How Hot is it in August

[ctnurse]

It is hot and humid in August. We went last Aug when FD started. Of course it was hot. I didnt think it was bad. I love the hot weather. Of course I planned and we drank lots of water and I wore tanktops and shorts daily. The worst part of it was my hair...This is what I looked like all week...And on most days I was also pushing a stroller containing a 55 lb 6 yr old.

 

[VickiVM]

You all are going to think I am crazy, but my family LOVES August! We usually go almost every year at this time. One we love the heat! We love knowing we will be able to use the pools! The parks for us are not bad becuase we have a plan and know what we want to do when we arrive. We utilize the stores and queing areas for air conditioning. All in all we love August. We are planning for first every Disney Cruise in Aug. 2011 with a stay at Animal Kingdom lodge Kidani Villas for our 10 year anniversary! LOVE IT< LOVE IT< LOVE IT!

I would do it again. Great time to go if you're budget-minded, but can only go when kids are out of school.

 

[mill4023]

This seems to be turning into a 'it's much hotter where I live and I don't have an issue with it, so you'll be fine in Orlando in August' issue. And that's just not fair. Why???
Because it is really hugely hot and humid in central Florida in August. Actually most of Florida. Ah, this would be why there are so many hurricanes there then. Add to that normal heat/humidity, the fact that you are walking around, outside, all day long, on pavement. You are NOT walking out to your car in the morning, getting into that car, cranking the AC and then driving to the grocery store, where you get out and walk to the store, do your shopping and drive home again. Now, you break a sweat lugging in those groceries though. So, you pour a nice glass of lemonade and sit for a bit in your darkened cooled apt. But at WDW, you're outside for hours on end, usually starting early in the morning. You're ambling around, out in the sun, on nice pavement (so the heat just hits from all directions!!!) for hours. Then you may return to your resort for an afternoon swim. But the pool is tepid at best...but it's better than nothing. You spend an hour or two there, return to your room and shower and relax for a bit. You return to a park, and continue your trek from attraction to attraction...heat still sizzling underfoot...at least until 8 or 9pm. Even after that, the humidity is still high...you are still sweating at least a little bit. But it's better than being actually damp all over..right down to your undergarments during the day.

Really, it is different in the parks. The heat index in those parks, close to the pavement, is incredible. So, it is different...and people need to understand that. Heading to WDW, in June, July, August and Sept means expecting high heat/humidity and planning accordingly. Also....I have yet to see 'low' crowds during the summer. Yes, when you get towards the end of August, you see crowds die down. Why??? Families have kids in school now...they aren't heading to WDW. But try out the parks the first week free dining is offered during the summer months!!! OMG!! But, if you compare the crowds during Christmas vacation week or over Thanksgiving weekend to August crowds, then sure, I guess you can say they are 'lighter' in August.

Can you go to WDW in the heat of the summer and still have a good time??? Of course you can. But you need to be forewarned so that you can plan. There are things you need to do differently than you might in March, or November. Plain and simple.

My only point was that it gets just as hot in NC, so the poster who is from NC has experienced the same kind of heat and humidity and will know what to expect.

But you are absolutely correct that living in that climate and being able to handle it is NOT the same as being able to visit WDW in that heat and being able to handle it.

 

[dqpowell]

My only point was that it gets just as hot in NC, so the poster who is from NC has experienced the same kind of heat and humidity and will know what to expect.

*Sigh.* By this standard, you may as well say that it gets just as hot in NY, or Canada -- so the poster who is in NY or Canada has experienced the same kind of heat and humidity and will know what to expect.

It does get hot and humid in North Carolina. And it gets hot and humid in lots of other places too, sometimes. The fact is that I have experienced many 95 and humid days in upstate NY, and even a couple in parts of Ontario, Canada when I have visited there in the summer.

You will (quite reasonably) object: But it hits 95 more often in NC than it does in NY or Canada. To that I say: Yes, you're right. Somebody in NC is going to experience more 95 and humid days than somebody in NY or Canada.

So, by that perfectly sound reasoning, somebody who lives in NY or Canada doesn't necessarily know what it's like living in NC.

By exactly the same reasoning, somebody who lives in NC does not necessarily know what it's like in Orlando. The average daily high in August is three degrees lower in NC than in Orlando -- you pointed this out yourself. If experiencing humid, 95 degree days is enough to prepare somebody for what it's like in Orlando, then many New Yorkers or Canadians are just as prepared. Right?

