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

[wdwfamilyinIL]

What is May like, we are going from the 19-26

 

[aes74]

Here's why I don't go in the summer (and I live here in Florida):

One time we braved it. Middle of the summer. Hot. Humid. We were packed in the Haunted Mansion line like sardines. I want you to picture it here with me. So, people are grumbling, sweating, soaking, etc. Now when you are standing in the heat, not moving, you notice that people start to smell. Especially people from way up north or other countries that aren't used to the humidity here and just don't know what to wear or have heavy duty deodorant. This family in font of us...the daughter has one of those fan/mister bottle thingys. So she stands in our line of fire (we are behind them) and sprays the bottle and gets the fan going. The guy is very hairy, very sweaty, and he is wearing a tank top. She aims right around one of his armpits. The fan blows his b.o. like a hurricane right into us, and there is NO. WHERE. TO. GO. Because it is summer, and we are all packed like sardines. It took all I had to keep my dry heaves dry.

If you do dare to go, keep things very flexible and take breaks.

 

[Teacher03]

I've lived in Ohio all my life, and it does get hot and humid at times, but nothing like Florida! It is HOT! We went once in July, and although we had a great time, we will avoid going back at this time. Last year we went back the first week of June and it was much better. It was hot, but not so humid, and the crowds were less. But...anytime is a great time at Disney!

 

[leighe]

Sorry to hijack the thread but aes74 - I just have to ask. Where did you get your daughter's pink princess dress in the far left photo of your siggie? I was thinking about having some made for my DD for her first trip because the Disney ones seem to be so scratchy on the inside.

 

[aes74]

Sorry to hijack the thread but aes74 - I just have to ask. Where did you get your daughter's pink princess dress in the far left photo of your siggie? I was thinking about having some made for my DD for her first trip because the Disney ones seem to be so scratchy on the inside.

Hey, I bought it last year at the Disney Store. It is the more expensive "deluxe" version of Sleeping Beauty. I am usually too cheap for that, but I bought it on sale and made a pact with my daughter she was going to wear it for her birthday, Halloween, Christmas......you get the picture!! They usually come out with them around springtime. I have found that the dresses at the DStore are a little higher quality/less itchy than the ones at the park. The WDW costumes have typically fallen apart faster. Not always, but usually. You can always try ebay also.

 

[Whosemom]

We Ohioans went last year. It was hot. But remember summer-before-last? It was hot like that here. We camp in a non-a/c pop-up and somehow on a trip, we just ignore what we would be complaining about at home. What really got to us was the bugs. My lands! They've got bugs down there I never want to see again. But we were in a state park camping. I think disney sprays the beejeebers out of everything.

 

[tiggermei]

Being from Georgia, I can tell you that I don't prefer to do WDW in the summer. It's hot, humid, and rains (with thunderstorms/lightening) almost every day -- just like it does here. That said, the rain is less likely in July and August than in June. The last three years, I've been forced (because DH wouldn't let me go when I wanted to) to go in the summer. Once in July and the last two in June. I MUCH prefer July to June. I hate going in June, but if that's my one chance . . . not going to pass it up. It's crowded starting in mid-May -- scary crowded -- and add the heat/humidity and it's less than fun unless you're prepared.

But, if you are able to go with the flow, you'll be okay. Just realize that with the crowd and heat that it won't be ideal and that you'll only get to about half of what you would have in other times of the year. Others have mentioned getting there at opening - do that. It'll greatly enhance your experience, but realize that it takes time to get into the parks so plan for that. The people in front of you may not be as savy as you at handling the parks, tickets, etc. And, make use of fast pass. That's how you'll get the best experience at WDW in the summer.

I don't wish to make you feel too much trepidation - just make sure you're prepared. And, do ADRs (I'd do is ASAP). Otherwise, you're stuck with counter service and the lines are terrible -- and in some places the food isn't that great.

But, with that said, guess who's doing WDW in late June AGAIN this year. Dang my teacher husband.

 

[mericletwins]

I think that if you are going to go in the summer I would try to go in the last two weeks of August. A lot of schools start going back in August and it is a little less crowded. We went last year over Easter and then again at the end of June. I would pick Easter over June anytime, but June over no trip w/o a doubt. Last June when we were there it poured rain for about 6-8 hours a day with wicked lightning and thunder. My kids, who were never bothered by lightning and thunder before that trip are now scared.

