how do you handle the parks in August?

[newholiday]

we have 9nights/10 days booked- thinking 2 resort pool days, 2 waterpark days and 6park days
How would you handle touring the parks? Im thinking every other day
AK would need to be (2) mornings
the other parks we could do morn 1 day and night another
thinking ee for all but EpCot
what about the wknds? Ak on a Fri?
park later in the day Sun? water park on a Sat?

would MGM & EpCot be easiest to hop to from PO/Riverside?
MK & EpCot from VWL?

 

[sunnygirl]

When in August? From what I understand, there is a big difference in crowds depending on when you go - early August is crowded, while the end of August is less crowded since many of the schools in the southern states are already in session. We don't start school until after Labor Day here in upstate NY. This might make a difference in your touring plans.

We went to MK (and that was it) on Aug 28 this year and it was not crowded at all, although it was VERY hot - 98 degrees F! We left the park for lunch and returned later in the afternoon. We had planned this, but I think we would have had to do it regardless - it was brutal in the heat. We went on a day when there was no early opening and no evening parade, which may have helped contribute to a light day in terms of crowds. By light, I mean that we walked on to many rides all day! So, even though it was hot, we did not wait in lines all day, so that made it worth it!

Have fun planning!

 

[newholiday]

We have PO/Riverside reserved for Aug 18-21 and then VWL reserved for Aug 21-27

 

[lovethattink]

Our schools start either the 2nd or 3rd week in August. So crowds should be down during the weekdays.

 

[IvyandLace]

DH and I "did" August at WDW for the first time this past August (4-14th). At other times of the year, we usually do Extra Magic Hour and just park hop for the rest of the day to another park. However, the heat and crowds of summer made it difficult for us to tour as we normally do, but thanks for PAPs and a long vacation (10 days), we found that we really enjoyed August!! We avoided the park that had Extra Magic Hour for one thing as many people had commented on how crowded these were during the summertime. The park hours for summer are great and allowed us to take a more leisurely approach to WDW, something my DH was especially fond off. We spent many a morning enjoying the waterparks (just make sure you get there before it opens-it starts to get crowded by noon or 1pm and VERY frequently closes to anyone coming in by that time) and would then go back to our resort (Pop Century) for an afternoon "rest". Sometimes this would be a nap in the air-conditioned room; other times, we would just lounge around the very uncrowded 50's pool. We had our own car which we were surprised to find that we loved, and we also had a refrigerator in our room and brought alot of snacks from home, making it easy to have breakfast and lunch in our room (cereal, sandwiches, chips, pretzels, poptarts, etc.)

One thing that surprised me was the amount of rain that we got each day! I believe it rained each day pretty much from 1pm to at least 4pm...this is the reason we decided on the waterparks in the morning rather than the afternoons. The one afternoon that we DID make it to Typhoon Lagoon...we were rained out within 30 minutes of arriving! Make sure you have more than one pair of shoes and definitely bring the poncho/umbrella.

There's no way we could have enjoyed WDW in the summertime without our afternoon breaks. We also spent a lot of time in Pleasure Island and Disneyquest (late nights) and alternated early mornings at the waterparks with sleeping in and getting to the parks for a late lunch through closing.

Port Orleans is closes to DTD, Epcot and MGM-Studios. Good luck! Hope you have a wonderful trip!

IVY

 

[AInWonderland]

When we have gone in late August before the heat did not seem quite so bad because we had been in hot summer weather even up in Massachusetts for some time. I think it would be more of a shock in lets say June when it still has not been really hot for long periods of time. The rain,however, was an interruption every day. We had a great time though and would not hesitate to go at that time again

 

[goofy4tink]

We were there from the 13-21st last summer. Same time frame the year before. MK will be easiest from WL. Other than that it will be a draw as far as transportation to the parks. We stayed at POR several times and had no issues with the buses. Shouldn't be a problem.

As far as how to do the parks...have you been before? If not, get a good guidebook and read it. Then have everyone in your family decide on what they really, really, want to do the most. Then when you get to the parks, be sure to do everyone's 'must-do's' THen you can do stuff as you want after that. What we do now is to go to a park as early as possible, do the stuff we want to do, go back to the resort mid-day for a swim/rest in the AC, then back to a different park late afternoon. We try to stay out of the parks between noon and 5ish.

Drink lots of water, sit when you get a chance. We very seldom spend one day in any one park. Split it up. You will find that DAK is very hot, so try to get there first thing in the morning. If you don't get to do everything you want, go back for a second morning. The air doesn't circulate well in there and there aren't a lot of places that are airconditioned, so you can overheat!!

We had the hurricanes to deal with last year. But even if you miss those storms, be prepared for rain every day in the late afternoon. The summer of '03 we had some pretty spectacular weather....tremendous thunder/lightning storms, rains. Not the expected showers, but huge deluges. So, have ponchos handy at all times.

The crowds were't so bad. It was just the weather we had to contend with at that particular time in August!!

 

[Leota]

I loved our late Aug trip in 2001. The parks thinned out considerably into the 3rd week & we still enjoyed the summer hours. For someone who was used to the short, off-season hours, that was a real bonus! Take advantage of EE to beat the heat. The crowds aren't that bad in late Aug.. Also, if there are any E-Nights during your stay, don't miss them. The extra Park time in the cooler evening with less crowds is fantastic & worth every penny.