No. Because a few degrees difference in the average high temp matters. If it didn't, then people in NY or Canada would be just as prepared as almost anybody else. NC is not the same as Orlando.

David

 

[rrbar]

Thanks for your advice about the heat. We want to go for the free dining and less crowds since the schools in California don't start until September. We are used to going to Disneyland for only a few hours at a time with annual passes so I think the kids will be ok with going for a few hours each time and then coming back later in the day to do other attractions. I was thinking we would do the tableservice meals for dinner as I don't think we will want to eat a heavy meal at lunch.

We were in Palm Springs last August when it was like 115 and I remember walking up the steep hill to the tramway and then doing it again since I forgot something in the car and then feeling sick to my stomach. It went away once I got inside the air conditioning so that must be what overheating feels like? I went outside again and felt sick but felt fine again once we got into another air conditioned building.

Any other comments or advice are appreciated!

 

[JPWDW]

Wouldnt you rather prefer go to Disney in a season that is less hot. Maybe September?

 

[JimmyV]

From a theme park strategy perspective, in mid to late August, would you recommend spending all day (with a mid day break) at the park that has evening EMH, or going to a different park during the day and hopping to the evening EMH park at night? I know that there is a general view that avoiding parks with EMH is a good way to beat the crowds, but it seems that at the hottest time of the year, the p.m. EMH might be a necessity. We generally avoid the EMH, but we are going in August and I'm thinking that the rules may change. (And don't bother with the a.m. EMH...As much as that may be a sound strategy, with a teenage daughter who will surely close down the parks at 1:00 a.m., there is no way that we are making rope drops at 8:00 a.m. the next morning. And even if she and I could do it, I'd be looking for a divorce lawyer before the vacation was over.)

Let me know what the Dis experts suggest. Thx.

 

[mill4023]

*Sigh.* By this standard, you may as well say that it gets just as hot in NY, or Canada -- so the poster who is in NY or Canada has experienced the same kind of heat and humidity and will know what to expect.

It does get hot and humid in North Carolina. And it gets hot and humid in lots of other places too, sometimes. The fact is that I have experienced many 95 and humid days in upstate NY, and even a couple in parts of Ontario, Canada when I have visited there in the summer.

You will (quite reasonably) object: But it hits 95 more often in NC than it does in NY or Canada. To that I say: Yes, you're right. Somebody in NC is going to experience more 95 and humid days than somebody in NY or Canada.

So, by that perfectly sound reasoning, somebody who lives in NY or Canada doesn't necessarily know what it's like living in NC.

By exactly the same reasoning, somebody who lives in NC does not necessarily know what it's like in Orlando. The average daily high in August is three degrees lower in NC than in Orlando -- you pointed this out yourself. If experiencing humid, 95 degree days is enough to prepare somebody for what it's like in Orlando, then many New Yorkers or Canadians are just as prepared. Right?

No. Because a few degrees difference in the average high temp matters. If it didn't, then people in NY or Canada would be just as prepared as almost anybody else. NC is not the same as Orlando.

David

*Sigh*....

I think you are missing the point or misinterpreting what I said.

I never said that living in NC (or NY or Canada) is the same as living in Orlando. And I never said that spending the day at a theme park is the same as spending the day running errands in an air conditioned car or sitting in an air conditioned office.

Living in NC, I've spent the day outside when it was 95 and humid. I've also experienced numerous weeks when the highs were close to 100 every single day and the lows were in the 80's and the humidity was high.

So yes, I actually do know what it will feel like to be in Orlando in June. And anyone who lives in a climate where they've experienced the same kind of weather will know what it feels like. They just have to realize that it will be like that every day and they will spend a lot of time outside in it.

 

[rrbar]

From a theme park strategy perspective, in mid to late August, would you recommend spending all day (with a mid day break) at the park that has evening EMH, or going to a different park during the day and hopping to the evening EMH park at night? I know that there is a general view that avoiding parks with EMH is a good way to beat the crowds, but it seems that at the hottest time of the year, the p.m. EMH might be a necessity. We generally avoid the EMH, but we are going in August and I'm thinking that the rules may change. (And don't bother with the a.m. EMH...As much as that may be a sound strategy, with a teenage daughter who will surely close down the parks at 1:00 a.m., there is no way that we are making rope drops at 8:00 a.m. the next morning. And even if she and I could do it, I'd be looking for a divorce lawyer before the vacation was over.)

