July or August? Which do tell....

[jimmytammy]

My DS is Finally planning a trip for her family after so many years of our nudging and encouraging them to go. Her DS who is 15 now has been after his parents for several years to take he and his brother to WDW.

So my question.....they are thinking July or August, how are crowds, temps these 2 months? I have tried to get them to look at offseason for obvious reasons but they wont budge. I think I know the answer but we always go Dec, Oct, Mar, Jan for less crowds, better temps., and better point usage.

I even tried to get them leaning to early June but DBIL has two ladies working in his office on maternity leave who wont be back til July.

 

[lenshanem]

They are both pretty darn hot. I'd pick August cause alot of southern schools go back early that month. I know we do. I think it would be less busy.

 

[rbuzzotta]

We have done both for the past several years. The past 2 we changed to the first 2 weeks in August for a few reasons.

It seems there are less crowds.................the South American tour groups come in July and the FL kids go back to school beginning of August. Plus my DD's schedules work better for us in August. They get out of school at the end of June and have a busy July so they are ready to get away in august.....

the weather is the same................hot, humid and rain. but it is tolerable and the rain is usually in the afternoon but managable................except when Hurricane Charley ran us out of town a day early!!!

 

[disgirl]

We have been to DW 2 times at the end of August and are going again this August. Yes, it is humid, hot, and you get afternoon rain often, as others have pointed out. However, if they can go the middle to end of August when some children are back to school, crowds will be less than in July. I do not think they will be bothered by the humidity, the pools and water parks are great relief from that.

I agree, that going off season, less crowds, less humidity, lower points, is great. However, sometimes with school and work schedules you have to go when you can. Being there any time is much better then not being able to experience it, in my opinion. I say they should go for it and if they can go middle to end of August, yes it is hurricane season , but the crowds are less then earlier in the month. I am hoping, of course, for no hurricanes this year. Maybe we will see them there. Good Luck!

 

[Patty3]

We are going the end of August next year. Have done it before during this time frame and crowds were manageable. Not my ideal time, but sometimes it can not be helped.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I went last July (we've only ever gone in January, May, September and December otherwise). Never again. It wasn't the heat so much for me as it was the heat + the crowds.

If that were my only real exposure to Disney, I would probably never want to go back.

BUT, that being said...if that were the ONLY times we could go, perhaps we'd choose August because like Shan said, many southern schools are back in session at that time.

 

[mbhoxsie]

If you can afford to risk the hurricanes, then I'd vote August...

We got down there a day after Charley hit last year.... The resorts were packed since the surrounding area was without power, and the locals were taking refuse at Disney...

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We went August '03 and early July '04.

I think August was a little better crowd wise, but not such a big difference to really impact our vacation. It did rain more in August, we went the third week. It wasn't just the typical 30 minute downpours. It would start raining around 3 or 4pm and go off and on through the rest of the evening.
During our first park day with our families, Epcot, we got caught in the monorail station. All transportation was shut down because of the rain, you couldn't see it was so heavy. Then we found out that Epcot area was under a tornado watch.

It is hot both months, but that rain really helps to cool it down.
I think the hours the last two weeks of August are shorter.

We enjoyed both times, each has its good points and bad points.
We enjoyed being there over July 4, even with the crowds. There was an energy and excitement in the air that you could feel.
The fireworks for July 4 at Epcot can not be beat.
We did notice some of the tour groups, but had no problems with them.

Have they ever been before?
Make sure they have all PS in place and follow a good touring plan. Make sure they understand the importance of taking mid day breaks. It really helps to re-energize.

 

[JimMIA]

I went last July (we've only ever gone in January, May, September and December otherwise). Never again. It wasn't the heat so much for me as it was the heat + the crowds.

If that were my only real exposure to Disney, I would probably never want to go back.

BUT, that being said...if that were the ONLY times we could go, perhaps we'd choose August because like Shan said, many southern schools are back in session at that time.

Any time from July until about mid-October can be beastly hot in Orlando. Think Atlanta or Washington, DC in the same time period and you won't miss it much. Florida is wetter, but the temps will be about the same. July, August, and September are in the "gruesome" range, with September probably being the worst.

I live in Miami, which a lot of people think is hot, but I have to tell you WE joke about Orlando weather.

