End of August trip thoughts ..

[tlmadden73]

I was hoping to take my family (wife, me, 2 year old (turning 3 at the end of August)) on a short trip (2-3 park days) to WDW sometime this year (to take advantage of the fact that my son will still be free and we are within a days drive of Orlando).

I had two thoughts:
End of February - (Feb 27th and beyond)
End of August (August 27th and beyond)

February has the advantage of being a lot cooler, but with it being so soon, getting Fast Passes and reservations I would prefer seem to be a struggle.

I am leaning towards August because:
1) My son will turn 3 during the trip - fun way to spend birthday.
2) More time to plan (Fast Pass, dinner reservations, etc.)
3) Resort hotels seem cheaper

My wife is concerned about the heat and humidity .. so just asking some advice here.
We are from coastal North Carolina, so summer heat/humidity isn't strange to us (just not walking around in it all day).

So my questions:
- Would you recommend an end of August trip or stick with end of this month?
- How are the crowds?
- How bad is the heat?
- If my son turns 3 during the trip, will I be required to buy him a ticket for those days he is three?

Thank you ...

 

[MakiraMarlena]

In August it will be much less crowded and much more hot/humid.

If the child turns 3 during the trip he is considered 3 for the entire trip.

 

[sharadoc]

In August it will be much less crowded and much more hot/humid.

If the child turns 3 during the trip he is considered 3 for the entire trip.

I believe it's the opposite - he will still be "under 3" as long as he is at chieck-in.

 

[JennyDrake]

It will be less crowded in August, but I don't know how "much less". The heat and humidity will be brutal. I'm from the South and I live in a home w/o a/c and teh August FL heat can kick my butt.

 

[ArwenMarie]

The heat is bad, really bad. Even if you come from somewhere hot, there is a difference between just living in it and walking around in it all day. It also storms basically every day, with lightning, so you end up losing time many days. It can still be fun! But definitely go into it with the right expectations about the weather because it is brutal.

 

[brockash]

I believe it's the opposite - he will still be "under 3" as long as he is at chieck-in.

You're correct. The child will be considered whatever age he/she is at checkin. So, in OPs case, he will not need to buy his turning 3 year old a tix.

 

[tlmadden73]

It will be less crowded in August, but I don't know how "much less". The heat and humidity will be brutal. I'm from the South and I live in a home w/o a/c and teh August FL heat can kick my butt.

Thanks for responses thus far.

We went in early (first few days) October 2014 and were sorta shocked how crowded it was then (AK and MK) .. so just looking for a less busy time to go before he turns 3.

I was wondering about how less crowded it would be.. but crowd calendars show it as one of the least busiest times of the year .. I assume because most schools will be starting (or have started already) by that last week of August. And I figured it wouldn't be as busy as Labor Day weekend (a week later) (besides my son would be 3 then and defeat the main point of going because he is free still).

As for the heat and humidity .. ya .. being out in it all day can be draining .. but since we will be with a 2-3 year old that probably will still need an afternoon nap .. taking a break in the hottest part of day (or if it rains) ... should work out. And we should be able to prepare for it ... water .. hats ...globs of sunscreen.

I can tolerate heat and humidity personally .. (and know how to work around it at theme parks (go on water rides, go see air-conditioned shows during the mid-day)I just don't want a miserable wife and child and wreck their fun time.

Thus my reasons about the crowds ..less crowds=shorter lines ..shorter lines=less time standing in the heat .. less time standing in heat=happy family.

 

[anniemae]

The heat is beyond brutal, be very careful and drink a ton of water, we saw someone faint in Aug. We went this past Aug and it was pretty crowded, more than I though it would be. I think it will be very crowded this year since labor day is so late. Many schools up north and in the mid west start after LD, which is Sept 7th or 8th this year, so families get in a trip at the end of Aug and first week of Sept. If you can swing it, I would go after labor day when everyone is back in school. From what I hear, the parks empty out right after labor day.

 

[tlmadden73]

I think it will be very crowded this year since labor day is so late. Many schools up north and in the mid west start after LD, which is Sept 7th or 8th this year, so families get in a trip at the end of Aug and first week of Sept. If you can swing it, I would go after labor day when everyone is back in school. From what I hear, the parks empty out right after labor day.

Good point on the late Labor Day and something to consider .. but going in September sorta defeats the purpose of a "free" trip for the toddler. I don't go before his birthday, I'll just wait until he is older and can maybe do a longer trip with his cousins.