I cannot strongly enough recommend goofy4tink's advice concerning AK. It is always a good 10º hotter & stickier there than anywhere else. My DS suffered heatstroke there in Sept on a previous trip. So we were prepared the hard way for it in Aug. Drink LOTS no matter where you tour in Aug. Also, a tip that really helped us to stay cool - we wore wet bandanas around our necks. We even put a couple ice cubes in them a couple times. That helped tremendously esp. at AK. I loved the heat.

 

[PlutoPony]

We were at WDW Aug 15-22 this year, which is the week FL kids were supposed to be back in school. Got there 2 days after Charley, so the crowds were very low the 1st few days, but built as the week went on. But in general, crowds SHOULD be down when you're planning to go.
VERY HOT is the thing we most remember, 90+ every day w/ very high humdiity. We spent most afternoons at the Poly pool, which worked out well (altho we rarely got a lounge chair ). We also had very little rain, which was a surprise.

In the end, we spent morning and late afternoon/evenings at the park. I'd recommend doing AK first thing on EE day and go straight back to Safari, OR go there if you have a cooler or rainy day for best chance to see the animals. We hit BB on Saturday when it opened, and had very minimal crowds until noon when it became very crowded. But that was enough time to do every water slide multiple times if we wanted to. Didn't do a lot of EE (other than AK) as DS was exhausted each night and needed to sleep in some (which he NEVER does at home). Also, didn't attempt any afternoon parades as it was just WAY too hot for that!
Hope this helps!
Beth

 

[mmorizio]

If you're interested, here's an article I wrote a while back on visiting WDW in August:

http://www.morizio.com/Article_pages/5-05-04.html

 

[Beka'sMom]

End of August is the time we usually visit, usually in the last 2 weeks before labor day.

Florida schools are back in session so crowds usually are better that time of year.

But it is definetely HOT!

This year we were lucky and visited Aug 17th for a week and missed all of the hurricanes. Actually, we have never been there during a hurricane and have visited in Aug for several years. It is a nice time to go if you don't mind the heat.

Go to the parks earty and go back to hotel in afternoon for swim break. Then return to parks early evening for dinner/parades.

 

[dcg0317]

Wow just found this thread and it sounds good, planning for our first Aug 2005 vaction, we will be there from 8/18 thru 28th, lots of good info, was already planning the afternoon breaks. Just glad to see so many people who enjoy going in August, so now when I get that you're going when look from people I'll just smile and say yes Aug.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

Here is our 8-day schedule, although it is for June...

•(W)6/15 Arrive All-Star Movies PM
•(Th)6/16 Animal Kingdom till 430pm [Park Hopper Day] –Epcot for World Showcase, Dinner and Illuminations. –Return to Resort between 930 and 10pm
•(F)6/17 Magic Kingdom [Park Hopper Day] –Suggested mid-day break for small children –“Wishes” Fireworks show, and “kiss goodnight” return to resort ~11pm
•(Sa)6/18 Typhoon Lagoon [Plus Day] –Hours 9am to 7pm (typical stay 9-2 or 2-7) –Most people will be done in 5 hours. Great night to go to a resort for dinner. I suggest a 7pm priority seating arrangement.
•(Su)6/19 AM Church, PM DisneyQuest [Plus Day] –Church –After church we will be going to DisneyQuest. Not interested in DQ? There are a ton of other things to do outside the parks. See “other Activities”
•(M)6/20 Studios [Park Hopper Day] –900-930 Fantasmic
•(Tu)6/21 Blizzard Beach [Plus Day] –Same recommendations as Typhoon Lagoon
•(W)6/22 Magic Kingdom [Park Hopper Day] –Same recommendations as previous MK day
•(Th)6/23 Epcot Center [Park Hopper Day] –Special Character Breakfast? –Hours FW 9am-7pm, WS 11am-9pm, Illuminations is 9-915. –Next Slide details Epcot Center Entertainment Options
•(F)6/24 Depart

 

[swilphil]

The big problem in late August is the weather. It will be hot and humid, but it also could be very rainy. We take afternoon breaks every day. The storms hit in the late afternoon, so it works out well. Then when we are ready to go back to the parks, the crowds are way down and it is cooler. We do EE at MK, then hop to another park after our break. I would also suggest EE for AK (Fri?) since it is by far the worst park in the heat. There's not a lot of shade and indoor attractions. I would only spend one morning there myself, but it may depend on the ages of your kids.

At the other parks, you can alternate indoor and outdoor attractions pretty easily. Water parks sound good for Saturday, but I've read several posts that people actually like going to the Water Parks in the rain (no lightening, of course). The crowds are way down and you're wet any way.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

From the DIS boards...

Extra Magic Hour

Early entry is now called the "Extra Magic Hour", this feature is for Disney Resort guests only and includes guests staying at the Walt Disney World Swan/Dolphin Hotels and the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort. The "Extra Magic Hour" will be one hour prior to the regularly scheduled park opening hours on specific dates. The parks and the attractions that will open early are:

Sunday Magic Kingdom
Monday Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday Disney-MGM Studios
Wednesday Epcot
Thursday Magic Kingdom
Friday Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday Disney-MGM Studios