how bad is the heat in August?

abmitch01

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Joined
Apr 25, 2010
Messages
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I try to take DD over Feb break every few years. We love it, it's nice and cool and gives us Northerners a break from the snow. But it's crazy expensive and crowded. So I booked 11 days in August staying on site in a moderate resort (first time on site, so excited!) and it was over $1000 cheaper then doing it offsite on the cheap in Feb for just a week. So we are over the moon. BUT I've never been to Florida in August. How bad is it? Any tricks of the trade? My heavyset boss said even she wore tanks. I feel the same way about tanks, lol. I don't even wear shorts, I wear capris! Any advice except "don't go" would be much appreciated!
 
The month of August is hot and humid all day long. Even the nights can be
in the upper 70's to low 80's and very humid. Day time tempts, expect the
low 90's. This is also the rainy season, so expect rain often, possible hurricanes and tropical storms. Been there, done that.
 
Just be prepared for HOT, HUMID and wet and you will be fine. :eek:
 
Hi I live here Aug is hot expect close to 95 in the shade, it will rain everyday some days 10 mins others longer don't let the rain stop you. Bring good ponchos and good water shoes or crocs to wear during rain and on the kali river rapids, splash mountain. saves your walking shoes from getting all wet. Most of the rides in the parks are in AC or at least the Que is with the exceptions of Thunder and Splash, do then early or late inday and you will be find. plan of taking breaks in ac and drinking a lot of water. all counter service will give you a glass of Ice water so you can refill your bottles with ease or the resort mugs are great for water too. The best advice I can give you is to go to animal kingdom at opening and stay until lunch then leave go to room swim/shower/cool off then go to another park for evening you may need to do this 2 days Animal kingdom is in my mind the hottest park!!
don't worry as long as you drink, maybe bring a cold washcloth you will have fun
 

I live in the Deep South and I hate to tell you but august is brutal even for the people that live here and are used to it. The humidity is what makes it hard to deal with. Wear very light breezy clothes, light colored. The spray bottles with fans are nice to be able to mist your self with. Wet rags for your face and neck will be good too. Just keep an open mind and remember you will be in disney and you will have fun.
 
Yep, it's HOT! And I live in a state where it stays hot and humid but Florida in August was a totally different beast.

Agree with staying hydrated! Get there at rope drop, try to take a break back to your resort around 2:00 to get out of that horrible afternoon sun. And don't spend your whole rest time swimming... that's not rest and will just tire everyone out even more. Ride as many wet rides as possible and when you get overheated, go into an air-conditioned show/attraction. Even if you don't care about seeing it! The Enchanted Tiki Room is always a nice spot to get out of the sun.

Ice water is free at the kiosks!
 
Hot & Humid - Terrible, Stay Home so the parks will be empty for the rest of us. :scared1::scared1:

:) Actually, we have gone quite often in summer. It is hot & humid. Be sure to drink a lot. Carrying a water spray bottle helps to keep you a bit cooler. Take a break in the middle of the day - even if it is sitting in a cool spot in the park and have a drink & a snack.

The plus is that the parks are open later and very few attractions are closed for rehab.

Enjoy!!
 
Wear powder. I also like to carry vaseline to rub on spots where friction can cause chaffing. Hydration is most important. Go to the park with EMH morning and get there at rope drop. Schedule all the outside, or popular rides first. Then go to A/C shows/rides later in the day. Or back to the resort for pool time. Then I'd take my second shower of the day before going to dinner. Be prepared for rain in the afternoon. It's not a nice cool you off rain either, it's nasty muggy rain.
The nice thing about being there for 11 days is you can take your time, don't try to rush everything into a day.
 
