Disney in July

[daystar]

Hi,
Does anyone know what the parks are like[crowd and weather] in the first two weeks of July???

 

[brerrabbit]

Hot, and usually crowded. Being from the Texas Gulf Coast the heat does'nt bother us to much when we have gone at that time but we have noticed lots of people complaining. It seems if you are from cooler climates it really effects you more. The real killer is the humidity. Again being from the Texas Gulf Coast we are used to it. Drink lots of water, invest in the mister fans and take your time and enjoy a lot of the out of the way, cooler attractiions during the heat of the day. Epcots World Showcase is a great way to spend the afternoons when its the worst. We walk from country to country explore the shops and the movies and attractions. Not the same as the thrill rides but comfortable anyway. Also the waterparks fill up early so if you plan a day at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon get there early and stake out some chairs as these parks will close the gates to anymore people by 11:00 am on a lot of days. Take advantage of the E-Ticket night if they offer one during your stay. Ride the best rides several times during the cooler night. Dress cool and try to minimize the amount of things you carry. Limit it to a fanny pack if possible and if you have younger ones think about mid afternoon breaks to go back to the hotel for rest and maybe a nap. Good Luck and have fun!

 

[debkorb1]

Very hot and very crowded. However, with planning you can avoid the queues and heat! I got back from Disney two weeks ago and on my trip I didn't stand in line longer than 15 minutes (often less).

They key is to get to the parks before opening, leave about midday and return around 5.

 

[dzneelvr]

Our usual vacation time!!
It's hot, humid, and there is a downpour about every day. But we plan our time to sleep late, breakfast by the pool at our resort, swim or sun a bit, get to the Parks by noon with a PS at our favorite spot for late lunch. Use fastpasses exclusively until about 8pm when the attractions open up and then do most anything we want until the parks close.
Granted our kids are teenagers and this type of flip/flop schedule suits them best, but we have a WONDERFUL time.

Just don't worry about the makeup, the hair, etc. during July--it's not conducive to that but I look forward to my "vacation" look--sunglasses and a visor plus lipstick. A far cry from my everyday work look.

 

[murph103]

We were there July 5-12 this year. It was really crowded the first couple of days, but after that, it seemed like the crowds diminished a lot. Perhaps the people there for the 4th left. It was VERY hot, but we always had water bottles with us, we ducked into the shops or the air conditioned attractions. We always left the parks after lunch and went back to our hotel for a swim and to relax before dinner. We took advantage of the EMH a couple of times and that worked well for us at Animal Kingdom and MGM. It only rained on us 3 times; we just kept the rain gear in DD's backpack.

Take your time, take a break in the afternoon and be sure to drink water. We had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back in a couple of years.

 

[swilphil]

We were there July 10-15th, and it was HOT and muggy. We have humidity in the midwest, but it's not the tropics. We had good luck going to the parks at opening and EMH at MK, returning to our room before noon for a break and swim, and then heading out back to the parks in the evening. By going our early in the morning, you beat the crowds and it's the coolest time of the day. We also tried to alternate outdoor and indoor attractions.

If you avoid the days before and after the 4th, you will miss the worst crowds. Also don't avoid the rain showers. That's when the parks are the least crowded and the rain really cools things off.

 

[jimmalru80]

Just returned from a 7/21 to 7/28 trip. It was hot, but not any hotter than our previous 6 trips, all in late June/early July. In the entire week, it rained on two days and for a total time of about 6 hours. We thought the weather was OK. Crowds were quite manageable; the longest we had to wait was 15 minutes. We do plan, use FP, take advantage of EMH, take a mid-day break, and adjust our plans as necessary. We had some GREAT meals, and the time together as a family was priceless. And we will back next June/July for more WDW magic.

 

[daystar]

Hi,
My family went to WDW for the first time at Christmas of last year....The weather was perfect and the crowds i really don't think they were bad, even though some people told me that Christmas is one of the worse time to go because of the crowds....Our family is traveling with another family and we all have small children from ages 2,6,7 and my oldest is going to be thirteen when we go...I just worry about the kids if they will be able to handle the heat...As a small child i remember getting heat stroke all the time when it was to hot...I really don't want these children to go through that...

The only time that our husband's get time off from work is either the first two weeks of July or two weeks off during Christmas...So really it's not a big choice on dates...It's just Christmas next year is so far away....I guess i'm going to look at going at Christmas again....Thanks for all your replies.........

