August WDW Trip Advice?

[MillauFr]

You can get some of the lowest prices of the year on hotels during the end of August. Last August we stayed at the Poly for $189 per night and the Wilderness Lodge was $169 per night.

 

[maryj11]

It will be our first time in August also. We are going in the middle of August. I'm not looking forward to the heat

 

[JRennie]

You can get some of the lowest prices of the year on hotels during the end of August. Last August we stayed at the Poly for $189 per night and the Wilderness Lodge was $169 per night.

What??? That's craziness to me!! That's cheaper than renting those resorts with DVC points. Was that booking directly through disney?

 

[DizDaD7]

One last thing.....If there's a day during your trip that the weather will be a few degrees cooler... Maybe from 95* to high 80's, Then I would suggest using that day for AK, for that park always seems to be the hottest no matter what...It'll be even more brutal when its really hot there....Lots of water n shows needed here...

 

[JRennie]

One last thing.....If there's a day during your trip that the weather will be a few degrees cooler... Maybe from 95* to high 80's, Then I would suggest using that day for AK, for that park always seems to be the hottest no matter what...It'll be even more brutal when its really hot there....Lots of water n shows needed here...

I agree! That is excellent advice. I think it is maybe because there's not a lot of shade and not as many air conditioned places to pop in and out of.

 

[Rosebud123]

What??? That's craziness to me!! That's cheaper than renting those resorts with DVC points. Was that booking directly through disney?

That's why we choose end of Aug/early Sept. this year. $190 night at YC and $210 at Poly, plus discounted park tickets. It's "magical!"

 

[JRennie]

That's why we choose end of Aug/early Sept. this year. $190 night at YC and $210 at Poly, plus discounted park tickets. It's "magical!"

That's just nuts! I looked online and I couldn't find rooms that cheap for this August, but I guess maybe because thats not very far away and all the cheapest rooms at deludes are likely reserved already. We are going in 2016, not this year, so I will have to keep my eyes peeled for next year! I'm planning a bit far ahead because of our dollar tanking (I'm Canadian), so our trip is going to cost waaaayyyyy more than it has in the past.

 

[maryj11]

That's just nuts! I looked online and I couldn't find rooms that cheap for this August, but I guess maybe because thats not very far away and all the cheapest rooms at deludes are likely reserved already. We are going in 2016, not this year, so I will have to keep my eyes peeled for next year! I'm planning a bit far ahead because of our dollar tanking (I'm Canadian), so our trip is going to cost waaaayyyyy more than it has in the past.

There is a deal you can get for the deluxe resorts that makes it cheaper, it was from August 16th to September something this year. I don't think they let you post it on here ? It is a travel company and we got the Grand Floridian for 291.00 a night including tax.

 

[MissDisneyDora]

I second the recommendation of frogg toggs. We go every August and the frogg togg cooling towels are a necessity for us

This is a fantastic tip. I'll be doing a wee trip in August as well so will definitely look into getting these before we head down.

x
Dora

 

[MillauFr]

That's why we choose end of Aug/early Sept. this year. $190 night at YC and $210 at Poly, plus discounted park tickets. It's "magical!"

The magical travel agent offers great deals.

 

[Kandiwilde]

We go every year in August, yes its hot but its not as crowded and theres no tour groups, plus you get to hang out with all us Brits on our summer holidays. Stay hydrated and eat lots of ice cream.

 

[darrengs]

Another group here that goes the last week of August. It just worked out well with two school aged kids, summer camps and discounts. It is hot and humid, but it as hot and humid here in NJ at that time as well. The difference is that I cannot get my family out early no matter how hard I try, so we go against conventional wisdom and start late morning/early lunchtime and just go until night time. We just take our time, stay hydrated and take advantage of the AC. Another perk that we have enjoyed and the reason we are going again this August, is Free Dining Bounceback.

 

[GillianP1301]

We do the week leading up to Labour Day, which for the last 3 years we've gone has been the end of August, this year it's actually early September. The 2 weeks leading up to Labour Day are when the crowds take a steady decline with a little peaking up again over Labour Day weekend before dropping off again after. So, crowd wise, your last week of August is pretty good. You should expect moderate crowds, very manageable. It is hot, no doubt. But personally, I love that. I know without a doubt that I am packing only shorts, I don't have to worry about carrying around a sweater for cooler mornings or evenings it's just hot all the time. There are so many opportunities in WDW to get breaks from the heat (restaurants, shops, indoor attractions), so it's not like you're out in the exposed sun/heat for 12 hours straight.

