Just how bad/crowded/hot is summer?

[mtemm]

dh and I are talking about heading to wdw with the kids next year. It's been several years since we have been and things have changed.

We've always gone in October and loved it then, but kids are at an age where taking them out of school isn't an option. Thought about spring break (in April), but there is a chance we might need to drive which takes up lots of time which makes summer more ideal.

I'm wondering just how awful summer is with crowds and heat. We will also be staying off site for the first time (on points). Appreciate any advice. We would be looking at July or first part of August. Is either better? We are not used to waiting in lines really or dealing with extreme heat/humidity so I keep wondering if it's really worth it, as much as we want to get back.

Thanks!

 

[Dis703]

Obviously, people still go and manage because summers are pretty busy. But for me, I find summer weather to be completely unbearable. And that's from someone who grew up in Florida. If you aren't used to dealing with extremely high humidity I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

If you are willing to deal with the heat and humidity the end of August has reasonable crowds. Our friends go at this time every year. He's a teacher so summer and school breaks are the only time they can go.

 

[Disfan1968]

Due to my teaching schedule, I tend to have to go in the summer. And yup, is sure is HOT. Wiltingly so, in fact. But we do manage. We take the hours of 1:30 to 4:30 off from the parks, generally, and rest up back at the hotel.

As far as crowds, it depends. End of August isn't too bad, but early August and all of July are quite crowded.

 

[hakepb]

I guess it depends on your weather at home. In the Midwest, mid to upper 90's with high humidity .... Is pretty normal summer conditions.

Are lines actually low in October? It seems they are somewhat less, but no longer 10x shorter than summer.

You get longer park hours in the summer, so there's no need to push yourself mid-day. We tend to go to more indoor A/C shows (like COP) as a break.

We did our 1st summer trip to include July 4th. We figured we might as well enjoy the special fireworks if we have to deal with summer.

Overall we did fine. A big key was discovering dry-fit moisture wicking clothing. I can't imagine summer WDW in cotton T shirts.

We keep repeating summer. It's perfect for the family schedule, so it's a great vacation.

 

[HM]

Once our kids hit a certain age, we also started doing summer break vacations.
It's hot. We get up early spend through lunch at the parks and then head to our room and pool for the afternoon and then back to the parks for dinner and the evening. Late afternoon storms are generally missed by cooling off in the room. Crowds are crowds, I never thought they were unmanageable in the summer.

 

[AngiTN]

We go in the summer now. Our schools have a very strict attendance policy and taking DGD out for a vacation is impossible.
I don't mind summers at all.
DH and I went 2 weeks ago and we waited in longer lines in Oct than we do on any of our summer trips. Even our waits with FP were longer, which I found very odd but it happened on every FP ride we did.
Hours are longer in the summer, there is more time to get things done.
The only difference is in the summer we rope drop and in Oct we did not.
We are in TN and our heat and humidity is just as bad as it is in FL. We plan pool time but with the longer park hours we get in plenty of park time too. In Oct, with shorter park hours, it was pretty hard to fit in pool time

 

[LisaCM614]

We will be heading to WDW this summer. We are usually April vacation people but I didn't buy airline tickets the minute they went on sale and now both JB and SWA are over $450 a person each way! Crazy and no we are not driving from CT, we just aren't great with road trips for a one week vacation. We went in June in 2010. It was hot but we hit Rope Drop, had a nice sit down early lunch in some AC, did one more thing each day and then went to the pool where we stayed neck deep until it was time to rest in our cool dark room. Stay hydrated, stay aware of your family - if people are cranky it means they need drinks and to rest. If Rope Drop isn't your thing then use the night time hours after the sun is down if you can.
Yes it is crowded - but a plan and rope drop are your friends. I'm excited to go this summer because it means we can go for a longer visit! And now the kids are in middle school and one will be a rising high school freshman late night time in the parks is an option!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Summer in Central Florida, which is about six months of the year?, is hotter than the hottest hot. It is like nothing else. It feels like there is no air. It's like walking into a steam bath when you come out of your hotel.

