Is it really bad to go in July?

[griz4]

We are planning our first disney trip with 2 children and due to schedules/school(taking out of school for the trip not an option) we are looking at a trip either Mid July or 2nd week of August. Is the weather really bad this time of year in Orlando? Are the parks way overcrowded where you cannot enjoy you stay there? We are also looking to stay at one of the Port Orleans resorts so we will be on Disney campus. Thanks for your input.

 

[wdw-ocd]

We went in July and had a blast!

Yes, it was hot and yes, it was crowded but the morning EMHs and careful planning made it an awesome experience. Just be sure to drink lots of water, wear sunscreen and a hat, and build in breaks (do the character lunches and see the shows in the air conditioned theatres in the afternoons, go back to your resort for a swim or a nap).

We're going again in July and I'm so excited I could burst!

 

[Snow Shoe]

July is survivable, our family has done it for many years. Yep it's hot and very humid, and it can be managed with planning. Use EMH times, mornig or night. There's a lot of sit down/AC shows, use them for a cool time. Take that afternoon break by the pool or napping in your room while the rest of the park guests commando their way through the parks. Then come back in the evening after many of the guests have left for the day, refreshed and ready to enjoy the parks again. Rent a frig to have in your room and have snacks and bottled water delivered by a grocery service like WeGoShop delivered to your room. Drink plenty of water, it's around $2.50 a small bottle I think in the parks, that's why I say, have it delivered to your room. Make sure you bring sunscreen hats, & sunglasses. For your feet, well broken in shoes-2 pair, and blister repair.

 

[floridalaurie]

We have been many times in July and August and although it is crowded and very hot, it is doable with the right planning. Make sure you go to the parks early in the morning. Take a break in the afternoon, especially if you have kids with you. Relax at the hotel, take a nap or go for a swim. Return to the parks after dinner time when the crowds thin out a little. The parks are open later in the summer so it is not too bad to leave and return later. We also bring the fan/water misters which help a great deal when you are standing in lines. I guess the point is to make the most out of the time you get to go. A hot, crowded day in Disney is much better than no day at Disney!!Almost forgot to remind you to bring rain ponchos! YOu can usually count on rain every afternoon in July. Doesn't usually last more than 20-30 minutes but it will be heavy when it comes down!!

 

[Mickey1974]

It is scorching hot..didn't bother to do my hair or wear make-up the time we were there in July. Because if I did, it just washed off my face due to the sweat even while sitting in the shade. We are used to humidity because our summers are humid but this was beyond humid. The crowds were horrendous...think shoulder to shoulder in some places of the parks. Wait times for almost every ride were a good 45 mins to an hour. We were able to get a few fast passes but then we still waited too. Meal times (even after the regular rushes) were cut-throat. I'm just being honest and this was my opinion of it. We prefer January.

 

[maymom96]

We went to Disney last July. I carefully planned the days we were in Disney. I knew what day was best for the parks we went to. We arrived early, had a schedule for how we would spend the day and had fun. There was fans running that sprayed water that we enjoyed. We did water rides when hot. We enjoyed the air conditioned attractions because we got cooled off. We drank lots of water. We sat in the shade when we needed it. When it started to rain, we stood in the rain to cool off. I was very happy how everything went!!

 

[bennythepug]

We only go July, yes we would prefer to go other times of year but hey I'll go anytime as long as I am there. It is extremely hot, even when you open the hotel door at 8am to step outside it's already hotter than you'd imagine. I do love the hours, being able to stay out late is awesome. Taking mid-day breaks is essential. After years of only going July we've learned how to make the best of it

 

[LarryKeith]

We were there in July twice for 12 nights each time. Like most people our schedules cause this. We go in July or august and yes its hot but ITS DISNEY!! Who cares. Best advice is get in parks early. Back to room for A/C and a quick dip. Mickey Ice Cream of course. Make a ADR for evening. Get back out to park at 5 or 6pm and by time you have dinner it will cool down a bit near dark. As far as crowds, I don't remember it being all that bad. Really, have no fear. If you go to waterpark, get there early, they fill up quick.
The heat is really relevent to where your from. I live in Toledo area and humidity here is high, so WDW didnt feel to much different. O ya I will be there this july also, 12 nights at Beach Club. This time we will be there on the 4th. I imagine it will be crazy with people. But I can't wait to go!!!!

 

[TheLostRescueRanger]

July is not unbareable... its pretty hot.. but just wear light clothes and go out early in the morning.. come back to the hotel mid-day and go back out at night.. thats what we do when its hot and were fine..

 

[marvali]

in the same boat. With three school age boys, we have to usually go during the July/August timeframe also. Plus, our two oldest have birthdays in late July and late August, so we tend to go in between. The first time we went the two oldest were young and we didn't have the third one yet. We stayed in a Wilderness Cabin on property. As many on here have stated, we would get up early and have cereal, frozen waffles, juice, etc before going in the parks (cabins have full kitchen). We would do the park until it started getting really crowded/hot (different times each day) and then go back out to the room, grab a sandwich, and take the boys to the pool to cool off. We would then go back in later in the day when the crowds and heat were dwindling, and we could enjoy the late evening parades and fireworks, grabbing something to eat in the parks.