Having said that, there are things you can do.

First, recognize the pattern -- it's hot in the morning (even for us), it's stifling around 1 PM, and then goes quickly through brutal to excruciating by about 4 PM. Then, the heat boils the clouds and the thunderstorms start. We don't have sweet little summer rains in Florida, we have thunderstorms. Lightning all around, huge claps of thunder, strong winds, and bucket loads of rain -- for an hour or less. Then -- and I hate to say "magically," but -- magically the thunderstorms subside and you have a nice, warm evening.

Obviously therefore, the prime times to be in the theme parks are first thing in the morning, and in the evening. Do character breakfast, attraction conquest, lunch and back to the resort, pool until the thunderstorms, and then theme parks at night, and you'll have a great time.

Second, drink a LOT of water. Start on the way to the theme park in the morning and don't ever stop. Your body is an amazing thing if you give it the water to work with. You'll have a lot more energy, and a lot fewer medical emergencies if you drink early and constantly. No place -- even WDW -- is fun when you're exhausted, and early and often water will alleviate a lot of that problem.

Third -- be prepared for the rain, and be realistic. First of all, you have to give up on waist-down. It's gonna be wet, get over it. It's only water and you are not the Wicked Witch of the West, so you won't melt. And you won't catch your death of cold -- germs make people sick, not water.

The best rain gear is a cheap PVC jacket with a hood. Second best is a $5 poncho. But forget waist-down. Umbrellas are good transportation devices (a la Mary Poppins), but useless for staying dry in a Florida thunderstorm. They either explode or carry you away, and the rain is coming in horizontally anyway, so the only dry part of an umbrella is likely to be the top.

If you MUST (for whatever reason) be in the theme parks in the afternoon, try to use at least a pinch of common sense. Plan on spending mid-afternoon enjoying those attractions which keep you indoors (dry and in air conditioning) for long periods -- the theater type attractions, as opposed to the outdoor ones.

I've been a little lighthearted about rain, but don't play with lightning. If there is lightning anywhere in the vicinity, get indoors and stay there until it passes. Don't try to be cute, counting the interval between flash and thunder and multiplying by 1000 yards -- lightning often strikes several miles apart in the same storm. Lightning will fuse the car keys in your pocket together, and you are going to have a heckuva time getting the car started. Stay indoors.

If you start with a realistic attitude, take care of your body, and use a little common sense, you can have a great time at WDW in mid-summer. To be stupid is to be miserable...or worse.

 

[MagikMom]

I have been there in August and yes, it was very hot and somewhat crowded. As someone else mentioned, the best thing to do is to hit the parks early in the a.m., return to your hotel around lunch time, cool off in the pool, shower, change and then head out again in the evening. I am going to be there June 23 - July 8th this year. From what I'm hearing it's going to be very crowded but oh well, that's the beauty of DVC, you can take your time and relax because you know you will be back again, & again & again ect.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Any time from July until about mid-October can be beastly hot in Orlando. Think Atlanta or Washington, DC in the same time period and you won't miss it much. Florida is wetter, but the temps will be about the same. July, August, and September are in the "gruesome" range, with September probably being the worst.

It's funny you should say this because we were there last July and last September. Although September was incredibly humid and hot, I didn't really mind the heat so much because the crowds were so much thinner. So for us it's not really the heat and humidity per se, but the volume of people. And I actually liked the daily showers we got in September, too. It was really nice. Oh, but not the lightening!!!

 

[PVA]

We always seem to end up in Orlando in July. Wife's family lives in Sarasota and her grandmother's birthday is July 4. So we do a week down there on the coast for the fourth and a week at WDW (usually BWV and usually starting the 10th) just about every year. People talk about how bad it is on the fourth and in July in general. We have actually had very good experiences nearly every year. It is definitely HOT, HUMID and busy. But if you choose wisely, drink fluids, use fast pass and remember you are on vacation it is a fun time. There also seems to be a brief (and slight) lull the weekend after July 4 and Monday and Tuesday afterwards. Before DVC and school schedules we had been several times in August and September and I like the predictability of July better. You know what you are going to get weatherwise and crowdwise. Be sure to be at the waterparks early though!

 

[JimMIA]

The crowds may be less this August, because a lot of Florida schools go back earlier than in past years - August 8, I believe.