Generally, you get a lot less done than in the cooler months because of the extreme heat and the crazy storms every day. People may say just tour in the rain, but when there is lightning, which is almost every day, not so fast. And a lot of outdoor rides have frequent closures because of the storms. We got stuck in Fantasyland one afternoon under Peter Pan's awning for an hour because there were lightning bolts coming down like crazy. It was awful, kids were terrified, screaming.

That being said, we go every year in late August and the crowds are decent. I don't think I could take it if it was high crowds and the heat. We make sure we are out early every day, it's your only chance. It's basically the only week that works for us now reliably because of school. I would never go in summer otherwise. And every year when I am there, I say, why did I do this again? But we have fun in the end, which I guess is why we keep going back lol.

Not trying to be a downer, but I think if you've never experienced the heat in Orlando in the summer it's hard to imagine coming from other parts of the country. It really is horrible weather.

 

[journies_end]

Dealing with the summer weather:
- Any kind of hat with a brim will be a life saver
- Sunglasses/shades will mentally cool you down
- Frozen bottles of water wrapped in a handtowel (to catch the condensation)
- PREPARE FOR RAIN. It rains just about every day. Bring your ponchos and umbrellas with you every day because it will be crystal blue in the morning but overcast by noon, then crystal again right before sunset.

Personally, I've never used a spritzer/mist fan, but whenever I do feel the spray from a neighboring guest it does feel nice. As far a suntan lotion, it makes me feel hotter/sweatier, a nice brim hat, short sleeves and shorts are the way to go. I prefer comfy tennis shoes over sandals/flip flops because you will do a lot of walking/standing in the parks. Sure socks and shoes can and will get soggy during those daily summer showers but for me sandals do a number on my feet.

Dealing with the summer crowds:
- If you want the most bang for your buck/ticket ALWAYS arrive an hour before rope drop (if you're staying on property, visti parks on EMH days, if not, AVOID the EMH park days). If you are quick on your feet, you can easily get 4 - 6 rides in on your first hour (Magic Kingdom at rope drop: SPRINT to Tomorrowland and you can hit Space Mountain, Astro-Obiter, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear in the first hour easy, and Stitch, Peoplemover, and Laugh Floor almost never have a line that early).
- Eat (quick service) meals on a stilted schedule (2 hours early or 3 hours late, eg. Lunch at 10am or 3pm, dinner at 4pm or 9pm). But in the past years, the parks have been getting better at their quick service wait times. Or...
- Eat lunch at a nearby resort. Most resorts are just a 15 minute ferry ride out your way (MK, EP, HS) or a short bus ride (AK) away. It gives you a change of scenery and a chance to escape the crowds for a bit. My favorite break while at Epcot is walking to Beach and Yacht club's Beaches and Cream restaurant.
- SMILE. Ohmygosh! There are so many guests in the summer that look like they are enduring the 9th circle. Sure its hot, humid and crowded but you are at DISNEY!! A change of attitude can make all the difference!

 

[skuttle]

How far offsite will you be staying? We normally aren't "go back to the room for a break" people, but in the summer we had to. We live in Louisiana so we are used to the heat and humidity. However, summer in WDW, there's no way we would have made it without taking midday breaks. However, if you are staying offsite, leaving midday to go back to the room may not be worth it and/or take too much time. You could still hop to a resort to cool off in the lobby for a while, grab a meal, etc.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We went this past August and I was worried about the heat/humidity - we'd only ever gone Jan/Feb/March. And we live in Northern Ontario. It was HOT but not nearly as bad as I was expecting. We got to parks early, took a pool break in the afternoon, and went back to the parks around supper time. It was actually nice to not have to pack sweaters and hoodies

We loved August and now that we know what to expect heat-wise, I'm looking forward to next August even more.

 

[Hibiscus]

I'm from NY & I would not touch a Florida summer with a 39.5 foot pole. You cannot comprehend what you will be walking out into every day until you have BTDT. The closest I get is May, and that's hot enough.

If, however, you are used to heat - and humidity, that's the killer, more so than the heat - go for it! I'm just not wired for it.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I've lived in Florida for over 60 years (I have APs) & you can't pay me enough to try WDW in July or August with the heat & crowds. Right now its forecast to be close to ninety degrees tomorrow here in central Florida & it's November. If you aren't used to high heat & humidity & raining a lot I would try for some other time of year if at all possible.

