I must be crazy……AUGUST?!?!

[olafgypsy]

Summer travel plans and discounts have lined up to make a quick August 7-11 Goodbye to Summer trip for me and my 11-year-old son a real possibility at a very affordable cost. We were just there in February, but that trip was really more about helping my sister and her husband have a great trip with their 4 kiddos ages 4 months to 9 years. My son and I would love to hit the parks one more time and do the things we love but missed in February. Only here’s the thing……

I always swore I would never, ever go to Disney World in the summer. Because, weather.

Am I crazy to even consider this? (If so, then a large chunk of the world must be, because I know other people do it!)

If you like to go in August then please share with me your tips and tricks and why you enjoy it! And similarly, if you have been in August and swore “never again” and stuck to it, feel free to weigh in as well, all opinions and advice welcome.

For context this would be perhaps my 12th or 13th trip and my son’s 5th? 6th? So we are not first timers. We’d be staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and doing Lyft and Uber everywhere.

 

[nursejackie]

We live in the north of England, freezing cold and wet for more than half the year, and just slightly warmer for the rest

We visited in August for the first time (previous visits are mostly December). Yes it was hot and humid, yes there was an occasional short-lasting thunderstorm but it was totally bearable (for me anyway). There are plenty of places to catch some aircon e.g the food places are always nice to sit in, and we had a dip in the pool every day. Planning 2 weeks next August

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

We go in August every year - this was after years of going in October and the weather not feeling much different (so why not save some $$). I also find the crowds to be more manageable, ADRs more plentiful and the trip all around more enjoyable.

I definitely recommend bringing portable fans/AC as well as cooling towels - both have been super helpful.

Enjoy!

 

[saraheliz]

I am laughing because so are we....after going last August and swearing never again!

We went in August 2022 for 10 days for our "big, last trip for a long time" trip and it was fine. Was it hot? Yes. But it was 100% manageable and I daresay one day in Epcot it was even cool. The rain didn't really interfere with our plans at all other than closing down the resort pool once or twice when we were swimming. We had so much fun and some travel plans changed in 2023 so we decided to go back.....

.....and it was a freaking inferno. 8 days of ZERO rain and straight sun, extreme heat even for Florida. About 2 days into the trip we realized we literally just needed to not speak to each other unless we were in shade or air conditioning. We used the cooling towels and misting fans and drank constantly and still had a blast but we were basically like "yep, we're good with this situation for awhile."

But you know, like childbirth, memories fade and get glossy over time. Kids started asking to go back and even my oldest, who the whole trip was like PLEASE NEVER DO AUGUST AGAIN, NO MATTER WHAT I SAY started begging. So....here we go. We know it will be hot but hopefully a little bit more like 2022 than 2023 (I mean what are the chances of 8 days with no rain again!?).

Things that helped:
-early morning and late evening hours, we were all so much happier after the sun went down
-walking through shops when we were able
-cooling towels and misting fans
-think abut your plans and routes to get there...for instance we did a meal at Beaches and Cream and ended up taking the boat instead of talking but even the walk from the boat dock was hot in the sun and we were toast at that point. Try to line up any dining reservations with little walking
-request or budget for rooms closer to the lobby/main building/pool if you can- we ended up in Nemo at AoA last year which is NOT the section we wanted but we were SO happy we ended up there because it was the shortest walk to everything

And most of all- have fun and know your limits. I was willing to sacrifice myself to keep the kids happier- so I would sent them to sit in the shade if I had to stand in a full sun line (looking at you, gelato in Epcot). My oldest did struggle one day with not feeling great due to the heat so we took an afternoon break and I ordered her to drink a mug of Powerade and a water bottle and lay down in the ac for a couple of hours and she was much better after that. You have to stay on top of it- lots of medics dealing with dehydrated people, kids throwing up, etc. You can do it! Two members of my family are terrible in heat typically and they can't wait to go back.

 

[leebee]

Once DD hit 8th grade she said never again would she miss a week of school for Disney, so August it was! Plan your days carefully, so if it's too hot you can go back to your room (easy to say, harder to do when you are in the middle of MK at 2pm and are beat but start thinking about the $$$ you paid to be here and not wanting to waste time). If you are morning people, absolutely be there for early entry, go back to the room and relax at mid-day, then head back to the parks for a few hours in the evening. Yup, it's hot. It's gonna be hot. I have found neck fans from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08911JGG...&amp=&crid=UU5J3ZKXR6I1&amp=&sprefix=neck+fan) make all the difference, and are much better than the cooling towels. We prefer to spend the money on park hoppers for the flexibility in the summer, rather than longer-stay tickets; sometimes just a long sit-down in an a/c bus or rental car while changing parks is enough to recharge our batteries. I also have a soft-sided six-pack cooler that we take every morning to keep drinks cold in the car. I double up ziplock baggies and fill them with ice, then stick the cooler/drinks in the trunk of the car. Big help with refreshing ourselves between parks.

