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| Fall decor appears at The Magic Kingdom at the end of August. |
I don't know about you, but the intense heat that's been taking over the majority of the country this summer has me daydreaming about Fall. And I have always LOVED Orlando in the Fall. You Northerners probably find that weird because Fall is kinda your thing. It's the one time of year that dealing with the struggles and strife of dealing with the cold and snow is all worth while. You get paid out in beautiful colors, crisp air and apple and pumpkin picking outings, right? All true. I do miss my hometown of Boston during that magical season, BUT Fall in Orlando is pretty amazing too. Maybe even better. Stay with me and I'll share five things that make coming down to Disney in the Fall the BEST!
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1. Oh the weather outside is.... delightful!
OK, so I will admit that weather in the Fall in Central Florida is a bit unpredictable, what with hurricanes and tropical storms and all, (last year's Irma and Maria certainly aren't helping me make this point), but a good 75% of the time the weather is beautiful. Mostly warm, sunny days, followed by comfortable, breezy nights. Warm enough to swim, but cool enough to not feel like your face is melting. October weather, on average, makes me say to myself, "THIS is what they meant by a Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah day!"
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| 75 and sunny. Perfect fall weather! |
2. Hey, where'd everybody go???
This one mostly applies to September, when the fact that the kiddos heading back to school causes a massive drop in park attendance. If you are kid-free, or can manage to take the kids out of school for the second or third weeks in September, you will be astounded by how quiet and calm things are. (Especially if you visit on weekdays, when even us Floridians usually are not on property.) Wait times for rides and attractions are at their lowest of the year, and pool and water park crowds are drastically reduced. You can easily tackle whole parks in one day, because you can get on so much stuff without waiting very long. It's a totally different experience from Summer, Christmas Vacation, or even Spring trips.
November lands mostly in the realm of very small crowds, with the exception of Thanksgiving week and Veteran's Day weekend. October isn't exactly the same situation, since October events like Food and Wine and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party draw in larger crowds, but it's still nowhere near the hoards of people that you'll encounter in the Summer or over the holidays.
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| Minimal crowd on a September morning in The Magic Kingdom |
3. They're gonna make you an offer you can't refuse.
And by "they", I mean Disney marketing. Fall is traditionally the season of the famous "Free Dining"
offers. (Usually released for booking in late Spring, and they sell out quickly!) There are also other packages that come out offering 20-30% off of room only packages and several other options too. Lots of great deals, not only on Disney property, but also in nearby, off-property resorts and hotels. The agents at Kingdom Konsultant Travel can tell you what the best one is for when you want to be there.
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| Disney resort rooms are even nicer when they're discounted! |
And aside from deals on accommodations, most of the Fall is considered "off-season" and that means that Disney buffets, which have fluctuating prices based on season, are at their lowest rates of the year. Save more money, and still get all-you-care-to-eat Mickey Waffles? Works for me!
September also happens to be Magical Dining Month here in Central Florida. That means that foodies can experience some of the best cuisine in town, at drastically reduced prices. There are even some restaurants on Disney Property that participate, including Bongos, Il Mulino, Morimoto, Paddlefish, Ravello, STK, Terralina, Bluezoo and Wine Bar George. For full menus and pricing, check out the Magical Dining Month website.
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| Free Dining is a beautiful thing! |
4. Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
Halloween festivities are everywhere in the Central Florida area in the Fall. On Disney property, you can't miss Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a special hard ticketed event at The Magic Kingdom. The party thrills and delights kids of all ages, as well as us "big kids", with live entertainment, special character meet and greets, dance parties, trick-or-treating in the park, and a spectacular Boo To You Halloween Parade and HalloWishes fireworks. It's a "Must-Do", for sure, especially since this year's party promises to be the biggest and best one yet, with classic attractions like Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean getting special Halloween upgrades.
