OK, call me stupid and I know it's last minute

[MrGrumpy222]

I am off to BWV in 33 days. Due to HS sports and school and work and yada, yada, yada, my family and I are forced to take our WDW vacation in July. We have never been there during this time of year, we go in December but that has to change. My wife has been obsessing about the potential crowds in WDW during July. My question is "How bad are the crowds at all 4 parks and the BWV's?". We were at WDW 2 years ago for "Jersey Week" and it was crowded, does it get worse than that? I am assuming that it is but my hope is that you guys will tell me other wise. Anyone with the terrible truth and some suggestions on how to best attack the situation in HOT Balmy July I would be more than grateful.
Cheers

 

[spiceycat]

yes, the crowds can get worst that Jersey week....

go early in the morning as possible - use EMH.... then when the crowds get to big or the heat and humdity get to you go back to your resort.

enjoy swimming, relaxing, reading book, go shopping, take a nap (needed) go back to the parks after 5pm. stay until closing (again use EMH).

in the morning be sure to use fass pass - remember these things will ruin out during busy times...

 

[chris1gill]

We are also going in July Our school pulled all the parents in, in our grade and explained that from here on out, school will be much more difficult, much more intense & time management will be critical... I know they weren't kidding, so we cancelled our October trip & booked for July I hate crowds.... I plan on mini-golfing, sitting at the pool, going to Typhoon Lagoon & trying hard to get up early to hit the parks the minute they open so we can get out of there by eleven when it will be HOT..... I wish us both luck LOL...

 

[Caskbill]

Put it this way, compared to the crowds for New Year's Eve, the parks will be practically empty....

 

[chris1gill]

Put it this way, compared to the crowds for New Year's Eve, the parks will be practically empty....

That put's it into perspective LOL... thanks Caskbill....

 

[Sherri]

Even in July I never found Animal Kingdom to be that crazy, but then again they have new ride there now.

 

[patsal]

Been going in July for six years now. With work, school, etc. it is the only time we can go and stay for a full two weeks. We jsut kind of work with it--parks early, get out when it crowds up, use fast pass, enjoy afternoon down time, and put a bit more planning effort into it than I do for the short one week trips (December, Feb break, Easter, etc). I bring extra ponchos since ther is usually a good downpour daily and water since it can get very hot.

 

[Granny]

We have always travelled during the summer to WDW, so we don't have anything to compare the crowds to. Here's some thoughts though...

If your vacation includes the 4th of July, the parks are packed to the gills by 9:30 that day (especially MK) so if you really want to be in a park, get there early and plan on a long day.

Yes, Orlando is HOT in July. Dress lightly and be generous with the sun block or you can ruin your entire vacation after one day with a bad sunburn. If you are smart and drink plenty of water it's not that bad. Many of the attractions are indoors so take advantage of that to cool off (tip: Hall of Presidents is a great place in the MK to cool down a bit).

Other than that, use the FastPasses and be flexible. We like to use the afternoon to relax by the pool or in the room, then head back out in the evening.

If you like Fantasmic, do the Dinner Package thing because waiting in that cattle crowd for 90 minutes in the heat (before they let you in the theatre) is not a pleasant thing!

WDW in the summer is not as bad as people make it out to be. I can see that if someone is used to going in January during low crowds then it would be hard to adjust.

But the good news is that the park hours are long in the summer, and very few of the attractions are being refurbished.

Take it easy, use the FP and you should have a great time!

 

[Jerseygirl63]

Yes, we're crazy too We are visiting WDW in August this year Now that our 12 year old is in middle school with more demanding work we can't take the kids out of school in October like we used to. Our former superintendant also took away a four day weekend in mid October which used to be great since the kids were only missing three day of school. Any advice for us? I know we will be taking it easy at the pools in the heat of the day and hitting the parks in the early morning and later in the evening. Thanks!

Holly

 

[Figment2]

Granny, I'm not sure I agree with your comment about WDW in the summer not being as bad as people make it out to be. I attended a pin event several years in August and swore I wouldn't go in August again. Didn't have anything to do with the crowds. It was just wayyyyy too hot and humid.

I think it depends on whether you love heat (or not). Even with all cotton clothes and one of those cloths to put around your neck to keep you cool, I was very uncomfortable. Good hair days were non-existent. Of course it didn't help that I was carting around 50 lbs of pins too.

Cyn

 

[Granny]

Granny, I'm not sure I agree with your comment about WDW in the summer not being as bad as people make it out to be. I attended a pin event several years in August and swore I wouldn't go in August again. Didn't have anything to do with the crowds. It was just wayyyyy too hot and humid.

