is it really that "BAD!" at WDW in the summer

[WendyLovesPeter]

I live in Ohio - its not exactly mild weather all the time here either in the summer. We are considering a cruise/WDW trip in the summer, and I am having a lot of people say "Oh I would NEVER go to Florida in the summer"

Any insight from those that have? Is the heat/humidity just intolerable? Also, how about the crowd situation?

 

[iluvdizknee]

Its crowded.....Its hot.....but as you can see by my trip dates we do the summer all the time. Most of the rides are air-conditioned as well as the eating places. For me, jumping in and out of the air conditioning keeps the heat not feeling so bad. Just drink lots of water...Its the magic of disney that keeps ya goin

 

[MomofKatie]

Hoo boy, the heat is pretty toxic in FL in the summer. But, what really makes it unbearable for me is the level of humidity. I feel damp all the time when I'm in FL- it is just steamy and sultry and icky. And when it rains (which it does almost every day during the summer for at least half an hour every afternoon), the rain doesn't cool anything down. It just intensifies the sauna feeling. I've seen the sidewalks literally steam after rain in the summer.

That being said, you can still have a decent time at WDW during the summer. Go early in the morning, and when it starts to get really hot and crowded, go back to your resort to swim or just rest and freshen up in the A/C. Then head back to the parks in the evening. If all else fails, just plan to duck in and out of the A/C and plan lots of downtime at lunch, shows, etc.

 

[smi727]

I'm from Cleveland and typically go to WDW in the summer. FL is really not that much worse than OH in the summers. Most attraction lines are kept cool or are inside in the A/C. Last summer, the only place we really noticed and complained about the heat was Animal Kingdom. But we did go on the most crowded day of the week. Overall, my family's never really had a problem adjusting to the weather.

 

[meandtheguys2]

If you are in So. OH, then you should be fine! Yikes! The hot, hazy, humid days of summer here are worse than Florida's, IMO! YOu can work around crowds, and the hours are long.

 

[momto2girls]

I live in Ohio too, but I used to live in Tampa (for 13 years). The summer is absolutely brutal in Florida. Of course it depends on how well you tolerate heat, but I avoid summer in Florida like the plague!

 

[tripplanner]

It really depends on how you handle heat. It is hot and it is humid. We tend to go in August and everyone I tell always thinks we are out of our minds. The truth is that heat just doesn't bother me. I prefer hot to cold any day. The only park that we try to hit on an overcast day is AK. It feels hotter than the rest. It is crowded in the summers, but I don't think it's really that bad.

 

[jodifla]

The summer in Florida is really, really hot, even for us Floridians! I normally avoid WDW at all costs in July and August.

But I agree it's best if you are in the parks early or late. Spend the afternoons in the pool.!

 

[NY Disney fan]

Its bad and its hot and its crowded BUT its not impossible. Just walk around with your handheld fan or mister and you will be fine. Wear comfortable clothes and have lots of patience.

 

[bnhasak]

We are from Pittsburgh and Florida summers are HOTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!

Regardless, we went last year to WDW and then Ft. Myers in early August, and it was very hot and another thing to watch for is the sudden storms that pop up that time of year.

It honestly was so hot and sweaty that we dumped buckets of water on ourselves and that is the only thing that brought relief.

We had some fun, but the pavement and crowds and sun all add up to a really sticky situation.

 

[kinntj]

Is mid June ok or is that a pretty hot and rough time too? We're planning on pulling DD out of school next year in May, but if that doesn't work then we'll have to move it to Mid-June when school lets out. I can't tolerate heat too well, but will most likely have a relaxed WDW vacation then.

I would say take it easy and drink plenty of water. Just be prepared to slow things down and be flexible with kids.

I've done China (north to south) in July and I was miserable. I was so happy that the weather decided to have record breaking temps that year.

 

[druidia]

Florida lifer here and I agree that the heat is tolerable, it is the humidity that makes it so brutal. This is absolutely what you should do:

Go early in the morning, and when it starts to get really hot and crowded, go back to your resort to swim or just rest and freshen up in the A/C. Then head back to the parks in the evening.

