Nervous about August

[ljmclin]

We are planning a trip to Disney August 2017. We have always gone during December/January. I'm not worried about the heat and humidity as much as I am about the crowds. Can anyone familiar with Disney in August give me info on what the crowds are like in early August? We will be going for 6-7 nights somewhere between 8/1 and 8/10. Please give me your thoughts. We can go as early as late July if it is really no different than early August. We have been to disney enough so this isn't a must see everything trip, but I definitely dont' want to be in the middle of HUGH crowds.

 

[Mabel67]

Following thread, for all the same reasons!

 

[Klayfish]

August really isn't any different than June or July. It's summer, so you still have schools out, but it's not incredibly crazy. You'll be fine.

 

[IrishNYC]

July, August...doesn't matter. It's crowded, hot, and humid.

 

[ErinsMommy]

July, August...doesn't matter. It's crowded, hot, and humid.

This. And I thought oh how hot can hot really be?? Wellllll lets just say my end of August/September trip a few years ago was my first and last. I swore if I stood in the same spot long enough my shoes would've melted to the ground.

 

[Accident]

It will be much hotter and more humid than your used too. crowds may not be much different as december depending on when you go has some of the largest crowds of the year There is no blanket statement for how it will impact you as some people love it and others don't. Sept and oct are actually worse on the humidity but better on the temp (sometimes). I sometimes call it soul sucking hot because it just wears you down really fast.. The best way to describe it is you will step out outside and 5 seconds later need a shower and that's in the middle of the night.. during the day you might not get outside before you want a shower.

I do tour the parks much different in the heat.. I favor table service lunches to get a break and if I need longer I turn it into the time to head back to the resort for the pool or just to rest inside longer and come back after the temps start to drop again. I tend to go into rides with indoor queues and rides more to get some relief but spread out so it's a good mix of indoor and outdoor rides. I do tend to be more tolerant of longer lines if there is air conditioning in the line. Guests tend to be more cranky when hot, tired and still trying to run it like a race. I don't care about a poncho because the rain feels amazing.

Animal kingdom can be very interesting in the hottest time of the year and worth pointing out. That's a park that doens't have much places to cool off and you really need to plan your day around probably wanting to leave for teh afternoon to get away from the highest point...

 

[bffdisney]

The later in August, the lower the crowds. I went the first week last year and didn't find it to be too crazy. HOT, but not too crazy

 

[wookiebeck]

We made the transition from May trips with young kids to summer vacations with teens. It is hot, no doubt. Crowds are a state of mind. Lots of people all expecting similar fun times. We all wait in line together. Expect it and be mentally prepared for it and it turned out to be no big deal for us.

I also find that there are more rides open and running at max capacity in the summer. We like that there are less refurbs and more for the crowds to get dispersed about. Definitely do rope drop, afternoon break (nap) then evening touring. Embrace it and have fun.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Late August is better because a lot of school districts have already gone back to school. We went the final week of August this year and crowds were amazingly manageable. I would caution that you make absolutely sure though that you are totally as prepared as you say you are for the heat and humidity. August in Orlando is literally like a sauna on the surface of the sun. I find it survivable in the parks. My partner doesn't and needs to spend lots of time in the pool. We are both from Chicago and to us, that August weather is the direct equivalent of our minus 0° winter days. You don't know what they're like until you actually experience them. And then you quickly realize, all of your plans have to be made with managing your survival in the weather your number one priority.

 

[elle101me]

The crowds are totally manageable with FP+ and a plan. The heat and humidity however... That said, we go for 2 weeks every August. The parks are open late, and as long as you get to the parks early and plan for a midday break to relax in the AC, swim, etc. you'll be fine. Bring more clothes than you think you'll need, or plan to do laundry as you'll be sweaty and want to change clothes after your break.

 

[katmatry]

We went in August last year and had a great time. Sure it was hot but, like you, it wasn't a must do/see everything trip. Do your must sees in the parks and then spend time enjoying your resort and relaxing poolside. Have a great trip.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

August is HOT. We go in late August when the crowds are lower. I heard early August is pretty busy.