I think the anticipation of it being hot and humid is worse than it actually is. We've been twice in August for week-long trips and had a great time both trips. We always plan nap/pool time in the afternoon (and when I say "we", I mean DH & I and no kids - we need naps too! :rotfl2:). And we try to remember that if we're getting cranky or not having fun, it's time to take a break somewhere cool and have a snack or two. There are plenty of indoor air-conditioned rides/attractions that can really make a difference for awhile. It is what you make of it! :thumbsup2
 
thanks everyone! I try to carry very little into the parks but I think this year it will be different. I'm going to get those mister fans I think. We never carried water, just got it at the counters but maybe we should carry a bottle. Definitely not springing for Photopass this year, we'll look a mess! I want to try to lose 20 lbs before we go and then buy tanks and shorts, ugh. You can get by fine without them up here.
 
I try to take DD over Feb break every few years. We love it, it's nice and cool and gives us Northerners a break from the snow. But it's crazy expensive and crowded. So I booked 11 days in August staying on site in a moderate resort (first time on site, so excited!) and it was over $1000 cheaper then doing it offsite on the cheap in Feb for just a week. So we are over the moon. BUT I've never been to Florida in August. How bad is it? Any tricks of the trade? My heavyset boss said even she wore tanks. I feel the same way about tanks, lol. I don't even wear shorts, I wear capris! Any advice except "don't go" would be much appreciated!

We have gone at the end of August and are going back this year. Yes, it's hot and humid and you should expect a thunder storm in the afternoons. All of the indoor rides and attractions have AC. Just take your time and stay hydrated and it's not a problem. Here is what we normally do:

1) head out to the parks early and take a break in the hottest part of the day. We either head back for a swim in the pool or head of to a water park after lunch. Then we head back into the parks around 4 or 5 for the evening. Avoiding the hottest and busiest part of the day really helps keep you from getting too tired.

2) wear light, brightly colored clothes. Dark colors or heavy clothing will make it more uncomfortable. We wear light t-shirts, tanks and the sleeveless sports shirts when we can.

3) you can get free cups of ice water at the CS restaurants so you can get water without paying for it when needed.

4) If possible, find comfortable open shoes. We used Keens the last time and it helped keep feet from being too sweaty and they dry quick for when the rain does come.

5) take breaks if needed in shops or attractions.

If I think of any others, I'll repost. Have a good trip.
 
We discovered that we absolutely LOVE August in FL. It's no more hot and humid than back home here in MN...but we have a pool at our disposal, plenty of A/C to dip into, water rides, etc. We get to the park at rope drop, do "stuff", eat lunch, head back to the hotel to swim/shower/rest, and then back to the park to close, back to the hotel to swim again :)

We really do love it. I am not a shorts person, typically, but I invested in about 10 pairs of soccer-style shorts and wear those and a light weight tee. Pony tail and sunglasses, lots of sunscreen.

It's more than do-able...it's a fantastic time!!

And...I always come back having lost weight from the sweating and walking!
 
I'm used to the hot and humid and while it's good to have tanks, I would say buy light tees as well. Shoulders get hit with that sun and if they get pink, they will hurt the next day with the sun beaming on them. I don't wear a lot of tanks when I'm out in the sun all day because of that reason.

Parks are open later during the summer so it's also nice to take a break during the day, shower, rest and then stay in the parks later.
 
We've gone in June and August and yes its HOTTTTTT but it was honestly manageable. We just make sure to stay really hydrated, take time to wander around AC'd shops when we need and this year we have scheduled a couple of TS ADRs for lunch time so we have an excuse to sit down in the AC for a bit during the middle of the day with out going back to the resort.
It's totally doable as long as you are mindful and prepared for it! Plus, the heat helps makes any long, indoor lines, much less painful to wait in :thumbsup2
 
The easiest way to carry a lot of water is with a Camelbak type backback. Fill it with ice & water at your hotel and it will last a long time.

Plus it's a backback, so it carries other stuff too.
 
If you really are not often exposed to truly hot weather, you can not only get uncomfortable; you might actually get ill. It is a good idea to take measures to account for that possibility in case it happens, because you don't want to be having to try to hunt down items to help with it when you are in the middle of your trip.

