Is the heat unbearable in the summer?

[lissiesmum]

I've recently become a teacher and the only time to go to WDW for a long period of time looks like the summer months. Just looking for some advice on those dreaded lovebugs, heat, and the best resorts with shade by the pool areas. How crowded is it in the summer? I see it is value season and yet I've heard that it is pretty busy? Is it hard waiting in lines for rides with the heat and humidity? Is there plenty of shade in the parks when it gets hot? Does it rain a lot (like all day) or just showers? Any advice and experience you could share would be most helpful! It will be myself and DD4 traveling together...thanks in advance for your help

 

[eliza61]

We always go in the summer (August) and love it. Yep, it is hot but hey It's hot in NY .
The last week in August is our favorite becauses the summer crowds tend to have died down (schools in the south are back in session). We've never waited more than 25 minutes for attractions.
Some of our survival tips:

1) We go to the parks early and then head back to our resort during the mid afternoon heat to swim or catch a nap. Then we head back tothe parks when it starts to get cooler. The parks are usually open until 10-11:00 pm so you have plenty of time.

2) Go slower. Don't even think about going "commando". We try to do a "cool" attraction after being in the heat. POTC, Haunted mansion, hall of presidents in MK are all great places to cool off.

Enjoy!

 

[Harambe]

All good tips from Eliza.

Here's a couple more (we are last week of August people, too, becoz I'm a teacher and the kids are too old now to pull out):

Drink TONS of water, and wear baseball caps to keep the sun off your face (it is also fun to wear Red Sox caps since it seems the only folks at WDW at that time are Yankee and Red Sox fans - so you must represent!)

Step into the AC'd shops for a blast of cool

Have your big meal of the day be a TS lunch so you can spend an hour or two in a cool place at the hottest time of the day

Late afternoon showers DAILY - but they are short-lived. We are usually back at the resort and are napping or showering for our nighttime plans

 

[Cindy's Mom]

We always go in the summer (August) and love it. Yep, it is hot but hey It's hot in NY .
The last week in August is our favorite becauses the summer crowds tend to have died down (schools in the south are back in session). We've never waited more than 25 minutes for attractions.
Some of our survival tips:

1) We go to the parks early and then head back to our resort during the mid afternoon heat to swim or catch a nap. Then we head back tothe parks when it starts to get cooler. The parks are usually open until 10-11:00 pm so you have plenty of time.

2) Go slower. Don't even think about going "commando". We try to do a "cool" attraction after being in the heat. POTC, Haunted mansion, hall of presidents in MK are all great places to cool off.

Enjoy!

This is exactly what we do .

We stay back at the resort from 2-6p, we grab a CS lunch at the resort, swim, nap, shower - then we have dinner in the park.

We only do 2 parks per trip, so we use the EMH night hours and the parks stay open late (I believe MK is 1 or 2 AM) Its FABULOUS.

 

[AmyAllan&Eve]

I am a teacher, too. My DD will be 4 this summer, and it will probably be the two of us.

In August 2006, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, and I swear it was 10 degrees cooler there than anywhere else in the World (probably because of all the trees). It was hot, though. I can remember sweating when we went up to the roof to raise the flags (as the WL flag family) on our last morning at the resort. I rarely sweat, so that was unusual, especially considering it was only 8 a.m. It wasn't the heat that got me as much as the humidity.

But everything is air conditioned everywhere you go. I didn't find bugs to be a problem. This year, the WL will probably not be in our budget. I am thinking about Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside. From pictures, it looks to have lots of trees and shade, too. I would like to do a split stay and try POP or an ALLSTAR Resort, but I am worried about all the concrete.

Also, I am considering a June trip this year. As a child, we always went in June and I never remember it being as hot and humid as my last two August trips. I am wondering if it's cooler in June (well, slightly) or if things have changed over the last 20 years.

Thanks for starting this thread! I hope we get some more opinions and ideas. I could use all the help I can get in planning this trip!

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

Bring wide-mouthed water bottles and pack them with ice at the hotel or resort that morning. Fill them up the rest of the way with water and keep the ice in there as much as possible (free cups of ice at the counter service restaurants). Between this, the previously mentioned "ducking in" at cool attractions (and cutting through air conditioned shops) and taking a mid-day break on some days, you'll be fine. Additionally, don't forget to pack sun screen and aloe in your checked luggage - they charge an arm and a leg at WDW!

We've been there during many Augusts and it's fine...

 

[mjkaferle5]

All good tips from Eliza.

Here's a couple more (we are last week of August people, too, becoz I'm a teacher and the kids are too old now to pull out):

Drink TONS of water, and wear baseball caps to keep the sun off your face (it is also fun to wear Red Sox caps since it seems the only folks at WDW at that time are Yankee and Red Sox fans - so you must represent!)

