would encompass our anniversary...so again...free day...hmm. And you say the weather is okay...

 We loved it in October.  We went late October one year and early October the next.  The only thing we dealt with were late afternoon thunderstorms around 4 pm a couple of days.  We just scheduled that as our break time when we went back to the hotel, ate dinner, rested and got ready to go back to the park in the evening.  IIRC the parks didn't close until 10 pm then, which was plenty late for all of us and we didn't notice anything closed.  Most of the off property hotels have shuttles to the parks, so driving back and forth wasn't an issue and the annual pass provided alot of discounts and freebies, like the monorail, which my kids wanted to ride ENDLESSLY. 

rwbeagles

But I was figuring on the discount I mentioned...where you pay for 4 days and get 3 free...I suppose it might end up costing around the same as the quote we got BUT the timing would be cool...and there'd be Lily's birthday...It's past Easter and Spring Break both...

But your rooms are significantly more pricey at that time of year -- and essentially they're talking about annual passes.  Sometimes it pays to figure out where they're getting their figures to see if an annual pass would benefit you in the long run.

rwbeagles

If we did do October...book says some things might be closed and the parks have shorter hours...hmm...oct 17th-24th would encompass our anniversary...so again...free day...hmm. And you say the weather is okay...

Not sure what might be "closed" -- Disney usually doesn't close "nuffin" unless they are renovating something.  A bit shorter hours in the October evening -- yes, but you'll have blackout days in September (like during the Nights of Joy and other special events where they close the park early),  but trust me -- you'll find everyone is SO tired by the end of the day that "earlier" is just a reprieve.  And when the park "closes" isn't when you gotta be out.  That's just when they stop letting folks in.

Like usually it's 9 or after when they do the fireworks at Epcot -- and the park closes then, but you find this whole huge wave of people who COME IN just prior to 9 to see the fireworks and linger and they don't have the "last tram" to the parking lot or the last boat to the resorts until like 10:30.

You will probably have to decide what are the most important "things" to you -- and then evaluate from there -- the "CHOICE" is absolutely endless and can make it almost impossible to make a decision.