Let me know what the Dis experts suggest. Thx.

I have not been yet but I had read that the last week of August is really slow, slower than the third week as more and more families have kids that have returned to school. When it is really slow, it doesn't matter as much about the EMH I had heard. Hope someone with more info can share.

 

[OBChristine]

We always go in july or August and the last time we went in August I was waiting for a parade to start and I thought I would melt into the sidewalk. No kidding.

 

[kaligal]

It's really hot and humid. Sometimes unbearably hot. Beats 11 degrees, though.

 

[stitchlovestink]

While it is hot in August, I don't think it is unbearable. And with proper planning, it is very doable. We have been the third week of August and it was quite warm. I was there one year in July and it was just as hot and more humid back here in MD that year. . The worst heat I experienced myself was on our trip in June. It was June 16 or 17th, I believe. It was in the mid nineties at 9:30am! And with the heat index it was 115 degrees in AK that day! that was the worst by far. And earlier on that same trip, like the 9th, 10th and 11th, it was absolutely gorgeous with next to no humidity and mid/upper 80's for high temps.
unfortunately, the weather is very unpredictable...so you could have a lovely scenario or you could have some very hot/humid temps. Best of Luck with your decision. Hey, it's WDW...all is good at WDW!!!

 

[ICan'tWait]

Thanks for your advice about the heat. We want to go for the free dining and less crowds since the schools in California don't start until September. We are used to going to Disneyland for only a few hours at a time with annual passes so I think the kids will be ok with going for a few hours each time and then coming back later in the day to do other attractions. I was thinking we would do the tableservice meals for dinner as I don't think we will want to eat a heavy meal at lunch.

We were in Palm Springs last August when it was like 115 and I remember walking up the steep hill to the tramway and then doing it again since I forgot something in the car and then feeling sick to my stomach. It went away once I got inside the air conditioning so that must be what overheating feels like? I went outside again and felt sick but felt fine again once we got into another air conditioned building.

Any other comments or advice are appreciated!

I've done Palm Springs in August once and Disney quite a few times in August. For me personally Palm Springs heat was worse.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

*Sigh*....

I think you are missing the point or misinterpreting what I said.

I never said that living in NC (or NY or Canada) is the same as living in Orlando. And I never said that spending the day at a theme park is the same as spending the day running errands in an air conditioned car or sitting in an air conditioned office.

Living in NC, I've spent the day outside when it was 95 and humid. I've also experienced numerous weeks when the highs were close to 100 every single day and the lows were in the 80's and the humidity was high.

So yes, I actually do know what it will feel like to be in Orlando in June. And anyone who lives in a climate where they've experienced the same kind of weather will know what it feels like. They just have to realize that it will be like that every day and they will spend a lot of time outside in it.

This. When we went to Orlando last July/August, heat indices were over 100 every single day with actual temps in the upper nineties. It was just as hot and humid at home (some days it was hotter at home). It's not unusual for it to be over 90 degrees at 10 am here in the summer - the feeling of sweating as soon as you walk outside is not a foreign concept here. The only day that we were uncomfortable was our day at Sea World. There really are almost no places to escape the heat at Sea World - there is one short show inside (maybe two, but we only did one) and many of the restaurants have outside seating. It was a hot, miserable day, and we were exhausted at the end of it. We still liked Sea World, but ten degrees cooler would have helped. It was 100 degrees and everyone crammed into the shadier spots of the theaters - the metal seats in the sun would burn your legs.

Our days at WDW and Universal were fine - there were plenty of indoor activities, indoor or shaded queues, and indoor places to eat. We did take afternoon breaks to swim, but we spent all day, every day outside and it was fine. On one particularly hot Universal day, we rode Cat in the Hat several times since it was freezing, but even the outside rides were fine (as was being crammed with wall-to-wall people at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter).

We've done other Orlando summer trips, and they have been fine as well. Maybe we just don't sit around indoors all summer in NC? Since we have several months of 90+ temps, it is not really feasible to become a hermit in the summertime. We go to parks, my kids go to outdoor camps, etc. We don't stop just because it is hot outside.