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| You want tickets to this party! |
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| The Magic Kingdom gets a not-so-spooky make over! |
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| Amazing Halloween fireworks! |
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| You can't beat this candy haul! |
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| The Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus put a spell on the crowd. |
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| Unique character meet and greets are all over! |
Too tame for your taste? Head on over to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, where even the bravest of souls will have the pixie dust scared right out of 'em. You can participate in such fun-filled events as being chased through a haunted maze by a demonic clown, being chased through a pitch black alley by a deranged, chain saw wielding zombie, or being chased through dense fog by possessed, blood thirsty cheerleaders. If you like the idea of being trapped in a horror movie, this is the event for you. Not so much for me. You couldn't pay me enough money to go to Halloween Horror Nights, so sadly, you will not be seeing a review of it from me. Ever. My worst nightmare would be being trapped in the park during Halloween Horror Nights and, (for some unknown reason), not being allowed to leave. I'm pretty sure I would just sit on the ground, in a corner, and cry. Or pee my pants. Or both. Yep. Huge chicken, and I'm ok with that. Bock-bock. If this all sounds like fun to you though, (and it does to thousand and thousands of people), check out more official information here. This year's newest zones will include Stranger Things and The Purge. How fun.... for other people.
You can even find Halloween festivities at nearby Sea World Orlando's Spooktacular Event, Busch Gardens Tampa's Hallow-Scream, LEGOLAND's Brick-Or-Treat, and for something fun and lower key, the neighboring town of Celebration celebrates Oktoberfest. Lots of fun stuff to do to amp up your festive Fall mood in Central Florida.
5. Foodies of the (Disney) world, unite!
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| Food and Wine is amazing!!! |
August 30th - November 12th, a gastronomic festival of epic proportions arrives at Epcot. That's right, I'm talking about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! Guests travel from all over the globe to experience this incredible, edible event, where Disney chefs show off their best work, and dazzle taste buds everywhere. Most Festival features are included with Epcot admission, like culinary demonstrations and displays, and meet and greets with celebrity chefs. Special dining events are offered for additional pricing, and tons of food booths surrounding World Showcase Lagoon, allow you to purchase sample size offerings of food and drink from all around the globe. There are also free concerts by well-known pop artists from the 1970's-2000's. This year there are lots of new acts, including Mercy Me, Glass Tiger, Tauren Wells, Vertical Horizon, Sheila E, Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts, Anderson East, 98 Degrees, and High Valley, not to mention the return of fan favorites Boyz II Men, Smashmouth, Hanson and Starship. There's even fun stuff for the kiddos to do, like interactive exhibits on how honey is made, and a scavenger hunt! Families will enjoy it for sure, though adults tend to get the most out of it. It's one of my very favorite events on all of Disney property! Worth a trip in itself!
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| The park gets super cute culinary themed topiaries. |
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| Scallops and succotash |
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| Mac and cheese in a bread cone... whaaaat??? |
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| Belgian chocolate waffle, anyone? |
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| Food booths line World Showcase |
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| You've gotta try the nitro chocolate truffle! |
BONUS: Kingdom Konsultants are taking over Walt Disney World this Fall!
In case those 5 reasons weren't enough, here's a bonus reason! Join Kingdom Konsultant Travel this November 8-13, 2018, to explore the parks just like the pros do. We are planning for a fun filled time in the parks with many of the agents from the agency in attendance, along with family, friends and clients. We have a ton of activities planned such as behind the scenes tours, dining meet ups, scavenger hunts, and much, much more! Contact your Kingdom Konsultant Agent today to get special pricing on rooms and tickets. What are you waiting for?! Join us for what's sure to be an unforgettably good time!
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And there you have it, folks! 5 reasons you definitely want to get your butt here this Fall. Or next Fall. No matter when you make it happen, you'll fall in love with Disney in the Fall. (See what I did there?) So get to planning! The Kingdom Konsultant agents are waiting to hear from you so they can plan you the trip of your dreams!
Until next time, Disney Friends, have a magical week!
- Jenn
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