Step into the AC'd shops for a blast of cool

Have your big meal of the day be a TS lunch so you can spend an hour or two in a cool place at the hottest time of the day

Late afternoon showers DAILY - but they are short-lived. We are usually back at the resort and are napping or showering for our nighttime plans

Why would anyone want to wear a Yankee or Red Sox cap??

Go Tigers!!

 

[kbiscuit]

We go the end of June as soon as school gets out because I don't want to take kids out of school. It also seems like a good time because it makes the last few days of school go by faster for the kids and something to look forward to. Usually camps in July and August.

It is hot but there are plenty of places to cool down. We take cases of water with us and each day we go to the park we take a backpack full of water bottles (the weight of it alone is incentive enough to drink constantly). Bugs are not a problem. Be sure to bring a sunglasses and maybe a spare as it is very bright. Don't expect your hair to behave as the humidity makes it have a mind of its own. According to one CM June heat is not as bad as July and August. So it works for us.

Karen

 

[NYPDwife]

We just went to Disney August 13-20 of 2006 and it was steaming. When walking down the streets stay close to the shops. The keep their doors open and just that little bit of cool every now and then helps.

 

[WillCAD]

I've recently become a teacher and the only time to go to WDW for a long period of time looks like the summer months. Just looking for some advice on those dreaded lovebugs, heat, and the best resorts with shade by the pool areas. How crowded is it in the summer? I see it is value season and yet I've heard that it is pretty busy? Is it hard waiting in lines for rides with the heat and humidity? Is there plenty of shade in the parks when it gets hot? Does it rain a lot (like all day) or just showers? Any advice and experience you could share would be most helpful! It will be myself and DD4 traveling together...thanks in advance for your help

It's been a few years since I went to WDW in the summer, but I never had any bug problems in June.

Florida is hot in the summer. By mid-June, temps will average in the mid to upper 80s, and it's quite common to see 90 and above by July. As the summer progresses, it also becomes humid.

Shade is scarce at most of the pool areas; there are no trees near the pools, because leaves and buds can clog the filters, but some pools will have shaded tables or other man-made structures.

Summer is NOT Value season; never has been, never will be. Summer is the Peak seaon, and is crowded, particularly the holiday weekends of Memorial Day and July 4th (July 4th is one of the two most crowded weeks of the year, second only to Christmas week). However, the crowds taper off the last week or so of August, as kids around the country prepare to go back to school.

As the heat and humidity rise through the summer, daily thunderstorms of great violence and brevity begin to occur, usually around 3-4pm. They last less than an hour, completely saturate everything, and within an hour of stopping you can't tell they ever happened. And like any time of year, there is no way to predict in advance when a weather front will move through and cause steady rain for several days.

Late summer sees the beginning of hurricane season, increasing the possibility of longer rain.

The parks are full of air-conditioned buildings where you can rest and recover if the heat gets to be too much for you. The best advice I can give if you go to WDW in the summer months is:

1) Drink water until you think you will burst. Don't wait till you're thirsty - by then you're already dehydrated - but drink water constantly. Add some Gatorade or Powerade to the mix once in a while to replentish the nutrients you lose when sweating, too. And although it's tempting at WDW, don't eat too heavily; more food will weigh you down. Eat light and more frequently instead of having 3 big meals.

2) Take it easy. Rest. Take daily mid-day breaks to return to your resort for a nap and a refreshing swim before dinner and returning to the parks. This is especially important with a 4yo.

3) Put on sunscreen every morning no matter what the weather forcast is. Don't forget the ears and nose; don't forget the backs of your legs (they will burn in shorts); don't forget the feet if you wear any kind of open-toed shoe. If you have fair hair, short hair, or thin hair, a hat is a must or you may get burned on top of your head! And RE-APPLY at least once per day; there is no such thing as "sweat-proof" sunscreen.

4) With a 4yo, take a stroller. "But she doesn't use one any more!" you might say. Maybe - but at WDW, you can bet that SHE WILL! Take a stroller with a sunshade where she can take a rest as you go from one attraction to the next; the heat and activity will take a toll on her faster than you.

5) RELAX. It's a vacation. Take your time, don't rush, plan plenty of travel time from one place to the next. Enjoy the sights, enjoy the sounds, enjoy the atmosphere of the place.

 

[iluveeyore]

Lots of great tips from everyone! We went last year in July and are going end of May/ first of June this year. Best tip is to go early, enjoy your resort in the afternoon, and make good use of the EMH, especially the late evening ones - so much fun when the sun goes down!
Also, all of the counter service/concession stands will give you a free cup of ice water with lid & straw. We usually carry our water bottles once they're gone (keep them in the freezer and they'll thaw slowly and stay cold all morning), and then add the free water to them when they're empty. The water tastes fine too - it's from their soda fountain, so it doesn't taste blah like the water fountain water.
Also, Disney is awesome for having most/all of their cue lines either shaded or inside. Only a couple of the kiddie rides are out in the open, and they have fans/shaded spots as well. Fastpasses are a must in the summer.
Enjoy your future trips!!!

