August Heat

[deepseadiver]

Hi

Any advice regarding coping with heat/humidity in August would be greatly appreciated. Visited for the first time this Easter which was a great time to go -not too hot although very busy. I Have the opportunity of taking my family again if I attend a conference next summer (lucky me!) It would be a great shame not to go, but I am concerned about the heat etc. Kids are older so that might help a little (15 & 12 next year). If you have visited this time of year please let me know how you got on and whether you would do it again. Thanks.

 

[Firestorm]

Went at Easter for three trips very busy then switched to August and found it not as busy which was great and much to our surprise! We found it slightly hotter,not alot different really, apart from the afternoon thunderstorm that seems to arrive for half an hour or so then goes and it's back to blue skies.Our kids are the same age and they had no problems,just keep drinking.

 

[allie5]

We did July last year, and to be honest, it isnt a time I would CHOOSE to do again, but if it was then or never, then I would still be off like a shot rather than NOT go!!

My advice is make early starts. We found the heat not too bad in the mornings. Take an early lunch and be prepared for the inevitable thunderstorm in the afternoon. Just put on a poncho and keep going, as the crowds disperse considerably during these times.

Buy a misting fan from the Wal-Mart as these are great at keeping you cool. Also, drink plenty of water and make your plans flexible. There is no point being hot and miserable traipsing round the parks! As soon as it begins to feel like a chore, leave and go back to your hotel for a swim or nap. The beauty of visiting in high summer is the parks are open very late into the evening and you can make the most of that.

I have heard that late August can be a good time to visit, as many US schools return a few weeks before ours.

I would definately GO!!

Allie

 

[allie5]

Sorry, double post

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi there,

What we found worked for us was early mornings, and either a really nice long sit down lunch in an airconditioned restaurant or failing that back to the hotel for a cool dip in the pool

The evenings are lovely in August and the daily "rain" clears the air somewhat. Generally August is the only time we can go and we have always had a great time.

Karen

 

[florida sun]

I know that with the bad weather over there at the moment this is hard to believe, but we just got back from 2 weeks in Orlando and at first I thought the humidity was going to kill me, but we soon got used to it, Sunny blue skys evryday with an almost guarenteed shower at about 4pm in the afternoon which cooled it down for the evening.

My advice, pretty much the same as Miffy Dress cool, dont carry around anything not needed, we even left the camcorder behind at times because we were so drained, drink loads of water and start off as early in the morning as you can, that way you can go back to have a swim or a rest in an air con room in the afternoon.

Makes me smile when I think of the first 2 days we spent there last December in gloves and woolie hats. It soon became warmer though.

Have a great time

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

I'm always interested in these August type posts since next year will be our first visit in August.

In the past we've been twice in May, once June and three in October. Out of choice May is by far our fave time, but now I'm working at a school I'm tied to school hols, so the only time we can go for best part of three weeks is Summer.

We will be going 8th - 26th August. We are spending two weeks down at friends' apartment in a nice residential area of Fort Myers Beach and then back to Orlando.

We've always done Orlando first for a week then another couple of weeks or so down at the Gulf Coast, so the other way around will be interesting. I've specifically planned it like this so after two weeks down at the beach we (hopefully) will have adjusted better to the temps, or at least DD (then 12) and I will have, DH is an absolute sun worshipper , the hotter the better as far as he's concerned!

Also, I'm seriosuly hoping that the parks will be less busy the third week of August by the time we get there.

Like Allie says, it's not my first choice of when to go, but it's a choice of either going then or not at all, so it's an easy choice at the end of the day.

Deepseadiver, I think you are doing the best thing possible and that's checking out how to make the best holiday

 

[Edie]

We've been in late August/early September in 2002 and 2003 and we love it. So much so that we're off again next August

The best tip I can give is to not rush around. I've seen so many families literally running around the parks it's no wonder people are exhausted by lunchtime. Take time out to sit and enjoy the parks - we've got some of our best memories by doing this. You'll be amazed by what you see if you take your time. Remember that the parks aren't just about the rides; the real magic is in the detail. There are loads of seating areas in all the parks with great views and you'll often find that you'll have them to yourselves because everyone else is haring about from one ride to next.

You also need to keep drinking, perferably water although it does taste funny. Powerade is also a miracle worker if you're flagging. I don't know what they put in it in the States but it's stimulating stuff

Make the most of air conditioning. If things really get too much and you're desperate to get cool, a trip to loo works well as all the bathrooms are air conditioned. If you're in Epcot, Ice Station Cool will definitely cool you down - I swear I nearly got hypothermia in there

Using these tips we've never had to take a midday break. Our record for a day in the parks was in Magic Kingdom where we arrived at 9am and left at 11pm and bear in mind that my mum, who is my Disney partner in crime, is in her 70s!

I'm sure you'll have a great time. Just remeber to chill

Edie

 

[xsred]

Hi we just got back from there and had 2 kids aged 13 and 15. We found the best way was to use the mist fans and make sure you arrange for dinner or an indoor air conditioned attraction or ride for the times between 1 and 3 pm as this seemed to be the hottest time, also a good time to look round the many shops at this time of day to relieve the heat a bit. Besides that you just have to learn to sope with it, we liked the frosty, slush type smoothy drinks to reduce the body temperature a bit too.