I've also learned that I cannot drink a lot of water or carbonated beverages. I take powdered electrolyte drink mix (I buy it in little tubes from Walmart? Sams?) to mix into my water bottles OR if I get a cup of ice water from a QS stand, I mix part of the tube into the cup and use a paperclip to keep the rest of the tube closed. There is something about drinking straight water that fills me up and makes me bloat uncomfortably (I know, TMI).

Frozen washcloths- I wet and freeze wash cloths at night, in sandwich bags. We carry them to the parks in an insulated sandwich bag (from Dollar Tree, in my backpack). It's so freaking refreshing to wipe down arms and neck with a cold cloth in the middle of the day. (I know I said "go early" but we can't seem to get out of a hotel room before 11am-noon in the summer... but we burn the candle at the other end, staying out LATE, and you can't do both...)

I think if you just accept that you have to go at a slower pace in the summer, so you don't wear yourself ragged, and take snack breaks in a/c quick service areas, walk thru the gift shops instead of outside in the heat/sun, you'll manage OK. Honestly, I haven't noticed a whole lot of difference in the heat levels during ANY month from May thru October, so I say, go for it!

 

[scrappinginontario]

We visit Disney each August. If you handle heat well you can go Disney in August. Some people just do not tolerate heat well so those people I would recommend avoid Disney in August.

There are often showers in the afternoon but they are normally short lived. Last year we were surprised to have none of these during our 10 day trip.

 

[happily single]

I will never go in August again. The boys and I went in August, 2022. Just walking out of the hotel to head to the close bus stop and my shorts were drenched with sweat.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

But you know, like childbirth, memories fade and get glossy over time.

Ain’t that the truth But we love going in August, and have brought our little one both summers he’s been earthside. He gets a sweet setup with fans and cooling pads and lives his best life. We just accept that we are going to sweat to death from the second we step outside and that’s OK.

AC is plentiful and assuming you’re doing a park with lots of indoor queues it’s actually quite easy to stay cool for most of the hottest hours of the day. Epcot World Showcase or Hollywood Studios from 11am-4pm is going to make you feel like you’re in an oven, but MK you can spend a good amount of wait time indoors (Pirates and Haunted Mansion and Philharmonic.) Take the advice, and LIBERALLY reapply that sunscreen every hour, and you will have a blast with the lower crowds

 

[reddog21]

We go every summer and it's not bad at all so much over exaggeration about summer on these forums.

 

[sponica]

It's hot, it's humid but one of my best trips was in August, granted it was still during the recession so it was fairly empty? I think? I wouldn't hesitate on August.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

Am I crazy to even consider this?

Crazy? No. My family is going around the same dates you all are going. We are staying at YC and we just accept that it will be hot, humid, sunny w/ occasional rain showers. We pack the ponchos, the cooling towels, fans and drink lots of water. Drink water regularly even if you are not thirsty, just take a sip.

Also, my incredible tip is to buy some fruit to eat in your room before you leave for the day. Especially, things like grapes or citrus fruits or watermelon anything that has more water to it. It is another way to stay hydrated while you consume food. And, the sugar in fruit is going to be healthier than the sugar in a donut or muffin.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We go every summer and it's not bad at all so much over exaggeration about summer on these forums.

Glad your family handles the heat better than most, but the heat of Florida summers is not an exaggeration for many, including us!

 

[samsteele]

I've been visiting WDW a month later in early September for 5+ yrs now and agree with many of the previous tips. A cooling towel, small rechargeable fan or neckfan, electrolytes whether NUUN or chewable like Clif Shot Bloks or another brand, carrying a water bottle and making a point to drink that water whether I'm thirsty or not, carrying only a small park bag not a big backpack to keep the weight and chafe minimal and esp doing rope drop early mornings so most of your serious walking is done for key attractions by 11am and you can enjoy an early lunch in A/C. I'd also strongly recommend Body Glide or a similar product as your feet and body will be wet for hours. Bring broken in athletic sandals with a good grippy tread like Chacos or Teva. It will rain everyday and better to be in sandals than steaming your feet in wet socks and shoes. August and September trips are usually fine if you prepare and understand the conditions. But this year I'm really on the fence about my upcoming Sept trip. I'm concerned about the hurricane forecasts. More than previous years. It's still early days so I'll be watching as more info is released. I'm holding off on booking my flights at least until late May/early June and hoping I'll be more comfortable with the forecasts by then. If not, at least I haven't committed. Regular heavy afternoon thunderstorms are a reality in August/September. Most are predictable and you can see them slowly blowing in. Hurricanes are another beast and will disrupt your vacation. I'd rather skip my yearly trip than deal with that kind of stress and worry. This year's hurricane forecast is my key issue and concern.

