Be Honest: Heat & Crowds In July?

[MichiganMomto4]

How bad is this going to be?

I would normally never go to in July but my dd and I will be there for a dance competition (in Universal but we are spending all the rest of our time in WDW) so I have no choice on the dates: July 8-11. I am really concerned about heat and crowds since my all time favorite week is the one after Thanksgiving when the weather is perfect and the crowds are almost non-existent.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We love it in July. Go early, come back to your resort for a swim/nap break and go back later in the evening. Everythings open late in July.

 

[PamNC]

because I love warm, even hot, weather. We went last year 7/6 - 7/13. The crowds were quite manageable - I would call them "moderate" with the exception of MK on the weekend, particularly Saturday. It was in the low 90's most days. Not bad - but again, I like it that way. We also went during Thanksgiving and I'm so different from you in that I thought it was too cold. I like it to be nice and warm, so much so that I spend a lot of time in the pool.

PamNC

 

[westjones]

One of my DDs has asthma, and she had a hard time in the afternoon with the humidity and heat. We went back to the room. The rest of us probably would have stuck it out if she had been alright, but it was uncomfortable. The mornings and evenings are fine.

It did seem to rain for a little while almost every day, but it didn't last long.
DJ

 

[antmaril]

I won't lie to you - it is brutally hot and humid in July. You can still have a good time, but you have to be ready for it. Go to the parks early, have a nice air-conditioned lunch, go back to the hotel for a nap or a swim and then back to the parks in the evening. It will rain almost every day in the afternoon - not a big deal, but bring ponchos (dollar store variety).

 

[antmaril]

It is brutally hot and humid in July. You can still have a good time, but you have to be ready for it. Go to the parks early, have a nice air-conditioned lunch, go back to the hotel for a nap or a swim and then back to the parks in the evening. It will rain almost every day in the afternoon - not a big deal, but bring ponchos (dollar store variety).

 

[westjones]

Here are the tips that helped us with our July trip last year:

1. Buy a battery operated spray/fan bottle and take with you (they are VERY expensive in the park, Walmart sells these).

2. Go to the Dollar Store and buy rain ponchos and carry them every day, even if the sun is shining that morning (it can change by afternoon).

3. Remember that you can get FREE Ice Water (not bottled water) at the counter service places, just ask (my DD did this a lot).

4. The parks are open late, so you can still get good use out of your tickets if you take off in the middle of the day. Go somewhere air conditioned (back the room maybe) and take a break after lunch and until about 4:00 or so.

These are the tips that helped us last year and I met a family on the monorail that looked frazzled! I told them my tips and the Mom looked at me like I was a Saint! She never thought of these things.

Good Luck! Have fun!
DJ

 

[MichiganMomto4]

Great tips, DJ - thanks! I think especially the one about the ice water. I dread having to carry water bottles around so we'll just stop at counter service and grab some water when we're thirsty.

I do hate to think about going back to the resort mid-day only because we'll have ONE day in the parks and really wanted to commando the day. But maybe because of the late hours and hopefully a EMH somewhere, we'll be able to still have a lot of park time.

 

[kandeebunny]

As a heads up in July and August there are a LOT of south American tour groups as it is there winter, and they are not always the more polite variety of tourist. THey are the ones who have 2 people in line then a group of like 10 come running up "scuze me with them" (sorry super pet peeve i hate people that cut in lines) so it can be moderatly crowded.

We go every July/August though we buy the mister fans from wal-mart and ponchos before we go because you WILL need them. Wear flip flops or bring an extra pair of socks because your feet/shoes will get wet.

 

[westjones]

Great tips, DJ - thanks! I think especially the one about the ice water. I dread having to carry water bottles around so we'll just stop at counter service and grab some water when we're thirsty.

I do hate to think about going back to the resort mid-day only because we'll have ONE day in the parks and really wanted to commando the day. But maybe because of the late hours and hopefully a EMH somewhere, we'll be able to still have a lot of park time.

If you 'must' stay in the park during the afternoon, Epcot has a lot of indoor places to hang out for awhile. There are some good sit down restaurants there also that will give you some Air Conditioned time, so if you don't want to give up park time, consider going to Epcot for the afternoon and just taking it easy for that time. Innovations is fun to hang out in for awhile in Future World. And so is the Coca Cola Ice Station. If "The Land" opens back up by then (I think it will), there is a nice food court there and you can rest up there and get something to drink (or eat if you are hungry).
DJ

 

[rmontgo892]

How bad is this going to be?