 

[diz8297]

Summer is definitely doable. We switch off between April and July every other year to maximize our Annual passes. Is it hot?? Obviously and the humidity is tough, but everything has A/C. The advice everyone has given you is excellent. Would I choose to go exclusively in the summer?? No, I prefer October/November. But I refuse to pull my kids out of school, so we work around school vacations. Just realize you'll need to move slower, relax, and you'll have a blast. Like a previous poster said, it's not the heat you'll remember. It's the awesome memories!!

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

diz8297 - thats it for me too - I refuse to pull my kids out of school because school is the priority for me. They will miss 1 day in November, but that I will tolerate. We have 2 football schedules to plan around. My son plays, and my husband is a coach - that starts in late July so there goes late summer My kids show livestock in mid June so there goes late May & early June That gets us down to the heat of July or Thanksgiving week - very hard decision.

I appreciate the input, but we are leaning towards Thanksgiving. We did this week a couple years ago, but we were there early in the week. The crowds were not bad at all on those days - I know it will be busier, but I had some good strategies about where to go first and which fastpasses to get. Of course, I will need to relearn all this info, but we'll take the chance.

 

[diz8297]

That'll be a great time to go. I was there right before Thanksgiving many moons ago-pre dh and kids. Great weather. Gonna be feeling your pain re: football next year. Older ds wants to rejoin and little guy wants to start.
There goes my life!!!!

 

[TheDizMom]

We went in August and it was horrendous! It was in the upper ninties and humid every day. We get bad in Minnesota in the summer and it reminded me of those stretches of unbearable heat here. The worst part was it made everyone grouchy, especially our then 4 year old. We were always sweaty and hot no matter what we did. The only time it wasn't so bad was at night when the sun went down, although it did little for the humidity. The worst part was waiting for the shuttles at our hotel(All Star Sports)because there was no shade and sometimes we would have to wait 20 minutes for the right shuttle to arrive. I have also gone in June though and that wasn't even close to as bad. If you have to go in the summer I would recommend doing so in the early summer.

 

[Princessbaby]

We are going in mid-August and plan to leave the parks and dine and swim mid-day and finish up in the evening when the sun is not at it's hottest!

 

[JVL1018]

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.

How funny-similar experience!
We went to WDW in August 2005 and I was fine--I love the heat--my hair looks awful in the humidity but other than that I am fine with it.

The ONLY time the entire 10 days I felt like it was unbearable was at the stunt show in MGM.

The crowds that week(last week in August) were very light, i think it would have felt worse if I were surrounded by big crowds

 

[abeyst]

We went last August (the 3rd week). There's no words to describe how hot and humid it is. It was our 8th trip to WDW - the 1st one in the summer. It was so much worse than I expected. It's humid 100% of the time. It's humid when you wake up until you go to bed. Sweat never evaporates to cool you off cause it's humid all the time. The a/c rides dont help much cause you end up dreading having to go back out into the heat and sun. You sit down to watch Spectromagic at 9pm on Main street and you have to shift your weight cause the ground is so hot you can hardly stand it. By the end of our trip we didn't even go to the parks. We loved the days it rained. It cooled us off and gave us a break from the sun. I'm so glad it wasn't our first trip to Disney so swimming all day wasn't a big deal.

Don't forget to add in the hot and cranky kids... You don't realize how much the heat and sun drains you, even just being out in it walking from Main street to Frontierland.

I don't know if I'll ever go back to Disney in August again. Maybe I'll try June, but even that will take some more years of convincing.

Seriously, August is miserable beyond all reason.

Don't go without a HUGE mister for each person in your party. You will need it on you constantly.

 

[heaven2006]

Hi!

I'm planning to go to WDW for the 2 last weeks of August this year. It will be my first time in Florida and you're really scaring me! Some weeks ago I was thinking to go in Easter Break, but some people told me not to go because of the crowds, others told me not to go in the first weeks of August because of the crowds and the weather, and others told me that the Christmas week is the worst of the year to visit WDW. Unfortunately i will have to go in the last weeks of August or not go : / I live in Portugal and visited many countries in Europe such as Spain, France (including DisneyLand), England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, Belgium (all of them in August) but I think it's impossible to compare the weather in Florida to one of these countries, at least for what you describe here.

For those who live in Europe or have gone here in Summer: It's possible to compare the heat to any of these countries I visited?

