Disney World Monthly Snapshot: September 2025
September is a super hot month that takes everyone by surprise. While most people are ready to break out their boots, watch college football, or order their favorite pumpkin brew, those visiting Disney World with the hopes of “low crowds” are realizing that they come with a price: heat exhaustion.
It wasn’t so long ago that I was riding the Skyliner with a family on their first visit who told me they couldn’t believe the record heat. They were under the impression that it would be cooler and were surprised when I told them that both August and September were the worst months. If you’ve read this website, even semi-regularly, you already know that I’ve seen numerous guests pass out from dehydration in the parks over the years. I don’t ever mention that to scare anyone, but if it helps one person remember to stay hydrated and take proper breaks, then it’s worth it. It’s sure not the kind of memory you want to laugh about around the kitchen table in the future, all the while thinking it wasn’t funny at the time. Let’s save those memories for Mickey ice cream bars that melt so fast they make an incredible mess all over your child’s matching Disney t-shirts. (Don’t forget to take a picture!)
As for September, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is in full swing, hurricane season is still in full force, and you could likely experience lower crowds than usual in the parks. If you’re visiting the Magic Kingdom, you’ll get to see the beautiful decorations that go up this time of year, and there will be food booths galore at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
As we mentioned last month (and this will be true through the end of the year for both seasonal parties), you’ll want to be aware of party nights at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom closes at 6:00 p.m. to the general public on these select evenings. There are advantages and disadvantages when visiting the Magic Kingdom on a party date. As far as negatives, the park closes early. So if this is your only day at Magic Kingdom, we recommend choosing a non-party date. It would be a shame not to see the fireworks or explore the park after sunset. We have listed the party dates in our September timeline below to help you plan.
That said, if you have more than one day to spend at Magic Kingdom or have the park-hopper ticket, you might prefer to take advantage of lower crowds on a party date. While there are no guarantees, the party dates tend to be significantly slower at Magic Kingdom because not everyone is willing to burn their ticket on a day when the park closes early.
As far as hurricane season, you’ll want to remain weather aware. If you’re investing a decent amount of money in your trip (regardless of when you visit), you might want to consider purchasing trip insurance. To be fully transparent, as regular visitors, this is not something we do often for Disney World. But it is something that adds an extra layer of protection when we cruise or plan once-in-a-lifetime trips to other destinations. An authorized Disney travel planner can help you better discern should you have any questions.
Here’s what we have so far for September.
September 2025 at Walt Disney world
Other Reminders
Magical Dining lasts throughout September. This is a charity event (not affiliated with Disney) that includes a few restaurants at Disney World. It’s a wonderful promotion that allows guests to try special menus at more-than-reasonable prices. If you have any interest in dining at these locations, you’ll likely want to participate. We have a separate write-up that shares participating restaurants and event details.
Extended Evening Hours for deluxe and deluxe villa resort guests settle into a more regular schedule this month. Epcot will host extended evening hours on Monday evenings, and Magic Kingdom will host the first Wednesday evening in September. After that, Hollywood Studios will host the final three Wednesday evenings throughout the month. If you would like to learn more about this benefit, see our guide to Extended Evening Hours at Disney World.
Magic Kingdom Temporary Ride Closures This Month: The following attractions are closed for refurbishment:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for a lengthy refurbishment until sometime in 2026.
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin closed for a lengthy refurbishment until sometime in 2026.
Magic Kingdom Permanent Closures: The Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and Rivers of America all permanently closed in July of 2025.
Epcot Ride Closures: Spaceship Earth is closed for refurbishment. It is expected to reopen later this year.
Hollywood Studios: You may remember that Muppet*Vision 3D, Pizzerizzo, and Mama Melrose have all permanently closed. Animation Courtyard will also permanently close in September. Dates are noted in the timeline above.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: The following attractions closed permanently earlier this year:
- TriceraTop Spin
- It’s Tough to be a Bug
- Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures
- Fossil Fuel Games
The Boneyard Playground will close in early September as noted above.
Final Thoughts
We will update this calendar as more announcements are made. We’ve updated our August 2025 timeline to include major items announced throughout the month. We hope that these timelines will serve not only as a current reference but also as a future one. Here are the previous months:
Or you can return to our 2025 Disney World Month-by-Month Guide.
More Planning
For planning a Disney World vacation, you might also enjoy our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of our coverage of the resorts. Our Disney World Dining Guide is a good resource for planning all your meals. For more on the theme parks, start with our Disney World Parks Guide. It leads to coverage of all four theme parks. If you or someone in your party has an interest in meeting characters at Disney World, that guide will help you locate options. Lastly, our Disney Water Parks Guide will help you get started planning a trip to either of Disney’s two water parks.
The Road Map to Magic
Unlock the magic of a perfectly planned Disney vacation—sign up for instant access. It’s completely free!
In the Comments
Are you visiting Walt Disney World this September? Let us know in the comments below!