 

[skipperkim]

I'd recommend going to Walmart and getting a misty fan and bring batteries for it. It will certainly help keep you cool. While at Walmart pick up some rain ponchos too. Also, if you are staying at a value resort keep in mind that the que is out in the sun or rain.

We always hit the parks at opening, leave around noon and head back to the resort to swim and nap. Then head park to the park for the evening around 6. Since the parks are open late this plan works well for most of us, as you have read in other posts.

 

[Kimberle]

Like the others have said, it is hot and humid. But it is "doable". Go early, leave the parks mid-day to hang out at the pool/hotel or inside. Have an early dinner, then go back to the parks 5pm or later. Drink lots of water, wear a good hat.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I travel with a teacher, so we're restricted to travel during school breaks, too. (He retires in 2 years - we can't wait!) Our trips are usually the last weeks in July or the first weeks in August. Yes, it is extremely hot! Almost every picture of me looks like I've just stepped out of a shower.

However, that doesn't mean it isn't doable and enjoyable. You just have to learn to deal with the limitation. Fortunately, there is an awful lot of WDW that's inside in the A/C.

As far as the recommendation to take breaks, go back to the room, swim in the pool, take a nap... it's essential. The up-side of going during the summer is that every park is open very late. Magic Kingdom closes at 11 or 12 (3 am on EMH nights). There's lots of time to get stuff done without trying to go straight through from opening to closing. (This is compared to Fall when it's cooler, but the parks close a 7 or 8.)

The parks are crowded, but not extremely so. If there's a really long line for something, utilize FastPass for it. Utilize EMH, when there aren't as many people in the parks. Or just check the ride at different times. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean had a 45 minute line one afternoon when we were there. We waited in it because we were excited to see the changes. Later that night (around 7 or 8), we walked past and there was a 15 minute wait.

 

[CowboyCO]

I've been to the World in October and it was 88-91 degrees and humid. We're going in April/May this year, which will make it 88-91 degrees and humid. I've also gone in December and January when it was too cold and humid. Have you ever tried to find a coat to buy in the World? We even saw snowflakes one night.

Let's face it , Florida is hot and humid from March-October. At least it is to people like us from the West. Hot is hot. Humid is humid. The best ting about the World is that few of the lines are outside. They get you into the shade and AC quickly. I always take one of those pump up misters and they help a lot. People also like the neck wraps and the fan misters.

 

[Plutos.Girl]

We always used to go in July/August when I was still at school as my parents didn't like to take me out. I remember the first time we went my dad's glasses fogged up on the outside as soon as we stepped out of the bus from the airport.

It is VERY hot and muggy at that time, but not to the point of being unpleasant. I recommend those fan things that spray out cold water too, they are very useful. Drink water rather than fizzy drinks. Wear a hat. Also go for opening and save some cool things to do in the afternoon such as American Adventure/Hall of Presidents. Or look at shops etc.

We had just as good a time in the mid-summer and I'm sure you will too

 

[Kimi313]

Yes it is hot but your in Disney World! We always go in the summer but I have been spring break before and I find it more crowded during spring break and the hours at the park aren't as long. So we enjoy summertime because you can go in the morning and get alot done, go back to the hotel or now with DD being older we just eat lunch either at a table service or a place, ex. Columbia Harbour House upstairs, that is little visited and you can take your time eating and veg out for about an hour or two. The parks are open later so you may opt to sleep in and swim then go to the parks later and stay later. Just do your homework on these boards and maybe pick a hotel that is convient to the MK since your child is younger and you may be spending more time there and you will be okay.

 

[NDAMomX2]

Hello to all you fellow teachers. I'm a teacher also and so we go during school vacations. It is HOT during July. How hot is it? We actually went into the Hall of Presidents to cool off. We spend the early mornings in the parks, the afternoons in the pool, and then back to the parks at night. The Grand Floridian was fabulous and cooler...but "wicked" expensive as we say in Massachusetts. We're going back this year over the 4th of July and staying at Ft. Wilderness cabins for the first time. Follow all the advice here and have fun.

 

[lissiesmum]

great advice so far, and hello to all my fellow teachers sounds doable to me. I can definitely see the napping and swimming in the afternoon. Is it a project to board the busses more than once a day? Is there shade while waiting for the buses at the parks? Has anyone stayed at Yacht Club or Beach Club just for the pool? The resort itself isn't that appealing as I"m from New England, but, the pool looks fantastic. I'm thinking also of the Wilderness Lodge or Dolphin/Swan. I wish I could afford a monorail resort, but maybe another year! Keep the great posts coming, I could use all the tips I can get!

 

[Disneyfanactic-AKL]

No, I've gone with my family in the begining of the summer and it wasnt bad. If your going to see the parades then stay in a "shawdow area" by a tree or buliding and DON'T sit down because the pavement is really HOT! but if you stay on site which I say You MUST then go back in the afternoon for a swim and slide down the water slide!