It's a little hot and humid in the evenings, too, but not as bad as the afternoons. The rain definitely doesn't help in the PM, and it does rain EVERY afternoon like clockwork, usually with lightning, so you don't want to be out in it.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I'm from Northern PA and have been to WDW twice in the summer, once in July, once in August. It was HOT, don't get me wrong, but I didn't think it was that "BAD", neither did DH, OR my in-laws. The ONLY time I noticed it being REALLY HOT was while we were watching the stunt show at MGM...we were at the top and I was holding DS, I thought I was going to pass out.

 

[mom2my3kids]

VERY HOT and HUMID!!!! We have been during the summer for a day trip only while we visited the beach. It was sooo hot and crowded I said never ever again. We walked arm in arm and waited in long lines for rides, maybe adults would be okay but we will never go again during the summer if we can help it.

 

[Briar_Rose]

Both of my trips as a child were in August and DH and I went in 2004 in mid-August. It didn't really bother us. We live in northern VA now, but I am from northern PA. Now our honeymoon in St. Lucia in August was intolerable. The difference? On our honeymoon we stayed in an open-air suite and all of the restaurants were open-air. Most everything in WDW was air-conditioned, so there was respite from the heat and humidity. Actually I recommend bringing a light sweater or jacket for the sit-down restaurants, especially if you are wearing a sleeveless top. They really crank up the AC. BRRR! However if you really mind the heat during a typical summer where you live, you might have a different experience.

 

[leighe]

We almost always take a Disney trip towards the end of July. Yes, it is hot and crowded, but manageable if you get to the parks when they open. We live in KY where it's totally humid all summer so really there's not much difference in the weather for us anyway. We love our summer trips. I'm a teacher so I've only been once as an adult during what would be considered "off season" (because of some renovations to our school we got out really early for Christmas one year and my sister and I took a girls only trip the second week of December) and although the short or no lines were fabulous and the decorations were beautiful - it didn't really feel like "vacation" to us because it wasn't steaming hot!

 

[twinklebug]

Its bad and its hot and its crowded BUT its not impossible. Just walk around with your handheld fan or mister and you will be fine. Wear comfortable clothes and have lots of patience.

We've gone 3 Augusts in a row now and have learned a bit:

• Hats
• Go as early in the day as you can for the rides (crowds turn out around 11am)
• Stop for water breaks before you get thirsty
• carry one water mister for the group, switch off who carries/sprays it
• A wash cloth moistened in a fountain is bliss
• Leave the parks by noon - retreat to the pool
• the afternoon rest is important - use it!
• return to the parks in the evening for entertainment
• USE the extra magic hours when you can
• ENJOY!!! Take your time, don't be worried if you don't "do it all"

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

do they still have fastpass at most of the major attractions? Can't remember specifics on these - you have to be in a certain time frame of one pass before you can get the next pass or something like this?

We would skip EPCOT. The must sees are MGM, AK and MK. A water park would be just a may be - I'm assuming they are jammed in the summer months.

I need to reread the fastpass stragegies (If they still exist) I am assuming that would be on a different board

 

[pbharris4]

We've been there several times in the summer. I'm originally from Northern PA, but live in Northern VA now (still hot for me). The first time we were there in the summer it was so hot. But we've been a few times and we do alot of what others do. Go early..plan out your day ahead of time...we freeze our bottles of Propel the night before and take them in a freezer ziploc to the parks and they are always ice cold.

We don't go back to the room, swim, and then go back to the park because to us it's a waste of time..unless you'll stay to closing. BUt since this year we'll be at WL we'll do it since it's really close to MK.

One thing I don't really do anymore is wear makeup except eyeliner. It's off inabout 2 secs. anyway. I also take a sunvisor to keep the sweat off my face. You get used to it though. During a non-park day when we swim and then we go out..I defintely tell the difference of how the swimming really cools you down. So be sure to swim.

 

[klj27]

I'm from Ohio too. I've been to Disney about a dozen times in the summer and when I think fondly of those trips, the heat never even enters my mind. There's plenty of A/C place to duck in and out of. My family usually avoids mid-afternoons in the park as well and opt out for the pool and naps at that time. Going back fresh for the beautiful Florida evenings is great.