I think it depends on whether you love heat (or not). Even with all cotton clothes and one of those cloths to put around your neck to keep you cool, I was very uncomfortable. Good hair days were non-existent. Of course it didn't help that I was carting around 50 lbs of pins too.

Cyn

Cyn....everything is relative of course. We have now made 8 trips in the last 9 years to WDW, and every one of them during the summer.

If someone really cannot handle heat and humidity, I can certainly see where it could be a challenge or not very enjoyable. But for us, the weather is really not all that much different than St. Louis during the summer so it's something we're accustomed to.

I probably shouldn't have said "as bad as people make it out to be". I should have said that it can be a good time to vacation if you can handle the heat and are willing to be flexible with your time there.

 

[MrsNick]

Hi, we went in July 2003. I am in total agreement with Granny on this one. If you're going to the parks, hit 'em first thing in the morning and get the heck out of Dodge by lunch time (when it gets incredibly hot). Go back to your resort and take a nap or swim (we napped some before we went swimming - the heat really sapped us).

The most fun we had was in the water parks. We usually hit those in the late afternoon (after they reopened them to new guests - a lot of times earlier in the day they're at capacity and don't let new guests in). It's great, because there's no trouble keeping cool in the water parks.

My DH says that we will never go to WDW in July again because of the heat and humidity. I didn't think it was actually worse than July in NYC, but that's me. Everyone has a different tolerance for heat and sun.

 

[MrGrumpy222]

My DH says that we will never go to WDW in July again because of the heat and humidity. I didn't think it was actually worse than July in NYC, but that's me. Everyone has a different tolerance for heat and sun.[/QUOTE]

See, that is how I feel about the heat. Last summer here at the Jersey shore in July the mercury hit 102 degrees. I hope it isn't worse than that! Thanks to you all for taking the time to answer my question. I can't help but thinking to myself " A bad day at WDW is better than a good day here in Jersey". Oh yeah, almost forgot, do the crowds thin out in the evening at the parks since they are open until 11:00 PM?

Cheers

 

[Granny]

Oh yeah, almost forgot, do the crowds thin out in the evening at the parks since they are open until 11:00 PM?

The crowds waiting for attractions thin out for a while around dinner time, and around the parade times, but they are pretty steady all evening. If you get one of those typical summer rains in the afternoon, right after that can be a good time to be in the parks as many people head back to the resorts if they get wet.

Also, be aware of the EMH Evening Hours schedule at the parks. This will keep a park busier in the evening as many on-site guests choose that park to spend the evening.

 

[BCV23]

Although we get hot and humid in the Chicago area I know we don't compare to St. Louis.

But the big difference I noticed during our few summer trips to WDW was the intensity of the sun. So that sunblock Granny mentioned, hats, etc. are so important I think.

 

[Jerseygirl63]

Can someone tell me what EMH is? I guess I'm not up on my Disney lingo Thanks

 

[Granny]

This should help with this and other abbreviations you'll see here.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/abbreviations.htm

 

[Jerseygirl63]

Thanks Granny That list is a HUGE help

 

[ACDSNY]

Another crazy person here going in July, but not by choice. I'm attending a conference for work, but I'm hoping to get in a little park time in at night. I'm usually an off-season Disney person so wish me luck dealing with the crowds and heat.

 

[MiaSRN62]

My question is "How bad are the crowds at all 4 parks and the BWV's?". We were at WDW 2 years ago for "Jersey Week" and it was crowded, does it get worse than that? I am assuming that it is

Hi MrGrumpy
If you're referring to Jersey Week 2004---we were there as well that year. The beginning of the week wasn't too bad, but by Wed/THurs/Fri/Sat, DH and I concluded that it was right on par with the summertime crowds. If you happened to be in the MK on THurs Nov 4, 2004 it was crazy. There were 90+ min lines for all the popular rides. It was so bad, we left by noon and headed to Epcot (which was slightly better).
We often go during the summer....mostly in early to mid Aug, but we have been during the end of July (2003) and we did stay at the BWV during that stay. Yes, it was crowded, but if you plan your days well---getting up early and leaving around lunchtime for a break, then return in the early evening, it is doable. We also go during the summer most of the time because of kids' school/activities schedules. But to go back to the Jersey Week reference---I'd say if you're referring to 2004, I'd have to say the summer (crowd wise) doesn't get much worse than that.