Hi Elisabeth,
Fall is one of my favorite times of year to visit the Walt Disney World Resort for a number of reasons, including all of the great special events taking place during this time, such as the
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival starting August 31st, and the
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties taking place at Magic Kingdom Park on select nights in September and October.
Another great advantage to fall travel is being able to enjoy the Theme Parks with somewhat lower crowds due to the kids being back in school. I have traveled in both September and October, and with the exception of the Columbus Day Weekend, for the most part I have only found October to be slightly more busy than September. Certainly either of these months are great times to visit!
While free dining promotions have not yet been released for the upcoming fall season, if this very popular promotion relaunches, I encourage you to "do the math" to see which potential promotion (free dining or a potentially discounted room rate) would result in the best savings for your travel party. As free dining has historically only been available when purchasing a Disney vacation package with a non-discounted room rate, sometimes it may work out that a discounted room rate will provide the best savings. In general free dining promotions tend work best for those traveling with a large number of guests per room. Conversely, single or double occupancy travelers may find a discounted room rate will provide the best rate.
Wishing you all the best with your continued trip planning Elisabeth. Should you have any further questions, please send them our way. We would love to hEAR from you again!
Trish