We do tour differently in January - since it is not swimming weather and the park hours are shorter, we usually stay at the parks all day. But my kids like to swim, so we build that into any warm weather trips. Since the parks are open late, we break around 3:00 and swim at the resort, then go back for the evening. The plan is the same whether we go to WDW in April, August or October.

 

[tarheel_girl]

To answer your question, VERY hot. I too am in NC. Yes, it gets very hot here BUT walking on the streets/sidewalks with that many other people makes it feel hot from minute one. We had a ressie for Crystal Palace around 8:15am last year. We were already sweating. Heat index was 107 at 11:00am!! However, we go to Disney every July/August. I'm a teacher so it's my last time to 'play' before school begins. Last year, to me the humidity didn't go down when the sun set. The Mk felt like it had a dome over it! I have literally been to Disney every summer since 71 (one day trips...we vacation at Daytona) so it is doable. Make sure to limit the amount of outside rides you do in a row. For instance, I wouldn't do Dumbo, ride the carousel and then stand in line for the teacups. Make sure to take avantage of the AC!! When you are finished for the day, your clothes will need to be peeled off of you due to the sweating, drying in the AC and sweating again. Go, be prepared for the heat and have a good time!

 

[NLD]

Haven't been in August (and I know it IS hotter in August than Sept), but went in Sept past two years.

Heat didn't really bother us. Yes, hubby's shirt was wet from sweating as soon as stepping outside. Yes, it was hot. Yes, we were sticky and damp, our water got warm practically as soon as taking it outside. But no one overheated. There are lots of shady and indoor, air-conditioned places where you get relief from the sun.

Actually we had worse weather for a stretch in Pennsylvania this past summer than what we experienced in September in Orlando. Had a heatwave with 105 degrees with high humidity. By comparison, low nineties with high humidity, even walking around outside on the pavement, felt reasonable.

But then I like the heat and would much prefer 95 degrees to even 40 degrees.

 

[katytrott]

Trips we have taken have varied from the earliest of May to the latest of Oct. This last year we did our first trip in mid August, and honestly, I don't think it was any worse than May and only slightly worse then Oct. We went prepared for the worst but didn't struggle any worse then other trips. Our intention was to avoid the heat of the day but we didn't always do that. Our experience is that at disney we rarely spent more then 15 mins outside without going inside and cooling off in the air conditioning. It is surprising how much that inside/outside routine makes the difference from being miserable to enjoyment. There was only one day out of the 2 weeks I remember we struggled and that was when we spent the morning into late morning in Fronteirland, particularly at Tom Sawyers island. We got to the point when we were miserable and went to Tiki rooms just for the cool off.

Still, I know we had exactly the same experiences in May and October!

 

[goofy4tink]

I have not been yet but I had read that the last week of August is really slow, slower than the third week as more and more families have kids that have returned to school. When it is really slow, it doesn't matter as much about the EMH I had heard. Hope someone with more info can share.

I have been to WDW in mid-August 4 times now. The first two times were fine crowd-wise. Then, Disney started offering free dining mid-August. That first week of free dining was nuts in the parks. The crowds were much heavier than my other visits. This past year, I planned accordingly. I started my trip on July 30 and left WDW on August 12...before free dining started.
The crowds are faily low the closer you get to Labor Day weekend..then they pick up for the long weekend. If free dining is offered in August, that first week will be crazed. Why?? Because all those families that have kids going back to school in Aug will try to book a last minute trip for the free dining just before the kids leave for school.


I have been to WDW in...
Jan (mid), April (mid), May (late), June(early), August (early and mid), Sept (early and late), Oct (mid and late), Nov (early and late), and Dec (usually early). The worst weather I encountered was in Jan and August. I have had hurricanes in August, heat waves, humidity verging on 100% every day, rainstorms. In Jan, it was cold and gloomy on many days. Of course there was this past Dec...ridiculously cold, record breaking cold in fact.
Will I go again in August? Probably not. Not after being there for record breaking heat and humidity...I can put on more clothing if it's record breaking cold, but there's only so much you can do for record breaking heat/humidity!!! I am not paying huge amounts of money to cool off in a store every 30 mins...nor am I hiding in my room anymore, waiting for the evening 'coolness' to come along..yeah, 82 degrees is cool!!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

One other tip, OP, which might have been mentioned already - pack two outfits for each day. If you go back to your resort for a break or to swim, you will not want to put the morning's sweaty clothes back on.