August Rain

[champ1380]

So we are tentatively planning on a mid-late August 2017 (something along the lines of the 16th-24th) trip. By far our biggest concern right now is the weather. My question is, how to people plan around the what sound like regular afternoon rain showers and what do you do while it raining?

We would be rope drop to lunch, afternoon break, return to park around dinner people.

Little more about us. We'll be 2 adults (possibly 4 if my parents came) and three kids, ages 2, 5, and 8. The little guy and my husband will be fine napping in the room all afternoon, but the older two (and honestly myself) would have trouble "relaxing" the entire time just in the room. We went in May 2014, when we had a 5 and 2 year old, and me and my then 5 year old spent pretty much the entire afternoon break in the pool. He had no interest in napping. So I worry that if it is raining during much of our afternoon break that we'll be bored and upset that we aren't able to use the pool/do anything outside.

We are looking at staying at Poly. Between heat, the 2 year old naps, and my husband's need to relax I think we'll almost always need the afternoon break at the hotel. We are a go every 3-4 years people.

Our alternative time we could go would be our Spring Break 2018 (Easter and the week after) or mid-July 2018. My husband thinks we are better off in the lower crowds of mid/late August despite the weather, but I am still concerned.

Any ideas (or just reassurance lol) is much appreciated. My concerns about the weather are definitely holding me back from actually booking.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We've gone both early-mid July, as well as late August, and we had more rain in the July trips than the August ones. Very anecdotal, but I certainly wouldn't pick July over August due to weather.

In terms of strategy, the daily afternoon showers usually don't last too long. While in the MK, when it starts to rain, we would go to Mickey's Philharmagic, Tiki Room, our country bear, and by the time we get out, the rain is often over.

I would pick Aug over easer week, also. There is a reason why Easter week has black out dates on their discount offers, but not August!

 

[Hockeyfan17]

We will be taking our fourth August trip this coming year, and we love that time. I would say that in our experience, it usually rains about 4-5 of our 7 days. Most of these rains are less than an hour in length and really do not disrupt our day. We are very similar, not park all day people. There are many things you can do, in that instance. If staying at the Poly, it is very easy to get on the monorail and go to GF or CR and have a look around for a while while those that want a nap can do so. As well, if there is no thunder or lightning, the pools will still be open and it can be nice swimming in the rain considering that it is very hot. We don't let the rain deter us, and apart from a couple of really long periods of rain over the past 3 trips, they have been very short lived. I love going in August, and it should not deter you.

 

[anniemae]

Last Aug, we had a lot of rain. Heavy downpours, lightning etc. Pools closed due to the lightning. We hopped over to Contemporary to wait it out one afternoon (along with tons of other people), but it never stopped. It rained all night. You have to kind of plan for the rain as it is just part of summer in FL. Hurricanes like to hit in Aug as well. Also very very hot and humid. Plan on very bad hair days!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We will be taking our fourth August trip this coming year, and we love that time. I would say that in our experience, it usually rains about 4-5 of our 7 days. Most of these rains are less than an hour in length and really do not disrupt our day. We are very similar, not park all day people. There are many things you can do, in that instance. If staying at the Poly, it is very easy to get on the monorail and go to GF or CR and have a look around for a while while those that want a nap can do so. As well, if there is no thunder or lightning, the pools will still be open and it can be nice swimming in the rain considering that it is very hot. We don't let the rain deter us, and apart from a couple of really long periods of rain over the past 3 trips, they have been very short lived. I love going in August, and it should not deter you.

This is our experience also. We RD, midday break at the pool and back to a park in the PM. We've done August twice and plan to go in August again.

If the rain lasts longer I put on a poncho and keep it moving.

 

[Accident]

I would say most of the time, rain is short and fast and no a big deal. Florida is flat so a rain storm that would take 1-2 days somewhere else in the country happens in 20-30 minutes here. There are occasions where it's a proper all day rain though. It can be impacting but it depends on if you let it be impacting. One of my best trips happened in sept/oct 2014 when it rained a lot more than usual. Every night dinner to fireworks was rain. every afternoon from lunch to mid after noon was rain. We got soaked, had to go back to the resort and change a couple times, did laundry a lot more than I wanted to and we had one of the best trips ever..

Could it happen? sure. Will it happen, you have to wait and find out but probably not.

 

[Praying Colonel]

So we are tentatively planning on a mid-late August 2017 (something along the lines of the 16th-24th) trip. By far our biggest concern right now is the weather. My question is, how to people plan around the what sound like regular afternoon rain showers and what do you do while it raining?

We would be rope drop to lunch, afternoon break, return to park around dinner people.

Little more about us. We'll be 2 adults (possibly 4 if my parents came) and three kids, ages 2, 5, and 8. The little guy and my husband will be fine napping in the room all afternoon, but the older two (and honestly myself) would have trouble "relaxing" the entire time just in the room. We went in May 2014, when we had a 5 and 2 year old, and me and my then 5 year old spent pretty much the entire afternoon break in the pool. He had no interest in napping. So I worry that if it is raining during much of our afternoon break that we'll be bored and upset that we aren't able to use the pool/do anything outside.

