How Bad Is August?

[squirrel4569]

The humidity is what gets you in August. I was wet all day. Literally the minute you start sweating, you just stay damp for the entire day because it doesn't have a chance to evaporate.

I won't say I didn't have a good time. I ALWAYS have a good time at WDW. But being soggy for 12 hours is so dang uncomfortable that I don't go back at that time any more.

Last year we got caught in a major downpour at MK on our first day. Nearly a week later some of our clothes that were hung up in our room *still* had not dried out.

The crowd levels for August/September are awesome though.

 

[prgal0715]

We are going in August, and I am looking forward to the extreme heat after this ridiculous Chicago winter we had. We are still thawing out

I'm right there with you! It's *still* cold here in Boston!

 

[JaimeA]

We are going in August also. Can't wait. We have been in September before and love the heat, I remember the windows all fogged up from the heat outside and the AC inside. I would step outside and my sunglasses would fog up from the humidity.

The advice given here is spot on. drink lots of water and take it easy. Enjoy the pools and splash areas.

Enjoy!!

 

[XtraEdGe]

We're also going in August. Thanks everyone for the heads up. We'll definitely bring all the necessities everyone mention here.

 

[SillyFamily]

I dont think anybody mentioned this. Be careful what shorts you wear. The seats on the outside rides can be very hot especially for children. Before you let them sit or grab anything just give it a quick check. Any exposed dark surface in fl that time of year gets crazy hot.

 

[Boo Bear]

In all honesty, I went in August of 2008 and I'll never plan a trip at that time if I can help it. It was insanely hot and humid. I'd rather go in August than not at all. Like many others have said, plan for it. Take breaks. I highly recommend a spray fan. Rent strollers for small children. Take a small towel to wipe away sweat.

 

[ljcrochet]

I have been in August at least 3 times. It is always hotter in NY than WDW when we go in August, hopefully this year will be the same.

 

[sb682]

I dont think anybody mentioned this. Be careful what shorts you wear. The seats on the outside rides can be very hot especially for children. Before you let them sit or grab anything just give it a quick check. Any exposed dark surface in fl that time of year gets crazy hot.

Yes, definitely! And another problem with shorts can be chafing, since you'll be pretty sweaty. Some BodyGlide or a similar product before you go out for the day will help. And we generally pack two sets of clothes per day when visiting in hot weather, unless we have access to a washing machine and dryer.

 

[Disfan1968]

The crowd levels for August/September are awesome though.

Early August is still busy (August 1-15th or so). Later August and Sept crowd levels die off quite nicely.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've been in early August, mid August and the last weekend going into Sept. it's got and humid....hugely. Usually, within -0 mins of leaving your resort, you're damp, and on the way to wet! The last time we were there in August, there was a heat wave. Let me tell you....you haven't felt heat/humidity until you've been through an Aug heat wave in Orlando! Dear God....it was so bad, my dd (then 17) and I stayed in our VWL studio all day. I walked to Roaring Forks for breakfast, but that was it. Prayed for rain, but it never happened. We would go to the parks after 5pm.

 

[GillianP1301]

We've done end of August the last 2 years and going back again the same last week of August. Personally, I really love it. I like the heat... to me if I'm going to Florida, I want heat. It doesn't bother my family that much and it's not like we're used to it, by any stretch. I love being able to put on shorts and a t-shirt and not having to worry about getting chilled at night.

It is hot though, no denying it. But, I find with WDW there are so many opportunities to get a break from the heat, whether it's an ADR a/c'd restaurant, or an inside ride/ride queue, or an a/c gift shop, etc... There just really aren't a lot of times where you're out in the full blazing sun for an extended period of time. You need to stay hydrated and have a relaxed pace and then it's fine. We also bring a spray fan for my DS, which doubles as a cooling device and something to keep him occupied while we're waiting.

Crowd wise, end of August is pretty great, so that's a big positive as well But, I think you only start to get the benefit of decreased crowds in the 2nd half of the month, not the beginning.

The only negative for me is hurricane season. The rain in the parks doesn't really bother me (and there are lots of afternoon downpours), but the threat of a hurricane on a day you're flying causes tons of stress. Two years ago, we flew down on the day that Hurricane Issac was hitting the Florida Keys and I was stressed for 3 - 4 days beforehand that we'd get cancelled or delayed and that was not fun. Turned out we were fine, but it was close.

 

[Anonomom]

The only tip I'd add to what's already here is: bring a hat; one with a wide brim. It gets hot at the band, but does wonders for keeping the rest of your body cooler. And it makes running through the rain a thousand times more pleasant. Even with a poncho, you end up with rain on your face and it's kind of difficult, but a nice wide hat keeps your face dry. The first time it rained when I was wearing my hat, I was shocked at what a difference it made.