I would normally never go to in July but my dd and I will be there for a dance competition (in Universal but we are spending all the rest of our time in WDW) so I have no choice on the dates: July 8-11. I am really concerned about heat and crowds since my all time favorite week is the one after Thanksgiving when the weather is perfect and the crowds are almost non-existent.

It's all relative to a certain degree. I am from NJ and I consider WDW in July HOT, HUMID, and HOT and HUMID. Did I mention HOT????

Having said that, we do go during the summer. This July in fact. We are also going this coming Thanksgiving. I prefer Oct, Nov, and Dec in WDW! My fav times. We added the summer a few years back to our WDW plans because we get to squeeze another trip in... Our DS is in school.

Temps can vary from year to year anywhere. Personally, I found WDW hot and humid in June, July, Aug, and beginning of Sept. and May! I also found it HOT at night in the parks with the humidity and waiting for a bus/boat/monorail in the AM! Phew...

We all still have an awesome time, though! We have a sense of humor and use the heat as part of the experience!

As others posted, bring the ponchos, sunblock, any gadget that convinces you that your *cooler* like misters and stay hydrated!!! It's amazing how any airconditioned attraction gets the thumbs up from us when it's HOT!

As far as crowds go, when isn't it crowded anymore in WDW especially the MK! The heat and crowds can get you cranky if ya let it but hey...your in WDW!!!

Have a magical vacation!

 

[puffkin]

We have been twice in July and twice in June and once in early December.

Yes it is HOT and HUMID, but with the exception of holidays and weekends in the MK, it is quite manageable. We always get there early, stay late, and take an afternoon break (kind of my rhyming mantra).

I actually kind of missed the heat, long hours and even the crowds when we went in December. We really had to adjust our normal way of touring.

 

[kandeebunny]

OH I forgot to add this is the ONE time you really want to make sure you are up for park opening at AK as it is always about 10 degrees hotter in AK than in any other park

 

[John Dobbertin]

At the time you're going to be at WDW it will be: 92-degrees, 82% humidity, better than 50% chance of rain every day, among the very busiest days of the year at WDW (slightly less than Christmas week). Other than that, everything should be perfect!

 

[drusba]

Being honest:

1. Your dates are at the tail end of the July 4 crowd and thus the first day will be even more crowded than just the very large summer crowd.

2. How big is that summer crowd? Think about your nice time in December. Now multiply everything by 3: crowd size, time it takes to walk from one side of the park to another, time to actually get out of a park when leaving at park closing, time you have to wait in line at MK for a bus you can take when you leave right after the fireworks, time waiting in line at a counter service restaurant, time beforehand you have to show up for a parade to get a good spot, time beforehand you have to show up for Fantasmic to even get in, the length of the usual mid-day line at Space Mountain or Test Track.

3. Heat: you sweat standing still outside at midnight. Biggest problem is not daytime heat (mid-90's) but fact that you get no relief at night. As you are from Michigan, think of the hottest, most humid day you ever had in Mich and you are outside in it at noon; that is midnight at MK in July. You can easily spend $60 a day on a family just buying cold water or pop. It also rains quite a bit with afternoon and evening showers. AK has special problem in summer. They built that wonderful park with lots of trees and flora running along the rather narrow walkways that are themselves in the sun; impact: oven effect, you get no breeze because it is blocked by the trees and flora, but you are walking in the sun where surface temperature on a 95 degree day is about 115.

If you go, hit parks very early and after 4; times in between are brutal.

 

[missypie]

Great tips, DJ - thanks! I think especially the one about the ice water. I dread having to carry water bottles around so we'll just stop at counter service and grab some water when we're thirsty.

I do hate to think about going back to the resort mid-day only because we'll have ONE day in the parks and really wanted to commando the day. But maybe because of the late hours and hopefully a EMH somewhere, we'll be able to still have a lot of park time.

With only one day in the parks, I'd still commando. BUT make a PS for lunch (or even lunch AND dinner) and don't rush through the meal(s). Soak up that AC and recharge. Keep a list (mental or written) of the sit down shows (Mr. Lincoln, etc.), where you can sit down in the air conditioning for a while. If you are hot and tired and the line isn't too long, ride the monorail around the resort loop...you can look out the window at the resorts...or catch a few minutes with your eyes shut.