How bad is Disney World over the summer?

[OThopeful35]

We always go the last week of July thru the first week of August and yes it blazing hot. We are not used to the heat at all being from the San Francisco Bay Area. We deal with it pretty well and do rope drop. We make sure we stay hydrated and stay out of the sun as much as possible. There is discomfort but most of the time we are having so much fun and that it helps us cope. If I could go at at different time I would, but I don't want to pull my middle schooler out of school.

 

[LaidBackDad]

We have gone at the end of July / beginning of August. To us, the heat wasn't unbearable (upper 80's low 90's). What was a pain was the daily rain storms (sometimes torrential rain) you could almost set your watch by in the mid afternoon. The storms would shut most of the rides down and close the pools for at least an hour if not more.

 

[huntconn]

It's pretty much inferno hot. We go every summer. We love it! Parks in morning (rope drop) and evening. Pool in the afternoon. My wife is a teacher so she can only vacation then. Plus we don't want to take our kids our of school. So summer it is!

 

[kgoodb00]

A few years ago we went in June (and we are heading back again this June) and I am a baby when it comes to sweating and being hot while I am at home. I was so nervous going because I was sure I would not be able to survive the heat. But I did! I remember a few days thinking "wow...I am melting" but we always riding something or taking a break and eating a snack. We also went back to our room midday for a break and then returned to the park around 5. I would rather be hot and sweaty at Disney than at home working! Just take breaks, hydrate, and have fun!

 

[isaboo]

This will be our 3rd year going in August, but we're from Houston so we can take the heat and humidity. Our plan this year is different, mostly resort days by the pool at BC and then we'll close down the parks at night. I love the parks at night! I only have one planned park morning and that is pre-park-opening breakfast at Crystal Palace.

 

[Traceylee]

How hot is it the first week of June?

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm curious.. we're going the last week of June. Originally we planned on doing basically 9-2 every day, because both kids have some special needs (ASD and SPD) and we were thinking that it was better to keep them in bed on time etc... But reading through this, I'm wondering if we shouldn't look at other options. Either maybe a 4-9 each day, or a 9-12, go back for a break, and then back for 5-8? The only thing is, that adds up to a lot of driving (we're staying off site) for a 3 hour break at the house.

 

[dansdad]

How hot is it the first week of June?

Like Africa hot.

 

[Babsy]

Weather wise? My DH and SIL are strongly advising not to make a trip there during the summer. They said it will be so hot you'll feel like you're melting. We've never been to DW and are thinking we'll go in 2017. DH wants to go in the fall. I want to go in the summer. DH and I don't want to take our kids out of school, so the summer is the most logical time. But would we be miserable in the heat?

My motto is to do everything based on the person with the least ability, or the most need to cope with WDW. If DH (or anyone) planning to go on a trip to WDW didn't want to face summer heat, I wouldn't consider it. WDW can be very difficult if people are overheated, tired, out of sorts and dealing with crowds.
FWIW, I often took my kids out of school to go to WDW right up until college years. They took lessons with them and spent a little time every 'school' day keeping up on studies (maybe an hour or so during an afternoon break or early evening). We chose a time like Thanksgiving when there would be some holiday time as well as the weekend. By leaving right after school and heading back late on the last day we maximized our time for 5 or 6 day trips. It worked out great for us! They only missed 2 - 3 days of classes and easily caught up.

Another time to go is at Christmas. It is beautiful. It is busy, but the weather is cool and the decorations and festivities are wonderful. It is a very special time in WDW and doesn't require taking kids out of school or dealing with summer heat.

my 0.02!

 

[Tonberry]

How hot is it the first week of June?

When we went a couple years ago, it was the second week in June and it was brutal. Temps in the mid 90's with unbearable humidity for most of the trip. We can take the heat, but not when combined with high humidity.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We went right before Labor Day last year, and the trip left me questioning how people can survive in Florida in the summer. The crowds were super light that late in the summer, but the family vetoed the idea of ever going back that time of year due to the heat.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

The heat doesn't bother me. I have taken my two sons on individual mother/son trips in August and we have done a June trip. One of them handled it fine, the other was miserable. The message here is consider your individual family members and yourself, can everyone tolerate excessive heat or not. The other thing to consider is rain, it rains more in summer, can you tolerate wet clothing, shoes, etc and still enjoy yourselves and have fun under these conditions? You want to consider each family member and their ability to tolerate heat and rain while making your decision. I enjoy summer trips. We keep a water bottle clasped to our shorts and drink all day, this is super important, we don't have to do this the rest of the year. Best wishes!

 

[nilla]

I'm still too beaten down from this Pennsylvania Winter to be worried about how hot I'm going to be in Florida in June

 

[nco91590]

Note to self for next time: skip the hot Starbucks coffee on Main St at 8 am.

(What you said is totally true about sweating, but the coffee really made it worse!)

Iced coffee would work

 

[WEDWDW]

I go every July and call it "3 Showers a Day and Double-Up On The Deoderant Season"!

(Th Lightning is INCREDIBLE in Summer at WDW.)

 

[msb578]

Iced coffee would work

Yes! It's just that being from Syracuse, hot coffee is so much a part of the morning, we kept trying to force it. Drive-thru workers from North Carolina on south thought we were nuts for specifying hot coffee. They were right.

 

[JJsmama]

[QUOTE="Sue M,

We go to the park first thing in the morning and leave parks after lunch. Mid day is the hottest. We spend it at our resort, mostly at pool. Then go back to a park at night.

[/QUOTE]

I agree with this. We go every summer too. With teenagers, summer is really our only option. We go at RD and leave after lunch too, more because of the crowds than the heat. If you plan well, at MK and DHS at least, there is a lot of inside attractions. But leaving for a while really helps keep it pleasant for us.

If you are the kind of family who would need to stay all day every day in the parks, I would not recommend summer.

 

[dunangst]

We go every August. Crowd wise, we try to plan to be there after the Florida schools are back in session. Echo all posters with regard to high heat, humidity and t-storms. We are there at rope drop, always reapplying spf, and hydrating. We leave at lunchtime for the pool, or a shaded activity. We head back out when it cools off. We are from upstate NY, and find the heat incredible the first day, but then get used to it. I think the keys are not to stay out too long in the blistering mid day sun.

 

[Princess Mulan]

The weather is never guaranteed, and I've endured it all in the World: hurricane rains, bone-chilling cold and body-melting heat. After experiencing the World in every season, I would advise visiting during October through May, if possible. If summertime is your only option, be aware that the heat and humidity mostly likely will be oppressive. I love the sun and heat, but my last summer visit was too hot even for me. On most days I would hit rope drop, return to my room around 1 or 2 p.m., and head back to the parks around 6 or 7. It was too hot to enjoy the pool, and I couldn't enjoy the parks as much I do in other times of the year. Also, don't underestimate how much the afternoon rains might derail your plans. For example, my group wasn't able to ride Mine Train or Test Track because of prolonged rainstorms.

Quite frankly, I enjoy fall, winter and spring in the World much more. However, if summer is the only time you can visit (and sometimes it is for me), go and have fun!

 

[huntconn]

I'm still too beaten down from this Pennsylvania Winter to be worried about how hot I'm going to be in Florida in June

Amen to that my friend! lol