This past year we were there the end of July/ first part of August. With the two oldest being old enough to fend for themselves somewhat, they would take off and do things at their pace while we took the 10 yo around with us at a slower pace. They had a cell phone, and we always had certain times to get back together or check in with each other. There were a couple of days that were very hot, but most of the rest weren't too bad (relatively speaking). It is very doable with a little bit of planning. There are a number of websites, including this one, that give tips about which days to do which parks (we stayed with this stringently), and other tips about maximizing your bang in the allotted time. We would head out to the more popular rides first and at least get a fast pass if the line was already pretty long. This helps tremendously to turn a longer wait for one ride into a benefit that you have basically already put in your wait time on another ride. With proper planning(check wait times and fast pass times to decide the best option) the wait, crowds, and heat are all very manageable, even during this peak tiime of the year. Water bottles, ponchos, small battery fans that hang around your neck and those spray bottle fans are all great ideas you don't want to ignore.

 

[TizianaL]

Like many have already said, July/August in WDW is very crowded and extremly hot, but nothing a little planning can't fix!! Arrive at the park at opening, leave when it gets too hot for you, come back later in the evening!! This worked well for us on our last trip (July 31 - Aug 8) ..we didn't even notice the crowds that were there!! =D

If you are going to be hot and sweaty, may as well be hot and sweaty in WDW!!

-TizianaL

 

[tinkerbellgirl93]

We usually go to Disney World in the summer (July and August) or around Thanksgiving. We, personally, LOVE going in the summer. The crowds make it spectacular in my opinion. Nobody likes to show up at a world famous park with dreary empty rides and no people! The hotness is not TTHHHAT bad-all the rides are air-conditioned, including every store. We sometimes find ourselves actually COLD because of the airconditioning. It's a spectacular time to go to Disney World and I highly recommend it.

 

[Dis-Wiz]

We have been going to WDW in the summer for 5 years now. I love it!!!

My best advice:

~Wear very light clothing! (no thick shorts or shirts, every bit of weight on you makes all the difference)

~In the same respect, try not to bring too much with you into the parks. Avoid a backpack at all costs! A small sling bag, fanny pack, etc. are good, and surprisingly hold a lot!

~Be at the park opening at whatever park you want to go to. If we weren't at the park opening, we didn't bother with the park until late that night.

~Animal Kingdom is a KILLER in the summer. Only go early in the morning (best when there is a EMH). There isn't much shade, and there aren't many air-conditioned places as there are in the other parks.

~Try to buy small mister fans, not the huge ones that look like Windex bottles. Sure, those hold a lot of water, but get very awkward after a while. We found these palm-sized mister fans at Wal-Mart (for about $2-3, that attach to a key-chain. These will be very convenient for this summer's trip! (we can always fill up at the water fountains).

 

[sharonmickey]

July and August are both hot and crowded BUT FUN. However, it was more crowded Presidents Day weekend last year than it was any summer I've been there. As other posters have said take a mid-day break to relax, swim, and rest. If money is an issue it may be less expensive to go the second week in August instead of July. I know this past summer the price dropped for hotels in Disney the first weekend in August.
Hope you have a magical time.

 

[daisyduck123]

We went late July - early August 2007....it was our 6th trip, but our first time during the summer.

It wasn't bad for us because we were not pressed at all about seeing the park attractions, meeting the characters, etc., because we go often. We were there mainly to swim & enjoy our resort (BCV).

For first-timers (or people who only go every few years) I would never recommend going in the summer. It is just too easy to get discouraged about WDW if you go then & get the impression of "hot, crowded parks".

We are ones that pull our kids (myself too ) out of school every year for a 9 or 10 day trip.

 

[meme51]

HOT HOT HOT. Everyone says the same thing and its true. Dress lightly, wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Make sure to have water. The nice thing about staying on property is you can go to the parks in the morning, the head back to swim at resort in the afternoon, then go back to the parks at night. Don't try to go all day long.

 

[MagikMom]

Have gone in both July and August. Yes it's very hot. Go to parks early, leave and go back to resort and hang at the pool, book early dinner reservations, and stay out all night. One tip.....stay away from the 4th of July week. Way too crowded!!!

 

[airhead]

We go the last week of June(when school is out) and the first week of July and LOVE IT!!! Yeah,its hot. So what! We're at WDW and frankly we don't care!!! As others have pointed out,everything is AC'd. As far as crowds go,we really don't feel like "OMG!LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE". Maybe because the last 4 times we have gone to WDW its in the summer and we don't remember the crowds when we were going off season. I'm not sure,but I do know its not something we worry about. We also know to go early and then leave to come back at night. We also go to Discovery Cove on the 4th. This is a decision we make because the attendance is limited to 1000 people/day.This place is amazing and IMO,worth every penny!
Whenever you decide to go,JUST ENJOY!!!!

 

[JenSop]

Besides two trips through school when I was a senior in high school, I've pretty much always gone in the summer.

When we were kids, my teacher dad would NOT allow us to get out of school to go on trips (even though my grandparents really wanted to be able to do that.) So we took LOTS of summer trips - about every other year. And now as an adult who is married to a teacher, summer trips are the only option. (DH's current school district does not allow ANY vacation days during the school year.) The last two trips we did were in June, but this summer we're going in July. (AFTER the 4th.)

When I go to WDW, I know that I will sweat my butt off and that we will have to wait in some lines. But if you go down there with that attitude in mind, it really isn't that bad. (And I HATE the heat, but for some reason I can deal with it when I'm in WDW. )

On another note, because your body is working overtime with the heat and all the walking, you don't gain weight from the dining plan!

Perhaps I'll see some of you down there - we'll be at BCV starting July 8th!

 

[jacobsmom]

We went in August this year and were soooo HOT!!!!! Our first day it was 112 degrees and the second we hit 118! This Mom was NOT a happy camper and my guys were done too. We LOVED disney, but won't go back in August again.