 

[Woth2982]

I am from the Boston area and went in July once and found not a huge difference between our weather and Florida weather. I am planning a week in August this summer as my work in is closing and I could either spend a week with my toddlers in my house driving me crazy, or spend it in Florida (my babysitters refuse to work if I don't have work, and it is family so what can you do when they do it for free?). Hoping it is a similar situation where the heat is similar to Boston.

 

[loislane]

Before moving to Florida, all of our WDW trips were in August or September. Obviously it's manageable - at least for us - since we did it multiple times and now live here.
1. Light, moisture-wicking fabrics - light colors, light weight. Honestly, I start to sweat when I see people in cotton t-shirts because there's no cooling going on there! Look for shirts like runners would wear.
2. Cooling towels. We have the Disney ones and they work great. I often get mine damp and drape it across the back of my neck and shoulders to block the sun and it makes a huge difference.
3. Handheld fan. A misting one isn't needed - just one that can move the air when it isn't moving on it's own. I have one from Amazon that is also a battery pack for my phone (and a flashlight, although I've not needed that particular feature yet.)
4. Shoes that breath AND dry quickly. If you get caught in the rain, soggy shoes are not good.
5. Speaking of rain, ponchos work but they also turn you into a personal greenhouse/sauna. Small, compact umbrellas are a good option to consider and can also be used the block the sun.
6. TAKE BREAKS! Since it's not your first trip, I'm assuming you won't be trying to "cram it all in" while you're there. The heat is way more manageable if you slow down - grab some ice water and sit in the shade while you drink it. Sit down (inside in the a/c) and actually enjoy your lunch/dinner. Fit in some of the inside shows and attractions between other things like Philharmagic, Tiki Room, FotLK or Nemo, or even explore Walt: One Man's Dream in HS and do the little quiz to become a Disney historian.
7. More frequent lighter meals/snacks seem to (at least for us) settle better in the heat that 2 or 3 heavier meals.
8. Rope drop and park close are your friend. Slinky Dog's queue is horrible in the heat, but a lot more bearable if you hop in line right before the park closes for the night and the sun isn't beating down on you.
9. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You don't need to drink anything fancy like electrolytes (but they can help if you've really sweated a lot or have a dehydration headache) but you do need to drink, pretty much all day long. I carry a 14 oz water bottle that refills nicely with 2 cups of ice water from a quick service place.

 

[sponica]

I am from the Boston area and went in July once and found not a huge difference between our weather and Florida weather. I am planning a week in August this summer as my work in is closing and I could either spend a week with my toddlers in my house driving me crazy, or spend it in Florida (my babysitters refuse to work if I don't have work, and it is family so what can you do when they do it for free?). Hoping it is a similar situation where the heat is similar to Boston.

I feel like this has happened to me when we went in July and August, it was just as hot and humid at home. But at least everything in Florida is air conditioned, whereas we didn't have AC at my house...

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Always go in summer. I remember once looking at my weather app and the heat index was an 11...out of 10! Eh it's almost like a challenge...it's like being in a sauna...for a week! Have fun!

 

[Marthasor]

My DS (now 16) and I used to go down the last week of August for many years (probably about 8 years in a row). As you already know, it's very, very hot. Our strategy was go out early mornings, get back to the resort after lunch, take a long pool or indoor break and go back out again as the sun is going down (which is a little tricky as parks close earlier in the summer). Even then, it's really hot. I remember being in AK one night after the sun went down, sitting and watching Rivers of Light and sweat was pouring down my back. Not terribly fun. We will never do it again. The last summer we went (June 2021), we were very careful about hydrating, taking breaks, etc. but my DS still ended up with heat exhaustion. It was very scary and we will never go in the summer again. We go multiple times a year and my travel window is now late October through mid-May at the very latest and we still encounter extreme heat sometimes. August is also hurricane season, so be prepared for travel interruptions.

 

[_19disnA]

I always laugh since every year someone where I work takes their family to Disney for the first time in July/August and invariably comes back to say they will NEVER do that again. It is SO hot/humid that walking for miles in the blazing sun isn't my idea of a fun vacation. No amount of beverages or lightweight clothing is going to make that experience any more enjoyable. I doubt even if you live in the southern part of the country that you do you most strenuous outdoor activities at the hottest times of the day.

 

[stace1214]

I truly didn't mind August when I was a little big younger, we did several trips when my kids were young at the end of August. The low crowds at that time were amazing. I went last year with just my son the last August and swore never again. I just can't handle the heat and humidity any longer. If you tolerate heat well, you'll be fine! Cooling towels, neck fans, early mornings and late nights and you'll be good to go!