Help for off-season fan with a chance in July?

[jtjarvis]

Hi there, we just went last month for two full MK days with boys 4 and 6. Fabulously successful trip -- we did everything and loved it at the slow time. Dilemma now -- my husband has business in Ft. Lauderdale in late July. I know it'll be busy as all get-out. Hot as hades too but I'm a southerner. So with the probable answer being, take any chance I can get to go back, what parks would you do given a few days to play with in July? Also I know just hanging out at an onsite pool would be plenty cool but it'd be too irresistible not to do SOMEthing! However, I think the reason my children did so great in Jan. was lack of lines, and comfortable weather.
What would you recommend? I'd be grateful for any input anyone has!
JT

 

[jtjarvis]

I forgot to mention that my husband will probably drop the boys and me off at an Orlando hotel and we'll stay there while he does his business. I can't afford the priciest of the Disney hotels but I'd intend to stay at an onsite one that is at least convenient to what we wanted to do.

I also just realized the boys will be ages 5 and 7 by then, just a wee bit older!

Thanks!
JT

 

[leighe]

We were there last July and the parks were all but deserted - especially EPCOT and MGM. A few times we even walked right onto things at MK - POTC, COP, IASW. It was hot - but it wasn't crowded, so we didn't feel like we had to rush around. We're going back in about a month for spring break and I'm really worried about the crowds.

 

[jtjarvis]

Wow, Leighe, that's really cool! (Or hot...!) Heat I feel we can deal with, with proper precautions -- but if we can duck into the attractions in a decent amount of time, it would be lots more manageable.
Thanks for posting!

 

[tcfdick]

I always go in June or July because that's my vacation time (I'm a teacher). The crowds are managed by using fastpass. We went the end of July last year and never waited more than 20 minutes anywhere in MK. We made sure to do the "must" rides like SpaceM, TM, and SplashM first thing in the morning (we like those rides the most), then went to our next favs. Nothing took long at the MK as long as we followed that schedule. Are you only going to that park? We found that going to another park in the evening that didn't have EE allowed us to get in even more ride time. BTW, we had to wait 30-40 minutes for MS, but it is awesome! We didn't get sick even though my son and I both get car sick, although I did see several people get off looking a bit green. We did this one in the afternoon, but I don't suggest this because the wait time can be up to 90 minutes or more. We also went to MGM in the evening and rode several rides, but not RNR or TOT, those need to be done in the morning for no or little wait time. My son is 11 yrs. now, but first rode all of the rides I mentioned at 7 yrs. and he loved them.

 

[jtjarvis]

Thanks for your help! Good question about which parks — I can't imagine being down there and not going to MK. But we also would like to go to D-MGM (for the first time), where TOT is at the top of my son-who'll-be-7's wish list. He's fearless! (Good to know your son liked it at 7!)

So basically, iit'll be a relatively short trip and I didn't know what our smartest bets would be in July, as far as parks and ease of touring went. (I was also assuming MK would be maybe too hairy to tackle then-- but now I see it as a possibility since FP seems to truly do the job!) I was thinking the busy-ness might take us longer to tour any one of the parks. But park-hopping might well be our answer though our stay will be brief. We can always bank unused days.

Yep, we're green and confused! Decisions, decisions -- but it's good to have 'em huh!

JT