First off, LOTS of sunscreen. You are not used to the angle of the sun that far south in summer, and your skin can absolutely fry in under 2 hours of full summer sun if you don't consistently and properly re-apply. If you are fair-complected and do not normally wear shorts, make it a point to wear them outside in the sunshine at home and "harden" your legs to UV radiation. If you do not, you will be at high risk for getting what is often called "the Disney Rash" on your legs -- polymorphic light eruption. PMLE is an allergic-type reaction, and cannot be prevented with sunscreen only; you need to expose the skin to light over time and take antihistamines at times of unusually high exposure in order to ward it off. It is horrendously itchy and absolutely miserable if you get it, and it does not respond well at all to topical antihistamines. You'll want to prevent it, because you can't cure it in a hurry.

Chafing can be a really serious problem in humid weather, especially if you are somewhat overweight. I agree with the PP, bring something to ward that off as well. Monistat anti-chafing cream is popular, but for Orlando in summer I recommend Body Glide; as it is waterproof, which Monistat cream is not. (Note that heat rash just burns, and is different from PMLE, which itches. It's possible to get them both simultaneously, which has happened to me, and which is just about anyone's definition of hell on earth, let me tell you.)

Also, wear a hat if at all possible. It makes a huge difference and like sunglasses, will help ward off headaches. I will second the recommendation for good amphibious sport sandals; in August it WILL rain mid-day when the humidity hits 100%, and wet sneakers are a very miserable thing. There are smaller misting fans available that will fit in a cargo pocket; they don't hold as much water, but are more portable.

Light-colored clothes are very important, and remember that when it comes to cotton, woven fabrics fare better than knits when wet; they don't stretch out and they dry faster. Remember that white will go transparent if it gets wet, so make it a point to wear skin-toned underclothing with it -- you really don't want to flash people after Splash or Kali. (I prefer to wear quick-dry sport clothing at DAK [and at IOA] in summertime; that way I can get drenched without worrying about transparency issues or chafing from walking around in wet clothing.)

Always make it a point to try to walk on the shady side of the street wherever possible. In regard to staying hydrated: while cups of ice water ARE available free at all counter-service locations, you still have to wait in the regular cashier lines to get it (they give you a zeroed receipt for the order.) You can also get free water at any kiosk that has fountain drinks available, but if you think you will get impatient with looking for those, you can also carry a folding plastic water pouch that you can refill at water fountains, and that will fit in your pocket when rolled up.
 
We go in August, too, and it is really hot:furious:, but it's usually not as crowded as holiday times and there are plenty of ways to cool off. As others have stated taking an afternoon break is a must:beach:. When you're walking up and down Main Street USA or Hollywood blvd at DHS make sure to duck in to one of the shops. Most of them connect on the inside and you can walk almost the entire length of the street without being out in the heat and sun. Little breaks like that really help;) I also like to have a little washcloth, or paper towels in the restrooms in a pinch, to wet and wipe my face and neck off. That helps keep us a little cooler:cool1:
 
I love going in August! It's hit, humid, oppressive, etc.... Here in CT so August in Florida is no difference.

I am sure I am repeating others.

We do do a park on arrival ( or departure day). We spend it at the pool and chef mickeys since we woke up extra early for the flight.

We do wake up in park days and leave by 7-7:15 to get to a park by 8. Of course we are not the only early bird catches the worm people in line waiting.

We have breakfast in our room. I believe it saves time. No we don't stay at a DVC, just a regular room at the poly. I ship down stuff from home including bowls for cereal and we have the fridge for milk, etc...

So while the kids are eating dh and I take turns showering, of course I am up at 6 and ready by 6:20...wait..wait...wait.... At that time I do choose to fill our water bottles. We have the double insulated thermos ones and it keeps the water cold and we still had ice at 4 when I went to refill them again.

