Late June vs August?

[EllNat11]

Usually when we hit WDW it’s in May - with other plans this year that isn’t an option. We are looking at either June 24-July 1 or Aug 5-12.

My gut is telling me they’ll both be crowded (school out) and hot but is one a significantly better option than the other? We’ve not gone in the summer since I was a kid.

Thanks!

 

[NJlauren]

I’m assuming base on usually going in May you are in an area where schools are back before Labor Day? If possible I’d push later in August, it’s HOT, but not that crowded. Arrive 12, 19 or 26 and you’ll see a drop in crowds.

Other wise I dont think the two weeks you mentioned have much difference in crowds.

 

[bluezy]

In general, those 2 weeks will be very similar. The two differences that come to mind are that the average temperature is just a bit higher in August (not really noticeable) and the hours at park are starting to reduce already (park hours in August 2022 were an about an hour shorter than in late June 2022). We've gone the 3rd or 4th week in June many times and while it can be really hot some days, we've also had many trips where the temps barely got out of the upper 80's. This past June I think we were only in the 90's three days out of eight. The rest were in the mid to upper 80's. And we like to stay at the parks late at night, so having that extra hour is a big deal for us. YMMV. I seem to remember that in the pre-Covid days, there was a more drastic difference in park hours between June and August (we have friends who go the first or second week of August so we compare notes). I can remember one year that our MK regular hours (not EMH) were 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. (with EMH being 12:00-3:00 a.m......*LOVED* that!) while the hours for MK in August that year were 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. I do seem to remember that August tended to have better discounts though. But all bets seem to be off and things are different since Covid.

 

[_19disnA]

Disney is always crowded no matter when you go. It is HOT in Florida during the summer so all of that walking on concrete won't be much fun either. People tend to say it is no big deal until they actually get there and realize that walking miles in that heat is not fun no matter how much water you drink or light clothing you are wearing. We like the cooler temps either in the Spring or Fall and would never go to Disney in the Summer.

 

[bluezy]

Disney is always crowded no matter when you go. It is HOT in Florida during the summer so all of that walking on concrete won't be much fun either. People tend to say it is no big deal until they actually get there and realize that walking miles in that heat is not fun no matter how much water you drink or light clothing you are wearing. We like the cooler temps either in the Spring or Fall and would never go to Disney in the Summer.

Well, OP already said they usually go in May but that's not an option this year, so....

 

[studiojmm]

Florida schools will probably start in the middle of that week in August and teachers will probably report fo the whole thing. That may make a difference. Some other southeast states started similarly early.

 

[beccasmom]

Schools in Florida return in early August and that may help in terms of crowds (except of course the weekend). We had to travel in the summer for several years due to school schedules and August usually “won” out. For lower crowds, August would have a bit of an edge, IMHO.

Yes, the weather is uncomfortable for a lot of folks. It is far from my favorite time to visit, but we’ve done so more times than I can count because we had no choice. Try not to worry about the weather - pack and prepare for it - a water park/pool day, mid-day breaks, lots of ice cream or frozen smoothie breaks, etc. You will find lots of tips here. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Counting Stars]

We have gone several times in June over the years- Getting out a few days before the fourth of July is important both for Disney crowds and the highway if you drive. As July 1st approached the crowds really seemed to increase. Never tried August- our school year starts the second week of August. With variable pricing I wonder is August might see a small decrease in prices.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I would go in August. We have been in June and August and agree we would never go again in June. We live in Wisconsin and the "hot" in June felt almost unbearable to us because our bodies had not yet acclimated to summer temps. Although August is technically more hot and humid, it was much easier to tolerate given we had the whole summer to "train" our bodies to higher temps.

If you are traveling from a warmer state, it probably wouldn't matter.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

So weather wise, both will be hot, we prefer August for slightly lower crowds since most kids are back in school but just keep in mind, by late July/Aug you're in the throws of hurricane season so the occasional tropical depression/storm may roll in. We've had a few over the years, maybe one or two days of rain but never a full wash out. Even when you have a full, named hurricane, a lot of times it's a non-issue for Disney. But whether it's June or Aug, you'll have your daily PM thunderstorms.

 

[Pyxie]

August could be potentially a little less busy because a lot of schools in the south go back in early August, but I'm not sure if you'll notice a significant difference as it's always busy these days. August will be hotter, but both will be brutally hot.

Another possible bonus for August is that the Halloween party may start sometime in those dates, but we won't know that for sure yet.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Usually when we hit WDW it’s in May - with other plans this year that isn’t an option. We are looking at either June 24-July 1 or Aug 5-12.

My gut is telling me they’ll both be crowded (school out) and hot but is one a significantly better option than the other? We’ve not gone in the summer since I was a kid.

Thanks!

Last year we went the last week in June, and the 3rd week in August.

1. August is definitely hotter than June. In June at least it would get cooler in the evenings. Not the case in August.
2. August is less crowded than June.

 

[nesser1981]

I’m originally from Florida, I agree with what the others said, August will be hotter, but you probably won’t notice, it will all seem hotter than the sun! Lol!

It will be less crowded probably, most Florida schools and even a lot of the southern schools I think start back to school by that second week in August.

Being from Florida, we have never been to the parks in the summer. We were there two weeks ago and days in the mid 80’s and that was enough for me.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Late June. August is even more miserable than late June. Crowds will be similar.

 

[EllNat11]

Thanks all! It seems like a 6 of one/half dozen of the other situation. We don't mind crowds so much, we tend to be a go with the flow type crew. Sounds like we'll be melting into a puddle either way

Poking around, the Late June weeks are covered by the late spring/early summer 25% off discount so I managed to snag a good discount at Wilderness Lodge which is one of the few on my bucket list I've not done yet, so we booked for June.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, can't wait to go back!

 

[Counting Stars]

Have a wonderful trip! We really like the Wilderness Lodge- love being on the water and the boat to MK.