Disney in August

[crazymama]

Hi! We have only been to The World once and it was March. Weather was great but crowds were a little scary. Although, it was not too bad cause we were prepared for it and I had done a lot of planning (which was lots of fun!) I am wondering what August is like. We are looking at August 10th (ish) 2011 for about 10 days. I expect that it is pretty hot and humid but wondered what people's experiences were like at this time of year. Are the crowds still massive? Is the weather tough to take? TIA for those with any experience!

 

[coastgirl]

We went the second week of Sept last year (a month later than you’re planning) and found it very hot. (We were stretching the “Free Dining” period to its limit, it used to end in Sept.) But my dh says we East Coasters have a low melting point.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Hi! We have only been to The World once and it was March. Weather was great but crowds were a little scary. Although, it was not too bad cause we were prepared for it and I had done a lot of planning (which was lots of fun!) I am wondering what August is like. We are looking at August 10th (ish) 2011 for about 10 days. I expect that it is pretty hot and humid but wondered what people's experiences were like at this time of year. Are the crowds still massive? Is the weather tough to take? TIA for those with any experience!

Normally, the middle part of August will be hot and humid. The crowds will be huge. Can't tell you if the heat and humidity are tough to take, it depends on your family.

Be prepared. Enjoy.

 

[canadianmommyof2]

We were just at WDW this past August (14-26) and it was HOT! The crowds were not too bad, we were able to walk onto most rides or a very short wait. The last 5 days that we were there it rained everyday...but it wasn't bad, they were quick to get things up and running again after the rain and it was nice because a lot of people left when it started to rain so we walked onto most rides after the rain. We made sure to bring ponchos, they are really expensive at Disney and are a must to have if you go in Aug. While it was really hot and humid we adjusted quite quickly to the temperature, so people may not. I would say if you are going to go in Aug wait until the last two weeks of Aug because most of the kids in the US are back in school by then. We are returning to the world next Aug 19 - 28th!

 

[c&m]

We were at WDW the last week of August last year, and it was FANTASTIC!!!! Sure, it was hot and humid - didn't like the humid but didn't mind the heat. However, it really was nice to be able to go on a water ride and dry up so fast. No need for ponchos.

It was not crowded at all either. A lot of U.S. kids are back in school, and I was told that the week we arrived, the local kids just returned back to school as well. At Epcot, we travelled freely without bumping into people That entire area where Canada is - just us and a few others wandering around. At AK, very few people. My DDs were able to go on Expedition Everest about 20+ times.

The water parks were fabulous to go to as well, with the nice heat and the lack of crowds.

We'd go back in end of August again - loved the free dining offered at that time and the low crowd level.

 

[sjsjbrook]

Agreed August is HOT.

We went in August once, after schools in the south were back, and man was it hot. I witnessed the worst thunder storms I had ever seen. It did rain every afternoon, so we napped. One storm that went through we didn't realize how bad it actually was until we saw the damage on the news that evening.

My daughter found every fountain area to play in and we spent money on those fan water sprayers. (Did I mention it was hot)

I burn really easily and even with using sunscreen and re applying it I still got burnt and then was forced to wear tshirts instead of tank tops.

The parks were nice after dinner though, not too hot and not too cold.

Crowds wise wasn't too bad, evenings were the quietest. It was great swimming weather though, at times I wondered why we spent so much money when all my daughter wanted to do was swim in the pool.

 

[tink1969]

We will never go again in August. It was sooooo hot and humid and very uncomfortable. Everyone gets grumpy after a few hours. Not too mention the sweat dripping down my back...gross. And I don't sweat!

We have been for Halloween and the weather was still hot but the humidity was gone.
We have been in January....we could still wear short/T's during the day but you needed light pants/jacket for the evening.
We were there this past May and it was very hot and humid.

We have now decided that we will travel to Disney from now on between the months of October and March.

 

[dsneygirl]

We were at WDW the last week of August last year, and it was FANTASTIC!!!! Sure, it was hot and humid - didn't like the humid but didn't mind the heat. However, it really was nice to be able to go on a water ride and dry up so fast. No need for ponchos.

It was not crowded at all either. A lot of U.S. kids are back in school, and I was told that the week we arrived, the local kids just returned back to school as well. At Epcot, we travelled freely without bumping into people That entire area where Canada is - just us and a few others wandering around. At AK, very few people. My DDs were able to go on Expedition Everest about 20+ times.

The water parks were fabulous to go to as well, with the nice heat and the lack of crowds.

We'd go back in end of August again - loved the free dining offered at that time and the low crowd level.

We were there the same week and almost every ride was a walk on all week. I have no problem with the heat when the crowds are so low. Lots of pool time as well.

 

[dvcdisney]

We have gone during the last 2 weeks in August for many years now. We usually go twice a year - March and August. And I'd have to say that August has always been the lesser of the two when it comes to my preference.

As for the weather - it is hot and humid. And someone had once mentioned that they were "dripping in sweat" the MINUTE they walked out of the resort - this is SO true! And generally, we have experienced a quite a few tropical storms and rain showers that have stopped monorails between resorts or flooded the front of MK up to our shins (definitely need to make sure you have shoes/sandals that can withstand a lot of rain and water). The one great thing about rains showers is that it does cool down the weather a bit (as long as it lasts longer that an hour or so). Sadly, we were there during a Tropical Storm and it was so hot and humid, it was actually great having it rain for a bit. Everyone went home and we had the parks to ourselves for most of the day. Anyways, although it is generally hot it can be managed if you take breaks - ie pool, back to resort, longer TS meals and shopping in AC stores are great.