We also bring water because there is no way I will drink FL water. This was the first year we saved money and I lost weight in Disney. I actually drank water, lots of it. On park days we didn't buy soda (I don't. Do the dining plan) and just drank water and we averaged $40-$45/meal for the 5 of us.

Ok so get up early, drink water....next.

I feel with the heat of summer it is vital to leave the park to recuperate/refer ate...whatever. We go back to our room. Sure as a teen we would swim during our mid day breaks but that was when there was just MK and then MK and Epcot and then the studios so it wasn't as rushed to see it all in one day.

So we nap. We all nap...me who hates naps, napped. My 12 yo, 9 yo and 7 yo napped. We wake around 4, shower and head back to a park til closing. Watch illuminations, monorail it back to the poly and watch wishes in our Jammie's.

Besides drinking water, my kids love to get wet so they do. They don't wear sneakers-keens or flip flops so I don't have to worry about blistering feet from wet socks and sneakers. Let's just say last year in toon town or whatever it is called...the circus area they were drenched, really drenched. So wet that if we sat next to them we got wet.

We were able to go for 10 days last summer which was our longest trip yet. I won't go shorter now.

We had planned non park days. Again, that was vital to us. We did 2 days and had a pool day. So nice. Of course they all slept til 8 or so and I was up at 6 like clockwork walking down to the laundry room with our dirty clothes. And had them washed, dried and folded by 8 and I was sitting by the pool watching bay lake come to life at that time. No one in the pool but me...ahh....

Laundry, yes I know cringe...laundry on vacation but I do t have tons of clothes and I don't want to bring tons so we each bring about 4-5 outfits and we wear 2 per day so yes I do laundry.

Anyways, go early, drink lots of water, take mid day breaks, plan at least 1 non park day to rejuvenate yourself and have fun!
 
We went in August for our honeymoon. I have one word to describe that trip - damp. Everything was damp with humidity all the time. The clean clothes in our suitcase in our hotel room were damp. We stepped outside and started sweating. We took it easy, took lots of breaks and had tons of ADR's and we were drained by mid-day and had to take naps. And we are in our early 30's and not out of shape.
 
If you really are not often exposed to truly hot weather, you can not only get uncomfortable; you might actually get ill. It is a good idea to take measures to account for that possibility in case it happens, because you don't want to be having to try to hunt down items to help with it when you are in the middle of your trip.

First off, LOTS of sunscreen. You are not used to the angle of the sun that far south in summer, and your skin can absolutely fry in under 2 hours of full summer sun if you don't consistently and properly re-apply. If you are fair-complected and do not normally wear shorts, make it a point to wear them outside in the sunshine at home and "harden" your legs to UV radiation. If you do not, you will be at high risk for getting what is often called "the Disney Rash" on your legs -- polymorphic light eruption. PMLE is an allergic-type reaction, and cannot be prevented with sunscreen only; you need to expose the skin to light over time and take antihistamines at times of unusually high exposure in order to ward it off. It is horrendously itchy and absolutely miserable if you get it, and it does not respond well at all to topical antihistamines. You'll want to prevent it, because you can't cure it in a hurry.Chafing can be a really serious problem in humid weather, especially if you are somewhat overweight. I agree with the PP, bring something to ward that off as well. Monistat anti-chafing cream is popular, but for Orlando in summer I recommend Body Glide; as it is waterproof, which Monistat cream is not. (Note that heat rash just burns, and is different from PMLE, which itches. It's possible to get them both simultaneously, which has happened to me, and which is just about anyone's definition of hell on earth, let me tell you.)

I will second the bolded - I have developed it 2x at Disney..both times when it was my first real exposure to sun that year (coming from MN winter..).

I spent a lot of time in First Aid getting topical cream. I slept on my beach towels (b/c I thought it was from the detergent in the sheets...which is the same detergent I use at home, but I was stumped!!). It is horrid. And when you sweat...good lawd...it is disgusting. My older son has the same thing happen to him, too. It's not fun. Prevent if you can!
 





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