 

[Hootch]

The parks have pretty long hours at the time of year especially with a three year old. You could rope drop and stay for 3-4 hours, break and return later. Crowds should be fairly low at that time

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We went this past August. It wasn't as humid as I expected it to be, but it was so much hotter than I ever imagined a place with human inhabitants could be. LOL. It was tolerable as long as you can find shade. Pool breaks were a must. We'd go to the parks from RD to about lunch time, and then leave until dinner time/after dinner. We did have a late lunch at MK and then got stuck by FOF in the sun and we literally wanted to die. My son napped that day for the first time since before he turned 2!

I loved the crowds. Prior to the August trip, we'd been primarily in October and once in June. The crowds were the lowest I'd ever experienced. It made me want to return in August, but I have been vetoed by the family due to the heat.

 

[Hockeyfan17]

Our trips are always at the end of August, and we have really enjoyed going then. It certainly is hot and humid, but I would not call it unbearable. You do get breaks whe you go inside, we will go for a swim in the afternoon and we do just ensure we drink a lot of water. We are going again this August and are really looking forward to it.

 

[mcd2745]

We went this past August. It wasn't as humid as I expected it to be, but it was so much hotter than I ever imagined a place with human inhabitants could be. LOL. It was tolerable as long as you can find shade. Pool breaks were a must. We'd go to the parks from RD to about lunch time, and then leave until dinner time/after dinner. We did have a late lunch at MK and then got stuck by FOF in the sun and we literally wanted to die. My son napped that day for the first time since before he turned 2!

I loved the crowds. Prior to the August trip, we'd been primarily in October and once in June. The crowds were the lowest I'd ever experienced. It made me want to return in August, but I have been vetoed by the family due to the heat.

We've gone multiple times at the end of August and are going again this year. Last year, we did a cruise but spent a day at Universal prior to the crusie. That day at US was hotter than any other day we can remember down there. It's normally hot in August of course, but last year was abnormally hotter than usual. Bottom line, if you tour intelligently - try to alternate indoor and outdoor attractions if possible, drink plenty of water, etc. - you will be fine and can take advantage of the lesser crowds.

 

[chamonix]

I would prefer August. Yes, it's hot, but it will be nearly the same as you are used to anyway. You can swim in August, do the water rides, parks are open later, etc.

February weather is much more hit and miss, it could be quite chilly, especially at night. We much prefer going in summer.

 

[ariane37]

We did our first August (summer) trip last year, Aug. 25th-Sept. 2nd. We're from NY and I HATE HATE HATE the heat, I go out of my way to avoid being out in it so was extremely concerned about my enjoyment factor. Planned midday TS meals and didn't plan to stay in the parks all day like we usually do. So it WAS hot and nastily humid, don't get me wrong, and we were soaked with sweat most days before even getting on the bus lol. However it was nothing I couldn't handle, and I'm very very serious when I say I HATE being out in the heat, hate sweating or being hot, etc. My a/c is literally on from April through Oct. I ended up having a very good time in spite of the heat
Crowds also were awesome. Even Labor Day weekend/day wasn't bad. We also went last Feb. and while the crowds were nice we were there during a cold spell and absolutely froze after about 6:00 every night. I do prefer being cold to being hot, but in Disney it just seems wrong to be freezing!!

 

[Tomh]

We've been many times in the end of August. It is HOT, but, it is manageable. I don't think you will find it unbearable. The crowds towards the end of the month tend to be a bit more manageable. I think the end of August is a good choice.

Your little one will be be treated like they are the same age as they are on check in day for the length of the trip, so 2 at check in means two for the entire trip.

 

[EvilQueenLiz]

I've also gone often at the end of August. After the third week the crowds subside a lot. Normally August is hot and it rains every afternoon, it's manageable as long as you're prepared for it but this past summer we had a few days that were beyond brutal. The heat index was 115 for about three straight days. As you can imagine, we spent our afternoons in the pool or napping in our room!

 

[tlmadden73]

Thanks for all that advice .. I think we will give it a shot!

Question ... do I book a stay now or does end of August sometimes have any special offers/deals? My wife and I already have no-expiration tickets, so we'd just want to book a resort hotel.

Any suggestions on a "special treat" for a 3-year old's birthday? (Special place to eat, activity, etc.)

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We got the YC last year for about $200/night. There are definitely deals to be had. I think that time of year they're called "Early Fall" specials, or something totally random like that. I would book something now just so that you can make ADRs at 180 days, and then when discounts come out switch your reservation. We booked at 62 days out last year and I was still able to book CRT for lunch with no problem, just to give you an idea of how #crowded/notcrowded Disney is then.

 

[Ginny Favers]

We go at the end of August, every year. LOVE IT. End of August is the cheapest time to go. We use the travel agency that we're not allowed to name here.