 

[kj2mom]

We went for July 4th this summer and yes, it was hot. We expected it and prepared for it, we had a fabulous time! There were a couple of times when my daughter would mention she was hot so we would figure out a way to get her cooled off (drink/snack/indoor ride/shopping). Our Brita bottles and free water were life savers. We also had a frosty towel and fans but never used them. Our strategy was RD, sit down lunch to cool off/relax then our FP rides during the afternoon.

 

[katilac]

I have lived in a very hot and humid state most of my life, and I lived in Florida for more than two years.

So, yeah, I'm 'used' to that type of weather, but the difference is that most of us do not spend hours upon hours outside in the blazing heat when we are at home.

We did August twice when the kids were little, in 2006 and 2007, and definitely did a long afternoon break every single day. It was hot but we managed, and obviously were willing to do it the second year.

Then, after several years of fall and winter trips, we did September so we could try the water parks, and we were all like, never again, lol! I do think part of it is that dh persuaded us to just 'take a break' at the parks instead of returning to the hotel, but sitting in a restaurant sipping a cold drink does not equal relaxing in your room.

I would do it again if it were my only choice of time, but absolutely planning to make rope drop and return to the room for a real rest in the afternoon. If there are lots of late hours, you could potentially just go to the parks after the worst of afternoon heat and thunderstorms.

 

[Oswin]

The summer really isn't that bad if you plan on taking an afternoon break and stay hydrated. We were there from June 29 - July 5 this year and we often would head out for the first 3 hours of park opening, eat an early lunch, then head back to the resort for swimming and a break indoors. We'd head back out about 15 minutes before sunset kicked in. We stayed at the Poly, which has a ton to do so you're not cooped up in the room. It was nice to have the monorail there to go to other resorts for exploring the lobbies and pin trading with the cast members there. We brought and used our Frog Toggs a lot, they helped a ton out in the sun when we were out in the morning. All the quick service places will give you full sized cups of ice water, and we made sure to drink at least 1 an hour with how much we were sweating and walking.

If you use FP+ to your advantage and learn the crowd flows through the parks on Disney planning sites and take advantage of pre-opening breakfast ADRs, you could easily get through everything you want in the first 3 hours of park opening with low wait times. You can then plan your FP+ times for later in the day to do the headliners you want to do that will have the longest waits, and if you can make late night EMH at places like MK you can get on a LOT in the last 60-90 minutes. MK is generally open until midnight or 1:00 in the summer and with EMH they're open until 2 or 3, which is way too late for a lot of people so the parks can clear out. Especially if it's rainy.

 

[Nancyg56]

It is surface of the sun hot! I am not going to say I will never go back in August, but it is going to be a long time.

I think that unless you are used to being outdoors for hours in that crushing heat, you just can't comprehend how exhausting it is. We start early, schedule ts lunch so we know we have an air conditioned break in place, relax at the resort the rest of the afternoon, and go back out in the evening. It's hot.

 

[Mikeb1892]

I completely believe it is all attitude. We live in PA and always go in the summer (mid June this year, end of July next year). Yes it is hot, no question, but if you go into it understanding that it is going to be hot, and take your time, and stay hydrated, you'll be just fine. The key is not to push it, go at whatever pace you're comfortable with. Don't feel like you are spending all this money to be in the world that you have to squeeze every last second out of touring. It took us a few trips to realize it, but staying at the resort for a day, or resort hopping was extremely relaxing and refreshing. Have a good plan, and the right attitude and you can have an amazing trip at Disney regardless of the weather/heat/crowds etc.

 

[mtemm]

Thanks all. I'm glad I asked but it is also making me think summer just isn't a great choice for us. Might have to figure out how we can make it happen over April vacation instead. Which I assume would be very crowded but not as hot.

 

[Julylady]

We spent the last 10 days in July at WDW this year. We planned a longer trip knowing we we would need more breaks and pool time than normal. We never spent more than 6-8 hours a day in the parks and avoided the 12-3 pm period. We downloaded the weather app that let us know of upcoming rain showers so we were able to return to resort or find an indoor attraction. We also used Frog Toggs to stay cooler. Two showers a day, no rushing, mister fans, lots of hydration breaks and actively seek out shade -you will be fine!