The only real negative for that time of year is you are in the height of hurricane season so you do need to keep an eye on hurricane trackers in the week or so leading up to your trip in case you need to make any adjustments to travel arrangements. We've done 3 years end August and one of those trips we were flying out when a hurricane was hitting the keys and flights were being cancelled while we waited in the airport. Fortunately, they only had to cancel southern Florida flights and we were able to get in as planned, but it was a good example of why staying on top of that would be important.

 

[jakeybake]

We visit the last week of August each year. We started going at that time because it seems to be the only time of the year where our kids don't have some kind of sport going on, plus the crowds are very light given what others have said about the southern students being back in school. We are from Boston and it seems like everyone we see is from Mass, NY, NJ, Philly or England. We always stay at the Beach Club and we see the same families each year, which is nice. Regarding the heat, the summer's up here in Boston are very hot and humid so for us, by the time we head down we are already used to very hot temperatures. In the past I have found the heat to be much less bearable when you go from the cold Northeast to a very warm Florida. August feels the same as Boston, just with some afternoon showers thrown in.

Any WDW trip, regardless of the time of year you go, is better than staying at home so just relax and enjoy the ride!!!

Jay

 

[Dynamite626]

2 years ago we went the 3rd week in August. It was hot and crowded but still better than our trip in July. Never again in July! This trip we had to plan for the first week in August to accommodate SIL. Now that plans are made and vacation days taken off, he decides not to go. Your week should be good. Take breaks, drink a lot of free ice water and enjoy your trip. PS I love the rain storms. Clears the parks out.

 

[mmfox316]

Yup its hot. I tend not to be bothered by the heat so I am ok with it. Just make sure you stop atleast every other hour at a quick service resturante and ask for a free cup of water. Get a cooling towel. My is a frog tog or something like that and it actually does help or just buy some cheap wash cloths and zip top quart size bags. Just wet it and put it in the bag and then in the fridge the night before. It cools you. Then just rewet at the park. It works. But just plan. Get to the park early and then go park to the hotel pool and then back to the park at night. Or plan shows during the 1-4 time period. At 4 it rains so that should cool you too. Oh yeah....it will rain.

 

[maryj11]

So what time of day does everyone think the rain and storms come in? I have read a few different times.

 

[WiscMomof2]

So what time of day does everyone think the rain and storms come in? I have read a few different times.

I'm sure it varies, but both times I've been there in August it's rained mid-afternoon (not every day, but a few times). It's a perfect time for an afternoon siesta from the parks.

 

[biondagirl]

In 2013, we went from August 9 until the 18th. It rained a few days. Sometimes for a few hours. Those were the days we didn't pack the ponchos. The parks CLEARED out and we could do a lot of rides. It was extremely hot. Which I like, but my husband and my ILs did not. It was a pretty crowded that week, too. I saw no tour groups. We had a FABULOUS time. We stayed longer than usual and it helped us not feel so stressed.

We are going this August from the 21st until the 29th. I hear the crowds should be less this week and I'm hoping that is true. I would LOVE to go the week you are, but our kids will be starting school on September 2nd.

It will be hot, but I find it manageable. The afternoons are the worse, so if you can go back to the resort, that would be beneficial. We never did, but we tried to find some air conditioned areas. You know, like Ellen's Energy Adventure for a nice 45 minute cool down.

You will have a great time!

 

[Jack Frost]

We used to always go in August. I can tell you that at times it's very hot. A bus ride turns out to be a wonderful thing sometimes, thanks to the air. Though, you could always just take a break in one of the stores, etc. Lines can be a bit much, at least from my own experience but nothing I couldn't handle. Toy Story Midway Mania was insanely long, however. Granted this was back in 2011. The best advice I could give is to stay cool, plenty of water throughout the day to help with the heat. I've always found Epcot to be the warmest, but that may just be me. If you can, maybe try getting to the parks early to somewhat help with the crowds. We're going in July this year, which should be interesting. I expect larger crowds but we'll keep our fingers crossed. Good luck.