August crowds, are they wild???

[Goofy_Girl]

How is August for crowds? My dd12's birthday is the 3rd week of August and I was considering going for the celebrations promo, but I have read a mixed bag about August. I'd like to hear from those who have vacationed in August as opposed to Sept/Oct when we originally plan to go back.TIA!

 

[cusack1020]

We were there this past August and the heat was worse to me than the crowds. I would say the crowds were pretty similar to Presidents Week in Feb. I am sure they will be higher than Sept/Oct because I think those are pretty slow times.

If you arrive early and use your fastpass you won't have a problem, but lines will get long in the middle of the day. We were always there at rope drop and got a lot done the first few hours. We would leave after lunch and come back in the evening to use our fast passes. We just found the heat and crowds to be too much in the middle of the day.

I enjoyed it of course but would not necessarily go at that time of year again. I am thinking I am going to try September, October of next year or January 2010 next.

 

[kadesha]

Our first trip was in August. The heat bothered me way more than the crowds did. Of course, I had a plan before I went, which is key to dealing with the crowds! But the heat is TERRIBLE, especially at AK!

 

[sardanem]

We were there the last week of August and I have to agree with the PP. The crowds were not bad at all. We were there at rope drop and got everything done that we wanted to, but I think the heat was absolutley unbearable. I don't think I would ever go back again that time of year. Even with the free dining, which was nice, I don't think it was worth it.

Lisa

 

[Goofy_Girl]

Thanks for the input! I'm not sure if I want to deal with unbearable heat since I thought some days in Oct were kinda hot. Though I do prefer heat over cold, I will have to really think about whether it would be worth it for the gift card she would receive.

 

[Tanzanite]

I could not stand the heat when we went in August awful wont do it then ever again.

 

[karliebug]

we normally go in august and yes, it can be sweltering. What we do is get up early and take advantage of whatever park has EMH then we stay until we are melting-usually around lunch and head back to the resort to swim and rest. Alternate inside,air conditioned attractions with your outside ones to give yourself a cool break. Drink,drink,drink water and make sure your kiddos do to. go at a slower pace.

 

[the kids]

We were there this past August and got lucky with the weather it was overcast so not to hot. I actually found the crowds to be very manageable. I was surprised. It was my third trip with my kids and it was our most successful. I walked on to several rides with little wait. My children are also young 1 and 4 so we didn't even try some of the more popular rides so I can not speak of those waits.

 

[goofy4tink]

It's not even the heat that gets to me..it's that excessive humidity. You feel like you're walking through mud most of the time. But, I'm booked for Aug 16-21. Been there, done that, going back and doing it again.
If you take your time, drink lots of water, wear a hat, and take a mid-day rest back at the resort/pool, you should be okay. But, it's not the time to be a park commando!!

 

[Tinker74]

This ws past August was really unusual for Florida...we arrived just after fay cleared out and the rains had stopped but it was cooler than normal...i even..Shock horror!..Had to wear a light cardigan one evening..and that is unheard of for August..

It did swelter most days...but we are used to August so just got on with it and were glad for the cooler than normal evenings and some overcast days...nice breeze.

Crowds...fine in late August!

this year we go July..now THAT iam worried about.

 

[Chellymouse]

The crowds aren't bad at all. It can get busy in the afternoon, but if you utilize your EMH hours and use the afternoon to rest indoors or swim you'll be fine. It is blazing hot and humid, but we always take plenty of water (remember you are allowed a small soft side cooler in the park, MUCH less expensive than buying water all day) and take breaks in the afternoon. We also have the spray bottle/fan contraptions (which I cannot live without) and those are very helpful. The CMs are also great about giving ice. We also alternate indoor and outdoor attractions and if we do stay in the parks all day, we will wait in a longer line indoors to get out of the heat for a bit. If you absolutely cannot tolerate heat and humidity, I'd say don't go.

 

[jmpurdy]

Agree with most posters. Went end of June this past summer and the heat just knocked us out. We will never go in the summer again. Usually go in January and we were sorry we didn't stick to that plan. Yes you can go back to hotel and swim, rest etc., but unless your trip is several days long, you do lose park time doing this. You can plan and prepare the family for the heat, but until you experience it, you won't know how everyone reacts to it.

 

[RustManFan]

We went a few times during the last week of August. Crowds were totally manageable. Problem was that twice we went tent camping at FW and the heat. Oh, the heat. Well maybe it was more the humidity!

I would definitely go in late August again as long as I stayed in a nice air-conditioned resort. With a wonderful pool. Maybe several! And a refillable mug full of unsweetened iced tea (with lemon!)



btw - We do love tent camping and FW in particular......just not in August!

 

[ncmc]

I was there the last two weeks of August last year and am going again the same time next year (well, a week later). First of all the crowds are not at all bad, I think the big crowds are there in the first two weeks of the month and have thinned out by the second half. We never waited for more than 20 mins for a ride. Being sensible (ie getting there early and using fastpass) should result in no long waiting.

As for the heat, we are from Ireland (no heat or humidity here!) and we didn't find the heat at all overwhelming. Yes, it is hot and humid, but there are enough covered and air conditioned attractions that break up the heat. We got in to the habit of walking through the shops where possible to take advantage of the air con. Drinking lots of water and taking regular breaks in the cool are essential. But I don't think you will have a problem, like I said we have no hesitation in booking the same time next year. Have fun whatever you decide!

 

[blondemom]

We did August a few years ago, and we are going back August 2009!! The crowds were manageable. It was humid. However, I'm from New Jersey and the humidity/heat were about the same. We brought spray bottles. We let the boys get wet whenever they wanted to. We took a long afternoon break.

 

[WDW Traveler]

I went last August with my DD and had a great time. We had the notion that we would go early, leave in the afternoon and return at night. We never did that. We stayed all day. We just took it easy and took breaks at the parks. We are looking at going next August, just later in the month. We went the first week and the crowds, in my opinion, were quite heavy. I've read that the further you get into August the less crowds. The heat and humity are there, but being from New England it's no worse than a hot and humid day here. As others have said, it's not the time to do the parks comando style, just take your time, enjoy yourself. Drink lots of water.

 

[DizzDoll]

We've gone the last 3 years in August and didn't think it was too bad. This year we had Fay to contend with and we still got to do the things we wanted to, which included DTD for the first time ever. We're going again this coming August if that's any sign of encouragement for you.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have been alot in august. its pretty crowded . i found the summer of pay for 4 nts. get 3 free was horrible. it was so packed you couldnt move... and the heat and humidity is another story. a couple of aug. t rips the crowds wernt bad though. oh yeah, the heat is like nothing around here. as soon as you come out of your room you start to melt...........but all in all we still always had great trips..... just pace, take breaks we enjoy the pool during lunch.