Sincerely, the way you describe the weather in Florida is really making me give up my plans and choose another country to visit I think we need a new thread called "Support for WDW Summer Visitors"

 

[twinklebug]

it's funny - you hear the opinions of those who've gone in August and how they have delt with it and enjoyed the trip, and then you hear from those who have gone once, obviously NOT heeding the warnings about being out mid-day and what a miserable experience it was for them. One of our August trips was shared with a friend and her kids. I gave her the warnings, we had to split up part of the time as the kids were getting too much time together and bickering like siblings. One late morning I called her room to ask if they'd meet us at the pool, to which she replied, "No, we're going to go to Epcot" gasp! I warned her again, but she insisted she'd be fine. Well, didn't that Epcot experience RUIN her entire vacation for her. Now she says "FL is too hot in summer ... I'll never go again in summer" *sigh*

Is it possible to spend all day in August in the park? Yes, of course, but I guarentee you and your family will be miserable at least part of the time if you don't take a break. So what's the point of setting yourself up to be miserable on vacation? If your a person who has to keep going, and unless you have a VERY high tolerance for heat/humidity, go at a different time of year.

Personally, I love the warmth & welcome an excuse to go lie by the pool every afternoon

I think the OP has made an excellent choice for herself.

 

[hematite153]

I've been to Florida twice in August and I agree that it is not an ideal time to go but it's been fine and we would do it again. (Besides it is just as hot and humid here during the summer--except that the night-time cooling here is a nice break that you don't get in Florida.)

People have posted some great advice. A couple of things I might add:

1. If you soak your hat in water (ice water overnight, cold tap water during the day) it will cool your head and thus your body.

2. If you make a point of being outside (without raingear) when it is raining you can avoid some of the worst sun and heat--plus being wet will cool you down.

3. If you do find ways to get wet then make sure you don't sit in heavy air-conditioning afterwards.

4. Change your socks and shoes in the middle of the day. (Yes, socks seem warmer than bare feet but, if you invest in quality running socks, then they can be cooler in humid weather and will protect you from blisters.)

5. The cement at EPCOT can make the heat unbearable. Yet, despite the lack of a/c, AK can be quite relaxing in the shaded areas.

6. Taking a break in the middle of the day is a great idea, but you need to be prepared to really commit to the break. Leave the parks for 4-5 hours, take a nap, etc. If you aren't going to commit to the break then another strategy that we have used is to alternate park and resort days. On the park days we stop for a long late lunch at an a/c'd CS then make a point of doing quieter, longer, a/c'd attractions with large capacity during the afternoon. On resort days we sleep in, go for a swim, take naps, get to bed early, etc. (Keep in mind, this option leaves you exhaused on park days--not recommended with children--but it avoids hot, sunny bus-stops in the middle of the day.)

 

[TheDizMom]

As I said in my earlier post it was horrendous heat wise but we still had a great time. We loved our trip from beginning to end even if the heat did make us a little grouchy at times. We also stayed at the parks on most days during the hottest time of the day and though it was hot, we hardly melted and we just made sure to stay hydrated and find a cool spot to sit upon occasion. So don't cancel your trip just be prepared and plan accordingly. If you have little kids go to Donalds boat at Toontown and let them get wet! Bring a suit or put one on under their clothes so they can get wet and you will still have something dry (tuck some undies into your bag) to put them in later. My daughter had a blast getting wet, but she was so wet she wouldn't dry and we had to go to one of the shops and buy her a change of clothes before we went to dinner. But it was a great way for them to cool down and they had screaming good time.

 

[aes74]

Hi!

I'm planning to go to WDW for the 2 last weeks of August this year. It will be my first time in Florida and you're really scaring me! Some weeks ago I was thinking to go in Easter Break, but some people told me not to go because of the crowds, others told me not to go in the first weeks of August because of the crowds and the weather, and others told me that the Christmas week is the worst of the year to visit WDW. Unfortunately i will have to go in the last weeks of August or not go : / I live in Portugal and visited many countries in Europe such as Spain, France (including DisneyLand), England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, Belgium (all of them in August) but I think it's impossible to compare the weather in Florida to one of these countries, at least for what you describe here.

For those who live in Europe or have gone here in Summer: It's possible to compare the heat to any of these countries I visited?
:

I would say possibly southern most part of Spain. Definitley not England. My experience with working at MGM during the summer (and let's hear some pity for me; I was in my uniform with black polyester pants) is watching people from less humid areas melt. I remember the British; good heavens they just seemed to sweat to death. And from what they told me they don't really wear shorts over there so they arent used to dressing for this type of weather. The Germans were another group my heart would ache for. So definitely do your research and take it easy. Do not do commando Disney or you will be miserable. As for the post by twinklebug above, I don't think it's always about heeding warnings. Some people just don't like it. I hate Disney in August, and I live here!! You won't catch me (or most other natives) anywhere near D in the summer.

If you follow the advice you've read here, and dress properly and take it easy, you will be okay. Also, a good attitude goes a long way!!