 

[Pearliee]

We have gone at least 3 times in middle to late August. It's awful...I had to grab paper towels from the bathrooms
to have something to wipe the sweat off my forehead standing in lines. The last time, we didn't ever get the afternoon relief from a thunderstorm!! It's so humid, you are soaking wet in no time. You won't get to see much of the outdoors because you will be in a hurry to get indoors!! So... WHY on Earth did we do this 3 times? Because, the crowds are lower with kids heading/ being in school. We have gotten free dining a few times, because it's also hurricane season( which we did run into one, rained that year a lot, but was a relief from heat). Looks like no more free dining in August, but if we go again..we would rather battle the elements than thousands of people!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Love going to WDW in the heat, but the key is to train your body to deal with the heat. If you have not exercised during the heat before you get to WDW for a summer trip, you deserve to suffer in the heat. Really, it would be like heading to the starting line of a marathon without doing any training runs.

We are a 4 person family. On our last summer trip, August of 2013, we stayed at Beach Club for 2 weeks. Our 2 boys had spent the entire summer in doors - they only used our pool twice all summer. My wife and I walked and ran in the heat all summer long. Who do you think suffered from the heat on our vacation, the nearly 50 year old parents or the teen-aged boys?

Honestly, if you do some exercise in the heat (an hour or more/day - fast walking is sufficient) for at least 2 weeks before your trip, you will have no problems with the heat. If you avoid the heat before your trip, you will find it hard to move. You cannot avoid the heat in Florida in August, even at night. So train, train, train - and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. You will get so much more done, and feel great while doing it.

 

[Disfan1968]

Honestly, if you do some exercise in the heat (an hour or more/day - fast walking is sufficient) for at least 2 weeks before your trip, you will have no problems with the heat. If you avoid the heat before your trip, you will find it hard to move. You cannot avoid the heat in Florida in August, even at night.

Good advice. And yes, I agree, it even stays quite hot in the evening sometimes, but once the sun has dipped it is very doable for anybody. For certain though, those hours that the sun is beating down from directly overhead are twice as bad as the early morning or evening hours. If everyone in the family is healthy, you should be able to handle it with use of the common sense advice given already here. But, if you have someone with a medical condition or perhaps extremely elderly or even an infant you will definitely want to utilize the "taking the afternoon off" strategy so many have suggested.

 

[Disfan1968]

Honestly, if you do some exercise in the heat (an hour or more/day - fast walking is sufficient) for at least 2 weeks before your trip, you will have no problems with the heat.

I was just thinking though, that plenty of folks live in areas that don't come close to being scorching hot in the summer. This plan doesn't work so well for them unfortunately.

 

[maddiebee]

Last year was our first August trip and I hate heat and especially humidity (the cold never bothered me anywayyyyy). BUT in preparation for the trip, it was probably the first summer that I have never complained about the heat all summer and was like BRING IT ON because I knew I'd need to get used to it.
It honestly wasnt that bad between always being hydrated, lots of sunscreen and finding lots of time to enjoy areas with AC (sometimes we would hope for longer lines at some attractions with indoor lines!)

The worst of it seemed to be at AK. The humidity there is much worse because there's so much more foliage and less open space.

We are going again in August this year and are have booked a couple TS lunches so we can have a nice long, air conditioned break in the middle of the day!

 

[Disfan1968]

Last year was our first August trip and I hate heat and especially humidity (the cold never bothered me anywayyyyy). BUT in preparation for the trip, it was probably the first summer that I have never complained about the heat all summer and was like BRING IT ON because I knew I'd need to get used to it.
It honestly wasnt that bad between always being hydrated, lots of sunscreen and finding lots of time to enjoy areas with AC (sometimes we would hope for longer lines at some attractions with indoor lines!)

The worst of it seemed to be at AK. The humidity there is much worse because there's so much more foliage and less open space.

We are going again in August this year and are have booked a couple TS lunches so we can have a nice long, air conditioned break in the middle of the day!

Hey I read your whole trip report a few weeks ago. Great job with that! I especially liked your reporting on Pete's beer tour.

It's funny though, for me AK wasn't so bad with all the shade from the foliage there. Epcot. Now for me, THAT place gets HOT. Especially World Showcase.

 

[maddiebee]

Hey I read your whole trip report a few weeks ago. Great job with that! I especially liked your reporting on Pete's beer tour.

haha thanks!

 

[nblake05]

Here is a question for all you ladies out there, regarding the humidity and wardrobe. I got some cute backless tanks for the summer. One reason is to show off my newest Disney tattoo! So, a couple of them could be worn with either a bandeau bra or those sticky backless bra things (I'm small chested enough, that I don't have to worry about the support of a real bra). I was kinda hoping to be able to get away with wearing the sticky cups here and there, to reduce the amount of layers I'd be wearing, but now I'm wondering, with the humidity will they lose their stickiness? I wear them here in AZ during monsoon season and don't have any trouble and I don't recall having any issues with them when I lived Houston. But Florida humidity is whole different animal. Any thoughts?