We do RD, midday break at the pool, evening park with FP+.

 

[jsrj21]

My family and I only go in August and we love it. Yes, it's HOT and humid but it's Florida! So we just go with the flow and take midday breaks and use A/C breaks whenever we feel like it...like going on certain attractions or just going through the stores/shops. The crowds have been all over the place some years. This past August [10-21] crowds were light so it was great! Some years it's better than others but if you go in with a negative mindset [not that you are], you'll never be happy.

It's hot, hazy, humid, crowded, rainy.....but you are in Disney World! So have fun!

 

[DisneyOma]

Early August tends to have more park hours too - early mornings and late nights, with a good, cool break in the AC or pool. That's how we do our August trips! We always get park hopping as an option, stay onsite, and book the FP+ for the afternoon park.

 

[mamaode]

We went for twelve days in Aug/Sept 2015 - We flew back on labor day (our schools start the day after labor day every year) We had a great trip with medium crowds but like others have said with planning it can be done. We have been a bajillion times too so nothing was really a must do except BOG and CRT for meals and 7DMT and TSMWM. So we prioritized those when I started booking in reverse to make sure I could get those booked at 180+ and 60 for FP. We did deluxe dining because we knew we'd be at the park the entire hot day and wanted to guarantee that we'd have a place to sit and eat throughout the day to rest. It was a very leisurely trip and loved it. Being preparred that it would rain everyday helped. I bought multi-packs of the lightweight poncho jackets with actual sleeves and downloaded the dark sky weather app for my phone it is the best and you could set alerts that it would be raining in 5 or 10 minutes and then we'd step inside some where to ride/show or put our ponchos on. We all also wore shoes that were meant to handle being wet. (adidas clima cool for me, crocs for one kiddo, clima cool again for the other kiddo and a merrell sport shoe)

 

[srauseo]

We went in August 2014 and are planning to go August 2017. I totally agree with PPs. It is hot and humid. It can be crowded but many states go back to school in August. And with a good plan it's absolutely manageable. Just like PPs, I go to the park early, take a long break, and return to the parks late. We would usually be heading out of the parks around 10:30/11 after a few hours of morning rides. We'd head back around 5. If you don't want to go all the way back to your hotel you could take a leisurely lunch break at a nearby hotel (Sanaa at AKL, the Wave at Contemporary, Kona Cafe at Poly) or plan to do indoor shows like Nemo and Lion King during the middle of the day, things like that. An hour or two off your feet in air conditioning make a world of difference.

 

[dominiondad]

We've done early August a few times. Look at crowd calendars, hit the rope drops, make ADRs and FP+ when you can. Once you go scan your Magicband to get into the park, be open to changing your plans based on your family, crowds, and weather. As I've told my kids - there are a thousand awesome things to do and see at WDW. If you can't get one in, that leaves you 999. Oh, and have fun!

 

[mdb78]

July, August...doesn't matter. It's crowded, hot, and humid.

I always tell people, hot, humid, and a lot of body odor!

 

[lroger01]

If you like to sleep in, August is a good time to go for that. Instead of dealing with the blazing sun, stay in bed and in the pool (or water park) until about 5pm. Then head to a park for dinner and stay until they shut the place down. The heat is easier to deal with when the late day shadows are long or it's dark. Park hoppers are good for this so you can move to the EMH park if needed. With Fastpass+, late EMH's, well rested feet, and no need to do everything, it's a good way to deal with the issues of an August trip.

 

[GillianP1301]

Early August is still peak summer crowds. By the middle of the month, when southern schools are back in, crowds start to go down and by the last week, they are very manageable/light. We go the week leading up to Labour Day and other than the labour day weekend itself, which does get a bit crowded, that week prior is pretty light.

Weather wise, super hot and major humidity. Lots of afternoon downpours, although they are generally short lived. And of course it's hurricane season, so you need to keep an eye on that.