We are looking at staying at Poly. Between heat, the 2 year old naps, and my husband's need to relax I think we'll almost always need the afternoon break at the hotel. We are a go every 3-4 years people.

Our alternative time we could go would be our Spring Break 2018 (Easter and the week after) or mid-July 2018. My husband thinks we are better off in the lower crowds of mid/late August despite the weather, but I am still concerned.

Any ideas (or just reassurance lol) is much appreciated. My concerns about the weather are definitely holding me back from actually booking.

We're afternoon break people, too, and we find that the storm has usually passed through by the time we get to the parks. If not, we poncho up and drive on. Minor inconvenience at most.

If I were choosing between the highest part of spring break and going in the summer (July or August) with relatively lower crowds, I'd go in the summer.

 

[prprincess]

We just visited WDW end of August, and the weather was a huge concern for me. Yes, it rained everyday and sometimes it's wasn't short and quick. But we were prepared with ponchos and umbrellas. I forget what hurricane we were threatened with, so I think that our week may have been more rainy than others, so we missed out on a few things that we'd wanted to do (Jungle Book). But it honestly did not ruin our trip in any way. I've been during Spring Break, and to be honest with you, I'd prefer going back in August and dealing with the weather than dealing with Spring Break crowds!

 

[Parker Clan]

We don't find it rains all that much. We've gone every August mid-late every year and it will rain maybe an hour or so in the afternoon while we are taking a mid day break which you'll want to with the heat. I hear it rains much more in July.
I'd keep the August trip- the low crowds are definitely worth it

 

[Ava]

We went the last week of August last year, when tropical storms happened to be brewing off the coast, and it rained most afternoons. Sometimes heavy downpours with lightening that caused the pools & outdoor attractions to be closed. The only day it really affected our park plans was the day we were at AK and it started pouring around noon and didn't let up for at least an hour, so we decided to just leave. We also ran through a downpour to get to our BOG reservation another evening, but by the time we finished dinner it had stopped.

In 2014 we went in late Sept, which can be just as rainy as Aug in FL, and it only rained two days (one evening downpour and one lighter rain that didn't keep us from touring Epcot).

I'm also tentatively planning for late Aug next year, so I'd say go for it. You can never predict weather, so just be prepared for it. Do the outdoor attractions in the morning, and save indoor attractions & shows for the afternoon when it's more likely to rain. If you're concerned about your older kids being bored if they are stuck at the hotel & can't swim, plan for your husband to take the youngest back to the hotel to nap & you and older kids stay in the park and see some shows, or head over to DTD to shop or go to DisneyQuest if that's something they'd like. There's even a movie theater there if you're really in a pinch and need something to do in the rain.

I think the lower crowds & available discounts in August make it worth dealing with the weather. I wouldn't want to go the weeks surrounding Easter simply because of how crowded it is.

 

[BebopBaloo]

The rain can and will come at any point during the day. Just have ponchos for everyone (a stroller rain cover for the youngest) and go with it. Some of the best times we've had, have been in the rain when the parks cleared out a little.

 

[champ1380]

Thanks everyone, I am feeling reassured. We were so spoiled weather and crowd wise by going in early May in 2014, but now we're tied to the school schedule (my oldest son would not do well with being pulled out of school).

Our family does best with a plan, so I think I just need a list of things to do in the afternoon if it's too rainy for the pool. Suggestions like go for a ride on the monorail to the other resorts are really helpful. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

 

[gatorlisa]

Honestly, rain can be an issue in Central Florida pretty much any time of year. Summer rain tends to be short thunderstorms that pop up or roll in off the Gulf, dump their stuff and move on. Not to say you can't have an all day rain, but less common in the heat of summer. If your main concern about the weather is some of the family being bored during an afternoon break if hitting the pool is not an option, would you consider splitting up? In the case of rain during the planned break, those who want/need a nap and some quiet time can go back to the resort, those who don't really need the downtime could stay in the park. Maybe do some attractions that the young one can't do, or see some shows for some entertaining "downtime". While a few outdoor rides may be affected by inclement weather, most everything that is indoors or that is a show will still be running (the only show exception would be the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, which will do an abbreviated show if it's raining). You can then meet up after break time is done.

 

[CAS239]

The rain storms usually last about 30 min then you have a 2,000% increase of humidity.

 

[GillianP1301]

We've done late August for the last 5 years and I really like it. For the first 4 years, we had rain 2 - 3 days out of our 10 day trip that was significant (i.e. more than 5 or 10 minutes). This past year, we had rain every day for anywhere from an hour to 2 or 3 hours. In each case, we throw on a poncho and continue on, it doesn't really affect us at all. We had a bad lightning storm this past trip and in that case, we took shelter in the nearest gift shop until it passed. The rain itself is not that big of a deal because it's so hot, often times it's a welcome relief.

The bigger concern for me is always tropical storms/hurricanes and the impact on flights. I always keep a very close eye on the tropics the week leading up to my departure in case I need to make a last minute change.

 

[monorailmom]

We have been traveling in August for several years, in fact last year we had to do July and really missed August! Yes, it rains, but it hasn't ruined a trip for us yet!