As for crowds - I found that the crowd is getting busier by the year. I do hate the Free Dining promotion since it brings in a larger crowd. Also, I guess a part of me is upset that I have to deal with the crowds and I don't participate in the promotion (since I'm a DVC member). But unfortunately, the promotion are always offered during the end of August. One year, I remembered going there for a week before Free dining and it was absolutely great - hot but no crowds at all. But the second week was madness. The Saturday before free dining started was very busy.

Anyways, we also go during the Spring break and although the weather is much better (at least I prefer it), the crowds are a bit more that the August crowds. So, when we go in March we tend to do a lot of parks and activities and less breaks. We are fine with this because when we go 5-6 months later in August, we do a lot of BREAKS - spend hours in the pool and indoor things at the resort. We also usually stay at BCV since it's walkable to 2 parks and easy access for going back to the resort. We have learned to tailor our vacations based on weather and crowds which makes for better vacations.

 

[derricksonb]

We went the second week of Sept last year (a month later than you’re planning) and found it very hot. (We were stretching the “Free Dining” period to its limit, it used to end in Sept.) But my dh says we East Coasters have a low melting point.

We always go to WDW the second week of Sept as that is DD and DS's birthday week, but we have also been during August. Both are hot and humid, but the crowds after Labor Day are almost non-existent which makes the heat and stupidity more bearable.

 

[ladyhawk14624]

We went in August the past two years. It is HOT like people say. We had large groups both years and didn't stay on site. We rented a house and had a private pool which was a godsend. Because we weren't staying onsite we didn't feel we could leave mid day so we braved it all day and all night! By the end of the day we were hot and exhausted. That said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat simply because the timing works for the rest of the family. We're from Western NY so we are quite used to humidity but it's way more than even we're used to. Take every chance to sit in some air conditioning. Make sure you get the water bottles with fans. Drink plenty of water and you should be fine. Our son-in-law had a camel backpack which he filled with ice and water each morning. By mid morning it was warm and the ice was completely melted! Oh and bring rain ponchos.

 

[amw]

Free Dining is available after AUgust 19th for 2011 ... you may want to push your dates back a little.

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

The thing about Florida for Canucks..you can look at temperatures and humidexes and say "okay, I've seen a 40-45 degree humidex day before, I can handle that." Two things, though: you probably weren't (voluntarily) outside for long in that kind of weather--I've noticed that most people who claim to love heat have air conditioned houses and cars, for some odd reason--and the Orlando sun hits you like an anvil. The heat is mitigated--somewhat--by the indoor lines and the copious shade in most of the parks, not to mention the wind tunnel under the EPCOT dome. But it's hot: hotter than mere numbers can suggest.

 

[YukiPhnx]

I just came from a trip during Aug 17-24th. It was hot and humid for sures, but it's not like being in a sauna. Like someone said before, you adjust to the heat and the humidity is not sweltering to the point where you can't breathe.

Also, Disney has a gajillion places for you to get shade and cool off. In fact, AK is probably the most shaded park of the 4. Sitting around the lagoon at Epcot brings in a nice breeze.

The crowds are pretty minimal. MK is always swamped, so you can't expect much there except to go during eve EMH when the park is practically EMPTY.

I've gone twice during Aug and will be doing it again soon. The discounts more than make up for the heat.

If your children get REALLY uncomfortable about the humidity, then you may want to rethink it.

You just have to make sure to drink lots of water and bring your own ponchos for the rain.

 

[SplashMom]

We've gone twice in August and although it is hot and humid, we didn't mind too much. This past August wasn't as bad as the last time we were there in August. As long as you realize that you can't do as much and relax more, it is fine. We have gone in March as well and it is definitely more comfortable. However, if August was the only time I could go, I would certainly go!! We swam late at night when there were few people in the pools and it was beautiful--quiet, warm, and relaxing before bed!

 

[crazymama]

Thank you for all the great input!! Now I feel I have a grip on what we would be dealing with. I think we could do it with lots of breaks and water to drink!

 

[Cdn Gal]

We went this past Aug for 10 days. It was hot- but coming from Ontario you are already acclimatized to the heat. We were able to walk onto all of the rides and were done the parks by 11-12 every day. Went back to the hotel, had a swim, went shopping (b/c every after noon no matter what it will rain) had dinner and went back into the parks. It was great. I would definetly go again!

 

[tillytinkerbell]

We were at WDW Aug.19-30 this year. We had only ever gone in the spring, usually May. We survived the monsoon of May 2009...10 straight days of HEAVY rainfall. We figured we could handle it and wanted to take advantage of free dining. Plus DS, then 14, did not want to miss school in the spring.
It was definitely hot and humid, but we would go again, in August, in a heartbeat. We wore mostly 'dri-fit' type shorts, tanks and t's. Take ponchos and drink LOTS of WATER (not soft drinks), as others have already mentioned. DH and DS usually burn like crazy, no matter how much sunscreen we use. This was the first year they did not burn at all. We had a fair amount of cloudy days, a few rainy periods and next to no crowds. Restaurants were definitely busy, but the parks were not.

We live in Nova Scotia and brought the heat and humidity home with us for the last few days before school started here. Difference was, home is not nearly as fun, or air-conditoned, as WDW.

Enjoy!

 

[dsneygirl]

I wanted to add the heat is all relative. We were at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in July and it was 110. So 92 in WDW was refreshing.

 

[PrincessMom4]

We usually go most August's anyways and when we can in March. It is hot and humid. Bring lots to drink with you or something to refill like a mug. Wear sunscreen and you'll be fine.