Is it too unbearably hot to camp in a tent in August?

[kahliasmom]

Just got back from stay at POR with dd5 in March. She had such a wonderful time and I can't wait to get back again while she is still little. I am adding on to my house and don't think I can afford 6 nights at a resort but I could swing a few nights at FW and a few at POR. I currently have 2 no expiration tickets so I could use those while at FW and do tickets and dining plan at POR. I could pay OOP while at FW. I heard that the all-you-can-eat place there is pretty reasonable. I have camped all my life and so has dd so it is nothing new to us. We currently have a week booked at a beautiful state park on LI sound in CT but am thinking that I'd prefer to go to Disney instead .

My concern is the heat. I was in Florida in June in 2001 and I thought it was unbearably hot. I think I can deal with the heat by hopping in the fountains at the park every 20 minutes. I lived through the 100 heat wave in NYS last summer so I think I can handle it. I could bring a portable fan and run that at night to keep cool also. DD has asthma but hers is brought on more by winter colds than the heat of the summer. Can anyone give me their input?
Thanks.

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

Very Hot And To Wet(rain)

 

[becky1960]

We went in July one year and it approached 100 degress and I actually saw a young girl faint while were waiting in line. She passed out so fast I couldnt catch her and she hit head on the concrete. Disney was there very fast and they took her for assistance. There are portable AC units that are pretty cheap, it might be worthwhile to get one.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Hot, humid, daily thunderstorms, hurricane season. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in a tent, air conditioned or not.

 

[Colson39]

Agree with the above posters, August is not the time you want to be camping in Florida, especially inland. Even us natives don't go to those extremes

A portable fan wouldn't do much in keeping you cool, it would help, but you still would not be comfortable. Also as was mentioned, you also are in rainy season, so not only would you have to worry about heat, you would have to worry about rain (and August heat and rain = extreme humidity, which is worse than any heat you can imagine).

Plus as Ft Wilderness Guy mentioned, hurricanes, you're pretty close to peak season in August.

 

[kahliasmom]

Thanks for replies. I guess I'll have to try camping at FW during the spring.

 

[my3princes]

Been there and done that, won't do it again. We honeymooned there in 1992 in August and it was so hot and humid. There was no where to escape the heat. Camping is great, Fort Wilderness is great, but not in July or August.

 

[tomlapointe]

You should be able to grab a "crappy inn" room in kissimmee in the $50/nite, since it's off season. Hit the travelers coupon books in places like waffle house. I wouldn't want to ride out a lightning storm in a tent. Would rather sleep in the CAR!

Good luck, and kudos for being frugal and looking for a way to make it work.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but what is camping like in mid to late September? Is it better then, or is the weather still as bad? TIA

 

[stacktester]

September might not be as hot but I guarantee it will be just as humid. We went to the fort in August last year and spent a week. Didn't do any parks, just stayed in the pool, shade and in the a/c. I can't imagine being without a/c.

 

[clkelley]

Actually, it all depends on what you are used to. Do you go camping in the summer without electricity in your hometown??

I've done that every year for the past 10 years, a week in July at Scout summer camp with no electricity. Granted it was either in the mountains of Georgia or the hills of Alabama, but it was still hot.

I also tent camped at Ft. AP Hill, VA for two weeks when the heat index hit 115 most days. I did have electricity back at the camping area, but just had a fan and was fine.

At Disney, you have all kinds of places that have electricity and blasting air conditioning.

Also, in the summer months if you are a resort guest you have evening EMH and since the parks are open late anyway, that evening EMH is "very" late

Epcot 9pm - 12pm
Studios usually 10pm - 1am
MK anywhere from 10pm - 1am to as late as 12pm - 3am
AK 7pm - 10pm

So you could enjoy the parks during those late hours after the afternoon rainshower when things have cooled down and then after dark.

Also, you can air condition a tent:

Check out the following:

http://www.outdooradvantageconnection.com/

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I have camped outside loads in the summer, but I'm from the UK, so we don't quite reach Floridian temperatures . In tent air-con would be lovely, but that's a lot of money to spend for one trip, and I can't see us being able to fly it home (nor can I see us needing it it back here in British climates). I'm not too bad with heat (in fact too much air-con isn't great for my joints), but I'm not sure if we could cope with it being constantly as hot as everyone here says it will be. Hmmm..... it's starting to look like FW might have to be saved for another trip. It's a shame, but I suppose it's better to find out now than when we get there.

 

[tomlapointe]

Check out the thread about the storms damaging awnings...everyday Storms can be pretty vicious.

Temp-wise, I (living on the Gulf coast) was surprised last year when we spent a week there that orlando actually cools fairly well at night, but if you have kids, I wouldn't want to spend a park day with them after staying up 1/2 the night because it's too hot to sleep.

 

[donac]

I have camped at DW in AUg at least 5 times. If you are used to air conditioning all the time at home it will be hard. We don't have air conditioning at the house so we are used to it. We also live in Jersey where the humidity is very similar to Fl.

We only use fans in the house so fans in the tents help us a lot. It is doable.

 

[fla.boy]

its very hot here in august and fans won't do anything but move the hot air around and the rain just makes it more humid . i don't mean to sound so negative i just don't think you would be comfortable in a tent in august.

 

[stevenpensacola]

DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!

Unless you like to listen to yourself sweat.

Only way I would consider it is if you rig up an air conditioner to your tent...don't laugh, many folks do it around here. You just have to use your imagination....just make sure you have plenty of duct tape on hand.

http://www.deltablues.net/camping2.html
http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=6419


Honestly, I don't see how anyone can stand to go to WDW in the summertime...and I've lived in Florida my whole life. It's not the heat so much as the humidity that will get you.

 

[Smooshdog]

It's been several years since I last camped at FW, but my DGF and I are going to camp at FW from july 30-aug 6. Camping at FW is the only way we can go and afford it. I'm going to invest in a cheap air conditioner to help cool things down.