Now, it's only happened a handful of times that our afternoon pool breaks were ruined by rain. (ugh it was almost every day of our days at the VGF!) BUT, there is never a bad day at Disney, right?! Here are some things we have done:

-gone shopping at the resort gift shop
-let the kids go shopping and DH and I go for a glass of wine and a chance to chat Our kids are older, but maybe the grandparents would want to take them off for a little bit?
-stay later in a park for the afternoon doing shows and things, and do pool time in the evening instead
-Visit the arcade at the Contemporary Resort

Hope that helps! Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

So we are tentatively planning on a mid-late August 2017 (something along the lines of the 16th-24th) trip. By far our biggest concern right now is the weather. My question is, how to people plan around the what sound like regular afternoon rain showers and what do you do while it raining?

We would be rope drop to lunch, afternoon break, return to park around dinner people.

Little more about us. We'll be 2 adults (possibly 4 if my parents came) and three kids, ages 2, 5, and 8. The little guy and my husband will be fine napping in the room all afternoon, but the older two (and honestly myself) would have trouble "relaxing" the entire time just in the room. We went in May 2014, when we had a 5 and 2 year old, and me and my then 5 year old spent pretty much the entire afternoon break in the pool. He had no interest in napping. So I worry that if it is raining during much of our afternoon break that we'll be bored and upset that we aren't able to use the pool/do anything outside.

We are looking at staying at Poly. Between heat, the 2 year old naps, and my husband's need to relax I think we'll almost always need the afternoon break at the hotel. We are a go every 3-4 years people.

Our alternative time we could go would be our Spring Break 2018 (Easter and the week after) or mid-July 2018. My husband thinks we are better off in the lower crowds of mid/late August despite the weather, but I am still concerned.

Any ideas (or just reassurance lol) is much appreciated. My concerns about the weather are definitely holding me back from actually booking.

we were there at about the same days this summer only had one day that rain would have caused you problems. one thing we liked about our trip was staying in a cabin at Fort Wilderness so we could have someone could sleep n bedroom while others enjoyed the living room.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

We just visited WDW end of August, and the weather was a huge concern for me. Yes, it rained everyday and sometimes it's wasn't short and quick. But we were prepared with ponchos and umbrellas. I forget what hurricane we were threatened with, so I think that our week may have been more rainy than others, so we missed out on a few things that we'd wanted to do (Jungle Book). But it honestly did not ruin our trip in any way. I've been during Spring Break, and to be honest with you, I'd prefer going back in August and dealing with the weather than dealing with Spring Break crowds!

Ditto this mostly. We were there the week in late August when the first of two storms missed Central Florida but the threat was there--we got bigger rain at the end of the trip. I know the following week the second storm brought much more rain, and this isn't the first post I've read from people there that week that it still didn't ruin their trips. Normally though, the summer rain is rarely all day, and it's easy enough to pop on a poncho, drop into a reataurant, hang out in a shop, get into a standby line, etc. Sometimes the rain comes when you're on a bus and is over by the time you get where you're going. Sometimes the rain comes while you're waiting in an inside ride queue and is over by the time you get off the ride and the only reason you know it rained is because the ground is wet. And when it rains a little longer than usual, or if it's persistently drizzly, lots of people tend to leave the parks. A drizzly day at MK can actually be an awesome day because of this.

In August, we brought travel raincoats and bought Disney ponchos. We never used the raincoats, and used the ponchos for a grand total of three minutes to make it across Tomorrowland to Carousel of Progress to ride out the rain. When people say the summer rains arrive almost on schedule, they really mean it, too. Our whole trip, except for one day, every afternoon around 2 or 3, for about half an hour, it poured. And that was that. Nothing before. Nothing after.

Your bigger concern should really be the fact that late August is hurricane season. It's rare but it happens. I'd explore WDW's hurricane cancellation policy and consider travel insurance. But I'd still go! Spring Break days at WDW (or, God forbid, Memorial Day weekend), can be like the deepest circle of hell in terms of crowds. Late August may still be as hot as a sauna on the surface of the sun, but it has lots more elbow room.

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

We also almost always go in August, because that's when we can go. If the rain hits while you're at the park just be ready with ponchos and it helps to know where the longer indoors activities are at each park. It usually works out for us somehow that it rains when we're heading to lunch and is over by the time we're done. But there are those days when it just won't stop, and then Disney Quest is our go to and that would be a good alternative if the pools are closed. Checking out other Disney hotels is also a good idea. I would definitely recommend bringing two sets of gym shoes (if that's what you wear) in case one gets soaked. Because of the humidity our soaked shoes never dried by the morning, so it was good to have a second pair of dry shoes.

 

[champ1380]

Thanks for the all the different ideas. I think that even though they aren't going to nap/hang in the room, that my 8 & 5 year old are going to need a break from the lines, crowds and heat of the parks. I know they'd like Disney Quest, hopefully it will still be open then.

Also thanks for the reminder about vacation insurance, though I am going to have to put the fact that it's hurricane season out of my mind. We were displaced for 8 months by hurricane Sandy, so a chance of a cancelled vacation can't be much worse that that ;-).