 

[barb3779]

We were there july 8-16th, were at each park before opening and stayed until around 1:30 - went back to hotel for afternoon and then back to parks around 6. Walked on/or had a few minutes wait (at the most ) for virtually everything, only waited close to 10 min for 3 rides during the whole trip. At the times of day we were doing attractions crowds didn't seem huge, but I don't know whether it was that the crowd size was good for summer or just that by doing good planning (we used TGM's plans with some UG input too) we were staying ahead of the crowds. This was the best trip we've ever had: I would definitely go that week right after the 4th again!

 

[cooldisneymom]

Just back last week spent 7/19 - 7/23 had a wonderful time. Crowds were very manageable, weather was hot, but not unbearable. I was pleasantly suprised at how well it went. We're used to going off season.

 

[fac]

We were in WDW from 07/01 to 07/09. I decided I won't returned in July. Next year, I probably will try Spring Break or end of Aug. DH always plans to retire in FL, I also told him it won't be in my plan.

With the exception of 07/04, it was not too crowded. But then it is relative, I had been to WDW only twice in 2 years. However, it was HOT and it rained everyday. Our girls are ages 5 and 3, we had non-park days, but I didn't want to go out at around 10:00 am, because it was so hot.

We stayed on-site and went into the park during opening hours and sometimes took EMH, given it rained at around 3:00 pm till 6:00 pm, therefore we stayed in the park until 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. We only went back to the park in the evening for dinner and firework. We drank plenty of water. But I really do not like the heat and the rain.

 

[n2mm]

We just returned from our LAST july trip. Yes, that was it for us. No more Julys. We go every spring and fall (empty nesters), but had been taking our grandson in the summer. We decided this trip that it just wasn't worth it. We will continue to take him during off times, maybe long weekends and his mom will take him out of school (as we did with her). We have a trip planned for October this year and probably September next year (that includes him). It was just too plain hot and crowded. People (and CMs) are just not happy with the heat and crowds. Long, long waits for rides, fast passes being distributed by noon for the entire day (esp. EPCOT), lots of tour groups (I mean LOTS). Too hot for animals at AK, too hot to sit and wait for parades. Though we made all of our PSs, we never had a problem eating where we wanted. Though at Chef Mickey's during checkin, the CM mentioned that they were taking NO WALKin (something they often do at openning). Some resorts were at capacity and Disney has said that because of Pop Century, attendance is at an all time high (post 911). I booked my next year trips (January for 1 weeks, and the first 2 weeks of May). Will probably do a family trip for a week mid-September, and again, just hubby and I for 10 days in late October. That is the norm for us.

 

[Cinderella37]

We go every year in July and love it. We took a another trip last year in December and even though we had a wonderful time and loved the Christmas festivities, it's just not the same as in July. We take our time and use Fastpass and E-Ride Nights and have a wonderful time. The hours are later, there're fireworks and parades every night - it is crowded, but with a plan and a mid-day rest (and some time away from the parks) you'll be able to see everything you want to see. It is very hot and humid (my hair is in a perpetual ponytail for 11 days) but there's so much air conditioning, that you'll have many opportunities to cool off.

 

[sjh801]

Originally posted by Cinderella37
We go every year in July and love it. We took a another trip last year in December and even though we had a wonderful time and loved the Christmas festivities, it's just not the same as in July. We take our time and use Fastpass and E-Ride Nights and have a wonderful time. The hours are later, there're fireworks and parades every night - it is crowded, but with a plan and a mid-day rest (and some time away from the parks) you'll be able to see everything you want to see. It is very hot and humid (my hair is in a perpetual ponytail for 11 days) but there's so much air conditioning, that you'll have many opportunities to cool off.

July is my favorite time, too! Most of my trips have been during the first 2 weeks of July. Eveything that Cinderella37 says is true. July can be the absolute best time.

 

[yasuern]

We were there July2-9,2004 and honestly it was HOT!! and HUMID!! but the crowds weren't as bad as I thought they would be. Utilize fastpass! Do E-ride nights at MK and REST!! don't push yourself from opening til closing break mid day or go to the parks later - we went daily around 4-6pm after wonderful days at the pool(and 1 day at Typhoon lagoon) I never thought we would see everthing so just enjoyed what we did do and see!


July is doable!

ENJOY
Sue

PS

DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!