Hurricane Season

[canadianmommyof2]

So I hope someone can fill me in, I live is Saskatchewan, Canada...well away from the threat of hurricanes so I'm just looking for info on hurricanes in Florida as I have read it is likely to be a busy season.

We are planning a trip to WDW the middle of August for 10 days, we are driving from Canada...so I'm just wondering what to expect. We have been to WDW in Feb and Nov and have had completely different weather each time so how different is Aug? Is there a lot of rain? Is it really hot? And if there is a hurricane what should I expect during my trip? DH isn't too concerned but we are getting the water parks added to our passes, do they close the water parks down during hurricanes? Sorry to sound so clueless, but I am when it comes to hurricanes.

 

[4greatboys]

So I hope someone can fill me in, I live is Saskatchewan, Canada...well away from the threat of hurricanes so I'm just looking for info on hurricanes in Florida as I have read it is likely to be a busy season.

We are planning a trip to WDW the middle of August for 10 days, we are driving from Canada...so I'm just wondering what to expect. We have been to WDW in Feb and Nov and have had completely different weather each time so how different is Aug? Is there a lot of rain? Is it really hot? And if there is a hurricane what should I expect during my trip? DH isn't too concerned but we are getting the water parks added to our passes, do they close the water parks down during hurricanes? Sorry to sound so clueless, but I am when it comes to hurricanes.

Yes it is going to be hot. Yes it is going to rain. It rains in Fl often but usually passes though pretty quickly. And yes the parks will be closed if a hurricane hits.

 

[pudge the fish]

have to agree- It will be hot, muggy with humidity and it will rain- bring ponchos and an extra pair of shoes and you will be fine! you can't predict Florida weather one day it says rain and it will be sunny all day!

Water parks will close during a hurricane. Theme parks will close during a hurricane, but after the storm, they open quickly.
Hurricane predictions are not perfect and one can be set to hit 5 miles away, make a turn and hit 800 miles away.
That being said Disney is wonderful when it comes to hurricanes and closures.
are you staying on property? If so, you will be well taken care of.
(I'd toss an extra flashlight in my car but then again I have like 4 flashlights in my car!)
don't panic- hurricanes can pop up and then go away or veer off.

 

[FireDancer]

As others have said the weather will be hot and it will rain during the day. As for the hurricanes, no one knows. I was living in Tampa for the 2003 and 2004 hurricane season. In 2003 I didn't even remember that I had to think about them (I'm from Ohio) but in 2004 we had 4 hurricanes hit and one of them swung back around and hit us again.

August is hurricane season but by the time they get to Orlando they are usually weak or already downgraded to a tropical storm. Disney is very good about hurricane preparedness and while being stuck in the hotels is not pleasant I know people who have been on property during a storm and Disney was military like in their procedures.

One piece of advice, when it rains in the parks stay. So many times the rain empties the parks (other then MK, that one seems less effected) out a bit because people not used to FL weather don't know it is only going to last 30 to 60 minutes. Some of my most fun park days while I was down there were when it rained and the parks emptied.

 

[rie'smom]

A chart to show frequency:

 

[Nicolepa]

One piece of advice, when it rains in the parks stay. So many times the rain empties the parks (other then MK, that one seems less effected) out a bit because people not used to FL weather don't know it is only going to last 30 to 60 minutes. Some of my most fun park days while I was down there were when it rained and the parks emptied.

Totally agree! We are from Seattle so rain rarely stops us. We actually get excited when we see the rain clouds. We run for shelter (usually get a snack) and wait for everyone to go home.

We always go in August. Only a couple times have we had to think about a hurricane, but never have we run into the parks closing or anything.

 

[Luvchefmic]

PP have told you exactly what August is like weatherwise. As far as hurricanes & closing I think this is what has happened:

Disney has only closed a few times in it's history...

1st time - Hurricane Andrew (did not pass through orlando, but closed all the same for 1 day)

2nd time- 9/11

3rd time- Hurricane Charlie

4th time- Hurricane Francis

5th time- Hurricane Ivan

If I am not correct please fellow Dissers add your info So I would say you're going to be pretty safe. I live in Central Florida and I'm not saying I don't get nervous but the key is being prepared...My dogs will go to WDW Kennels if at all possible with a hurricane coming through.

 

[LuvOrlando]

My 2 cents: I'm from the NE, in Pennsylvania, and the southern/tropical summers are very hard on my system. Yes it is hot, very very hot which is compounded by the high humidity that prevents your body from easily cooling itself. Not so bad if you are used to it, but if you're not it can be hard on you. Bring lots and lots of bottled water or you can go broke on that alone, we went through 4-6 bottles a day per person.

I suggest comfortable sandals because the last time we were there during the rainy season we were caught in a flash flood through the AK park which wouldn't have been a big deal if we weren't wearing sneakers. I think it took 3 days for them to dry out. After that I think we made it a point to avoid wearing denim & cotton, because they soak up water and retain it. We stuck with microfibers and sandals and I kept extra undies in a ziplock in my bag in case we got soaked again. Really, bathing suits under our clothes would have been best but I wasn't prepared. Oh, and one of the best things we had were a bunch of those plastic bag rain ponchos they sell for 99 cents in the camping section of Walmart or at the dollar store. The thicker ones are more comfortable but you then have to store them after they get all wet, what a pain.

You can have a blast as long as you are prepared. I would suggest you make sure you are out early in the morning to do the longest wait rides & collect fast passes. Have lunch ressies in sit down places with AC when the sun starts to beat down (12 or so), visit the indoor shows in the afternoon or even be prepared for the possibility that you might want to clear out of the parks after lunch and head back to your room to rest during the heat of the day. Also, I would have dinner ressies in the park at about 5:30 so when you are finished eating it will begin to cool down and the crowds full of upset kids who've been out all day in the heat will start to leave from exhaustion.

Well, at least that's my strategy. I hope you guys have fun

 

[DisneyCrazy915]

Just echoing what everyone has already said, yes it will be hot and it will rain almost daily in the mid to late afternoon, but only for about 15 min or so. If there is a hurricane, the parks, water parks, and DTD will be closed. But in my experience it won't be for the whole day or will reopen the next day. AK may be closed longer so the debris can be cleared. But this all depends on the severity of the hurricane. And besides, Disney is the best place to be during a hurricane, you will still have power, hot water, and food

 

[4greatboys]

PP have told you exactly what August is like weatherwise. As far as hurricanes & closing I think this is what has happened:

Disney has only closed a few times in it's history...

1st time - Hurricane Andrew (did not pass through orlando, but closed all the same for 1 day)

2nd time- 9/11

3rd time- Hurricane Charlie

4th time- Hurricane Francis

5th time- Hurricane Ivan

If I am not correct please fellow Dissers add your info So I would say you're going to be pretty safe. I live in Central Florida and I'm not saying I don't get nervous but the key is being prepared...My dogs will go to WDW Kennels if at all possible with a hurricane coming through.

They closed for Wilma in 2005.

 

[canadianmommyof2]

Thank you all for the replies...we wanted to take a longer trip this time and drive from Canada (36 hours) but not take the kids out of school for that long so we figured August would be the best time for that. I'm not so much worried about the weather but want to be prepared and plan ahead for bad weather. Thanks again for all the suggests and info