How Bad Is It?

[dvcdudes]

We will be going to WDW and staying at BWV the second week in August. This will be my first trip to WDW during the summer since I was a child myself. I remember it being quite hot but when your a kid, I think, you tolerate it better. We plan on trying to be indoors or in water during the middle of the days.
How bad is the heat? I'm really wondering at what time does the temperature start to peak and then at what time does it start to come down a bit (or is it just plain HOT 24/7)?
How packed does the pool get during mid day?
We also plan on doing a water park or two for the first time. Is there any shady areas at BB or TL where we can get out of the sun for a while during mid day?
How packed do they get during this time of year?
Sorry so many questions but I'm a fair skinned Irish lad so I have to plan these things out. Thank God for #45 sun block.

 

[PamOKW]

Your plan sounds like a good idea. Since you're fairly close to me, I assume you just had some hot, humid days. Okay. Take that feeling and then add in a sun that is much brighter and much hotter. Hot and steamy! Also, you know how it usually cools down at night? Doesn't really happen in Florida. They tend to get the afternoon/early evening thunderstorm that just adds to the humidity. The only thing you lose is the sun beating down.

From one fair-skinned Irish person to another....use that sunscreen and don't forget your feet or the back of your knees!

Be prepared but it'll still be fun.

 

[Beachangel]

I go the last two weeks in August and boy it is hot & humid...just like Long Island! So go & have fun and drink plenty of water!

 

[Dennis the WDW Menace]

Yes, it is hot and your plan is a good one. Like PamOKW, I to am a fair skined Irishman and after living in Florida the summer was to hot for me. When we have been to WDW in the summer we go early in the morning and stay at the parks until about noon. We then either go back for some pool time or visit the resort hotels and have some lunch. Try taking the boats from MK and you can go to GF, Poly., Contp., WL, and Ft. Wild. all by boat. We then return to the parks about 6pm and find by that time people are leaving because the sun has worn them out.
Have fun and say hello to Mickey for us.

 

[Regina]

August is pretty bad. I felt as if someone threw a hot, wet blanket on me from the moment that I left the air-conditioned room.

We found that the swimming pools tended to get very warm as well. Swimming isn't all that refreshing when it's as if you're stepping into bathwater.

We would freeze bottles of water overnight, and carry them with us. It helped to have a cold drink handy.

Take it slow, and get plenty of A/C breaks.

 

[buckylarue]

Good advice from everyone! I'll add that Typhoon Lagoon has many more shady areas than Blizzard Beach does. We haven't been in the summer in quite a few years, so I can't speak to the crowds first-hand. I know what I've seen is plan to get there fairly soon after opening if you want to stake out lounge chairs, or wait until after 3pm or so when a lot of folks leave them for the day.

 

[TriciaT]

We have been to WDW in July and August. It is just as hot as in the Northeast, but as Pam said, the sun is so much stronger. I always use sunscreen and still get badly burnt on the back of my calves from I suppose the reflection of the sun on the ground.

As Dennis stated, we also clear out of the parks by 11 or noon the latest. We take advantage of early entry, leave early to head to the resort for swimming and naps, then go back to the parks sometime between 4 and 7 PM. We then stay until closing.

Even with the heat, I find it to be a very enjoyable time of year to go. The late nights at the parks are great. For some reason I find MK and Epcot to be more tolerable, with MGM and AK to be hotter. MK has so many attractions and shops close together, that you can easily step in and out of shops to cool off and refresh.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[tsacyensid]

Now living in Florida and being from Pennsylvania I can tell you the summers here are no hotter then the NE. However the sun is much stronger. I take full advantage of the air conditioned shops and rides, drink lots of water. Being fair skinned myself and because of medication I do not tan. You can get prescription sun block but using 45 is great if you don't have that option. Just remember to reapply. You won't get sun burn anywhere as long as you reapply 2 or 3 times a day. Keep in mind that Florida has sub tropical sun strength.

Make sure you wear sunglasses too.

I find that there are many products out there that help keep you cool. There are Banada's that you freeze and tie around your neck and they work wonderfully.

remember water- not soda will be your best friend.


and by the way..... I need 9 points if anyone has some that will expire email me. $10 a point I cannot afford as I need them for next week (single mom taking my daughter who will be visiting on a little trip to VWL)

Thank you guys!

Have fun.

 

[mickey7861]

We've gone during the past 5 summers and it is HOT and HUMID. It's pretty hot all day and night however, when the sun goes down the heat is more manageable. The humidity is the toughest part. I'm from MA and we get into the 90's in Aug too but the humidity in FL is really heavy. Just be prepared, lots of water, sunscreen and resolve yourself to the fact that yes you will sweat. We usually go out in the am then return to the room for lunch and swimming or just chilling out in the room then we shower, change and hit the parks again around 4 or 5. This down time makes us all much happier. As far as water parks go I'd do TL if you need some shade. My DD and DH have fair Irish skin too and they really bake at BB even with the sunscreen. TL has many palm trees to get some shade under.

 

[NJParkhopper]

Whoa! Orlando is so inland that there is really no relief at that time of the year. Your plan sounds like the only way to go. But definitely drink lots of water...



... and pray for a huge blast of Canadian air!!!

