Orlando in September
September is one of the best months of the year to visit Orlando. The emptiest month in the parks. The tradeoff: this is the statistical heart of hurricane season, so book refundable.
Weather
Hot easing late month, highs near 90F (32C), storm chances
Crowds
Prices
What's on in September
Late summer through mid November
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Dozens of tasting booths around World Showcase. Weekends draw a heavy local crowd; go midweek.
Mid August through October
Halloween season in the parks. Disney's ticketed Halloween party nights and Universal's separately ticketed Halloween Horror Nights, which is intense and not for young kids.
Things to do in Orlando
- 1
Magic Kingdom. The signature castle park. Arrive before official opening; the first two hours deliver more rides than the next six. official site ↗
- 2
EPCOT. The festival park: flowers in spring, food and wine through the fall. Adults' favorite, and the best eating on Disney property. official site ↗
- 3
Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Home to the headline Star Wars and Avatar lands. Both are lighter half-day parks if you plan rides tightly. official site ↗
- 4
Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. The Wizarding World spans both parks via the Hogwarts Express, which requires a two-park ticket and is worth it. official site ↗
- 5
Epic Universe. Universal's newest park, opened in 2025. Demand runs hot, so book this one further ahead than the others. official site ↗
- 6
A water park day. Build one into any warm-month trip as the recovery day. Go at opening; wave pools hit capacity by late morning in summer.
- 7
A non-park day. Kennedy Space Center is about an hour east and genuinely world class. Gatorland and the springs north of town are the old-Florida antidote to the parks.
Beat the crowds
- →Pick the week before you pick anything else. The same budget buys triple the rides in late January or mid September versus March or late December.
- →Rope drop is the single biggest lever inside any week: arriving 45 minutes before park opening beats any paid line-skip product for the first two hours.
- →Ride the headliners first thing or in the final hour before close; use midday, when waits peak, for shows, meals, and the pool.
Know before you go
- !Orlando has no off season in the closure sense: the parks are open 365 days a year, including Christmas, which is actually their busiest day. What varies is hours, which shrink in slow season and stretch past midnight in peak weeks.
- !Parks can hit capacity and pause entry on the very biggest days, most famously between Christmas and New Year's. In peak weeks, arrive early and check whether park reservations are required for your ticket type.
- !Individual rides close for refurbishment on rotating schedules, most heavily in the slow winter and early-fall windows. If one attraction is the whole reason for your trip, check the official refurbishment calendar before booking.
Orlando in September: quick answers
Is September a good time to visit Orlando?
September is one of the best months of the year to visit Orlando. The emptiest month in the parks. The tradeoff: this is the statistical heart of hurricane season, so book refundable.
What is the weather like in Orlando in September?
Hot easing late month, highs near 90F (32C), storm chances.
Is Orlando crowded in September?
September is one of the quieter months in Orlando; most sights can be done without long waits.
What is happening in Orlando in September?
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival (late summer through mid november); Halloween season in the parks (mid august through october).