 

[KNWVIKING]

1977,aug-oct, Navy boot camp in Orlando,after which I did "A" school in Great Lakes IL, talk about bass-ackwards. Went from 100F to -70 windchill. Just can't bring myself to use my precious points in the Aug heat. Buddy of mine,also a DVC'er,goes every Aug. He says the men in the pools remind him of the hippos in AK. I'll stick with Dec and May.

 

[Jeanne]

Being a teacher, my family ends up there every july or aug. Also a fair skinned Irish lass, it is HOT. Frozen water bottles are a must. We tend to have lunch in whatever park we are in, in air conditioning, i.e. the castle, go "home" until it is time to go back to a park for dinner. By the time we finish dinner, the parks start emptying out a bit, from the die hards who roasted in the sun all afternoon and now are going back to their off property pool. The bonus of going in Aug. is the parks stay open so late. We do most of our park time in the dark, at least then it is only hot and humid, but we aren't sun burnt. Have fun. And once again, I will be there the first week of Aug.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have gone over Labor Day twice, and while it isn't August it was still unbearably hot and humid. We have used all the mentioned tactics and the frozen water bottles were the best. We usually spent from 1 or 2 until 5 at the villa cooling off. Then we went to our choce of restaurant and spent the evenings in the parks that were open long enough. We tended to spend most of our time at Epcot those trips since it is open the latest and has more opportunity for air conditioning.

 

[akghutton]

My husband and I always go to WDW the last two weeks in August, for I am a teacher. Yes, it is hot and humid, but I only remember once instance when it actually made me noticeably uncomrtable; waiting for the Toy Story Parade at MGM a few years ago. We always hit the parks early in the morning, return to the resort to nap in the comfort of our AC room or go to the pool, then return to the parks or Pleasure Island/Downtown Disney later. Another trick that seemed to ward off the heat was not blow drying my hair before heading outside during the day. It dries fast enough on it's own, and a wet head definitely cools you down. Also when you are at the parks, mix up going on outside attractions and inside attractions. And know where you can cool down with a spray of water: Donald's Boat at Toon Twon, Ariel's Grotto, Splash Mountain, etc. I am also a very fair skinned Irish lassy and have found that if I use Waterbabies for sunscreen, I never burn, and usually come away with a pretty decent tan. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Gail Reale]

We almost always go in August, last week through Labor Day. Everything already stated here is true! It is hot and humid, but who cares? I'm in WDW!! The best advice to take from these responses is sunblock & frozen water. We find that the AK is the "hottest" of all the parks - maybe the vegetation holds the humidity? Unfortunately, AK closes fairly early, so it's hard to do it in am, go back to swim/nap, and return to finish AK in pm. Since our kids are grown and gone, and hubby doesn't swim, we don't do water parks. I would go to TL if it has the shade trees. Have a wonderful time!

 

[normr]

I am a born and raised Floridian (South Florida) and I hate going to WDW in the summer and have to put up with standing in lines with people who are hot and sweaty and sometimes pretty odiforous if you get what I mean.

Every line you stand in usually has the water mister wwith the fans to keep people from dropping.

 

[bres@westernMA]

I love hearing from all these other DVC Irish lads and lasses. We have done WDW in the summer and loved/hated the heat and humidity. I agree with all that has been said - Lots of sunscreen and water. Also get to water parks at opening, stake out a shady site (remember the sun will shift through out the day), wear a hat and water shoes and enjoy. It's summer and it only is here for a short time.

 

[TheWho]

I always go in the summer because kids in school, work, etc. People always are shocked that I dare mention Florida and summer in the same sentence. However, I always think of Yogi Berra. Yogi was asked once about a very busy restrauant. He replied, "No one ever goes to the place, it's too crowded." That expression reminds me of WDW in the summer. If it was so hot and unbearable, it would be the least crowded time of the year. However, for those of us who can only go in the summer, it's fun with the right attitude and the right touring style. I'm sure when I'm older, I'll go in the "off season" and look back to those hot, crowded, steamy Disney days in July and August with fond memories.

Dave

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Did someone mention those wonderful little personal spray bottle/fan combinations? They make a big difference in the heat. I thought I was saving a little cash by getting a couple before we entered WDW, but I liked the WDW bottles better after I saw them, they had an opening big enough for ice cubes so that you could keep the spray water cold.

Another item I'm seriously considering is the personal cooling system from sharper image. Has anyone tried these things? They have two versions, one is a heater/cooler for around $70 and the other is a cooler only for $49. I believe they work by resting against the major blood vessles in your neck and by an electric cooling fan and water cooling system, they keep your neck area cold, your blood vessles in this area colder, and thus cool your whole body. A small investment may make very hot weather much more tollerable.

 

[Patricia]

Last summer we went in July after many years of going in Nov. and Dec. I know it was hot, but as stated, not much hotter than NE, just sunnier . Plus if it's in the 90's at home, I am in the pool or AC. But there was just a change in the overall attitude of our trip thanks, I think, to the heat. We were calmer and slower, more relaxed and not on a mission. I attribute this to the heat somewhat, but also to the fact that the parks are open so late. We had so much time that we really called this last trip a vacation. We are going for 10 days in August this summer packing those fan water bottles and sunscreen along with our smiles and good attitudes. I love it in the summer!!!